fishes for himself and his Disciples and them that came to hear him he was not discontented because he had no better provision but gave God thanks for what he had though it was but barly bread Joh. 6.9,11 He was so poor that he received contribution from well disposed persons Luk. 8.2,3 when the Tax-gatherers came to him for tribute he had not wherewith all to pay them without working of a miracle Mat. 17.24,27 yet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Tribute money which was demanded of him was no great sum not above fifteen pence of our mony Now shall we murmur or be discontented when we are as well or better provided for as to worldly things than Jesus Christ our Lord and Master was The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord. And as you have as much as Christ had so you have as much or more of this worlds goods than the Apostles had 1 Cor. 4.11 Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labour working with our own hands Paul speaketh here of himself and the other Apostles as you may see v. 9. And though they were so poor that they had scarce any thing that they could call their own yet they were as well contented as if they had possessed all the world 2 Cor. 6.10 As poor as having nothing and yet possessing all things Phil. 4.11,12 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need 3. Though you have very little left yet you have more than you are worthy of as hath been hinted already from Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant 4. Though you have but little you may live as long and may live as blessed and comfortable a life as you might do if you had all the world You may live as long Luke 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of those things that he doth possess You may live as blessed and comfortable lives though you be poor as they that have great Estates Luke 6.20 Blessed be ye poor The Apostle Paul who was so poor that he had nothing was alwayes in a joyful condition 2 Cor. 6.10 David had not more satisfaction when he sate upon the Throne enjoying all the delights that his Kingdom could afford than he found when he was in the Wilderness of Judah for when he was in this Wilderness he tells us that his Soul was satisfied as with marrow and fatness whilst his thoughts and meditations were taken up about God Psal 63.5,6 Yet in this Wilderness he was destitute of all worldly comforts He calls it a dry and thirsty Land where no water was ver 1. Many labouring men that work hard all the day to get their living enjoy more comfortable dayes and nights than they that have great riches Eccles 5.12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep 5. Though you have but little yet it is far better with you than with those that want the Grace of God and enjoy great Estates Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked For what a righteous man hath he enjoyeth it with the love and favour of God but a wicked man is hated and abhorred of God Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity Now it is said Prov. 15.17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith A righteous man when he hath but little hath that which sufficeth him Phil. 4.11,12 But a wicked man is dissatisfied and straitned in his minde under his greatest abundance Job 20.22 In the midst of his sufficiency he shall be in straits 6. Though you have but little God can bless your little that it shall become a great deal before you die Jacob had but little when he went to Laban but God sent him away with a great Estate Gen. 32.10 With my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands It is the blessing of the Lord maketh rich Prov. 10.22 And it is all one with God to bless a man that hath little as him that hath much Bildad telleth Job after he had suffered great losses that if he would seek unto God Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter and should greatly encrease Job 8.5,7 But if God should continue you in a low Estate yet he can so bless that little that he hath left you that you shall have enough to maintain you as long as you live As it was with the Manna that fell in the Wilderness 2 Cor. 8.15 He that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack So it falls out by the providence of God towards his people that though they have but little yet they have no lack of what is good for them Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing It may be some will say we have so little that we have much ado to live though provision be plentiful and cheap but suppose times should grow hard suppose God should send a Famine how should we do then that have so little that have much ado to live now Answ If God send a Famine he promiseth to take care of all such as fear him and hope in his mercy 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 37.16 and 19. verses compared In the 16. verse the Psamist speaketh of the happy condition of the righteous though they have but little and whereas some might think but what shall become of us that have but little if a Famine should come he adds ver 19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the dayes of Famine they shall be satisfied Job 5.20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death and ver 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh When there was a famine in Israel God did so bless and multiply the widows handful of meal and her little oyl in a cruse that she and the Prophet and all her house were nourished therewith many dayes even till God sent plenty in Israel 1 Kings 17. from ver 9. to 17. SECT 8. 8. Consider that God hath left you more and better things then he hath taken from you and therefore how
my self into my straits and my troubles by my sins and this keepeth me from trusting in God because my troubles are the fruit of my sins Were it purely the hand of God to try my faith and patience I could in such a case hope in God Ans Though our troubles do come upon us for our sins yet if we humble our souls for our sins and cry to God in our distresses he will raise up deliverance for us Psal 107.10,11,12,13,14 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron becanse they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsel of the most high therefore he brought down their heart with labour they fell down and there was none to help Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distress he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder And again ver 17 19. Fools because of their transgression and because of oheir iniquities are afflicted then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distresses When David was under such a great sense of sin as made his heart to fail he did yet hope in God for deliverance out of his troubles Psal 40.12,17 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me thou art my help and my deliverer make no tarrying O my God When Jonah was cast into the Sea and swallowed up by a Whale it was for his sin in flying from the presence of the Lord yet when in his affliction he cryed to God God heard and delivered him Jonah 2.2,10 I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heardest my voice And the Lord spake unto the Fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land SECT 12. 12. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Satan useth to be very busie to tempt us when we are in affliction The two seasons wherein the Devil did in a more eminent manner set upon Christ with his temptations were when he was in the Wilderness Mark 1.13 He was in the Wilderness forty dayes tempted of Satan and when he was entring upon his Passion Luke 22.53 This is your hour and the power of darkness The Devils at that time bestirred themselves to the utmost of their power in tempting and afflicting the Lord Jesus Now God hath stripped you of all or the greatest part of your enjoyments and brought you as it were into a Wilderness now that you must expect to suffer more hardship and difficulties then formerly you may look to meet with more then usual temptations The Devil is ready to take occasion from others afflictions to tempt us 2 Thess 3.3,4,5 How much more will he take advantage from our own afflictions to assault us with his temptations If Satan be busie to tempt had you not need to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation I might here caution you against several temptations I will instance in four or five 1. Take heed of entertaining hard thoughts of God as though God dealt hardly with you or of his wayes as if there were no profit in serving of God because you have suffered so deeply notwithstanding you have endeavoured to serve the Lord Satan hath baffled very eminent persons with this temptation Job in his haste uttered such an expression as this Job 30.21 Thou art become cruel to me Jeremiah in his distress le ts fall such words as these Jer. 15.18 Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed wilt thou be altogether unto me as a lyard and as waters that fail David being exercised with many afflictions said lin his hast though upon second thoughts he called in his words again that all the pains that he had taken in serving God was ladour in vain Psal 73.13,14 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my bands in innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning To fortifie you against this temptation of calling in question the goodness of God or thinking there is no advantage cometh by serving God let me advise you to do these things 1. Judge of God according to that representation which he maketh of himself in his Word Now the Scriptures represent God to be a good God Ps 86.5 Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all that call upon thee When the Lord proclaimed his Name to Moses he proclaimed his name after this manner Exod. 34.5,6 The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness He is so abundant in goodness that his goodness fills the whole earth Psal 33.5 The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. He is so good a God that there are some expressions of his goodness towards every person and every creature upon the face of the earth Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works His goodness is so great that no words can express it we may admire it but we cannot deciare the greatness of it Zech. 9.17 How great is his goodness and how great is his beauty Even in his most terrible acts there is abundance of goodness Psal 145,6,7 Men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness 2. Consider what good thoughts of God the servants of the Lord have had in their greatest afflictions though in time of temptation some of Gods servants have uttered some rash expressions derogatory to the good ross of God yet afterwards they have humbled themselves greatly for such speeches as we may see Job 42.3,6 David calls himself fool and heast for speaking dishonourably of God in his afflictions Psal 73.13,22 Take the servants of God when they have been freed from or gotten the victory over temptation and you shall finde them admiring and speaking highly in the commendation of Gods goodness in their greatest afflictions Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and this David spoke when he was spoiled of his goods ver 61. The bands of the wicked have robbed me and when his sorrows were so great that his soul melted under them ver 28. My soul melteth for he aviness Neither his losses nor his sorrows made him question Gods goodness but he saith under both thou art good and dost good In another Psalm after he had expressed the greatness of his sorrows Psal 31.9,10 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 He breaks out into
beholding the things which were done smote upon their breasts and returned We read nothing of their returning to God till the Apostle Peter came and preached the word to them and then follows a great conversion unto the Lord 3000. are added unto the Church in one day Acts 2.41 Wherefore we should esteem it a great blessing and singular mercy to be taught and instructed by God when we are under his correcting hand according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law And we should readily open our ears to discipline by what wayes soever God shall be pleased to convey his minde to us God can and sometimes doth teach us immediately by his Spirit but most ordinarily he instructeth both those that are in affliction and others also in the use of means When the Apostle Paul was in great distress and at a loss to know the minde of Christ and cryed Lord What wilt thou have me to do he sent him to Ananias to be instructed what he should do Acts 9.6 God could have taught Cornelius by his Spirit or by the Angel that appeared to him but he chuseth rather to send him for instruction to one of his Ministers even to Peter who should tell him what he ought to do Acts 10.3.4.5,6 Amongst other means reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is one way whereby God seals up instruction to us Daniel was a man of singular wisdom full of the Holy Ghost greatly beloved of God yet he had not all his knowledge by immediate inspiration but much of it was given to him by the study of Books Dan. 9.2 I Daniel understood by Books At the request and for the use of some worthy Friends who were great sufferers by the late Fire I have drawn up an answer to three practical Questions concerning the said Fire the design whereof is to instruct and excite both such as escaped and such as suffered by this dreadful Fire to make an holy use and a Christian improvement of this sad and solemn Providence and also to quiet and comfort such as are troubled and cast down at the loss of their Estates The resolution of which Questions are here presented to thy view Possibly thou mayest have already something of the like nature from more able hands however if the Lord who worketh when and by whom he will shall be pleased by the reading of this small Treatise to convey the least beam of light or breath any quickning influence into thy Soul or to promote in any measure thy holiness or consolation it will be no grief of heart unto thee that thou wert at the cost to buy or at the pains to read it If thou sayest I am not concerned in this Judgment having been no sufferer by it nor any Inhabitant in the City where this Judgment fell and so consequently I am not concerned in the matter that is handled in these questions I answer 1. If thou art not a sufferer by this Fire yet art thou not under other sufferings If so there are several things hinted concerning this Affliction that may be of use to thee under thy Afflictions of what nature soever they be 2. If thou art not a sufferer by this or any other Judgment thou hast the more need to study what thou shalt render to the Lord for his great mercy in sparing thee when his hand lieth so heavy upon so many thousands at this day And then the third Question is of great concernment to thee 3. Though thou hast not suffered hitherto thou knowest not how soon thou mayest suffer by this very Judgment of Fire That passage in Isa 66.15,16 may awaken thee to prepare for fiery tryals Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwinde to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many And as it is our duty to hear for the time to come Isa 42.23 So it will be our prudence to read for time to come 4. Not only the places and persons that suffer by Gods Judgments but all that hear of them are concerned to make a good use of them When the Lord brought a sore Judgment upon Jerusalem he calls to all people in all Nations upon the face of the earth to take notice thereof and make a good use of it Jer. 4.18,19 Hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I will bring evil upon this people If any say this Treatise seemeth to be born out of due time it is now several months since London was burnt the impression of this Judgment begins now to wear off from mens spirits c. I answer 1. I hope better things of the greater part that suffered by this stroke of God then that they should so soon forget the hand that hath been lifted up against them but if it should be so that the impressions of this Judgment should be wearing off from many mens spirits there is the more need of using means to revive them again It is to be feared in regard poverty is coming upon many like an armed man and the sad effects of this Fire are and will be felt more and more by the poorer sort that discontent and trouble of minde will rather grow and encrease then wear off and therefore to such at least it will not be unseasonable to minister something by way of consolation though it be some months since they were brought into a suffering condition 2. Such great Judgments as this was are to be kept in remembrance and to be improved for the promoting of repentance and the fear of God all our dayes and not only as long as we live but the memory of them is to be conveyed to the Ages and Generations that are yet to come that they may learn to fear this God who hath done such great things amongst us When there was a mighty Famine in Judah the Lord gives Commandment that the memory thereof should be perpetuated to all Ages Joel 1.3,4 Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children and their children another generation That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten c. We think unworthily of Gods Judgments if we suppose they are to be regarded for a few dayes or for a few years only They are of larger use Judgments upon particular places and persons are admonitions to the whole world that hear of them as long as the world shall stand It is some thousands of years since Lots Wife was turned into a pillar of Salt yet this Judgment of God on a particular person must not be forgotten by us in this generation nor by others to the worlds end Luke 17.32 Remember Lots Wife It is generally computed to be above three thousand years
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
are not greater than our Father Jacob yet he saith of himself Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant We are not better than those Jews that were captives in Babylon for there were many of Gods precious Servants as Ezekiel Daniel Hanniah Mishael and Azariah who chose rather to be cast into a fiery Furnace than to fall down before an Image Nehemiah Ezra c. yet they acknowledged that they had deserved all the evils that they suffered and a great deal more and that it was meerly from the mercy of God that they were not consumed Daniel acknowledged the sufferings they met with to be so great as that they could not be parallel'd Dan. 9.12 yet he saith ver 14. The Lord our God is righteous in all his works The Prophet Jeremiah lamenting the great evils that were come upon the Jews acknowledgeth that though their sorrows were such as scarce any met with the like Lam. 1.12 Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Yet he saith Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed If we were fully convinced that we are less than the least of all Gods Mercies we should not repine when God taketh away our Estates our Health our Friends or any other mercies from us And if we were fully convinced that we have deserved to be destroyed and cast into everlasting burnings we should not repine when God sends poverty sickness or any other evils upon us 2. Mis-judging of the nature and quality of Gods Providences and of the ends and designs of God in afflicting causeth some to murmur and rep ne at those Providences for which if they understood them aright they would bless and praise God Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt by the hand of Moses was a great mercy his leading them through the Wilderness was to bring them into the Land of Canaan and the straits they met with in the Wilderness were to humble them and prove them and do them good in their latter end Deut. 8.15,16 Yet because they judged amiss of this Providence of God and thought they were brought into the Wilderness to be slain when they were in straits they murmured against the Lord Numb 14.2,3 Exod. 16.2,3 If our discontent spring from this root the way to remove it is 1. To judge nothing before the time but to wait with patience till we have seen the end as well as the beginning of our afflictions Gods dispensations towards Job were very terrible at the first coming of his troubles but the end of them was very comfortable and full of mercy Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pittiful and of tender mercy 2. We must judge of our afflictions by Faith and not by sense we must judge of them according to that sentence which is given of them in the Word of God and not according to the opinion of the world or of our own corrupt mindes Sense saith it is a miserable thing to be in affliction but the word saith Job 5,17 Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth James 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Sense looketh upon afflictions as hurtful things but faith judging according to the word saith Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes 3. We must look at the wholesome fruit of afflictions as well as their present smart Heb. 12.11 No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby As the cloud that parted the Israelites from the Egyptians had a dark side and a bright side Exod. 14.20 so have our afflictions now if we would not sink under our tryals we must look at the bright side as well as the dark side of them at the spiritual and eternal advantages that we reap by our troubles as well as the smart and inconveniences that our outward man sustaineth by them 3. Unbelief and distrust of God is another cause of murmuring when we are brought into straits Ps 106.24,25 They believed not his word but murmured in their tents If our discontent arise from unbelief the way to remove it is to do what we can to strengthen our Faith in the Attributes Providence and Promises of God for if we can but stay our mindes and rest our souls upon God he will keep them in perfect peace Isa 26.3 I might instance in other grounds and causes of discontent but because they will fall more properly under the next head I shall now proceed to the third and last branch of my answer to this question which is The answering of those Reasonings and Objections that arise in the mindes of those that have suffered loss in their Estates by the late Fire which hinder them from sitting down contented under this hand of God Objections that hinder the contentment of those that have suffered loss in their Estates removed SECT 1. Object 1. My loss is exceeding great I have lost thousands of pounds if I had lost but a small matter I could have born it but in regard my loss is so great it troubleth my minde exceedingly and I know not how to bear it with patience Answ 1. Your loss is not greater than Jobs who was the richest man in the Eastern part of the world and lost all his Substance and his Children too in one day yet he did not repine at the greatness of his loss but quietly submitteth himself to God Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. How much soever it be that you have lost God is able to give it you again and much more also 2 Chron. 25.9 But what shall we do for the hundred talents God is able to give thee much more than this Though God took a great Estate from Job yet it is said Job 42.10,12 The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Though you should be brought to poverty yet God oft-times raiseth poor men to such an high degree that he maketh them equal to Princes Psal 113.7,8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil that he may set them with Princes even with the Princes of his people 3. It may be God saw that you had too much and therefore out of his infinite Wisdom and Love he hath brought you low There is danger in having too much as well as too little Agur prayeth against too great riches as well as against poverty Prov. 30.7,8 Give me not riches lest I
why hast thou made me thus 2. It is for our good to pass through variety of conditions for thereby God awakens the fear of his Name in our hearts and shakes off our security and promoteth the holiness of our hearts and lives A continued course of prosperity without some changes oft-times breeds a great deal of security and forgetfulness of God Psal 55.19 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Jer. 48.11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed If God by this change beger or promote the fear of his Name in your souls that will be better treasure than any that you lost by the late Fire Isa 33.6 The fear of the Lord is his treasure 3. The Lord would have us be so far from being dejected at our crosses that he would have us esteem them a ground of joy Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations He would have men of high degree rejoyce when they are brought low as well as men of low degree to rejoyce when they are exalted James 1.9,10 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted but the rich in that he is made low 3. Remember how contentedly our Lord Jesus Christ bore his state of humiliation Though he was Lord of all things yet for our sakes he became poor and took upon himself the form of a Servant and made himself of no reputation to bring us unto eternal glory 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich Phil. 2.5,6,7 Let this minde be in you which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant Yet there never came one discontented word out of Christs month neither did there arise one repining thought in his minde throughout all the dayes of his humiliation Observe also how contentedly the servants of God have born their changes when God hath brought them from an high to a low condition When David was driven from his Kingdom and necessitated to flee to save his life he quietly submits himself to God 2 Sam. 15.26 When he that was honoured by all the Princes and Elders of Israel had a man of Belial came and cursed him to his face David puts up all his railing language with a meek and quiet spirit 2 Sam. 16.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 5. Though you be brought very low and those that were your friends in the day of your prosperity should now slight and dis-regard you yet if you continue to serve the Lord he will respect and regard you as much as ever he did Psal 136.26 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 106.43,44,45 They provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity nevertheless he regarded their efftiction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies If your hearts be lowly as well as your conditions low the most high God will respect you more than all the great men upon the face of the earth that are of a proud spirit Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off Whatever account men may have of the Servants of God the Lord esteemeth very highly of them He counts them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 It is said of them Isa 62.3 Thou shalt be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of thy God This high esteem that God hath of you may abundantly satisfie you under all the slights and dis-respect that you meet with from men 6. If you be brought to fare hard and meanly by this providence whereas before you had a very plentiful table this should not trouble you for 1. God can make a course and mean diet conduce as much to your health and nourishment as the richest fare in the world Daniel and his three companions who eat nothing but pulse and drank water were of a fairer countenance and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.12,13,14,15 2. Though you should be brought to fare very hard yet as good and better men than you are have fared harder than you and yet did not murmur against God We read of an hundred men that were the Lords Prophets that lived in a cave with bread and water 1 Kings 18.13 John the Baptist was a great person Our Saviour telleth us that among them that were born of women there was not a greater than John the Baptist Matth. 11.11 Yet both his habit and diet were very mean John had his raiment of Camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and wilde honey Mat. 3.4 and he drank neither wine nor strong drink Luke 1.15 Our Saviour himself eat very course diet and yet was thankful for it When many of his friends were about him that came to hear his word he had nothing better to refresh himself after his labours and to give to his Disciples and those that followed him but Barley Bread and Fish and they had no seats to sit upon at their meat but the grass yet Jesus Christ lift up his eyes and gave thanks John 6.9,10,11 Another time being weary and thirsty he had nothing better than water to quench his thirst and he could not with once asking obtain a draught of water to quench his thirst John 4.6,7,9 Jesus being wearied with his journey sate on the well There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her give me to drink then saith the woman How is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria 3. The meaner your diet is the less will be your temptation to excess Such as fare deliciously every day are under a great temptation to make their belly their God which is a fin that will bring unavoidable destruction Phil. 3.19 whose end is destruction whose belly is their God 4. God hath given such of you as are his servants his Son who is the bread of life the bread that came down from heaven John 6.48,51 and the water of life John 4.10 and why should you be discontented because your dyet is mean who have meat to eat that the world knows not of hidden Manna yea who have the bread of life and the water of life SECT 9. Obj. 9. I had a very sweet and commodious dwelling where I lived very comfortably and now I am greatly unsettled I
Christ Gal. 3.7,9 Know ye that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 2. Though your Estates be gone and your outward comforts be taken away God himself will stand by you Though your Estates may fail and your Calling may fail and your Friends may fail and forsake you God will never fail you nor forsake you Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He hath said Who is that God who is a God of truth a God that cannot lye a God that changeth not the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and why should that man be cast down that hath the God of all consolation continually with him yea though not only Estate and Calling and Friends fail but your hearts fail you also yet God will not fail you but will be yours for ever Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever But I am afraid my trials will be so great that my faith will fail me and what can I expect then but that God should fail me also Answer 1. The Lord Jesus will take care of your Faith that it shall not totally or finally fail Luke 22.31,32 Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not 2. Though there may be some partial failings in your faith yet God will not fail to fulfil his promise wherein he standeth engaged not to leave nor forsake you 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself therefore when fears and discouragements begin to seize upon you remember that God calleth to you Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Isa 43.1,2 Fear not for I have redeemed thee thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Though the fire be long since quenched yet it may be you will feel the sad fruits and effects of this Fire as long as you live but if you should be not cast down but look upon God that he according to his promise will be with you to strengthen and support you when you pass through the fires 3. You are as dear to God as ever he loves you now you are poor as much as he did when you were rich Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me Though your Estates be gone yet Gods love remains firm to your souls and shall continue stedfast towards you although you should meet with greater mutations in your estate and condition than you have done to this day Isa 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindenss shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Whatever dangers or troubles compass you about you are and alwayes shall be compassed about with the loving kindness of the Lord Psal 5.12 Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield Now this is a ground of everlasting comfort and may cause us in all conditions to shout for joy to understand that we are in the love and favour of God as is evident from the 11. verse Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them let them also that love thy Name be joyful in thee Three times the Psalmist calls out to the Servants of God to rejoyce Let them rejoyce let them be joyful in thee let them ever shout for joy and why what is it which may be a ground of everlasting joy to them in all estates and conditions Many times they are poor and under great afflictions what reason then have they to shout for joy for ever He renders the reason why a godly man may and ought to be alwayes joyful ver 12. For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield That Gods love is a ground of everlasting comfort in all estates and conditions is evident from 2 Thess 2.16 Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation 4. Though your Houses and Estates be consumed and your Trading fail and your Friends should turn away from you and stand aloof from your sore God will not turn away from doing of you good as long as you live Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me When you are in trouble and have no friend in the world to go to if you go to the Lord he will be your refuge and succour and comfort you in all your straits Psal 9.9 The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble Isa 66.13 As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem When the Jews were in the Wilderness God followed them with a constant supply of all their wants The pillar of fire and the cloud never departed from them Exod. 13.21,22 The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people And though they sinned against God yet he forsook them not as Nehomiah confesseth Nehem. 9.19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsockest them not in the Wilderness the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day to lead them in the way neither the pillar of fire by night to shew them light and the way wherein they should go And as God guarded and guided them by night and by day so whereever they were he rained down Manna upon them and gave them water to drink he never failed them of a seasonable supply of their wants forty years together Nehem. 9.20,21 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them and with-heldest not thy Manna from their mouth and gavest them water for their thirst yea forty years didst thou sustain them in the Wilderness so that they lacked nothing their clothes waxed not old The Manna did not cease till the day that they entred into Canaan
new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Meditation on the word built up David wonderfully in knowledge Psal 119.99 I have more under standing then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation The Apostle Paul recommends meditation on Gods word to Timothy as an excellent means to promote his growth in grace 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all So also when he took his leave of the Elders of the Church of Ephesus he commends them to the word of the Lord as the means whereby they might be built up in that grace which they had already received Acts 20.32 And now brethren I commend you to God and to the the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified I might have added in the tenth place After God hath prospered you in this work of building and you have finished your houses dedicate them to God It was a custom among the Jews after they had built a new house to dedicate it unto the Lord as you may see Deut. 20.5 but of this I shall have occasion to speak afterward Quest 3. Sect. 7. p. 313. where I shall shew how we should dedicate our Houses to God and therefore I shall adde no more upon this Question but proceed to the third QUEST 3. What shall they render to the Lord for his Mercy whose Houses and Goods were preserved from being consumed by the late Dreadful Fire BEfore I answer this Question I shall premise five or six things 1. It was Gods Providence not your own prudence or diligence or any other act of yours that preserved you from sustaining any loss or damage by the late Fire Psal 16.5 Thou maintainest my lot Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Psal 40.17 Thou art my help and my deliverer When ever a righteous man is delivered from any trouble his deliverance proceedeth from the Lord Psal 34.17 The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles As God ordereth the rain where it shall fall and where it shall not fall Amos 4.7 I caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another so it is he also that ordered this Fire what City and what Houses and Goods it should consume and what it should not consume The Fire the Winds and all other Creatures do nothing but at Gods appointment Psal 148.7,8 Praise ye the Lord from the earth ye Dragons and all deeps fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fullfilling his word The fire and the wind are ruled by God they spare those whom God appoints them to spare they afflict those whom God appoints them to afflict they do nothing but by commission from God The same God that sets the bounds of the Sea and saith Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Job 38.11 did set bounds to this raging Fire and appointed how far it should proceed and where its flames should be stayed wherefore such as were preserved from suffering damage by this Fire must not ascribe their safety partly to Gods Providence and partly to themselves but must give all the glory to God and say as David did of his deliverances Psal 4.8 Thou Lord only makest me to dwell in safety Psal 62.2 He only is my rock and my salvation 2. We ought to look upon it as a great mercy to be spared from Gods judgments Neh. 13.22 Spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed especially we should account it a great mercy to be spared from Gods judgments in a time of common calamity when multitudes as good or better than we are have been great sufferers When Lot escaped with his life out of Sodom though he sustained some loss by the burning of that City yet he looked upon it as an exceeding great mercy that his life was preserved Gen. 19.19 Be hold 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 3. When the Lord hath given us any remarkable deliverance or bestowed any other signal mercy upon us it should put us upon enquiring what return we should make unto God for his benefits When David had received a great deliverance he maketh enquiry what he should render to God for so great a mercy Psal 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me This is needful because God expects that when he hath done great things for us we should be returning something to him Isa 5.1,2 My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill and he fenced it and he looked that it should bring forth grapes Luke 17.17,18 Jesus answering said Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this stranger Where we may observe 1. The Lord Jesus expects that when we have received any eminent favour from him we should return something for what we receive else why did he ask Where are the nine 2. The Lord takes notice who they are that do and who they are that do not return according to the mercies that they receive from God The Samaritan returned to give glory to God the others did not 3. There are very few scarce one in ten that make a return according to the mercies that they receive There were ten cleansed and only one returns to give glory to God 4. When any man faileth to return according to the benefits which he hath received though he be a good man God is much displeased at it 2 Chron. 32.25 But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem God had in a wonderful manner delivered Hezekiah from death and though he was a good man so eminently good that he excelled all the Kings that lived before him and came after him according to what we finde 2 Kings 18.5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him Yet this good man Hezekiah failed to reader again according to the benefit done unto him and what followed thereupon wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem for this very thing 5. It is not every return will answer Gods expectation but there must be some suitableness some proportion between the mercies that we receive from God and the returns that we make to God Hezekiah was not wholly wanting in making return to God for he praised God for recovering him from his sickness Isa 38.19 The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this
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
of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Object I have cryed unto God and hung upon and pleaded his Promises for his strength and still I remain in a weak helpless condition Answ Though it be so yet cry still to the Lord Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord. Psal 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore And wait patiently upon him and in due time he will strengthen you Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint 4. Keep in Gods wayes when we go out of Gods wayes we cause God to withdraw himself and when God withdraws our strength departs from us as it was with Sampson when his God departed from him his strength departed also Judg. 16.19 His strength went from him How came he to lose his strength by losing the presence of God ver 20. I will go out as at other times and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him so it is with Christians when they lose their God they lose their strength But by keeping in Gods wayes they shall keep God with them and increase their strength That this is the way to get Gods strength to keep in Gods ways you may see Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the wayes of them Job 17.19 5. Get your interest in God made out to your souls The knowing of God to be our God conveyeth great strength into our souls and will support us in our greatest troubles What Solomon saith of knowledge Prov. 24.5 A wise man is strong a man of knowledge encreaseth strength is eminently true of this knowledge that God is our God for the more clearly we know God to be our God the more we shall encrease in strength Isa 49.5 My God shall be my strength 1 Sam. 30.6 David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God The knowledg of our interest in God filleth our hearts with joy Luk. 1.47 My spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and joy strengthens the soul Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Wherefore grow in acquaintance with God if you will grow in strength to suffer the will of God cheerfully Col. 1.10,11 Increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness especially labour to grow in the knowledg of your interest in God 6. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in your souls the Word of God abiding in you will be a great means to strengthen you 1 Joh. 2.14 Ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one The efficacy and power of the Word of God is wonderful By speaking of a word God created the whole world Psal 33.6,9 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast By his Word he governs and upholdeth all his creatures Heb. 1.3 Vpholding all things by the Word of his Power Is there such power in the Word as to uphold all things and dost thou doubt whether it be able to uphold thy soul If a mans heart be broken in pieces and melted with grief the Word of God will heal and strengthen him and settle him in a comfortable condition Psal 107.20 He sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions Psal 119.28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy Word 7. If you would be strong in the Lord put on the whole armour of God Ephes 6.10,11 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might But some may say How shall we be strong in the Lord the next words shews this Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil No part of the armour of God must be neglected if we would be strong in the Lord. What this armour of God is the Apostle sheweth from the 14 th ver to the 18 th 4. If we would be prepared to undergo all afflictions cheerfully we must labour to get our sins pardoned and get our pardon evidenced and keep clear our evidences of our justified estate Sense of guilt bows down the soul and weakens our strength and renders us unfit for a suffering condition Psal 31.10 My strength faileth because of mine iniquity Such of the Jews as were under the sense of unpardoned guilt were ready to faint under their afflictions when they were carried captive into Babylon Lam. 3.18,19 I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwoed and the gall And if you would know what made their cup so bitter that they fainted under it you may see ver 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned But when our sins are pardoned that will help us to bear afflictions cheerfully Isa 33.24 The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Matth. 9.2 They brought unto him a man sick of the Palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Sickness is a great affliction and this man was so sick that he kept his bed yet Christ bids him be of good cheer because his sins were forgiven him before he speaks one word of removing his sickness A man that is in a justified estate may triumph and glory in his greatest troubles Rom. 5.1,3 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And not only so but we glory in tribulations also 5. If we would be prepared for a suffering condition we must acquaint our selves with and cleave and adhere to the death and sufferings of Christ and labour to understand and get an interest in the imputed righteousness of Christ Christs righteousness is one of the main Pillars our Souls have to lean upon for our support under all our troubles Isa 41.10 I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Our chiefest strength lyeth in our right hand
2.7 He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Protection from evils is a good thing if you walk uprightly with God he will not with-hold his protecting providence from you but as he hath been so he still will be your shield 2. Shew mercy to the Poor and do good with your Estates that is the way to have them preserved Psal 41.1,2 Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies 3. Love the Lord for preserving you hitherto and thereby you shall be preserved still Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him 4. You must not preserve any of your sins from destruction if you would have God preserve your persons and substance for God threatens to destroy both the persons and the substance of such as live wicked and ungodly lives Job 15.20,21,29 The wicked man travelleth with pain all his dayes and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor A dreadful sound is in his ears in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him He shall not be rich neither shall his substance continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth Zophar speaking of a man that spares his sins and will not forsake them among other Judgments mentioneth this that God will not spare but will desteoy such a mans substance Job 20.12,13,15,26,28 He hath swallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly All darkness shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume him The increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath If this merciful providence of God will not prevail with you to cast away your sins your continuing in your sins will cause God to cast away your substance Prov. 10.3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish but he casteth away the substance of the wicked 5. Commit your selves and your substance into the hands of the Lord and trust in God who hath graciously preserved you hitherto to preserve you and all that belongth unto you for the time to come There is no better way to engage God to help us than to commit our selves to him and to put our trust in him Prov. 29.25 Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them Psal 10.14 The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless Psal 5.11 Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them Psal 22.4 Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them Dan. 6.23 Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God Now in regard that trusting in God availeth much towards our preservation I shall mention three or four considerations that may encourage you to trust in God for preservation of your persons and substance at such times as you apprehend your selves to be in greatest danger of suffering either in your Persons or Estates 1. Consider how solicitous and careful God is of your welfare 1 Pet. 5.7 He careth for you You are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye He is so careful of your welfare that he giveth all his Angels a charge concerning you to pitch their tents about your dwellings and to take the care of you wherever you go and to deal tenderly with you to carry you in their arms that you may be preserved from being hurt either by evil Angels or evil Men Psal 91.11,12 He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone Psal 34,7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Besides the charge that God giveth his Angels to look after his people he himself taketh a special care of them the Lord himself is their keeper and watcheth over them both by night and by day Psal 121.4,5 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep the Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand Isa 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day His eyes are alwayes upon his people to behold their dangers that the may send them relief and deliverance in due season 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards them His hand is alwayes stretched out for their defence Deut. 33.27 The eternal God is thy refuge underneath are the everlasting arms The Lord is so tender of you that he doth as it were lay you in his bosom Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather his lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom 2. This care of God for his peoples welfare extendeth not only to some but to every one of his servants Deut. 33.3 All his Saints are in thine hand Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him The meanest of all Gods servants is of more value than many Sparrows yet there is not so much as one Sparrow forgotten of God Luke 12.6,7 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God Fear not therefore ye are of more value than many sparrows Surely then there is not the meanest of all Gods servants which is forgotten of the Lord. 3. God is not only careful of his peoples persons but of their substance and habitations Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot Job 1.10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side When you are afraid your houses should be fired or any other evil should befall your habitations think on such Scriptures as these wherein God hath engaged himself to preserve your habitations in safety Psal 91.10 There shall no evil befal thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Prov. 1.33 Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear
count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations 3. Observe in this time of your affliction what sins God sets before you as the ground and cause of your present straits and be excited by the smart of the rod to humble your souls and set upon the work of repentance and God will soon turn your adversity into prosperity and your straits into enlargement Job 36.8,9,10,11,16 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasure Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness SECT 7. Obj. 7. My Family is undone by this loss if I were a single person and none but my self were concerned in it I could bear it cheer fully but I have Wife and Children and if God should take me away I can leave them nothing and this troubles me Answ 1. It is the duty of Parents to provide for their Children 2 Cor. 12.14 Children ought not to lay up for their Parents but Parents for their Children and such persons as spend their Estates in Gaming Drinking or other riotous courses whereby they begger their Children are worse than Insiders 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel But if a man out of conscience towards God hath endeavoured to make provision for his Children and God doth frustrate his endeavours this is his affliction but not his sin 2. Though you can leave your Children little or nothing yet God may raise them up to great Estates and to â—…igh Preferments after you are dead and gone Job 14.21 His sont come to honour and he knoweth it not Psal 113.7,8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people Psal 112.1,2,3 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed health and riches shall be in his house 3. Though you can leave your Children little or nothing possibly it may be as well or better for them than if you had left them great Estates for their Estates might have been temptations to others to have made a prey of them and temptations to themselves to have lived in Idleness Luxury c. Children that are left with great Estates do as frequently miscarry as those that are left with less 4. If your Family should be undone by this loss yet seeing it is the Lords doing you must submit your selves to God You must leave all your Family concernments as well as personal to Gods disposal God threatned Eli with the ruine of his Family and tells him that his off-spring should crouch for a morsel of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 There were such heavy things denounced against his Family as were enough to make both the ears of every one that heard thereof to tingle 1 Sam. 3.11,12,13,14 Yet Eli bears all patiently because it was the Lords doing 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good As David comforted himself under his Family afflictions by virtue of Gods Covenant made with his own soul 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow The like consolation may every godly man draw from Gods Covenant when his Family is or he foreseeth it is like to be in an afflicted condition 5. Say not your Family is undone though you have lost all your Estate so that you can leave your Wives and Children nothing for though a godly man can leave his Children no visible Estate yet he leaveth them that which is far better than hundreds yea than thousands by the year For 1. He leaveth his Children in Covenant with God Gen. 17.7 I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and thy seed after thee He leaveth them heirs of the Promises Acts 2.39 The promise is unto you and to your Children Now to be left an heir of the Promises to be left in Covenant with God is far better than to be leftworth millions of money for the blessings of the Covenant are better than all riches and they are also more certain and durable blessings 2. He leaveth them a stock of alms God will recompence upon the children the alms that have been given by their Parents Onesiphorus his house fared the better for his refreshing of Paul 1 Tim. 1.16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me And the Psalmist telleth us that the seed of a godly man fare the better for his acts of mercy Psal 37.26 He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed 3. He leaveth his Children a stock of Prayers All the Prayers that he hath put up for his Childrens welfare either civil or spiritual are kept in Gods remembrance and shall fall down upon their heads and hearts in due time 4. He leaveth them Gods blessing which is more worth than the whole world Prov. 20.7 The just man walketh in his integrity his Children are blessed after him The fruit of his holy walking shall fall upon his Children and Childrens Children even to a thousand generations Exod. 20.6 Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments A godly man leaves his Children better than if he left them as great Estates as any men have in the world better than if he left them a Temporal Crown or an earthly Kingdom SECT 8. Obj. 8. I have formerly lived high and in good credit and esteem and have kept a plentiful and bountiful Table and now I am brought low and must fare hard and expect to be slighted and dis-regarded and I know not how to bear this had I alwayes lived in a poor mean way I could have born it better than to go from a high to a low condition Answ 1. It is God that hath brough you low 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up Psal 75.7 God is the judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Now no man must finde fault with any of Gods works Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it
heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. When Ephraim was in affliction and found a refractory spirit Thou hast chastised me and I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke and went to God and bemoaned the hardness of his heart and prayed to be turned God promiseth I will surely have mercy upon him that is out of my mercy towards him I will both pardon his rebellious and disobedient carriage under his affliction and subdue his refractory and rebellious spirit That Gods having mercy on him implies both the pardoning and subduing his sins may be gathered from Mic. 7.18,19,20 When the Jews were carried captive into Babylon and found that notwithstanding all the great things that they suffered during the siege and at the destruction of Jerusalem they were not turned from their sins they go to God and pray to him to turn them for they were perswaded that though their afflictions had not turned them yet if the Lord would put forth his Grace and turn them then they should be turned Lam. 5.21 Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Prayer is of that prevalency with God that no iniquity shall be able to stand long before a praying Christian but Prayer will soon subdue the power and dominion of it Psal 119.2,3 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquity Prayers and tears will prevail over God himself Hos 12.3,4 By his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Now if Prayer will prevail over God fear not but it will prevail over all manner of sin 4. When you feel any workings and stirrings of the Spirit of God upon your hearts take heed of quenching or resisting the Spirit when the Spirit of God worketh upon you either in a way of conviction or by stirring up godly sorrow for sin or exciting purposes and resolutions against sin or working in any other way upon our souls and yield your selves to God joyn in and comply with the motions of the Spirit all the workings of Gods Spirit upon our hearts are in order to the bringing of us to repentance that he may prevent our eternal misery Job 33.16,17 He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man See also ver 29 30. Lo all these things worketh God often times with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living We had need attend to the workings of the Spirit because there is no mortifying of any one sin but by the help of the Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And though we can overcome no sin but by the help of the Spirit yet with the Spirits help we may overcome any sin whatever Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh What would God have done for Israel if they had hearkned to him Psal 81.13,14,15 O that my people had hearkened unto me I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him The same will the Spirit of God do for those that yield up themselves to be led and guided by him he will soon subdue their sins and turn his hand against their iniquities and make all their spiritual enemies become subject unto them 5. Look unto Jesus Christ to give you repentance and to turn you from your iniquities God hath exalted Christ to give us repentance Acts. 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins Because we cannot of our selves turn from sin God sent his Son to turn us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities If after you have applyed your selves to Christ in order to his turning of you from your iniquities your sins should still prevail over you yet be not discouraged but hope in Christ that in his own good time he will redeem you from all your iniquities and you shall finde that he will not fail your expectation Psalm 130.7,8 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away 6. Rest upon God by virtue of his promises to sanctifie your afflictions for the purging out of your sins and leading of you to repentance The Lord hath made many gracious promises of sanctifying those afflictions which he layes upon his people and causing of them to purge and refine their souls I will mention two or three Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Here are two things remarkable in this Scripture 1. The end and design of God in afflicting his people which is that he may take away his sins This is all the fruit to take away his sin 2. A promise that the affliction which God sends upon his people shall have this effect upon their souls to purge out their sins By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged Jer. 24 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart This promise relates to a time of affliction when the Jews were carried captives into the Land of the Caldeans ver 5. and herein the Lord promiseth among other blessings that this captivity should produce in them an unfeigned repentance They shall return unto me with their whole heart Another promise to this effect we have Zach. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God In the former verse the Prophet speaks of a time of great mortality Two parts therein shall be cut off and die but the third part shall be left therein and then he foretels
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
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 there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Hell fire is so dreadful that you should be willing to do any thing and to suffer any thing so that you may not be cast into Hell fire when you die If you have any sins as profitable to you as your right hand or as dear to you as your right eye you had better a thousand times part with those sins suffer pain and damage and enter into life than retain your sins and be cast into Hell fire when you die Mar. 9.43,44,45,46,47,48 If thy hand offend thee cut it off for it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thy foot offend thee cut it off it is better for thee to enter halt into life than having two feet to be cast into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thine Eye offend thee pluck it out it is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched SECT 10. 10. Trust in God for a livelyhood Though your Estates be gone and Trading fail and Times should be hard yet God will not fail you nor forsake you if you trust in him but he will feed you and clothe you and provide all things that are necessary for you Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversations be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee These Hebrews as I have hinted before had suffered the spoiling of their goods as we may see Chap. 10.34 and now they might be full of fears that they should not be able to live but the Apostle bids them be content with such things as they had for the Lord would not leave them nor forsake them Consider 1. God knows that you need food and rayment for your bodies as well as grace for your souls Matth. 6.32 Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things and as he knoweth what and how great your needs are so he will take care to supply all your needs Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 2. God made provision for you long before you had a being the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for Gods Saints and Servants before they were born for it was made ready for them from the foundation of the world Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Yea before the world began from all Eternity God made preparation for your eternal happiness Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Now if God made provision for your eternal happiness before you had a being then doubt not but he will provide for you that little time that you have to continue in this world 3. God hath given you better and greater things then food and rayment he hath given you life bodies and souls Matth. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment God hath not with-holden his only Son from you and do you think that he will with-hold food and raiment from you who gave you his own Son Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 4. A good man will give his servants convenient food though he have never so many Luk. 15.17 How many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare And do you think our good and gracious God will deny his servants their necessary food Doth not God clothe the grass which is but of few dayes continuance And do you think that he will deny you rayment who are made for an eternal state Matth. 6.28,29,30 Why take ye thought for rayment consider the Lillies of the field how they grow they toil not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith God out of his mercy giveth food to all his creatures Psal 136.25 Who giveth food to all flesh for his mercy endureth for ever He feedeth the Birds and the Beasts Job 38.41 He provideth for the Raven his food when his young ones cry unto God Psal 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his food And do ye think that he who is styled The Preserver of Men Job 7.20 will not provide food for the sons and daughters of men If you think that the Lord is or will be more mindful of the Birds and Beasts than of Men you wrong him exceedingly Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they But of this you may see more Quest 1. pag. 75 76 77 c. Sect. 3 4. Object If any say I could trust God for a livelyhood if I could but see which way I should be able to live but when I have considered which way I should be able to maintain my self and my family I can't see or think of any way whereby I and mine should be maintained and this makes me that I can't tell how to trust in God for a subsistance Answ 1. You have strange thoughts of God if you will trust him no farther than you can see him you will trust a dishonest man as far as you can see him And what a reproach is this to the holy God to trust him no farther than you will trust a dishonest man 2. The property of true faith is to perswade the soul as firmly that those things which God hath promised shall be although we neither do or can see them as we are perswaded of those things which we see evidently with our eye Heb. 11.1 Faith is the
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
ask and entreat several things of you he entreats you to give him your heart Prov. 23.26 My son give me thine heart He beseecheth and prayeth you to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God He beseecheth you to leave off your sins Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate He beseecheth you to present your bodies to him Rom. 12.1 Now if the great God condescend to ask several things of you why should you be so proud and high-minded as to chuse rather to starve or to murder your selves than to ask relief of your fellow creatures 4. Job was a burden to himself as he himself telleth us Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so that I am a burden to my self He was also by reason of his sores and other afflictions a burden to his friends so that neither his wife nor his servants nor his friends cared to come at him Job 19.14,15,16,17,19 My kinsfolk have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me they that dwell in mine own house and my maidens count me a stranger I am an alien in their sight I called my servant and he gave me no answer I entreated him with my mouth my breath is strange to my wife though I entreated for the childrens sake of mine own body all my inward friends abhorred me and they whom I loved are turned against me Yet though Job was become a burden to himself and to all his friends he durst not put an end to his life but resolves Job 14.14 All the dayes of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come 5. If you destroy your selves and thereby provoke God to cast your souls into hell you will be in greater want there than ever man was upon the face of the earth for there is nothing good in hell there is nothing to please the eye or the ear or any of the senses there you shall be tormented with hunger and thirst for ever and shall not have so much as a drop of water to cool your tongue The rich man that fared deliciously every day though he begged hard for but one drop of water to cool his tongue he could not obtain it Luke 16.19,23,24,25,26 In your wants here you may have relief by going to God you may have comfort from the word but there is no relief to be had from God neither is there any comfort to be had from the word of God in hell Your wants here continue but a little while if you go on to serve God you shall shortly be in heaven where you shall want no good thing but if you destroy your selves God will cast you into hell where you shall suffer all sorts of wants in the utmost extremity to all eternity and therefore it is great folly for any man to destroy himself for fear of being brought to want Plea 4. My sins lie as a heavy burden upon me and they are greater then can be forgiven and I know not how to be eased of this heavy burden but by making away my self Answ 1. Say not thy sins are greater than can be forgiven for all sorts of sins are pardonable by vertue of the Blood of Christ 1 John 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Mark 3.28 Verily I say unto you all sins shall be forgive unto the sons of men and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme And though it be true that the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven the reason is not because the Blood of Christ is not of sufficient value to wash away that sin but because such persons as commit the sin against the Holy Ghost do not repent and believe in Jesus Christ but do despise and trample under foot the Blood of the Son of God 2. Self-murder will not lessen but encrease the number of your sins it will not take off the burden which is upon your consciences but will make your burden a thousand times heavier for if a man dye in his sins all his sins go down to hell with him and there will lye as so many mountains of lead pressing and loading his conscience to all eternity and the sence of sin which men shall have in hell will torment them a thousand times more than it doth in this life for then they shall know more of the evil of sin and more of the Majesty of that God against whom they have sinned than they do now Then they shall see more sins than they do now and feel more of Gods wrath for their sins here they have some few drops there they shall have full vials of wrath then they shall have certain knowledge that there is no possibility of obtaining the pardon of any one sin for ever Here though they may be under great fears yet there may be some hope of mercy at least as long as they live they are not under an impossibility of being pardoned 3. Though thou art under despair and ready to say there is no hope that God should ever pardon such a great sinner as I have been yet set upon the work of repentance and returning to God and God will pardon all your sins Jer. 3.22 Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings These persons to whom this promise is made had been exceeding great sinners as you may see ver 5. Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest and were in a despairing condition chap. 2. v. 25. Thou saidst there is no hope Yet to these persons that had done evil things as they could and said there was no hope of mercy for them God promiseth if they would return he would not cause his anger to fall upon them ch 3. ver 12. but would pardon and forgive their sins ver 22. God also by the Prophet Isaiah promiseth pardon to the chiefest of sinners if they will but forsake their sins Isa 1.16,17,18 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Come now and let us reason together though your sins be as searlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Obj. It is true if I could repent then though my sins were never so great I know the Lord would pardon them but alas I cannot turn from my sins to God repentance is hid from mine eyes Answ Though you cannot repent of your self yet you should not despair for God hath exalted his his Son Jesus Christ to give you repentance Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins It may be you will reply Christ is
and did eat of the corn of the land Josh 5.12 The Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land The water also that came out of the rock followed them up and down in all places whereever they went to give them drink 1 Cor. 10.4 Now as it was with the Israelites whilst they were in the Wilderness so will God deal with all his servants whilst they are in the Wilderness of this world he will guard them and guide them by night and by day he will send in a suitable and seasonable supply of all their wants Isa 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 49.10 They shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat nor Sun smite them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of water shall he guide them When your wants are many and you know not how or which way they shall be supplyed remember what is said Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus And be assured of this that God who hath been good to you will follow you with goodness and mercy as long as you live Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life It may be you will say I have enough to comfort me if I were but sure that goodness and mercy should follow me all the dayes of my life but though David was sure of this it doth not follow that I may rest assured that it shall be so with me I answer They that come to and close with Jesus Christ shall be blessed with the same mercies that God bestowed upon David Isa 45.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David 5. Great calamities are oft-times followed with great mercies and this is true both as to Nations and particular persons when those Nations and persons are humbled and brought nearer to God by their afflictions Jobs afflictons were exceeding great both in respect of what he met with in his soul body name estate and relations yet God turned the captivity of Job and made his Estate more glorious and prosperous than ever Job 42.12 The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning I will instance in some mercies which God is wont to bestow upon his people either in or soon after they come out of great troubles 1. God is wont at such times to give his people greater and stronger consolations than at other times Psal 71.20,21 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 Thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort me on every side Psal 66.3,5,6 How terrible art thou in thy works Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men he turned the Sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him When God is doing terrible things he is making way for his peoples joy After David had spoken twice of Gods being terrible in his doings he adds there did we rejoyce in him In the night of affliction God puts such comforts into his peoples hearts as makes them sing for joy Job 35.10 None saith Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night When they are deprived of outward comforts and are in a solitary straitned condition he giveth them internal and spiritual comforts Hos 2.14,15 I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her and I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt When our troubles abound he causeth our consolations to abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also abounded by Christ 2. Great troubles are oft-times followed with great pourings out of the spirit and great measures of grace The Prophet Joel having foretold times of great distress Chapter 1. Chapter 2. to the 12. verse tells us what God would do for his people after those great calamities Joel 2.28 It shall come to pass afterward that I will poor out my spirit upon all flesh The Prophet Zephaniah also having foretold great judgments promiseth that they should be followed with great measures of grace Zeph. 3.8,9,13 My determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Observe now what mercies follow these judgments Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth see also Isa 32.10,15 Many dayes and years shall be troubled until the spirit be poured upon us from on high After the Jews had been under sore troubles by their long captivity in Babylon what an encrease of grace and other choice mercies doth God promise them Ezek 36.25,26,27,28,29 3. In times of great trouble God is wont to afford his people more clear manifestations of his love and to give them more communion and fellowship with himself than at other times Zech. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire they shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God In the day time the Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of a cloud but in the night by a pillar of fire Divers of Gods servants that are much clouded in the day of prosperity have clear and bright discoveries of Gods love to their souls in the night of adversity When the three Children were in the fiery furnace the Son of God was so evidently with them that their adversaries themselves could not but take notice of it When the Spouse was as a Lily among Thorns compassed about with sharp afflictions the Lord Jesus conversed with her in a very familiar manner He put his left hand under her and embraced her with his right hand Cant. 2.2,6 And as it is thus with particular persons so also with Nations after God hath afflicted them with great judgments he is wont to bestow upon them great mercies when his judgments lead them to repentance After Judea which was like the Garden of Eden was by Gods judgments made like a Wilderness Joel 2.3 The Inhabitants of the Land being brought to repentance
of fire is as great a mercy as to be delivered from violent men and therefore you should resolve to give God thanks for your deliverance as David did for his Be not only affected with this mercy for the present but let the sense and remembrance of it abide with you as long as you live When the Israelites escaped safe through the Red-Sea where the Egyptians were drowned they were much affected with this mercy for a little while but in a short time it was as much forgotten as if it had never been received Psal 106.12,13 They sang his praise they soon forgot his works David was of another spirit he charged his soul never to forget Gods benefits but to bless God and be thankful for them all the dayes of his life Psal 103.2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth Psal 30.12 O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Psal 104.33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being We please God exceedingly when we give him praise and thanks by Jesus Christ for the mercies he bestoweth upon us Heb. 13.15,16 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name for with such sacrifice God is well-pleased Psal 69.30,31 I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie him with Thanksgiving this also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe or Buliock that hath horns and hoofs God accounts the praise that his servants offer up to him in the Name of his Son melodious and delightful musick Ephes 5.19,20 Making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ To raise up your thankfulness to God for sparing your houses and substance and not suffering them to be destroyed by the late dreadful fire Consider 1. What a great affliction it is to be destitute of an habitation and of necessary food When David was in a wandering unsetled condition he met with such difficulties as made him shed many a tear Psal 56.8 Thou tellest my wanderings put thou my tears into thy bottle And when God gave him a setled habitation he dedicates his house to God and resolves to be thankful all the dayes of his life Psal 30.12 O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever This purpose of giving thanks for ever relates to the time that he dedicated his house to God as you may see in the title of the Psalm When the Israelites were destitute of an habitation and were tryed with hunger and thirst it was such an affliction as made their souls faint within them Psal 107.4,5 They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them When Jacob was forced to flee from his fathers house to avoid his brother Esau's fury and knew not what straits he might meet with he looked upon it as such a great mercy to have food and raiment that he Covenants with God to become his servant if he would but give him bread to eat and rayment to put on Gen. 28.20,21 Jacob vowed a Vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on then shall the Lord be my God To be stricken with hunger and not to have wherewith to satisfie our hunger is a greater misery than to be pierced through with a Sword Lam. 4.9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the field 2. Consider how many there are who lived as plentifully and comfortably as you do that were as good or better than you are that are brought to want and exceeding great straits by the losses they have sustained by this Fire And have not you cause to admire Gods goodness and to bless him as long as you live for sparing you when so many have suffered so deeply who yet it may be provoked God less than you have done SECT 3. 3. Let the great calamities that are come upon others and the goodness of God towards you lead you to repentance cause you to humble your souls before God for your sins and to put away far from you all iniquity and to be more careful and conscientious in keeping the Commandments of God Ezra 9.13,14 After thou hast given us such deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandements Rom. 3.4 The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance God expects that we should be led to repentance by others sufferings as well as our own Daniel reproveth Belshazzar because he did not humble himble his soul before God notwithstanding he knew what great things his father had suffered Dan. 5.20,21,22 When his heart was lifted up and his mind hardned in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and they took his glory from him c. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this When Judah had seen the great judgments which God sent upon her sister Israel and was not brought to unseigned repentance by them God was much offended at it and Judah's case was rendered thereby far worse than Israels Jer. 3.7,8,10,11 I said after she had done all these things Turn thou unto me but she returned not and her treacherous sister Judah saw it And I saw when for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel committed adultery I had put her way and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and played the Harlot also And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord And the Lord said unto me The back-sliding Israel hath not justified her self more than treacherous Judah When but eighteen persons suffered by the fall of the Tower of Siloam Christ tells us that the meaning of that Providence was to call all that heard of it unto repentance Luk. 13.4,5 In the time of the Law when but one person suffered exemplary punishment and that not by an immediate stroke from God but by the hands of men all Israel was to take warning from his sufferings and to be afraid of sinning against the Lord Deut. 13.10,11 Thou shalt stone him with stones that he die And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall done more any such wickedness as this is among you See also Deut. 17.12,13 Even that man shall die And all the people hear and fear and do no more presumptuosly If the suffering of one man by the hands
fornication but for the Lord Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Now seeing our bodies and souls were created for Gods pleasure Is it not meet they should be yielded up unto God 2. The Lord Jesus gave himself both body and soul for us He yielded his body to be crucified for us which was both a shameful and a painful death 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which was broken for you 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Isa 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked of the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Why should we refuse to give our bodies to be burned imprisoned banished tortured or to suffer any affliction for the sake of Christ seeing he gave his body to suffer such a shameful and painful death for us The Lord Jesus did not only give his body but his soul also an offering for our sins Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Shall we stick at giving our souls to Christ when he did not stick at making his soul an offering for our sins 3. It will be much for the advantage both of our bodies and souls to give them unto God for he will sanctifie them and make them his Temple and come and dwell in them 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them Now who are they to whom the Apostle speaks when he saith Ye are the Temple of the living God c. They were such as had given themselves to God as you may see Chap. 8.5 But first gave their own selves to the Lord What greater honour or happiness are our souls and bodies capable of whilst they are in this world than to become Temples of the living God But besides this if we give our bodies and souls unto God he will glorifie both our bodies and souls in an unexpressible manner in the Kingdom of Heaven to all eternity The Sun is a glorious creature it dazleth our eyes to behold it God will give his Saints in Heaven a glory equal to the brightness of the Sun Matth. 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father yea they shall excel the Sun in glory for they shall be equal to the Angels and the Angels are far more glorious ceatures than the Sun Luk. 20.36 Neither can they dye any more for they are equal unto the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection yea they shall be made like to Christ their bodies shall be made like to his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body and their souls shall be made like to his glorious soul 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is We that is not our bodies only or our souls only but our persons both body and soul shall be like him SECT 10. 10. Render to God the Sacrifices of righteousness When we have received any eminent mercy from God he expects that we should offer up unto him the sacrifice of a righteous and godly life which will please him better than all the Sacrifices that were offered up under the Law Psal 4.5 Offer the Sacrifices of Righteousness Psal 51.17,19 The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of righteousness When David was wonderfully delivered from the snares of death he determines to offer this Sacrifice to God namely to walk humbly and holily before God all the dayes of his life Psal 116.6,7,8 I was brought low and he helped me Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Then see what he renders to God for this mercy I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living I have touched upon this head before and therefore I shall not enlarge farther upon it only I shall add two Scriptures which do imply that it is our duty after we have received any eminent deliverances to labour after a more eminent degree of holiness than we had before and are also promises that God will sanctifie our deliverances for the making of us more holy Obad. 17. Upon mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness Isa 4.2,3 In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the Earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem In the former Chapter the Prophet had foretold the ruine of Jerusalem and the fall of Judah Isa 2.8 and here he foretells that a little remnant should escape and promiseth that Gods judgments on others and his mercy in delivering them should conduce much to the promoting of their holiness and cause them to prize highly the Lord Jesus who is understood by the Branch of the Lord Zach. 3.8 by whose merits and mediation they should obtain their deliverance SECT 11. 11. Let this deliverance cause you to seek after and to trust in God for farther mercies and deliverances when you are brought into straits This use God servants have been wont to make of their deliverances as you may see by these instances Judg. 15.18 And he was sore a thirst and called on the Lord and said Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised 1 Sam. 17.37 David said moreover The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in him we trust that he will yet deliver us This God expects that when he hath shielded us from or helped us out of one trouble we should trust him when we come into another Psal 115.9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield Psal 61.3,4 Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong Tower from the Enemy I will
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
need not fear any thing though an host of men should set themselves against him Psal 27.1,3 The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encamp against me mine heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident yea though all the world should set themselves against us if we have God with us we need not fear any thing Psal 118.10 All Nations compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us Though the whole world should be turned upside down and all places should be full of trouble and confusion and there should be no peace or safety either on the Sea or Land that man that hath God for his strength need not fear any thing Psal 46.1,2,3 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake at the swelling thereof If then you would bear up comfortably under all your afflictions rememember the exhortation of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Do not trust to your own strength but seek to be strong in the Lord and to get his mighty power to assist you It may be some will say What shall we do that we may get Gods strength to support us under and to carry us through all the troubles of this life I answer 1. Be sensible of your own weakness and renounce all confidence in your own strength God is wont to communicate his strength most eminently to his servants when they have lowest thoughts of their own strength and are under deepest apprehensions of their own weakness 2 Cor. 12.9,10 My strength is made perfect in weakness When I am weak then am I strong Isa 40.29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength When we grow conceited of our own abilities God withdraws himself from us and leaves us to fall under small tryals Peter being over confident of himself that he could suffer any thing yea death it self for the sake of Christ and that though all men should deny Christ he would not Matth. 26.33,35 fell under the first temptation that assaulted him a Damsel did but say Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee and he denyed Christ in the presence of all that were in the Palace ver 69 70. God is so far from helping proud persons that he is wont to set himself against them Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble I will mention three ways whereby you may be convinced of your own weakness and of the absolute necessity of Gods strength to carry you through your afflictions 1. Weigh well what the Scripture saith of mans impotency we are such weak creatures that without divine assistance we cannot do or suffer any thing though it be never such a small matter Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Thinking is much easier than either doing or suffering yet of our selves we have not ability so much as to think any thing 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think anything as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2. Observe how unable you have been when God hath withdrawn himself to bear those small and light troubles wherewith God hath exercised you Hath not a trifle that which hath been an affliction and a trouble in your imagination rather than in reality dejected and cast you down If you have fainted under small troubles what will you do when great ones come if you have not the Lords help Jer. 12.5 If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with Horses And if in the Land of Peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan 3. Consider what great men have fainted under small tryals when the Lord hath left them but a little to themselves Jonah a Prophet of the Lord for the loss of a gourd which sprung up and withered in a day fell into such a fret that he was even angry with God and weary of his life and wished that he might dye The Apostle Peter upon the speech of a maid denyed Christ and swore that he did not so much as know the man If such eminent persons as these fainted under such small tryals what shall we do without the help of God 2. Being sensible of your own weakness cry unto God to give you his strength Psal 86.16 O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strengh unto thy servant Psal 119.28 Strengthen thou me according to thy Word But will this do Will God give us his strength if we cry to him for it yea he will Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul 3. Rest and rely upon God for the communicating of his strength to your souls The way to engage God to help and strengthen you is to trust in him 1 Chron. 5.20 They were helped for they cryed to God in the battel and he was entreated of them because they put their trust in him 2 Chron. 13.11 Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee Psal 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Gods power is communicated in an eminent manner to those that believe in him Ephes 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Though we are never so weak in our selves we may become strong by resting upon God Heb. 11.33,34 Who through faith out of weakness were made strong If you ask What ground have we to rely upon God that he will give us his strength to support us under all our troubles I answer We have a sure Word of Promise we have not only one promise but many to assure us that God will not leave us destitute of his help and strength Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Psal 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people Joel 3.15,16 The Sun and Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope