Sam. 15.26 If he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him It was a sad message which God sent to Eli by Samuel it is ushered in with this Preface 1 Sam. 3.11 Behold I do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle yet Eli upon the hearing of the whole message lyeth down at Gods foot and speaketh not one repining word against the Lord Vers 18. Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him And he said it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The sufferings of Jesus Christ were exceeding great yet how patiently did he bear them Isa 53.7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth We are exhorted to take notice of the patience of Gods servants in their afflictions in order to the helping us to bear our afflictions with patience Jam. 5.8,10,11 Be ye also patient Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Behold we count them happy that endure ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy Thus much may suffice by way of consideration I shall now advise you some things by way of practice for the obtaining and promoting a quiet cheerful contented frame of spirit under this affliction of the loss of your Estates which may be useful under other afflictions which the Lord doth at present or may hereafter trie you withal SECT 1. 1. Lay hold on Gods Covenant wherein he hath promised to give his people contented and satisfied minds under all his dealings with them even when he afflicts them most sorely and taketh away their most endeared comforts and enjoyments from them I will mention some promises to this purpose Psal 37.19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied Famine is one of the sorest of Gods Judgements it is worse than War which is also a very heavy judgment David chose the Pestilence rather than War as being the lesser evil but famine is worse than War Lam. 4.9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger Yet in the evil time in Famine though the Famine last many dayes God promiseth that his righteous servants shall be satisfied Isa 58.11 The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soul in drought or as 't is in the Margin in droughts The Prophet useth the plural number to signifie that God will satisfie his peoples souls in all droughts or in the greatest drought that ever did or ever shall come upon any place When God promiseth to satisfie our souls in drought it implies 1. That he will give us satisfied mindes under the penury and want of all outward comforts for drought brings a consumption upon all earthly enjoyments Hag. 1.10,11 2. That he will stay and support and satisfie our mindes under our greatest sorrows No afflictions bring greater sorrows than Famine which is the companion of drought Jer. 14.2,3,4,17,18 Lam. 2.11,12,18,19 3. It implieth that God will give us satisfied mindes when we walk in the view of death when we see our children and relations dying and our selves are ready every hour to faint and give up the Ghost for want of bread The Prophet describing the Famine that was in Jerusalem saith Lam. 2.11,12 The children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the City they say to their Mothers where is corn and wine when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the City when their soul was poured out into their Mothers bosom The wilderness which was a land of drought is called a land of the shadow of death Jer. 2.6 In times of drought God takes away that which is the stay and staff of a mans life Isa 3.1 The Lord doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water Drought consumes our corn and wine and oyl as was hinted before from Hag. 1.11 And of these the Psalmist saith Psal 104.15 Wine maketh glad the heart of man and oyl makes his face to shine and bread strengtheneth mans heart So that when the Lord promiseth to satisfie our souls in drought there is implyed in this promise that when the joy of our hearts when our glory and strength is taken away when all means of supporting life fail when we are in the most desolate places or desolate conditions imaginable he will under all our troubles give us satisfied mindes The Lord hath not only promised to give us contented satisfied mindes under all our troubles but he hath promised to continue us under a contented frame of spirit that whatever changes or alterations we pass through we shall abide satisfied and contented in all estates and conditions Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil The latter clause of this promise is not to be understood as though they that fear God should not meet with any afflictions but when God doth visit them with afflictions they shall have such abundant satisfaction in God and from God that they shall not feel any evil in their afflictions Another promise of the like nature made to such as fear God we have Psal 25.13 His soul shall dwell at ease dwelling implyeth the continuance of the ease and quiet that their souls shall enjoy that fear the Lord though their outward condition may be full of trouble yet their souls shall dwell at ease Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them Which promise Junius interprets to this effect They that love the Law of God shall enjoy such great peace and tranquility of minde that nothing that doth befal them shall take away their peace They may and do fall into troubles and afflictions as well as other men but their troubles shall not take away their peace from them To be content in all estates and conditions is one way whereby we partake of the divine nature and do resemble God now it is by and through the promises that we become partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature wherefore in order to the obtaining of a contented spirit under this and all other afflictions be much in meditation upon the promises of God and apply them to your own souls and plead them daily with God until you have obtained all that fulness of grace and peace which
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
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
3. You are members of Gods houshold Eph. 2.19 Ye are of the houshold of God Now amongst men it is an infamous thing for a man not to provide for those that are of his own house 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denyed the Faith and is worse than an infidel Therefore fear not but God will provide for you seeing you are of his houshold 4. God hath given you many precious promises to assure you that you shall not want Psal 34.9,10 O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed If your money to but in provision should fail then God will take care that your bread shall be given you Isa 33.16 He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him and his waters shall be sure More promises to this purpose you may see Mat. 6.33 Phil. 4 19. Heb. 13.5 5. Consider Gods providence towards his creatures that is a great means to quiet the heart against the fear of want as 1. Consider Gods providence towards the birds and beasts and other inferiour creatures There is not one living creature that flieth in the air or creepeth on the face of the earth but God taketh care of it and provideth it food Psal 145.15,16 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Psal 104.27,28 These all that is all sorts of creatures spoken of in the foregoing Verses wait upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season that thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good There is an innumerable company of these creatures Psal 104.25 yet God feedeth them all and giveth every one its proper food and that in due season and as much in due season as satisfieth them as is implyed in the fore-quoted Scriptures The birds have no barns nothing laid up before hand they have no body to look after them they have young ones to provide for yet God feeds them in the hardest Winters as well as in the warm Summer 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 God values a man much more than any other creatures Luke 12.7 Ye are of more value than many sparrows Mat. 12.12 How much better is a man than a sheep The care that God taketh for man is far greater than the care that he taketh for his other creatures 1 Cor. 9.9,10 Doth God take care for Oxen or faith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written Now if God provideth bountifully for those creatures that are far inferiour to man and for whom he doth not care so much as he doth for man why should we fear he will not provide for us 2. Consider Gods providence towards wicked men he makes their cup to run over they are oft-times full of Wealth Psal 17.13,14 Deliver my soul from the wicked which is thy Sword whose belly thou fillest with hid treasure they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Wicked men are Gods enemies godly men are his friends If God fill the bellies of his enemies with his hid treasure shall we think that he will let his friends starve 3. Consider Gods providence towards the poor he taketh a special charge of such as are poor and in distress Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow Psal 132.15 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread The widow that had but an handful of meal and a little cruse of oyl was maintained therewith both her self and her houshold as comfortably as those that were owners of Olive-yards and had great Estates 1 Kings 18.12,14,15 4. Consider Gods providence towards your selves in particular when you hung upon your Mothers breasts before you knew God or had an heart to seek him he took the care of you and provided for you and do you think that he will forsake you and cast you off now that he hath made known himself unto you and poured out a spirit of grace and supplications upon you SECT 5. Obj. 5. I have not only lost all that I had but I have lost much of other mens goods I am greatly in debt and by my late losses I am disenabled from paying my debts and this troubleth me exceedingly when I think how much I am in debt and that I see no way how I should be able to pay my debts before I die Answ 1. We should avoid running into debt what we can and when we have contracted any Debts we should labour to pay them so soon as we can for this is according to the Apostles rule Rom. 13.8 Owe no man any thing but to love one another and therefore in regard of the great uncertainty of all humane affairs we should take heed of grasping after too great things beyond what we can reach with our own stock and which will necessitate us to borrow great sums of money left we should be cut off before we can accomplish the payment of our debts 2. A man man may be a just man and live and die with a good conscience though he should not have wherewithal to pay his Debts provided that he bear this minde to pay every man his own as far as he is able and purposeth in himself that if ever God make him able he will pay all his debts and to the intent that he may be able he liveth frugally and followeth his calling diligently and seeketh Gods blessing upon his labours Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly That man that hath a good conscience who is willing in all things to live honestly Justice is desired to be Constans perpetuavoluntas jus suum cuique tribuendi So that he is to be esteemed a just and righteous man that hath a constant and perpetual will and desire to give unto every man his own though some invincible impediments may lie in his way whereby he may not be able to perform that which he would do It is true that the Psalmist giveth it for a character of a wicked man to borrow and not to pay what is borrowed Psal 37.21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again But this is to be understood of such as fraudulently detain what was borrowed or disable themselves from paying their debts by idleness luxury prodigality c. and not of such as would pay
every Promise of his Covenant which relates to our temporal as well as our spiritual welfare Psal 111.5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant 3. Consider what great a care God hath for the satisfying of such as are hungry 1. It hath been his manner of old to provide good things for the hungry Luk. 1.53 He hath filled the hungry with good things When the Israelites were hungry in the Wilderness he gave them bread from heaven to satisfie their hunger and fetched water out of a Rock to quench their thirst Neb. 9.15 Thou gavest them Bread from Heaven for their hunger and broughtest forth Water for them out of the Rock for their thirst He caused the Ravens to bring bread and flesh to feed Elijah in a time of famine 1 King 17.6 The Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening The Ravens of their own nature would rather devour and eat a mans flesh than bring him bread and flesh to preserve his life so Prov. 30.17 so that we see that God hath altered the course of Nature and wrought miracles to satisfie his peoples hunger And as he hath done great things of old for the satisfying the hungry and relieving the poor and needy so he hath promised to be mindful of them in all ages and to do wonderful and unusual things rather than they shall perish for want of necessary food as you may see in the fore-quoted Promises Isa 41.17,18 Psal 111.5 and he will keep his truth for ever in these as well as in his other Promises Psal 146.6,7 Which keepeth truth for ever which executeth judgment for the oppressed which giveth foed to the hungry 2. Gods care of hungry persons appears by the strict charge which he hath given to those that have ability to feed the hungry they must be so careful hereof that they must not neglect giving food to such as are hungry though they have been their Enemies Rom. 12.20 If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink He hath not only commanded us to feed the hungry but also hath promised great rewards to such as feed the hungry Isa 58.20 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Matth. 25.34,15 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an bungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink see farther Psal 41.1,2,3 yea so careful is God of hungry persons that he threatens to condemn those at the day of judgment who have neglected to feed the hungry Matth. 25.41,42 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink May not this care that God hath of the hungry incourage you to trust in God in your greatest straits when you fear that you shall perish with hunger 4. Consider that God is wont to be seen in the Mount our extremity is Gods opportunity When the Widows Provision was all spent to an handful of Meal and a little Oyl in a Cruse and she knew not where to have any more but verily thought that she and her son must die then cometh Elijah and multiplyeth her Provision so that she and all her family were nourished during the time of the famine 1 King 17.12,13,14,15,16 When all the water that was in Hagars bottle was spent and she knew not where to have any more but thought that she and her child must die and had cast the child under a shrub saying Let me not see the death of the child then God opened her eyes and shewed her a well of water by her Gen. 21.15,16,19 When the Altar was built whereon Isaac was to be sacrificed and the wood was laid in order and Isaac was bound and laid upon the Altar and Alraham's hand was stretched out and he had taken his knife then the Angel of God calls to him out of Heaven to spare Isaac and shews him a Ram that was provided to be facrificed in Isaac's stead Gen. 22.9,10,11,12,13 And this act of Gods Providence in refcuing Isaac when he was at the point of death was recorded to strengthen the faith of all Gods servants in all ages that they may trust in God in their greatest extremities as we may see Vers 14. 5. Consider how easie a thing it is with God to provide for you seeing he is the Lord of the whole world and hath all the times of the Sea and all the fowls of the Air and all the creatures of the Earth at his disposal Psal 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 50.10,11 Every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowls of the Mountains and the wild Beasts of the Field are mine yea he can if he please sustain you by his Word without giving of you bread Deut. 8.3 And he himbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live God can send an Angel from Heaven to bring you Provision as he did to Elijah when he fled into the Wilderness to save his life 1 King 19.3,4,5,6 God can turn stones into bread Mat. 3.9 God is able of these Stones toraise up Children unto Abraham If God can raise up Children from Stones he can also turn stones into Bread to nourish the Children of Abraham 6. Consider how willing God is to relieve you he is not only able but willing to feed the hungry This will appear from what was said concerning the care that God takes of such as are hungry Consider 3. However I shall add something farther concerning Gods willingness to supply your wants because it is no easie matter to trust in God when we come into great straits 1. Earthly Parents will not deny their Children Bread when they are hungry and cry for it Mat. 7.9,10 What man is there of you whom if his Son ask Bread will he give him a Stone or if he ask a Fish will he give him a Serpent And God our heavenly Father is more willing to give good things to us when we ask for them than Parents are to give good things to their Children Vers 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him 2. God hath regard to the dry ground though it lie in a desolate place in a
2. Such as seek to get wealth unrighteously seek their own damnation Prov. 21.6 The getting of Treasure by a lying Tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Is eternal death such a desirable thing as that we should seek after it Doth it not come fast enough of it self Consider what dreadful judgments are denounced against such as get their Estates by unjust and unrighteous courses Job 20. from ver the 15. to ver 29. 3. If you wait upon God and put your trust in him and keep your selves honest God will be with you and provide for you a supply of all your needs Phil. 4.8,9,19 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just think on these things And the God of peace shall be with you My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Psal 37.3,34 Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Isa 33.15,16 He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure And know this also that a little gotten honestly and in the fear of God is better than a great Estate gotten unrighteously Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right Prov. 15.16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith 6. Another temptation which is like to attend those that have been sufferers by this fire is discontent and murmuring at their losses but I shall need to add nothing more concerning this but refer you to what is said in the first question to prevent murmuring and discontent because of the losses you have sustained by this fire SECT 13. 13. Let the loss of your Estates put you upon seeking after and making sure of those mercies and blessings which shall never be taken from you to all eternity I will mind you of some blessings which if once you can get your souls possessed of them they shall be yours for ever 1. Get an interest in God if you once get the Lord for your God and portion he will be your God and your portion for ever Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 2. Get the grace of God implanted in your hearts when God hath bestowed saving grace upon a man that shall remain with him for ever Psal 19.9 The fear of the Lord is clear enduring for ever Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life 3. Make sure of the favour of God and labour to get into Covenant with him and you shall be possessed of these mercies for ever Isa 54.10 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee 4. Seek unto God to give you the Comforter and when once you have gotten him he shall abide with you for ever Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now the way to make sure of these and all other spiritual blessings is to make sure of Christ close with Christ cleave to Christ and abide with him for ever and then all spiritual blessings shall be yours for ever for all spiritual blessings are treasured up in Christ Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ and if we abide with Christ he will abide ours for ever Joh. 15.4 Abide in me and I in you SECT 14. 14. Seek unto God to restore what he hath taken from you and to make up all your losses There are two wayes of having your losses made up 1. When God shall give you as much riches as he hath taken from you 2. When he shall give you that which is as good or better than what you lost by this fire You may lawfully seek to God to restore your Estates which he hath taken from you so you seek them in Gods way Take your directions from Gods Word for the getting of riches and because many that seek after riches do not seek them in Gods way and so either fail of them or have them not with the blessing of God I shall 1. propose some encouragements to stir you up to seek riches from God in Gods way 2. I shall lay before you some directions out of Gods Word for the getting of riches Now to move you to seek your riches of God Consider 1. Riches are Gods gift he gives them to whom he seeth good 1 Chron. 29.12 Both riches and honour come of thee and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Deut. 8.18 Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth 2. God is able to make up all your losses though they be never so great and to give you as much and more than ever you had After Job had lost all his estate 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 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall we do for the hundred Talents And the man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Though a man be brought very low even to beggery God can easily make him a rich man 1 Sam. 2.8 He raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory 3. It is usual with God after he hath brought a man low and humbled him to raise him up again as we see in the case of Job to whom God gave twice as much as before see to this purpose Psal 66.12 We went through fire and through water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up 4. Those riches that are obtained in Gods way do us most good and convey most comfort to the owners Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it If you ask What course should
afffliction of Joseph Pray for them that God would comfort and support them under and bring them out of their distresses Psal 25.22 Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Psal 132.1 Lord remember David and all his afflictions Counsel and help them in the management of their affairs and carry your selves like a father to them Job 29.15,16 I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame I was a father to the poor Visit them and comfort them in their afflicted condition Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Relieve them that are in want Eccles 11.1,2 Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the Earth Job 31.16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 If I have withheld the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail or have eaten my morsel alone and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father and I have guided her from my mothers womb If I have seen any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering if his loins have not blessed me and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep If I have lift up mine hand against the fatherless when I saw my help in the gate then let mine arm fall from mine shoulder-blade and mine arm be broken from the bone for destruction from God was a terror to me and by reason of his highness I could not endue Lend to them that would borrow any thing of you in their necessity Matth. 5.42 Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Lending as well as giving is a duty enjoyned by God but both the one as well as the other must be managed with discretion Psal 112.5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guid his affairs with discretion And to make you willing to lend upon all occasions unto those that come to borrow ought of you if they be such persons as your Conscience tells you it is your duty and your discretion that it is meet to lend to them consider that for this very thing God will greatly bless you in all that you set your hands unto Deut. 15.7,8,10 Thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth Thou shalt surely give him and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto yea God will not only bless you but your posterity also for this thing Psal 37.26 He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed In all respects carry your selves towards those that are in a suffering condition as you would desire they should have carried themselves towards you if they had been in your condition and you had been in theirs for this is according to the rule which is given us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Matth. 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets When you see any in distress and find your selves backward to relieve them say to your own hearts as Mordecai did to Esther in anothers case when she was unwilling to put forth her self for the help of the distressed Jews Esth 4.14 Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Who knoweth whether my Estate was preserved from the fire for such a time as this When therefore you are considering with your selves what you shall render unto the Lord for his great mercy towards you in preserving your substance from the fire determine with your selves to do what I have been exhorting you unto namely to put on bowels of compassion towards all that are in distress and to do all the good you can for them according as God shall Minister ability and opportunity unto you for God is al-sufficient and needeth not any thing that you can do for him Act. 17.25 Neither is worshiped with mens hands as though be needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Your goodness extendeth not unto him Psal 16.2 neither can you be profitable to God as you may be profitable to his people Job 35.7,8 If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy righteousness may profit the Son of Man God expects this from us that when he hath bestowed any eminent mercy upon us we should express our gratitude by doing good to others that are in distress Luke 22.32 When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren As it is in respect of comfort when God gives us comfort it is not only for our selves but also to enable us to comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4,6 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation So it is with riches they are not given to us only for our own use but also to enable us to relieve the wants and necessities of others We are not Lords but Stewards of our Estates and must one day give an account of our stewardship And it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful 1 Cor. 4.2 Stewards must not dispose of what is committed to their charge according to their own but according to their Lords will SECT 6. 6. Seeing God hath so mercifully spared you beware that you deal not rigorously or cruelly with any that have been sufferers by this Fire do not speak or do any thing that may add to the affliction of the afflicted and instead of oyl pour vinegar into their wounds God is sorely displeased with those that add to the affliction of the afflicted Zech. 115. I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Psal 69.24,25,26 Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents for they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded Therefore do not use any insulting language or speak any bitter words to such as are brought low Rom. 11.17.18 If some of the branches be broken off boast not thy self against the branches Jer. 48.26,27 Moab shall wallow in his
is spent upon your lusts that is not spent to Gods glory for it is mentioned by the Apostle as a vice to spend those things which God gives us upon our lusts James 4.3 Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts Now no vice glorisieth God 2. Let the abundance wherewith God hath blessed you raise up your hearts to serve God more chearfully than other men who want what you enjoy It is said of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.5,6 The Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought Jehoshaphat presents and he had riches and honour in abundance and his heart was lift up or as 't is in the Margin was encouraged in the wages of the Lord. God is displeased when our riches produce not this effect to make us serve the Lord with chearfulness Deut. 28.47,48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things 3. Do good according to your ability with what God hath given you feed the hungry cloath the naked relieve the Fatherless and the Widows then you glorifie God with your Estates when you do good with them and relieve the poor and the needy Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor He that ministreth to others necessities be it more or less if it be according to the ability that God hath given him glorifieth God 1 Pet. 4.10,11 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man minister let him do it as of the ability that God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ Wherefore give freely and liberally upon all occasions to such as are in necessity remembring how the Scriptures charge and encourage you to give bountifully to the poor let me minde you of a few places to this purpose 1 Tim. 6.17,18 Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life 2 Cor. 9.6 This I say He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Prov. 11.25 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running ever shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again Prov. 22.9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor Eccles 11.1,2 Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt finde it after many dayes Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth If any say There are so many sufferers by this Fire and so many objects of Charity that we know not where to bestow our Charity seeing we are not able to relieve all who are they whom we are obliged in an especial manner to relieve with our Charity I answer 1. If you have any near Relations that are in want you ought in an especial manner to take care to relieve them 1 Tim. 5.4 If any Widows have Children or Nephews let them learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their Parents for that is good and acceptable before God and ver 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 When Job had lost his Estate all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before gave him every one a piece of money and an ear-ring of gold Job 42.11 2. If you know any godly men to be in want you should in an especial manner be careful to relieve their wants Gal. 6.10 Let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith and as you should have respect unto godly men above others so in a more peculiar manner to godly Ministers When the Apostle Paul who was a Minister of Christ was relieved in his necessities by the Philippians see how acceptable this was unto the Lord Phil. 4.18 I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God The smallest kindness that we can imagine done to any of Christs servants whether Ministers or others upon this account because they belong to Christ shall not go without a reward Mark 9.41 Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my Name because ye belong to Christ verily I say unto you He shall not lose his reward 3. Such as are in greatest want and necessity either because they are burdened with Children or have formerly lived plentifully and so know not how to bear a low condition such as on any account are brought into a necessitous condition and are like to perish for want of relief these ought in an especial manner to be looked after and relieved Job 29.13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me Lev. 25.35 If thy brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee then thou shalt relieve him yea though he be a stranger or a sojourner that he may live with thee Here we are directed what sort of persons we should relieve 1. We are to relieve such as have lived well formerly and are waxen poor and fallen in decay whether he be a brother or a stranger 2. We are to relieve those that live in the places where we live before others at a farther distance If a brother be fallen in decay with thee thou shalt relieve him 3. Such as know not how to live without some relief that he may live But as was said before if the necessity of persons fearing God be as great as other mens their necessities are to be considered before others Rom. 12.13 Distributing to the necessity of Saints and if we know or hear of any of Gods servants that are in want we should send relief to them though they live in places that are at great distance from us The Disciples of Antioch sent relief as far as Judea to the distressed Servants of Christ Acts 11.29 Then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief to the brethren which dwelt in Judea 4. Such persons as are most shiftless and friendless as Widows Fatherless