The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 14
DISCOURSE. XIV. Of drawing the Waters of Comfort under affliction, out of the Wells of Gods Promiſes.
AS full of love and goodneſs as the nature of God is, yet guilty Man is loath to lie at pure mercy, and to ſtand to Gods meer courteſie, therefore in Heb 6.18. we read of a further proviſion which God hath made for the comfort of his people, viz. by his promiſe and oath, both vou…hſafed to Abraham, Gen. 22.16. (and to other believers in and with him) that by thoſe two immutable things, the heires of promiſe might have ſtrong conſolation. The end of divine promiſes is, that God who was and had been otherwiſe free to do or not to do ſuch good things for us, might (as it were) enter into bond, (which he could no otherwiſe do) and might give us the ſecurity of his truth and faithfulneſs, as well as that other of his mercy and goodneſs. God knowing that we could no waies bind him, that is, oblige him in point of juſtice, or as indiſpenſible objects of his mercy (which in our ſelves we were not) to ſhow kindneſs to us, hath bound himſelf by his own voluntary promiſes, and engaged his truth (which cannot faile) on behalf of his power and wiſdome, and other attributes, that they ſhall be ſo and ſo imploied for us which otherwiſe we could at moſt but have hoped, but may be now aſſured of, as we are, that it is impoſſible for God to lie. Now, as there are promiſes for divers other purpoſes; ſo not a few to ſupport and comfort us under various ſufferings and afflictions.
I may recite but the heads of promiſes, relateing to adverſity, and it may be not all of them neither. There are promiſes of God's ſupporting his people under affliction, ſanctifying it to them: vouchſafing them his gracious preſence in it; and delivering them out of it in due time. And what more can we deſire, than to be ſeaſonably delivered out of trouble, and mean time to be upheld in it, bettered by it, and to have God with us, as he was with the three Children in the fiery Furnace. I ſhall quote but a few promiſes of this nature, and the rather becauſe they deſerve to want comfort, who wil not ſearch the Scripture for it, that thorough patience and comfort of the Scripture they might have hope. If men had no Bibles, nor could come by none. I would not do them that wrong, as to faile of quoting any one ſuch promiſe, that I could call to mind: but now one inſtance of each ſort may ſerve the turn. As for the promiſe of ſupport under affliction; it is as plain as words can make it, in 1 Cor. 10.13. God is faithfull, who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to eſcape: that you may be able to bear it. Then, as for the preſence of God with his people in their afflictions, read Iſa. 43.2. When thou paſſeſt thorough the waters, I will be with thee, &c. And Heb. 13.5. He hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee. That their afflictions ſhall be ſanctified, is ſecured to Gods people by thoſe words, Rom. 8.28. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. And laſtly, as for deliverance out of trouble, (which ſome do, but ought not moſt of all to thirſt after) there are many texts, that give us to expect it, as namely, Pſal. 103.9. The Lord will not alwayes chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever. Lam. 3.31, 32. The Lord will not caſt off for ever, but though he cauſe grief, yet will he have compaſſion, according to the multitude of his …ercies. Iſa. 57.16. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be alwayes wrath, for the ſpirit ſhould failt before me, and the ſouls which I have made. God, who is conſcious to himſelf that he cannot lie, may well expect that theſe, and many more promiſes of like nature, which he hath made, ſhould contribute much to our ſupport and comfort, ſith each of them would do ſo, if ſtedfaſtly believed.
O Lord here are many deep Wells of living water, let me not want the bucket of faith to draw out of them. Could I but as ſtedfaſtly believe them, as thou wilt certainly perform them, to them that do, would not my ſoul be refreſhed with ſuch promiſes well nigh as much, as it could well be with their reſpective performances. Performances may be ſomething ſweeter, but can be nothing ſurer than are divine promiſes.