The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 23
DISCOURSE XXIII. Of Reſignation to God, and acquieſcing in his good pleaſure.
HOw good is it to be willing to be at God's diſpoſe? how meet is it to be ſaid to God, not as I will, but as thou wilt? ſhall we pray (as Chriſt hath taught us) that the will of God may be done, and yet be impatient of Gods doing his own will? Is it fit that Gods will ſhould take place or ours? who are we that we ſhould ſet our ſelves to contradict and oppoſe the good pleaſure of God, be it that our houſes ſhall be fired, our goods burnt, our head City laid waſt. Did Abraham withſtand God when he bid him to ſacrifice his dear Iſaac (the heire of promiſe) with his own hand? Did he not, as to that, lie at Gods foot when he called him to it? Are we better than Moſes, then Aaron the Saint of the Lord, than David, than Hezekiah, than Job, yea than Chriſt himſelf, who had all learn'd to ſtoop to God in very difficult caſes? Can we be too good to do it, if they were not? When God told Moſes he ſhould go up to Piſgah, and take a view of Canaan, but that he ſhould never enter into it, Deut. 3.27. We finde not one word that he replyed, after he had once made his requeſt, and God had ſaid, ſpeak no more of this matter. When God had by fire conſumed Nadab and Abihu, the two Sons of Aaron, Moſes did but ſay to him, The Lord will be ſanctified in them that come nigh to him, and be glorified before all the people, and Aaron held his peace, Levit. 10.3. When old Eli had received a dreadfull meſſage from God by a Child, for ſo Samuel then was, 1 Sam. 3.18. How meekly did he reſent it, ſaying, It is the Lord, let him do as ſeemeth him good. When David was flying from the face of his rebellious Son Abſalom, and taking leave of the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 15.26. If the Lord ſay I have no delight in thee, behold here am I, let him do to me what ſeemeth him good? At another time, when David was even conſumed by the blow of Gods hand, Pſal. 39.10. he ſaith, I was dumb and opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didſt it. verſ. 9. And as for Hezekiah, though a King alſo, (as well as David) yet ſee how his ſpirit buckled to God, when the Prophet brought him word, that God had taken away the fee-ſimple of all he had from his children, who ſhould be Eunuches to the King of Babylon, Iſa. 39.7. And left him but his life in it. Good is the Word of the Lord, (ſaith he) which thou haſt ſpoken, verſ. 8. As for Job who had been the greateſt of all the Men of the Eaſt, when he had loſt all but a vexatious Wife, prompting him to curſe God, vet cried he out, Bleſſed be the Name of the Lord, Job 1.21.
Behold a greater inſtance of patience and ſubmiſſion than any of theſe, both for that his perſon was more excellent, and his ſufferings far greater, having been a Man of ſorrowes all his time. Iſa. 53.7. He was oppreſſed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, brought as a Lamb to the ſlaughter, and as a Sheep before the Shearer is dumb, ſo he opened not his mouth. When he was reviled he reviled not again: when he ſuffered he threatned not, but committed himſelf to him that judgeth righteouſly. 1 Pet. 2.23. Was not this written for our imitation? verſ. 21. Chriſt alſo ſuffered for us, leaving us an example. Did he, who is God equal with the father, ſubmit even to the painfull, and ſhamefull, and curſed death of the croſs, and ſhall we think our ſelves too good to ſtoop to leſſer ſufferings and humiliations? he that can ſubmit to God, may be happy in any condition: he that cannot, will be happy in no condition this World can afford him, in which all our roſes are full of prickles, and all our wayes ſtrowed and hedged up with thornes, more or leſs. Yea not only the Church militant upon Earth, but even the Church triumphant, in heaven, could not be free from miſery, if the will of glorious Saints were not melted into the will of God. Abraham would be ever and anon grieving to think of Dives and others in his caſe, if his will were not perfectly conformed to the will of God. Many things fall out in this life, which we would not for a World ſhould be, if we could and might prevent them; but when the pleaſure of God is once declared by events, even in thoſe caſes ought we to ſit down ſatisfied. Abraham would not have ſacrificed Iſaac for the whole World, but that God made as if he would have him ſo to do, and then he yielded preſently. If blinde fortune did govern the World, whoſe heart would it not break to think of ſo famous a City in a few dayes laid in aſhes: but ſith it was the will of God it ſhould be ſo, who ordereth all things according to the counſel of his will, let all the Earth be ſilent before him, let us be ſtill and know that he is God. Who ſhould rule the World but he that made it, and that upholds it by the Word of his Power? He can do us no wrong if he would, ſuch is his eſſential holineſs, (which alſo makes it impoſſible for him to lie) he would do us no wrong if he could, ſuch is his infinite juſtice. He can do nothing but what is conſiſtent with infinite wiſdome, patience, goodneſs, mercy, and every perfection, and how unreaſonable is it not to ſubmit to that which is conſiſtent with all of theſe? ſo doubtleſs was the burning of our renowned City (as ghaſtly a ſpectacle as it is to behold) elſe it had never come to paſs.
O Lord I am ſenſible that I have need of line upon line, precept upon precept, and example upon example, to teach me this hard leſſon of ſubmiſſion to thee (though the object of that ſubmiſſion ſeem to be only my condition in this life) for I no where finde that thou requireſt me and others to be willing to periſh everlaſtingly) Thou knoweſt how much thy glory and the comfort of thy poor Creatures are concerned in it, that we ſhould know how to reſign up our ſelves to thee; inable us to be contented with whatſoever thy will hath been or ſhall be concerning us, and then be pleaſed to do with us (as to this World) what thou wilt.