Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 2 · Section 1 – Section 2
SECT. 1.
Anſw. 1. LOok upon this rod, as the rod of God. It is both our duty and our wiſdom to eye God in all our afflictions, and to look upon them as coming by his appointment, Micah 6.9. The Lords voice crieth unto the City, and the man of wiſdom ſhall ſee thy name, hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. There is no trouble whatever comes of it ſelf or by chance, Job 5.6. Affliction cometh not forth of the duſt, neither doth trouble ſpring out of the ground. But all afflictions that come either upon Nations or particular Perſons are ſent and ordered in all their circumſtances by the wiſdom and Providence of God, Amos 3.6. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it. Iſa. 45.7. I form the light, and create darkneſs, I make peace, and create evil, I the Lord do all theſe things. Eph. 1.11. Who worketh all things after the counſel of his own will. When any man is made poor, it is the Lord maketh him poor, 1 Sam. 2.7. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low and lifteth up. When a Fire is kindled in any City, it is God ſends it, and gives it a commiſſion what houſes it ſhall devour after it is kindled, Hoſea 8.14. I will ſend a Fire upon his Cities, and it ſhall devour the palaces thereof. Though men or other creatures may be the inſtruments of conveying our afflictions to us, yet we muſt look beyond them to the hand of God; for as Chriſt ſaid to Pilate, John 19.11. Thou couldeſt have no power at all againſt me, except it were given thee from above: the ſame is true of every Chriſtian, no man or other creature hath any power to do him hurt, except it be given them from God. There is ſuch an hedge about the perſons and ſubſtance of every godly man, that the Devils themſelves cannot touch any thing that belongeth to him, without leave from God, Job 1.10. When the Sabeans had taken away Jobs Oxen and Aſſes, and the Caldeans his Camels, and Satan had cauſed Fire to conſume his Sheep, and a great Tempeſt had blown down the houſe where his Children were eating and drinking, and had ſlain them, he looks beyond all theſe inſtruments to the hand of God, and cryes, Job 1.21. The Lord hath taken away. We wrong and be-lye the Lord when we do not own him either in his word, or in his works, Jer. 5.12. They have be-lied the Lord, and ſaid it is not he.—
SECT. 2.
2. Lay to heart this hand of God that hath been lifted up againſt you. To be ſtupid and ſenſleſs under the hand of God, is a great ſin, yet many perſons offend in this kinde, Iſa. 42.25. He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the ſtrength of Battle, and it hath ſet him on fire round about, yet he knew it not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. Jer. 5.3. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou haſt ſtricken them, but they have not grieved, thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction. It is mentioned as an aggravation of Pharaohs ſin, that he did not ſet his heart to the Judgments of God, but made a light matter of them, Exod. 7.23. And Pharaoh turned and went into his houſe, neither did he ſet his heart to this alſo. When we do not lay to heart Gods Judgments, either threatned or executed, this provoketh God to curſe our very bleſſings, Mal. 2.2. If ye will not hear, 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. When we do not lay to heart the Judgments of God, we deſpiſe the chaſtening of the Lord, and we muſt be as careful to avoid that ſin, as we are, not to faint under Gods Correction, Heb. 12.5. My ſon, deſpiſe not thou the chaſtening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Such as are careleſs and regardleſs under the rebukes of God, do thereby provoke God to deſtroy them, Pſal. 28.5. Becauſe they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operations of his hands, he ſhall deſtroy them and not build them up.
If any ask, how ſhould we lay this affliction to heart?
I anſwer, 1. Conſider in your hearts, that by this Judgment God teſtifieth againſt you, that there is or hath been ſomething in your hearts or lives that is diſpleaſing to him, Ruth 1.21. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty—The Lord hath teſtified againſt me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me: and therefore commune with your hearts, and ſay, what have I done to provoke the Lord to deal thus with me?
2. So lay to heart this affliction, as to humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God. The Lord threatned Iſrael with dreadful Judgements when they continued ſtout and proud under former Judgments, Iſa. 9.9,10,11,12. All the people ſhall know, even Ephraim and the Inhabitants of Samaria, that ſay in the pride and ſtoutneſs of heart, the bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewen ſtones; the Sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into Cedars; therefore the Lord will ſet up the adverſaries of Rezin againſt him, and joyn his enemies together; the Syrians before, and the Philiſtines be hinde, and they ſhall devour Iſrael with open mouth, for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill. God expects that we ſhould humble our ſelves when his hand is lifted up againſt us, 1 Pet. 5.6. Humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Lam. 3.19,20. Remembring mine afflictions, and my miſery, the wormwood and the gall, my ſoul hath them ſtill in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
3. So lay to heart this affliction, as to mourn more for the ſin that provoked God to ſend this affliction, than for the affliction it ſelf, Lam. 5.16. The crown is fallen from our head, wo unto us that we have ſinned. They bewail their ſin more than the loſs of their dignity. They do not ſay, wo unto us, the Crown is fallen; but wo unto us that we have ſinned, Jer. 3.21. A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and ſupplications of the Children of Iſrael, for they have perverted their way, and forgotten the Lord their God. Their Cities were burnt, as we may ſee, Chap. 2.15. Yet they bewail the perverting of their way, more than the burning of their houſes.
4. So lay to heart this affliction, as to be reſtleſs until you have gotten the ſins pardoned that brought down this Judgment upon you, Pſal. 25.18. Look upon mine affliction and my pain, and forgive all my ſins. Pſal, 79.7,8,9. They have devoured Jacob, and laid waſte his dwelling-place. O remember not againſt us former iniquities, let thy tender mercies ſpeedily prevent us, for we are brought very low; help us, O God of our ſalvation, for the glory of thy Name, and deliver us, and purge away our ſins for thy Names ſake. When they were brought low, and their dwellings were laid waſte, they beg twice with great earneſtneſs for the pardon of their ſins. O remember not againſt us former iniquities—purge away our ſins for thy Names ſake.
5. Lay to heart this affliction, till you finde your hearts willing, and reſolved by Gods Grace to part with all your ſins. This is Gods end and deſign in all afflictions to purge out our ſins, Iſa. 27.9. By this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his ſin. And this is our duty when we are corrected by God, to abandon and forſake all our ſins, Job 34.31,32. Surely it is meet to be ſaid unto God, I have born chaſtizement, I will not offend any more, that which I ſee not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
6. So lay to heart this affliction, as to give glory to God, Mal. 2.2. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my Name—But of this more afterward.