Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 2 · Section 4
SECT. 4.
4. Conſider your wayes that you may finde out for what ſin or ſins God hath laid this affliction upon you. When God blaſted the Jews in their Eſtates, he called them with great earneſtneſs to conſider their wayes, Hag. 1.5,6,7. Now therefore thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, conſider your wayes, ye have ſowen much, and bring in little—He that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes, Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, conſider your wayes. When Job had loſt his Eſtate, and was under other afflictions alſo, he was very deſirous to finde out for what ſin it was that God contended with him, Job 13.23. How many are mine iniquities and ſins; make me to know my tranſgreſſion and my ſin. Job 10.2. Shew me wherefore thou contendeſt with me. If any ask, How ſhall we come to finde out for what ſins God is contending with us;
I anſwer, 1. Go to God and pray to him as Job did, to ſhew you why he contendeth with you, Job 10.2. Job 13.23. and after you have ſought to God to diſcover the cauſe of his controverſie, obſerve what ſins he brings to your remembrance, and ſets before you, and gives you ſecret intimations from his Spirit, that for ſuch and ſuch a ſin he is now correcting you. In times of affliction, God is wont by his Spirit to preſent to the view of our ſouls the ſins for which he corrects us, Job 36.8,9,10. If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction, then be ſheweth them their work, and their tranſgreſſions, that they have exceeded, he openeth alſo their ear to diſcipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
2. Conſider what ſin your conſciences ſuggeſted to you when God firſt ſent your affliction upon you, for oft-times God repreſents to us by our conſciences, what the ſin is for which he contendeth with us, as we may ſee in Joſephs Brethren, Gen. 42.21, They ſaid one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoul, when he beſought us, we would not hear; therefore is this diſtreſs come upon us.
3. Search into Gods word, and ſee for what ſins God hath been wont to impoveriſh men, and bring them low in their Eſtates; and alſo for what ſins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire; and if you finde that you have been guilty of the ſame ſins, you may then know for what ſins you have ſuffered the loſs of your Eſtates by the late Fire. I will give ſome inſtances in both kindes. 1. For what ſins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire, and they are ſuch as theſe.
1. Unbelief and diſtruſt of the promiſes and providence of God, Pſal. 78.21,22. A fire was kindled againſt Jacob, and anger alſo came up againſt Iſrael, becauſe they believed not in God, and truſted not in his ſalvation.
2. Neglect of prayer and ſeeking after God, Amos 5.6. Seek ye the Lord, and ye ſhall live, leſt he break out like Fire in the houſe of Joſeph and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
3. Forſaking of God after we have had much experience of Gods goodneſs in guiding us, and delivering us from many dangers, and beſtowing many other mercies upon us, Jer. 2.15,17. His cities are burnt without inhabitant. Haſt thou not procured this unto thy ſelf, in that thou haſt for ſaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
4. Neglecting to ſanctifie the Sabbath in a ſpiritual manner, or prophaning it by doing ſervice or ſinful works, Jer. 17.28. If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entring in at the gates of Jeruſalem, on the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it ſhall devour the palaces of Jeruſalem, and it ſhall not be quenched.
5. Taking of bribes to pervert juſtice, Job 15.24. The congregation of hypocrites ſhall be deſolate, and fire ſhall conſume the Tabernacles of Bribery.
6. Oppreſſion, and unjuſt and unrighteous dealings, Job 20.19,26. Becauſe he hath oppreſſed and forſaken the poor, becauſe he hath violently taken away an houſe that he builded not, all darkneſs ſhall be hid in his ſecret places, a fire not blown ſhall conſume him, it ſhall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle.
7. Pride, Idleneſs, fulneſs of Bread, and neglect of the poor, Ezek. 16.49,50. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy ſiſter Sodom, Pride, fulneſs of Bread, and abundance of idleneſs was in her and in her Daughters; neither did ſhe ſtrengthen the hand of the poor and needy, and they were haughty, and committed abomination before me, therefore I took them away as I ſaw good. Now the way by which God took away Sodom for theſe ſins was by fire, Gen. 19.24.
8. Reſting in outward Reformation without ſeeking after a renewed heart, Jer. 4.4. Circumciſe your ſelves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skins of your heart, ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, leſt my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, becauſe of the evil of your doings.
9. Murmuring at any of Gods Providences, though they be ſuch as bring us into ſtraits, Numb. 11.1. When the people complained, it diſpleaſed the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and conſumed them that were in the uttermoſt parts of the Camp.
10. Mocking and miſuſing of Gods Miniſters, 2 Chron. 36.16,17,19. They mocked the meſſengers of God, and deſpiſed his words, and miſuſed his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord aroſe againſt his people, till there was no remedy, therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees, who ſlew their young men with the Sword,—And they burnt the Houſe of God, and brake down the Wall of Jeruſalem, and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire.
11. Changing Gods Ordinances, and breaking his Covenant, Iſa. 24.5,6. Becauſe they have tranſgreſſed the Laws, and changed the Ordinances, broken the everlaſting Covenant; Therefore hath the Curſe devoured the Earth, and they that dwell therein are deſolate, therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned, and few men left.
12. Sins of uncleanneſs, as Fornication, Adultery, &c. for theſe God conſumed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimſtone from Heaven, as we may ſee, Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about them in like manner, giving themſelves over to Fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh, are ſet forth for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
13. Idolatry. Deut. 32.16,21,22,24. They provoked him to jealouſie with ſtrange gods,—They have moved me to jealouſie with that which is not God, they have provoked me to anger with their vanities,—A fire is kindled in mine anger, and ſhall burn to the loweſt Hell, and ſhall conſume the Earth with her increaſe, and ſet on fire the foundations of the Mountains; They ſhall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter deſtruction.
Several other ſins for which God hath threatned this judgment of fire, you may ſee in the firſt and ſecond chapters of Amos, and alſo in other Scriptures which I ſhall not mention.
Conſider alſo for what ſins God hath taken away or diminiſhed others eſtates, and brought them low and afflicted them with poverty, and that may help you to find out your ſins for which God hath impoveriſhed you. It is true, that ſometimes God takes away his Peoples eſtates to exerciſe and try their graces, as we ſee in the caſe of Job; but uſually when he brings us low and bereaves us of our Eſtates, it is for our ſins, Pſal. 106.43. They provoked him with their counſels, and were brought low for their iniquities. Iſa. 42.24. Who gave Jacob for a ſpoil, and Iſrael to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he againſt whom we have ſinned? Jer. 15.13. Thy Subſtance and thy Treaſure will I give to the ſpoil, without price, and that for all thy ſins, even in all thy borders. Now the ſins for which God is wont to take away our Eſtates and bring us low, and to ſend poverty, are ſuch as theſe;
1. Unthankfulneſs for what God hath given us, and inſtead of honouring God with our Subſtance, abuſing it to the diſhonour of God, Hoſ. 2.8,9. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine, and Oyl, and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they prepared for Baal; Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof, and my Wine in the ſeaſon thereof, and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedneſs. Two ſins are here mentioned as the ground why God would take away not only what was for delight and ornament, as Wine, Oyl, Gold, Silver, &c. but what was neceſſary to their ſubſtance, as Corn, and Wool, and Flax to cover their nakedneſs; the one was, they did not know, that is, take notice of, and acknowledge that it was God gave them their food and rayment, and riches, and ſo conſequently did not give God thanks for them; the other was, they ſerved their luſts, they prepared that for their Idols which God gave them for his own ſervice.
2. Pride, When men grow proud of their riches God oft-times takes them away, Prov. 29.23. A mans pride ſhall bring him low.
3. Neglect of works of mercy; Prov. 11.24. There is that ſcattereth and yet increaſeth, and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
4. Making over-much haſt to be rich, Prov. 28.22.—He that haſteth to be rich hath an evil Eye, and conſidereth not that poverty ſhall come upon him.
5. Not heeding the Commandments of God, Deut. 28.15,33,43,44. If thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God, to obſerve to do all his Commandements, all theſe Curſes ſhall come upon thee and overtake thee,—Thou ſhalt be only oppreſſed and cruſhed away,—The ſtranger that is within thee, ſhall get up above thee very high, and thou ſhalt come down very low; He ſhall lend to thee, and thou ſhalt not lend to him, he ſhall be the head, and thou ſhalt be the tail.
6. Not ſerving God cheerfully for the abundance of all thoſe good things which the Lord hath given us, cauſeth him to take them away, and to bring us into ſtraits, Deut. 28.47,48. Becauſe thou ſervedſt not the Lord thy God with joyfulneſs and 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.
7. Rejoycing at the ruine and ſufferings of others; He that is glad at calamities ſhall not be unpuniſhed, Prov. 17.5. and the puniſhment which God ſometimes ſends on ſuch perſons, is the ſpoiling of their Goods and loſs of their Eſtates, Ezek. 26.2,12. Becauſe that Tyrus hath ſaid againſt Jeruſalem, Aha, She is broken that was the Gates of the People,—They ſhall make a ſpoil of thy Riches and make a ſpoil of thy Merchandiſe, and they ſhall break down thy Walls, and deſtroy thy pleaſant Houſes.
Following of vain perſons; Prov. 28.19. He that followeth after vain perſons ſhall have poverty enough.
9. Gluttony and Drunkenneſs, Prov. 23.21. The Drunkard and Glutton ſhall come to poverty, and drowſineſs ſhall cloath a man with rags.
10. Refuſing inſtruction; Prov. 13.18. Poverty and ſhame ſhall be to him that refuſeth Inſtruction.
11. Oppreſſing the Poor, and giving of bribes to the Rich; Prov. 22.16. He that oppreſſeth the Poor to increaſe his Riches, and he that giveth to the Rich, ſhall ſurely come to want.
Thus by obſerving out of the Word of God, for what ſins God hath either threatned or inflicted this judgment of Fire; and for what ſins God hath impoveriſhed others; and then conſidering how far you have been guilty of any of thoſe ſins, you may find out for what ſins you have ſuffered loſs in your Eſtates by the late Fire.
4. Conſider for what ſins God did ofteneſt rebuke you either by his Word or Spirit, or Providences, before this affliction came upon you; and if thoſe ſins were not reformed for which you have been often rebuked, then it is probable, that they are the ſins for which God ſent this affliction, Deut. 8.5. Thou ſhalt conſider in thine heart, that as a man chaſteneth his ſon, ſo the Lord thy God chaſteneth thee. Now Parents firſt admoniſh and reprove their Children, and if reproofs will not make their Children reform, then they take the rod and correct them. When you have found out the ſin for which God is correcting you, you muſt confeſs it to God, and humble your ſouls for it, and apply your ſelves to Chriſt for the pardon of it, and beg grace from God to help you to leave and forſake it; and this leadeth me to the next head.