Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 3 · Section 11
SECT. 11.
11. Let this deliverance cauſe you to ſeek after, and to truſt in God for farther mercies and deliverances, when you are brought into ſtraits. This uſe God ſervants have been wont to make of their deliverances, as you may ſee by theſe inſtances, Judg. 15.18. And he was ſore a thirſt, and called on the Lord, and ſaid, Thou haſt given this great deliverance into the hand of thy ſervant, and now ſhall I die for thirſt, and fall into the hand of the uncircumciſed. 1 Sam. 17.37. David ſaid moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion, and out of the paw of the Bear; he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philiſtine. 2 Cor. 1.10. Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver; in him we truſt that he will yet deliver us. This God expects that when he hath ſhielded us from, or helped us out of one trouble, we ſhould truſt him when we come into another, Pſal. 115.9. O Iſrael, truſt thou in the Lord, he is their help and their ſhield. Pſal. 61.3,4. Thou haſt been a ſhelter for me, and a ſtrong Tower from the Enemy; I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever, I will truſt in the covert of thy wings. Pſal. 4.5. Offer the ſacrifices of righteouſneſs, and put your truſt in the Lord. God was much diſpleaſed with the Iſraelites when they did not truſt in him, notwithſtanding he had done great things for them, Pſal. 78.21,22,23,24.—Anger came up againſt Iſrael, becauſe they believed not in God, and truſted not in his ſalvation, though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down Manna upon them to eat:—ſee alſo ver. 32, 33. For all this they ſinned ſtill, and believed not for his wonderous works; therefore their dayes did he conſume in vanity, and their years in trouble. We render that which is very pleaſing and acceptable to God, when we put our truſt in him; for, The Lord taketh pleaſure in them that fear him, in thoſe that hope in his mercy, Pſal. 147.11.
If you ask, For what ſhould great and remarkable deliverances cauſe a man to truſt in God? I anſwer,
1. When a man hath had any remarkable deliverance out of any trouble, it ſhould encourage him to truſt in God under all his ſtraits and troubles that come upon him all the dayes of his life, Pſal. 18.50. Great deliverance giveth he to his King, and ſheweth mercy to his anointed, to David and to his ſeed for evermore. This Pſalm was penned upon the occaſion of that deliverance which God gave David out of the hands of Saul, as you may ſee in the title of the Pſalm; and from this deliverance, he concludeth, that God would deliver him for ever, Pſal. 6.9. The Lord hath heard my ſupplication, the Lord will receive my Prayer: ſee the fore-quoted Scriptures, 1 Sam. 17.37. 2 Cor. 1.10. But ſome may ſay, How can this be, That deliverance from one trouble or calamity ſhould cauſe us to truſt in God for deliverance from another; when as we ſee, they that eſcape one judgment, are cut off, or ſuffer deeply by another? I anſwer, 1. When God cuts off, and deſtroys thoſe whom he hath formerly delivered, it is uſually ſuch as diſtruſt him, and turn away from him, Jude 5.—The Lord having ſaved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward deſtroyed them that believed not. Joſh. 24.20. If ye forſake the Lord, and ſerve ſtrange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and conſume you, after that he hath done you good. 2. When God brings his ſervants who truſt in him, into new troubles, their faith is not vain, but brings down a great bleſſing; for, when they are not delivered from troubles, they are delivered in trouble, and are kept from the evil of trouble, that it doth not hurt them, and this is a great deliverance, Job 5.19. He ſhall deliver thee in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven there ſhall no evil touch thee.
2. Deliverance from temporal evils ſhould encourage the ſervants of God, to truſt in the Lord for deliverance from ſpiritual evils, and the beſtowing upon them ſpiritual bleſſings. As for inſtance,
1. When they have had deliverance out of trouble, they ſhould conclude, that God will alſo deliver them from all their ſins, and preſerve them in a ſtate of grace, till he hath brought them to himſelf in glory. Thus Paul concludes from his deliverance that he had from Nero, that God would deliver him from every evil work, 2 Tim. 4.17,18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion, and the Lord ſhall deliver me from every evil work, and will preſerve me unto his heavenly kingdom.
2. The ſervants of God that have eſcaped great calamities, and been delivered from great dangers, ſhould truſt in God for a broken heart to mourn for their ſins; for God promiſeth this mercy to ſuch as eſcape great judgments, Ezek. 7.16. They that eſcape of them, ſhall eſcape, and ſhall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.
3. When the ſervants of God eſcape out of great troubles, it ſhould cauſe them to truſt in God to deliver them from the deceit of their own hearts, and to direct the work of faith and repentance in truth in their ſouls, Iſa. 10.20,21. The remnant of Iſrael, and ſuch as are eſcaped of the Houſe of Jacob, ſhall no more again ſtay upon him that ſmote them; but ſhall ſtay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Iſrael in truth: the remnant ſhall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. This remnant, unto whom God promiſeth faith and repentance in truth, are ſuch as ſhould eſcape the great calamities that were coming on the Jews, as you may ſee ver. 21, 22.
4. When the ſervants of God have received any eminent deliverances, they ſhould be encouraged thereby to truſt in God for power and ſtrength to walk before God in holineſs and righteouſneſs as long as they live, Pſal. 56.13. Thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death; wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
If any ſay, What grounds have the ſervants of God to take encouragement from temporal deliverances, to truſt in God for all ſpiritual bleſſings? Amongſt others that may be named, I will mention theſe two.
1. Redemption from outward troubles, is given to the ſervants of God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace, as well as ſpiritual bleſſings, Pſal. 111.9. He ſent redemption unto his people, he hath commanded his covenant for ever. Pſal. 106.44,45. Nevertheleſs, he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry; and he remembred for them his Covenant. Now when we finde God remembring his Covenant in one kinde, it may encourage us to truſt in God for all the other bleſſings which are promiſed to us in Gods Covenant.
2. Redemption from outward troubles, is given to the ſervants of God from the ſame love of God that ſpiritual bleſſings are beſtowed upon them, Iſa. 63.9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the Angel of his preſence ſaved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the dayes of old. Iſa. 38.17. Behold, for peace I had great bitterneſs, but thou haſt in love to my ſoul delivered it from the pit of corruption.—Pſal. 18.19. He brought me forth into a large place, he delivered me, becauſe he delighted in me. Now even outward deliverances being tokens of Gods love to his Servants, they may thereby be encouraged to truſt in God for ſpiritual bleſſings, Pſal. 36.6,7,8. There is much of Gods love ſeen in his preſerving our perſons and goods; O Lord, thou preſerveſt man and beaſt, how excellent is thy loving kindeneſs? his loving kindneſs ſhould cauſe us to truſt in him—therefore the children of men put their truſt under the ſhadow of thy wings. And this loving kindeneſs of God ſhould cauſe us to truſt in him, not only for outward, but alſo for ſpiritual bleſſings, as appears from the eighth verſe.