Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 3 · Section 14
SECT. 14.
14. Take heed to your ſelves, and to your wayes; that you do not provoke the Lord to ſend any more ſuch mighty and dreadful Fires as this late Fire was: What counſel our Lord Jeſus gave the man that was made whole of his infirmity, Joh. 5.14. Behold, thou art made whole, ſin no more, leſt a worſe thing come unto thee; the ſame may be ſeaſonable to ſuch as have eſcaped this late Fire: ſin no more, leſt a worſe thing than what befel thoſe that were ſufferers by this Fire, come unto you. Pharaoh, though he was exceedingly hardened in his ſins, yet when there had been great thunder and lightning, was ſo affrighted at it, that he calls to Moſes and Aaron, and deſireth them to pray for him, that there might be no more mighty thunderings; and promiſeth alſo to let Iſrael go (which was the ſin for which God contended with him) Ex. 9.27,28. And Pharaoh ſent, and called for Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid unto them, I have ſinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked: Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail, and I will let you go, and ye ſhall ſtay no longer. If we be not more hardened than Pharaoh was, this dreadful Fire ſhould put us upon confeſſing our ſins to God, and reforming our lives, and cauſe us to take heed that we do not provoke the Lord to ſend any more ſuch mighty Fires amonſt us.
If any ſay, What ſhould we do that we may not have any more ſuch dreadful Fires break out amonſt us? I anſwer;
1. If we would have no more ſuch dreadful Fires, we muſt make a good uſe of this Fire, ſo as to be led to repentance by it; for if we be not reformed by this Judgment, we may well expect that God will follow us with more Judgments, Lev. 26.21,23,24. If ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me, I will bring ſeven times more plagues upon you, according to your ſins: And if ye will not be reformed by theſe things, but will walk contrary unto me; then will I alſo walk contrary unto you, and will puniſh you yet ſeven times for your ſins. How we ſhould make a good uſe of this Fire, is ſhewn at large in the ſecond Queſtion; and although the directions given therein, do chiefly reſpect ſuch as have been ſufferers by the ſaid Fire, there are ſeveral things hinted, that may direct others alſo as well as the ſufferers, how to make a good uſe of this Judgment.
2. We muſt ſeek unto God with prayers and tears, that he would ſend no more ſuch dreadful Fires. When God contended with the Iſraelites by Fire, by the Prayer of Amos, this Judgment was removed, Amos 7.4,5,6. Thus hath the Lord God ſhewed unto me, and behold, the Lord God called to contend by Fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part: Then ſaid I, O Lord God, ceaſe, I beſeech thee, by whom ſhall Jacob ariſe, for he is ſmall? The Lord repented for this: This alſo ſhall not be, ſaith the Lord God. So alſo by the Prayer of Moſes, the Fire was ſtayed among the Iſraelites, when God had kindled a great burning amongſt them becauſe of their murmurings, Numb. 11.1,2. 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. And the people cryed unto Moſes; and when Moſes prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. Prayers and tears are very prevalent with God for preventing and removing of perſonal and national Judgments, Joel 2.17,18. Let the Prieſts, the Miniſters of the Lord, weep between the Porch and the Altar; and let them ſay, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach—Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. When the ſentence of death was paſſed upon Hezekiah, by his prayers and his tears he prevailed with God to prolong his life for the ſpace of fifteen years, Iſa. 38.5. I have heard thy prayer, I have ſeen thy tears; behold, I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen years.
3. If we would have God ceaſe from ſending any more ſuch dreadful Fires, we muſt ceaſe from thoſe ſins which did provoke God to ſend this ſore Judgment. Until the cauſe of a Judgment be removed, we can have but little hope it ſhould ceaſe. (What ſins they are that provoke God to ſend this dreadful Judgment of Fire hath been ſhewn before, Queſt. 2. Sect. 4.) If we ceaſe from our ſins, and return unto God, we may hope and expect that God will ceaſe from his mighty Judgments, Mal. 3.7,11,12. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts—And I will rebuke the devourer for your ſakes—And all Nations ſhall call you bleſſed, for ye ſhall be a a delight ſome land. After Judea had been waſted with Fire and Sword, the Lord promiſeth, if they would ceaſe from their ſins, he would remove his Judgments, Iſa. 1.7,16,17,19,26. Your Cities are burnt with Fire,—ceaſe to do evil, learn to do well.—If ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good of the Land.—And I will reſtore thy Judges as at the firſt, and thy Counſellors as at the beginning; afterward thou ſhalt be called, The City of Righteouſneſs, the faithful City.
4. If we would have no more ſuch dreadful Fires, we muſt labour to pacifie Gods anger that is kindled againſt us. The mighty Judgments of God that have fallen upon us, viz. the Sword, the great Peſtilence, and this dreadful Fire, are tokens of great wrath againſt this Nation; and we may fear, in regard there is ſo little reformation, that notwithſtanding all that is come upon us, the anger of the Lord is not turned away, but that his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, as it is ſaid three times of Iſrael, after mentioning great and ſore Judgment, For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, Iſa. 9.12,17,21. Wherefore we muſt endeavour to pacifie and turn away the Lords anger, elſe we may expect that the ſame Judgments will return, or ſome others, as dreadful as any of theſe, will fall upon us. Now if you ask, How ſhall we get Gods anger turned away from the Nation? I ſhall inſtance only in theſe two means.
1. Gods choſen ones muſt get into the gap, and cry mightily to God in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, that he would turn away his fierce anger that is kindled againſt us. The Prayers of impenitent ſinners cannot prevail with God to turn from his wrath, but the Prayers of his Saints and Servants will cauſe him to lay aſide his anger, Pſal. 106.23. He ſaid, he would deſtroy them, had not Moſes his choſen ſtood before in the breach, to turn away his wrath, leſt he ſhould deſtroy them. Jer. 18.20.—Remember that I ſtood before thee to ſpeak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. What Prayers the ſervants of God put up to God in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, are preſented by the Lord Jeſus unto his Father, Heb. 7.25. Rev. 8.3. and when the Lord Jeſus interceeds with his Father for the turning away of his wrath from a Nation, or a particular perſon, his requeſt ſhall certainly be granted, Zech. 1.12,13. The Angel of the Lord, ſaid, O Lord of Hoſts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jeruſalem, and on the Cities of Judah, againſt which thou haſt had indignation theſe threeſcore and ten years? And the Lord anſwered the Angel that talked with me, with good words, and comfortable words: and preſently after comes tidings of the ceaſing of Gods wrath, and his returning with mercy to Jeruſalem, ver. 16. 17. Thus ſaith the Lord, I am returned to Jeruſalem with mercies,—My Cities through proſperity ſhall yet be ſpread abroad, and the Lord ſhall yet comfort Zion, and ſhall yet chooſe Jeruſalem.
2. We muſt every one turn from his evil wayes, and turn unto the Lord with all our hearts, and then his wrath ſhall be turned away from us, Jonah 3.8,9.—Let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands; who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we periſh not. Hoſ. 14.1,4. O Iſrael, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou haſt fallen by thine iniquity: and when Iſrael did return at the call of God, hear what God ſaith unto him, ver. 4. I will heal their back-ſlidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. Jer. 3.12. Return thou back-ſliding Iſrael, and I will not cauſe mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, ſaith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.
5. If we would have God ceaſe from ſending any more ſuch dreadful Fires, we muſt ſet our faith on work on the blood of Chriſt, and on the Promiſes of God. It was the blood of the Sacrifice that made atonement under the law, both for particular perſons, and for the whole Congregation of Iſrael, Lev. 17.11.—It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the ſoul. And as the blood of the Sacrifice made atonement for particular perſons, ſo alſo for the whole Congregation of Iſrael, Lev. 4.13,14,17,18,20. Theſe Sacrifices did type out the blood of Chriſt, and ſignified to us, that faith in Chriſts blood is the way to procure an atonement for our ſouls, and to render God propitious after he hath been provoked to anger by our ſins, Rom. 3.25.—Whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood—This blood of Chriſt is available to make atonement for whole Nations as well as particular perſons, Iſa. 52.15. He ſhall ſprinkle many Nations—And as we ſhould ſet our faith on work upon Chriſts blood; ſo alſo on Gods promiſes. If you ask what promiſes? I anſwer, ſuch Promiſes wherein God hath promiſed to ceaſe his Judgments after he hath for a long time been ſorely contending with a people. We have divers promiſes to this purpoſe, I will mention ſome of them, Lam. 4.22. The puniſhment of thine iniquity is accompliſhed, O Daughter of Zion, he will no more carry thee away into captivity, he will viſit thine Iniquity, O Daughter of Edom, he will diſcover thy ſins. Nah. 1.12. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. Iſa. 51.21,22,23. Hear now this thou afflicted and drunken, but not with wine; Thus ſaith the Lord, the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cauſe of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, yea even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou ſhalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee.—Iſa. 60.18. Violence ſhall no more be heard in thy Land, waſting nor deſtruction within thy Borders; but thou ſhalt call thy Walls, ſalvation; and thy Gates, praiſe. Iſa. 57.16. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be alwayes wroth, for the ſpirits ſhould fail before me, and the ſouls which I have made. Zeph. 3.15. The Lord hath taken away thy Judgments, he hath caſt out thine Enemy, the King of Iſrael, even the Lord is in the midſt of thee, thou ſhalt not ſee evil any more. Faith is of great force for preventing and removing of National Judgments, and the procuring of National Mercies, Heb. 11.32,34. Who through faith ſubdued Kingdoms, wrought righteouſneſs, obtained promiſes, ſtopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of Fire, eſcaped the edge of the Sword; out of weakneſs were made ſtrong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the Armies of aliens. We may ſee here what great things have been done by faith; it hath ſubdued Kingdoms, it hath vanquiſhed and put to flight great and puiſſant Armies; it hath prevailed againſt the …oreſt of Judgements, as Fire, Sword, wild Beaſts, &c. By Faith and Prayer, we may even, as it were, hold Gods hands from deſtroying a Nation, when they are lifted up to deſtroy a ſinful people, Exod. 32.9,10. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, I have ſeen this people, and behold, it is a ſtiff-necked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot againſt them, and that I may conſume them; and I will make of thee a great Nation. Though the Lord was exceedingly provoked againſt Iſrael, yet by the Faith and Prayer of Moſes, his hands were held that he did not deſtroy them. Moſes takes hold of the Covenant, and pleads that in Prayer, and thereby prevailed with God to turn from his wreth, and to repent of the evil that he thought to do unto the people of Iſrael, ver. 11, 12, 13, 14. The Lord ſtir up the like Spirit of Faith and Pryer in his Servants in this Nation, that they that make mention of the Name of the Lord, may never hold their peace day nor night, but may cry mightily to the Lord, and give him no reſt, until they have prevailed with him, through the mediation of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to turn from the fierceneſs of his anger, and to ceaſe contending with us by his mighty Judgments, and until he eſtabliſh and make us a praiſe in the Earth.
FINIS.
End of the text · Owen Stockton, Counsel to the Afflicted (1667)