Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 3 · Section 3 – Section 4
SECT. 3.
3. Let the great calamities that are come upon others, and the goodneſs of God towards you, lead you to repentance, & cauſe you to humble your ſouls before God for your ſins, and to put away far from you all iniquity, and to be more careful and conſcientious in keeping the Commandments of God, Ezra 9.13,14. After thou haſt given us ſuch deliverance as this, Should we again break thy Commandements? Rom. 3.4.—The goodneſs of God leadeth thee to repentance. God expects that we ſhould be led to repentance by others ſufferings as well as our own. Daniel reproveth Belſhazzar becauſe he did not humble himble his ſoul before God, notwithſtanding he knew what great things his father had ſuffered, Dan. 5.20,21,22. When his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardned in pride, he was depoſed from his Kingly Throne, and they took his glory from him, &c. And thou his ſon, O Belſhazzar, haſt not humbled thine heart, though thou kneweſt all this. When Judah had ſeen the great judgments which God ſent upon her ſiſter Iſrael, and was not brought to unſeigned repentance by them, God was much offended at it, and Judah's caſe was rendered thereby far worſe than Iſraels, Jer. 3.7,8,10,11. I ſaid after ſhe had done all theſe things, Turn thou unto me, but ſhe returned not; and her treacherous ſiſter Judah ſaw it. And I ſaw, when for all the cauſes whereby back-ſliding Iſrael committed adultery, I had put her way, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous ſiſter Judah feared not, but went and played the Harlot alſo. And yet for all this, her treacherous ſiſter Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, ſaith the Lord: And the Lord ſaid unto me, The back-ſliding Iſrael hath not juſtified her ſelf more than treacherous Judah? When but eighteen perſons ſuffered by the fall of the Tower of Siloam, Chriſt tells us that the meaning of that Providence, was to call all that heard of it unto repentance Luk. 13.4,5. In the time of the Law, when but one perſon ſuffered exemplary puniſhment, and that not by an immediate ſtroke from God, but by the hands of men; all Iſrael was to take warning from his ſufferings, and to be afraid of ſinning againſt the Lord, Deut. 13.10,11. Thou ſhalt ſtone him with ſtones, that he die:—And all Iſrael ſhall hear, and fear, and ſhall done more any ſuch wickedneſs as this is among you. See alſo Deut. 17.12,13.—Even that man ſhall die,—And all the people hear, and fear, and do no more preſumptuoſly. If the ſuffering of one man, by the hands of the Magiſtrate, did ſtrike ſuch terror into the hearts of all Iſrael, as to make them afraid of ſinning againſt God; then what a forcible argument ſhould the ſufferings of ſo many thouſand of perſons, and families, by the late Fire and Peſtilence be to all the people of this Land, to perſwade them to repent of their ſins and turn to the Lord? That you may be awakened both by your own mercies, and others ſufferings, to ſet upon the ſerious performance of this duty of repentance, let me propoſe to you three or four Conſiderations.
1. It angereth the Lord exceedingly when we go on in an impenitent condition, after he hath beſtowed any eminent deliverances upon us, Ezra 9.13,14. After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great treſpaſs, ſeeing that thou our God haſt puniſhed us leſs than our iniquities deſerve, and haſt given us ſuch deliverance as this; Should we again break thy Commandments, and joyn in affinity with the people of theſe abominations? wouldſt thou not be angry with us, till thou haſt conſumed us, ſo that there ſhould be no remnant nor eſcaping? When Iſrael ſinned at the red Sea, where they had been in a wonderful manner preſerved from the hands of Pharaoh, it did mightily provoke God to diſpleaſure, Pſal. 106.7.—They provoked him at the Sea, even at the red Sea.
2. Such as are not led to repentance by Gods goodneſs, are deſpiſers of the riches of Gods grace, and do treaſure up wrath againſt the day of wrath, Rom. 2.4,5. Deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering; not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth to repentance? But after thy hardneſs and impenitent heart, treaſureſt up unto thy ſelf wrath againſt the day of wrath, and revelatirn of the righteous judgment of God.
3. Though God may ſpare you a while, yet he will not ſpare you alwayes; but without repentance, divine vengeance will perſue after you, and over-take you, and fall upon you, to your utter and eternal deſtruction, Luk. 13.3. Except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh. Pſal. 68.21. God ſhall wound the head of his Enemies, and the hairy ſcalp of ſuch an one as goeth on ſtill in his treſpaſſes. Prov. 29.1. He that being often reproved, hardneth his neck, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and that without remedy. It is neither wiſdom, nor riches, nor honour, nor power, nor any other excellency that ſhall or can exempt that man from deſtruction, that doth not repent of his ſins. Not Wiſedom: for, He reſpecteth not any that are wiſe of heart, Job 37.24. Nor Riches, Job 36.19. Will he eſteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of ſtrength. Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. Nor Honour, Iſa. 23.9. The Lord of Hoſts hath purpoſed it, to ſtain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the Earth. Neither ſhall power, or ſtrength avail to keep of Gods wrath from impenitent perſons, 1 Sam. 2.9. By ſtrength ſhall no man prevail. Nah. 1.6. Who can ſtand before his indignation? and who can abide the fierceneſs of his anger? Though a man were for gifts and other excellencies, equal to the Angels; yet none of his excellencies or endowments will keep of Gods wrath from him, if be go on in his ſins, 2 Pet. 2.4. God ſpared not the Angels that ſinned, but caſt them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkneſs, to be reſerved unto judgment.
SECT. 4.
4. Do not judge thoſe to be the greateſt ſinners, who have been the greateſt ſufferers by this fire. It is a ſin which eaſily beſets thoſe that are in proſperity, to deſpiſe and cenſure thoſe that are in adverſity, Job 12.5. He that is ready to ſlip with his feet, is as a lamp deſpiſed in the thought of him that is at eaſe. Job's three friends cenſured him for a hypocrite, and an irreligious perſon, becauſe God laid ſuch great afflictions upon him. When the Barbarians ſaw the Viper upon Pauls hand, they ſaid among themſelves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he bath eſcaped the Sea, yet Vengeance ſuffereth not to live, Acts 28.4. To prevent this Errour. Conſider,
1. It is expreſly againſt the mind of Chriſt, to judg thoſe to be the greateſt ſinners that are the greateſt ſufferers. He cautioneth us twice againſt this ſin, Luk. 13.1,2,3,4,5. There were preſent at that ſeaſon, ſome that told him of the Galileans, whoſe blood Pilat had mingled with their ſacrifices; and Jeſus anſwering, ſaid unto them, Suppoſe ye that theſe Galileans were ſinners above all the Galileans, becauſe they ſuffered ſuch things? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh: Or thoſe eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell, and ſlew them; Think ye that they were ſinners above all that dwelt in Jeruſalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
2. It is the property of humble perſons to think better of others than themſelves; Phil. 2.3. In lowlineſs of mind, let each eſteem other better than themſelves. They are wont to account themſelves the leaſt of Saints, and the chiefeſt of ſinners, Epheſ. 3.8. Ʋnto me who am leſs than the leaſt of all Saints. 1 Tim. 1.15.—Chriſt Jeſus came into the world to ſave ſinners, of whom I am chief.
3. It hath been the lot of righteous men in all ages of the world, to meet with many troubles and afflictions, Pſal. 34.19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous;—yea, their afflictions and troubles are more than what other men meet withal. David ſpeaking of wicked men, ſaith, Pſal. 73.5. They are not in troubles as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
4. We wrong God, and provoke him to anger, when we misjudge his Providences and dealings with his ſervants, Job 42.7. My wrath is kindled againſt thee, and againſt thy two friends; for ye have not ſpoken of me the thing that is right, as my ſervant Job hath. And what was it wherein Eliphaz and his two friends offended in ſpeaking ſuch things of God as were not right? Was is not in miſconſtruing of Gods Providence in ſending afflictions?