Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 3 · Section 6
SECT. 6.
6. Seeing God hath ſo mercifully ſpared you, beware that you deal not rigorouſly, or cruelly with any that have been ſufferers by this Fire; do not ſpeak or do any thing that may add to the affliction of the afflicted, and inſtead of oyl, pour vinegar into their wounds. God is ſorely diſpleaſed with thoſe that add to the affliction of the afflicted, Zech. 115. I am very ſore diſpleaſed with the heathen that are at eaſe, for I was but a little diſpleaſed, and they helped forward the affliction. Pſal. 69.24,25,26. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them; let their habitation be deſolate, and let none dwell in their tents; for they perſecute him whom thou haſt ſmitten, and they talk to the grief of thoſe whom thou haſt wounded: Therefore do not uſe any inſulting language, or ſpeak any bitter words to ſuch as are brought low, Rom. 11.17.18. If ſome of the branches be broken off—boaſt not thy ſelf againſt the branches. Jer. 48.26,27. Moab ſhall wallow in his vomit, he alſo ſhall be in deriſion; for was not Iſrael a deriſion unto thee? was he found among thieves? for ſince thou ſpeakeſt of him, thou skippedſt for joy. Do not trample upon thoſe that are under Gods feet; it is ſaid of God, Lam. 3.33,34. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, to cruſh under his feet all the priſoners of the earth. If the great God do not willingly grieve the children of men, or cruſh under his feet the meaneſt ſort of men, the priſoners of the earth: then it doth not become us to grieve, or trample upon, or cruſh under our feet any man, how mean ſoever he be. Do not oppreſs any one in his right, that is become poor by this Fire; in ſo doing you will be guilty of reproaching God, Prov. 14.31. He that oppreſſeth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; it is the ready way to come to want your ſelves, Prov. 22.16. He that oppreſſeth the poor to encreaſe his riches, ſhall ſurely come to want. It is ſaid of Sodom, Ezek. 16.49,50. She did not ſtrengthen the hand of the poor and needy—therefore I took them away as I ſaw good. If the men of Sodom were deſtroyed with fire and brimſtone for neglecting to ſtrengthen the hand of the poor and needy; what ſhall be done unto them that weaken the hands of the poor, and endeavour to make them more poor? Do not exact upon thoſe that are harbourleſs, when they come to hire houſes of you, by demanding an unreaſonable price for your Houſes, Shops, or Ware-houſes. Nehemiah reproves thoſe Jews very ſharply, that did exact upon their poor brethren after they had ſuffered great affliction by the Babyloniſh captivity, Neh. 5.1. to the 14. verſe: By taking advantage of our neighbours neceſſity to ſet unreaſonable and exceſſive rates upon our houſes, we may be guilty of extortion. Our Saviour joyns theſe two together, Extortion and Exceſs, Matth. 23.25.—Within they are full of extortion and exceſs. Now Extortion is a great ſin, as we may ſee, 1 Cor. 6.9,10. Ezek. 22.12,13. Have patience towards ſuch as are endebted to you, and are diſabled by this Fire from paying their Debts, and do not deal cruelly with them, by caſting them into priſon, or ſeizing upon that little which God hath left them, but wait with patience till God ſhall enable them to pay what they owe: God hath dealt mercifully with you, and therefore you ſhould not deal cruelly with your brethren. Remember the parable of him that dealt cruelly with his fellow ſervant after he himſelf had found great favour with his Lord, Matth. 18.28,29,30. The ſame ſervant went out and found one of his fellow ſervants, which ought him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, ſaying, Pay me that thou oweſt: and his fellow ſervant fell down at his feet, and beſought him, ſaying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all: and he would not; but went and caſt him into priſon, till he ſhould pay the debt. And what was the iſſue of this cruel dealing? His Lord was wroth, and rebukes him ſharply, & delivereth him over to the tormenters, ver. 32, 33, 34. Then his Lord after that he had called him, ſaid unto him, O thou wicked ſervant, I forgave thee all that debt, becauſe thou deſiredſt me; ſhouldeſt thou not alſo have had compaſſion on thy fellow ſervant, yea, even as I had pitty on thee? and his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormenters, till he ſhould pay all that was due unto him. Do not exerciſe curelty towards the afflicted any of theſe fore-mentioned wayes, or in any other kinde; but let your hearts ſtand in awe of ſuch precepts as theſe, Zech. 7.9,10. Shew mercy and compaſſions every man to his brother, and oppreſs not the widow, nor the fatherleſs; the ſtranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil againſt his brother in your heart. Levit. 25.43,46. Thou ſhalt not rule over him with rigour, but ſhalt fear thy God—Over your brethren the children of Iſrael: ye ſhall not rule one over another with rigour. Rom. 12.10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love. 1 Cor. 16.14. Let all your things be done with charity. If you caſt off all pity towards ſuch as are impoveriſhed by this Fire, who knows but God may ſend a fire to conſume your houſes: This very ſin of caſting off pity towards the afflicted, is threatned with fire, Amos 1.11,12. Thus ſaith the Lord, for three tranſgreſſions of Edom, and for four I will not turn away the puniſhment thereof; becauſe he did purſue his brother with the ſword, and did caſt off all pity; and his anger did war continually, and kept his wrath for ever: but I will ſend a fire upon Teman, which ſhall devour the palaces of Bozra.