God's soveraignty displayed from Job 9. 12. : Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him? &c., or, A discourse shewing, that God doth, and may take away from his creatures what hee pleaseth, as to the matter what, the place where, the time when, the means and manner how, and the reasons thereof : with an application of the whole, to the distressed citizens of London, whose houses and goods were lately consumed by the fire : an excitation of them to look to the procuring causes of this fiery tryal, the ends that God aims at in it, with directions how to behave themselves under their losses / by William Gearing ...

SECT. III.

[ III] A third end God aims at, is to re∣duce Wanderers, and to spur them home again unto himself, that move slowly towards him. Wee may learn wisdome from the very brute beasts; these if they be put into a Coach, Cha∣riot, or Cart, and be lashed with whips, or pricked with goads, they are sensi∣ble it is for their exorbitancy, or be∣cause they move too slowly; where∣fore they come presently into the way again, and make more haste and speed in their journey. Certainly when God brings great losses and crosses upon us, he would have us thereby to begin to ruminate and think with our selves, ve∣rily, I have wandered and gone out of the way of the Lord, behold this fire that hath consumed my goods, calleth me to return again; Oh whether should I have run, if the Lord had let me a∣lone? But suppose that I did go the right way, yet sure I did but creep as a snail in it? these losses do read lectures to me of a neglected duty; therefore I now resolve to put on a little faster. Absalom had by his servants often de∣sired

Joab, the Captain of the Host, to come unto him, but hee came not, 2 Sam. 14.29. But what Absalom? Therefore he said to his servants, see Joabs field is near mine, and he hath Barley there; go and set it on fire; and Absaloms servants set the field on fire; then Joab arose, and came to Absalom, unto his house: In like manner the Lord dealeth sometimes with us; the Lord sends out his Messengers from time to time, declaring that it is Gods will and pleasure that we should come unto him, but in the time of our ease, of our health, of our prosperity, we re∣fuse to come unto him, but when God fireth us out of our nests, burneth up our corn, consumeth our goods, our substance, then we begin to be more gentle and tractable, and presently think of returning to him, from whom we have gone astray. Certainly Hawks will not come to the lure until they be empty; Eusebius Emissenus said of the Prodigal, Luk. 15. That hunger brought him home, whom saturity and fulness, had driven away from his Fa∣thers house. It is reported of Wences∣laus King of Bohemia, when as his army was routed, and all his forces di∣spersed,

and himself was taken Priso∣ner, being asked how he did, and what courage he had now; he answered, never better: for while he was so invironed with his strong army, he very seldome thought on God, but now being stript of all these fading helps, he placed all his trust and hope in God, who would heartily embrace those that came un∣to him, and never forsake those that trusted in him.

Notes

• Euseb. Emissen. serm. 2. de Prodigo.