Shlohavot, or, The burning of London in the year 1666 commemorated and improved in a CX discourses, meditations, and contemplations, divided into four parts treating of I. The sins, or spiritual causes procuring that judgment, II. The natural causes of fire, morally applied, III. The most remarkable passages and circumstances of that dreadful fire, IV. Counsels and comfort unto such as are sufferers by the said judgment / by Samuel Rolle ...

DISCOURSE. XIV. Of drawing the Waters of Comfort under affliction, out of the Wells of Gods Promises.

AS full of love and goodness as the nature of God is, yet guilty Man is loath to lie at pure mercy, and to stand to Gods meer courtesie, therefore in Heb 6.18. we read of a further provision which God hath made for the comfort of his people, viz. by his promise and oath, both vou••hsafed to Abraham, Gen. 22.16. (and to other believers in and with him) that by those two immutable things, the heires of promise might have strong consolation. The end of divine pro∣mises is, that God who was and had been other∣wise

free to do or not to do such good things for us, might (as it were) enter into bond, (which he could no otherwise do) and might give us the security of his truth and faithfulness, as well as that other of his mercy and goodness. God knowing that we could no waies bind him, that is, oblige him in point of justice, or as indispen∣sible objects of his mercy (which in our selves we were not) to show kindness to us, hath bound himself by his own voluntary promises, and en∣gaged his truth (which cannot faile) on behalf of his power and wisdome, and other attributes, that they shall be so and so imploied for us which otherwise we could at most but have hoped, but may be now assured of, as we are, that it is im∣possible for God to lie. Now, as there are pro∣mises for divers other purposes; so not a few to support and comfort us under various suffer∣ings and afflictions.

I may recite but the heads of promises, relate∣ing to adversity, and it may be not all of them neither. There are promises of God's support∣ing his people under affliction, sanctifying it to them: vouchsafing them his gracious presence in it; and delivering them out of it in due time. And what more can we desire, than to be season∣ably delivered out of trouble, and mean time to be upheld in it, bettered by it, and to have God with us, as he was with the three Children in the fiery Furnace. I shall quote but a few promises of this nature, and the rather because they deserve to want comfort, who wil not search the Scripture for it, that thorough patience and comfort of the Scripture they might have hope. If men had no Bibles, nor could come by none.

I would not do them that wrong, as to faile of quoting any one such promise, that I could call to mind: but now one instance of each sort may serve the turn. As for the promise of support under affliction; it is as plain as words can make it, in 1 Cor. 10.13. God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape: that you may be able to bear it. Then, as for the presence of God with his people in their afflicti∣ons, read Isa. 43.2. When thou passest thorough the waters, I will be with thee, &c. And Heb. 13.5. He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. That their afflictions shall be sanctified, is secu∣red to Gods people by those words, Rom. 8.28. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. And lastly, as for deliverance out of trouble, (which some do, but ought not most of all to thirst after) there are many texts, that give us to expect it, as namely, Psal. 103.9. The Lord will not alwayes chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever. Lam. 3.31, 32. The Lord will not cast off for ever, but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his ••••ercies. Isa. 57.16. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be alwayes wrath, for the spirit should failt before me, and the souls which I have made. God, who is conscious to himself that he cannot lie, may well expect that these, and many more promises of like nature, which he hath made, should contribute much to our support and com∣fort, sith each of them would do so, if stedfast∣ly believed.

O Lord here are many deep Wells of living water, let me not want the bucket of faith to

draw out of them. Could I but as stedfastly be∣lieve them, as thou wilt certainly perform them, to them that do, would not my soul be refresh∣ed with such promises well nigh as much, as it could well be with their respective performan∣ces. Performances may be something sweeter, but can be nothing surer than are divine pro∣mises.