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Object. 1. My loss is exceeding great, I have lost thousands of pounds, if I had lost but a small matter I could have born it, but in regard my loss is so great, it troubleth my minde exceedingly, and I know not how to bear it with patience.
Answ. 1. Your loss is not greater than Jobs, who
was the richest man in the Eastern part of the world, and lost all his Substance, and his Children too in one day, yet he did not repine at the greatness of his loss, but quietly submitteth himself to God, Job 1.21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.
2. How much soever it be that you have lost, God is able to give it you again, and much more also, 2 Chron. 25.9. But what shall we do for the hundred talents? God is able to give thee much more than this. Though God took a great Estate from Job, yet it is said, Job 42.10,12. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.—The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. Though you should be brought to poverty, yet God oft-times raiseth poor men to such an high degree, that he maketh them equal to Princes, Psal. 113.7,8. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil, that he may set them with Princes, even with the Princes of his people.
3. It may be God saw that you had too much, and therefore out of his infinite Wisdom, and Love, he hath brought you low. There is danger in having too much, as well as too little. Agur prayeth against too great riches, as well as against poverty, Prov. 30.7,8. Give me not riches lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord. God brought Gideons Army of two and thirty thousand to three hundred, and gave this rea∣son, they were too many for him to give the Midia∣nites into their hands, lest Israel should vaunt him∣self, saying, Mine hand hath saved me, Judges 7.2,3,4,7. Possibly for some such reason God hath les∣sened your Estates, lest you should vaunt your selves, or think that you were maintained by your Estates, and not by the Providence of God. It may be God
saw that your Estates were so great, that they would have hindred you entrance in at the strait gate, Mat. 19.23,24. and therefore he lessened them that you might have a safer and more easie passage into the Kingdom of Heaven. Would you be angry with that Physician that should draw away a great quantity of blood when as it did endanger your lives? you have far less cause of being angry with God for taking away a great part of your Estates when they did endanger the salvation of your souls.
4. Though your losses have been very great, yet take heed of murmuring and repining against God, lest he take away greater things from you. By mur∣muring you will provoke God to take away your lives, 1 Cor. 10.10. Neither murmure you, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now to lose life, is a far greater loss, than to lose an Estate. By murmuring you are in danger to lose the favour of God, Numb. 11.1. When the people com∣plained, it displeased the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled. To lose Gods favour is more than to lose our lives, for Psal. 63.3. Thy loving kindeness is better than life.