Counsel to the afflicted, or, Instruction and consolation for such as have suffered loss by fire with advice to such as have escaped that sore judgement contained in the resolution of three questions occasioned by the dreadful fire in the city of London in the year 1666 ... : in the discussing of which questions are handled several profitable cases of conscience concerning self-murder, preparing for afflictions, taking up our rest in God &c. which are inserted in the contents / by O.S.

I might mention other pleas, but I should then en∣large too far upon this head; I shall therefore only adde a few propositions concerning this temptation of self-murther, that may be useful to those that are exercised with it, and so dismiss this point.

1. Whensoever any man hath any suggestions or motions put in his minde to murther himself, it is not God, but Satan puts those motions into his minde, how specious pretences soever do attend those moti∣ons. What is said of: the motion that was in the heart of Judas to betray Christ, John 13.2. The Devil put into the heart of Judas to betray him; the same may be said of the motions that come into our hearts to de∣stroy our selves; it is the Devil puts them into us. If a man be perswaded to make away himself, I may say here as the Apostle in another case, Gal. 5.8. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you: That it is not God by his Spirit, but Satan puts these motions into your hearts, is evident: for 1. God tempts no man to any sin, James. 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

2. The Spirit of God moveth no man to do any thing contrary to the word: Now the word saith ex∣presly, Thou shalt not kill. The word forbids us doing our selves any harm, as well as doing harm unto others, Acts 16.27,28. The keeper of the prison awa∣king out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself—But

Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thy self no harm. If any say, I have Scriptures brought to my minde to encourage and put me forward to make away my self; therefore, surely it is God, and not Satan puts me upon this work. I answer: Though thou hast some portions of Scripture cast into thy minde to put thee forward to destroy thy self, it is not God, but Satan transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and wresting and abusing the Scriptures, that puts thee upon this sinful work. When Satan tempted Christ to cast himself down from a Pinacle, he brings a Scripture to him; he quotes a precious promise out of the Book of Psalms to carry on his temptation the more plausibly, Matth. 4.5,6, If Satan made use of Scripture to carry on his temptations wherewith he assaulted Christ, then there is no doubt but he will try the same way with us also. Now this would be one good means of resisting this temptation, to be fully perswaded, that all the motions that are put in∣to our hearts to destroy our selves, come from the Devil.

2. The design of Satan in this temptation is to de∣vour and destroy our souls; he is our deadly and im∣placable enemy, and is alwayes designing our hurt; when he pretends our good, he intends our ruine: and therefore what counsel Solomon giveth us con∣cerning a deceitful adversary, Prov. 26.24,25. He that hateth, dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; when he speaketh fair believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart, is very sea∣sonable here: when Satan speaks us fair, we should not believe him, for he hates us, and hath abominable designs against us in his heart. That Satan seeks to de∣vour and destroy our souls by this and all his other temptations, may be cleared from several Scriptures,

as 1 Pet. 5.8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adver∣sary the Devil, as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. John 10.10. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. John 8.44. He was a murtherer from the beginning. Now did they that are tempted to make away themselves, fully believe that these motions came from Satan, and that Satans design in moving them to kill themselves, is to devour and destroy their precious souls, that he may draw them into the same place of torment where he himself is, it would be a good help to resist the tem∣ptation.

3. There is hope for a man as long as God conti∣nueth him in the land of the living, that he may obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ, if he repent of his sins, and believe in Christ, how desolate, and distressed, and desperate soever his condition seem to be. I add this proposition, because Satan can hardly draw a man to destroy himself, till he hath brought him to despair; and therefore if the person that is under this tempta∣tion could be convinced, that there was hope of mercy and salvation for such an one as he is, it might be an effectual means of preventing the temptation from taking place. I shall therefore endeavour to prove, that no man whatever is to conclude his case despe∣rate, so long as God permits him to live upon the face of the earth; but there is a possibility, yea, there is hope that he may obtain salvation, if he will use the means appointed by God for the saving of his soul: and that I prove by these arguments.

1. It is the will of God that the Gospel should be preached to every creature under heaven, Mark 16.15. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Col. 1.23—The hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every

creature under heaven.—As long as a man is out of Hell, as long as he lives in the world, so long he may have the Gospel preached to him, and may have sal∣vation tendered to him by Christ; and as long as the Gospel is preached to a man, so long 'tis a day of sal∣vation; that is, a day wherein he may obtain salvati∣on if he seek after it, 2 Cor. 6.2. I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I suc∣cored thee: Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. What time doth the Apostle mean, when he saith, Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation? I answer, He means the time when we enjoy the ministry of reconciliation; the time when we have the Gospel preached to us; as you may see in the former Chapter, ver. 18. 20. He hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation—Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God: and then adds, chap. 6.2. Behold, now is the accepted time, Behold, now is the day of salvation. The note of attention is mentioned twice, behold, behold, to cause us to take the more diligent heed to this truth, that we should account it a day of salvation as long as we have the Gospel preached to us.

2. We are commanded to account the long-suffer∣ing of God to be salvation, 2 Pet. 3.15. Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; and there∣fore they that conclude all hope of salvation is gone, and that God suffers them to live only to aggravate their condemnation, wrong God and their own souls, by harbouring such conclusions in their mindes: he therefore suffers us to live that we may have time and space to repent, ver. 9. The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Rev. 2.21. I gave her space to repent—

3. The Scripture holds it forth plainly, that as long as a man lives in the world, he is not to cast away his hope, Eccles. 9.4. To him that is joyned to all the living there is hope. It is true, if once a man be dead, and hath not wrought out his salvation before he dies, the door of hope is for ever shut against that man; but while he is in the Land of the living, there is hope that he may obtain mercy.

4. Whilst a man continues upon the face of the earth, Christ calls him to look to him for salvation, and promiseth him salvation, if he doth look to him, Isa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. Look unto me and be ye saved; that is, I will save you, if you look unto me: And whom doth Christ call to look to him for salvation? All the ends of the earth; that is, all men that live upon the face of the Earth, from one end of the Earth to another; so that as long as a man is not cast into Hell, but is permitted to live upon the face of the Earth, he should not conclude his case desperate.

5. We find God hath rebuked those that have cast away their hope, and hath encouraged them to seek and hope for salvation, that have thought there was no hope for such as they were. When some amongst the Jews thought God had done with them, and given them over, and would look no more after them, God reproves them for it, Isa. 40.27. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest O Israel; my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? And at another time, when they thought there was no hope, but they must perish in their sins; and looked upon it as an improbable, if not as an impos∣sible thing, that such as they were, should obtain life; God swears to them that he did not delight in their death, but rather did desire that they should

repent, that they might live, Ezek. 33.10,11. Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions, and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them; How should we then live? say unto them, As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; Turn ye, turn ye from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? We find also God encouraging the Jews when they were in a despairing condition in Babylon, Lam. 3.18,19. I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord; remembring mine affliction, and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. But though they said their hope was perished, God saith it was good for them to hope still, Ver. 26. It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. God may have great mercy in store for them that think there is no mercy for them. When the house of Israel said, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts: God promiseth to do great things for them, to put his Spirit in them, and give them life, &c. Ezek. 37,11,12,13,14. And though Satan may make use of some Scriptures to drive us to despair, yet he perverts the sense and meaning of those Scriptures, for no passage of Scri∣pture was written to drive us to despair; but the design of the Scripture is to encourage us to hope in God, Rom. 15.4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

4. Prop. No man ought to conclude that he is a graceless person, or cast out of the favour of God, because he is assaulted with this temptation to make away himself; or because he hath often prayed to God to have his temptation removed, and it conti∣nueth

still in as great violence as ever. The best of men may be tempted to the foulest of sins. What sin is more hideous than for a man to fall down and worship the Devil? yet the Lord Jesus was tempted to this sin, Matth. 4.9. All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Dost thou think God doth not love thee, because he suffers the Devils to tempt thee to make away thy self? Christ was the beloved Son of God, yet the Devil tempted him to cast down himself from a pinacle of the Temple, which was in effect to have destroy∣ed himself, Matth. 4.5,6. yea, God suffered the Devil to do more than barely to tempt Christ; he suffered him to carry him from the Wilderness into Jerusalem, and to set him upon the pinacle of the Temple, Matth. 4.5. and from thence to carry him to an exceeding high Mountain, Ver. 8. This is more than God permits the Devil to do to you, yet Christ was the beloved Son of God. Did not the De∣vil tempt Job (who was the most upright man that lived in his days) by the instigation of his wife to destroy himself? Job 2.9. His wife said unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. And though you pray to have the temptation removed, and still it continueth: so did Paul, who was a chosen Vessel, when he was buffeted with a temptation from Satan, he prayed often to have it removed, and still it con∣tinued, 2 Cor. 12.7,8,9. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me;—For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me; and he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. But let thus much suffice for the preventing of this temptation of Self-murther.