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.

SECT. 5.

5. Look upon this affliction as a loud call from God to repent of and turn from all your transgressi∣ons; and therefore let this judgment awaken you to set upon a speedy, zealous, and unfeigned exercise and practise of the duty of Repentance; for this is one main thing that God aims at when he sends

his judgments upon us, the stirring of us up to a present, and zealous, and incere repentance, Ezek. 18.30. I will judge you, O House of Israel, every one according to his wayes, saith the Lord God, repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruine. Rev. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent. When the Lord contended with the Jews by the Sword and by Fire, his design in these judgments was to bring them to a speedy and sincere repen∣tance, Joel 2.3,12. A Fire devoureth before them, and behind them a Flame burneth; the Land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate Wilderness; yea and nothing shall escape them,—There∣fore also now saith the Lord, turn ye, even to me, with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. When the Cities of Judah were burnt with fire, Isa. 1.7. the design of God was to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion, by the Spirit of Judgment, and the Spirit of burning, Isa. 4.4. If therefore you would an∣swer Gods design in this Fire, let this burning put you upon cleanling of your selves from all filthiness both of the flesh and of the spirit. God sets a brand upon such persons for notorious sinners, who are not led to repentance by such an awakening judg∣ment as fire, Amos 4.11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were us a Fire brand pucked but of the burning, yet have ye not roturned unto me, faith the Lord. I might give you several reasons why this judgment should put you upon repentance and reforming your lives; ponder upon these two or three:

1. If you will not be reformed by this judgment, though this was a great and sore punishment, God will lay far greater and heavier afflictions upon you, Lev. 26.23,24. If ye will not be reformed by these things, but will walk contrary unto me, then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sin.

2. If this judgment will not lead you to repen∣tance, nor any other means that God shall use with you to turn you from your iniquities, you will perish eternally, and be cast both body and soul into Hell fire, and that is a far more dreadful fire, than that which consumed your houses and goods, Luk. 13.3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.

3. God lays his command upon such as are under affliction to depart from iniquity, Job 36.8,9,10. If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction, then he sheweth them their work, and their transgression, that they have exceeded; he openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from Iniquity. Now 'tis a contemning of God, to rebel against his Commandment; and it must needs be a great provocation for a man to go on in his sins, when God commandeth him to return from iniquity. Wherefore let this affliction prevail with you to set upon the work of Repentance and Reformation, and that you may do it the more effe∣ctually take these few directions.

1. See that you turn from, and cast away, not only some, or most of, but all your transgressions, Ezek. 18.30,31. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruine; Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed,—for why will ye die, O House of Israel?

2. Your affliction should cause you to cast away your sins for ever. Some deal with their sins as Felix did with Paul, Act. 24.25. Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. They put away their sins for a little time, but afterwards when their afflictions are removed, and they have a convenient season for the commission of their sins, they call for them and imbrace them again. When Pharaoh saw the Lightnings, and heard the mighty Thunderings, he was willing to let Israel go out of Egypt, and humbled himself for his sin; but when he saw that the Hail, and the Lightnings, and Thunders were ceased, he hardened his heart and sinned as much or more as ever, Exod. 9.27,28,34,35. But this is not such a repentance as God expects in a time of affliction, he would have us a∣bandon our sins for ever, Job 34.31,32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have born chastisement, I will not offend any more; that which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Hos. 8.14. I will send a Fire upon his Cities, and it shall devour the Palaces thereof; and what fruit did God expect that this fire should produce? Such a forsaking of their sins as to return to them no more, Hos. 14.8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with Idols?

3. Let this affliction cause you to reform your hearts as well as your lives, Jer. 4.14,15. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? for a voyce declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim. Ezek. 18.31.—Make you a new heart, and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O House of Israel?

4. Reform your Families as well as your own Souls: If you discern any thing amiss in your Wives, or in your Children, or in your Servants, or in any that sojourn with you, endeavour as much as lieth in you to reform it; for this God expects of all those that return to him by true repentance, that they should put away all iniquity far from their Ta∣bernacles, if they be such as have Families com∣mitted to their charge, Job 22.23. If thou return to the Almighty,—thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles, Job 11.13,14. If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him, if ini∣quity be in thine hand put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacles, Gen. 35.2. Jacob said unto his houshold, and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean. Joshua did not think it sufficient to serve God himself, but resolveth to engage all his family to serve the Lord, Josh. 24.15. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.

5. Set upon the work of Reformation speedily, make no delay, not so much as one day, Psal. 119.60. I made hast, and delayed not to keep thy Commande∣ments. Heb. 3.7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,—Sin is of that subtil insinuating nature, that though a man be under convictions of an absolute necessity of reforming his life, and take up (as he thinks firm and strong) resolutions to repent of his sins, if he do not presently set upon the work of repentance, if he put it off but a day, he is in danger of having his heart hardned, and of continuing in an impeni∣tent condition, Heb. 3.13. Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin.

6. You had need look to your selves that your hearts be sincere and real with God in the exercise of repentance; for some that seem to be very for∣ward and zealous in humbling of their souls, and reforming their lives in times of affliction, do but flatter and dissemble with God, and do not turn to God with their whole hearts, but only in a feigned manner, Psal. 78.34,35,36,37. When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned, and enquired early after God, and they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer: Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lyed unto him with their tongues, for their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his Covenant. Jer. 3.10. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.

Now you had need take good heed to your selves, that you do not let this judgment pass away without being brought to a true and unfeigned re∣pentance by it; for repentance is a very hard work, and few persons are wrought upon by their afflicti∣ons, to forsake their sins and reform their lives, though God follow them with one affliction after a∣nother till he hath even consumed and destroyed them, Rev. 16.10,11.—They gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains, and their sores, and repented not of their deeds, Rev. 9.20,21. The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils, and Idols of Gold and Silver,—neither repented they of their Murders, and of their Sorceries, nor of their Fornica∣tion, nor of their Thefts. Prov. 27.22. Though thou shouldest bray a Fool in a Morter with a Pestel, yet will

not his foolishness depart from him. And this is not only the case of profane men, but of most that pro∣fess themselves to be the people of God, many of them when they are corrected for their sins, do yet go on still in their trespasses: When God sent such heavy calamities upon the Jews, that they were more bitter than death, notwithstanding they were by Pro∣fession the people of God, and their calamities were so great; yet scarce any of them were led to repen∣tance by them, Jer. 8.3.6. Death shall be chosen ra∣ther than life, by all the residue of them that remain in this evil family—But were they bettered by these great afflictions? Not a man of them are brought to repentance, as you may see, Vers. 6. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? every one turneth to his course, as the Horse rusheth into the bat∣tel. The like complaint the same Prophet brings a∣gainst the Jews, Jer. 2.30. In vain have I smitten your children, they received no correction,—The Pro∣phet Isaiah complains also of the Jews that lived in his days that they were not at all reformed by their afflictions, Isa. 1.5. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more; and yet their af∣flictions were exceeding great, as the following words shew, The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises, and putri∣fying sores,—Your Country is desolate, your Cities are burnt with fire, your Land strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. I may add this farther, that it doth exceedingly anger the Lord, when such as are under affliction do not turn to the Lord that smiteth them, and provokes God many times to send upon them sudden and ut∣ter

destruction, Isa. 9.12,13,14.—His anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still, for the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts, therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day.

It may be some will say, Seeing it is such an hard matter even for such as are in affliction to be brought to repent of, and turn from their sins, what means shall we use that we may be brought to repentance now the afflicting hand of God is upon us?

I answer; 1. Sit down and consider your wayes, that you may see what is amiss in them, and where∣in you have gone astray from God; consider also seriously with your selves, into what endless and un∣speakable misely and torments your sins will plunge you if you do not repent of them: The Scripture hath many passages to this purpose, Rom. 6.21,23. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death; for the wa∣ges of sin is death. Rom. 8.13. If ye live after theflesh, ye shall die,—Psal. 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God. When David was in affliction, he was reformed by his afflictions, Psal. 119.67. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy Word. And by what means was he brought to a more diligent observation of Gods Word, when he was afflicted? It was by reflecting upon, and considering his wayes; as we may see, vers. 59. I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies. There is a great efficacy in consideration of our wayes to produce Reformation, Prov. 4.26. Ponder the path of thy feet; and all thy wayes shall be ordered aright; so that Text is rendered in the margent of our Bibles. It will not only

make good men to reform what is amiss in their wayes, but if a man that hath lived a wicked and ungodly life, would sit down and seriously consider his wayes, it might be a means of turning even of a wicked man from his sins, Ezek. 18.27,28. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive; because he consider∣eth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. This Scripture sheweth plainly, that conside∣ration (because he considereth and turneth—) will help a wicked man to turn from all his sins, by such a repentance as shall surely save his soul; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

2. Give your selves much to hearing, reading, and meditating upon the Word of God. The Rod seldom doth good without the Word; but when the Word of God is accompanied with his Rod, when in our afflictions we give our selves to search into, and meditate upon Gods Word, this will make our afflictions to work kindly upon us. There is a di∣vine power goeth along with the Word, and there∣fore it must needs be an effectual means to lead us to repentance, to converse much with the Word; see some places of this Scripture to this purpose, Psal. 19.7. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Joh. 15.3. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. Ephes. 5.26,27. Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the wash∣ing of water by the Word. Who are harder to be re∣claimed then young men who have strong and un∣ruly passions? And who are more hardly kept from sin than great men who can do what they please,

and none can controul them, yet both the one and the other may be brought to repentance and kept from sin by taking heed to Gods Word. As for young men, we may see the power of the Word to reclaim them, Psal. 119.9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy Word. David was a King and stood in awe of no man; yet was he awed by Gods Word, Psal. 119.161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word. And though he was a King, yet he was so awed by the Word, that he durst not sin against God, Psal. 119.11. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

3. Confess to God and bemoan the refractoriness and incorrigibleness of your hearts, and pray to the Lord that he would turn you from your sins unto himself, Jer. 31.18,20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised, as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a plea∣sant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnest∣ly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. When Ephraim was in affliction and found a refractory spirit,—Thou hast chastised me, and I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, and went to God and bemoaned the hardness of his heart, and prayed to be turned, God promiseth, I will surely have mercy upon him; that is, out of my mercy towards him, I will both pardon his rebellious and disobedient car∣riage under his affliction, and subdue his refractory and rebellious spirit. That Gods having mercy on him, implies both the pardoning and subduing his sins, may be gathered from Mic. 7.18,19,20. When the Jews were carried captive into Babylon,

and found, that notwithstanding all the great things that they suffered during the siege, and at the de∣struction of Jerusalem, they were not turned from their sins, they go to God, and pray to him to turn them; for they were perswaded that though their afflictions had not turned them, yet if the Lord would put forth his Grace and turn them, then they should be turned, Lam. 5.21. Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned. Prayer is of that preva∣lency with God, that no iniquity shall be able to stand long before a praying Christian, but Prayer will soon subdue the power and dominion of it, Psal. 119.2,3. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart, they also do no iniquity. Prayers and tears will prevail over God himself, Hos. 12.3,4.—By his strength he had power with God, yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed, he wept and made supplication unto him. Now if Prayer will prevail over God fear not but it will prevail over all manner of sin.

4. When you feel any workings and stirrings of the Spirit of God upon your hearts, take heed of quench∣ing or resisting the Spirit when the Spirit of God worketh upon you either in a way of conviction, or by stirring up godly sorrow for sin, or exciting purpo∣ses and resolutions against sin, or working in any other way upon our souls, and yield your selves to God, joyn in, and comply with the motions of the Spirit: all the workings of Gods Spirit upon our hearts, are in order to the bringing of us to repentance, that he may prevent our eternal misery, Job 33.16,17. He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. See also, ver. 29, 30. Lo, all these things worketh God often times with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightned with the light of the living.

We had need attend to the workings of the Spirit, because there is no mortifying of any one sin, but by the help of the Spirit, Rom. 8.13.—If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live. And though we can overcome no sin but by the help of the Spirit, yet with the Spirits help we may overcome any sin whatever, Gal. 5.16. This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. What would God have done for Israel, if they had heark∣ned to him, Psal. 81.13,14,15. O that my people had hearkened unto me—I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries; the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him—The same will the Spirit of God do for those that yield up themselves to be led and guided by him, he will soon subdue their sins, and turn his hand against their iniquities, and make all their spiritual enemies become subject unto them.

5. Look unto Jesus Christ to give you repentance, and to turn you from your iniquities. God hath ex∣alted Christ to give us repentance, Acts. 5.31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give repentance unto Israel, and forgive∣ness of sins. Because we cannot of our selves turn from sin, God sent his Son to turn us from our iniqui∣ties, Acts 3.26. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son: Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. If after you have ap∣plyed your selves to Christ in order to his turning of you from your iniquities, your sins should still pre∣vail over you, yet be not discouraged, but hope in Christ, that in his own good time, he will redeem you from all your iniquities, and you shall finde that he will not fail your expectation, Psalm 130.7,8. Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is

mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Psal. 65.3. Ini∣quities prevail against me, as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away.

6. Rest upon God by virtue of his promises, to sanctifie your afflictions for the purging out of your sins, and leading of you to repentance. The Lord hath made many gracious promises of sanctifying those afflictions which he layes upon his people, and causing of them to purge and refine their souls. I will mention two or three, Isa. 27.9. By this there∣fore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. Here are two things remarkable in this Scripture. 1. The end and design of God in afflicting his people, which is, that he may take away his sins. This is all the fruit to take away his sin. 2. A promise that the affliction, which God sends upon his people, shall have this effect upon their souls to purge out their sins. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged. Jer. 24 7. I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. This promise relates to a time of affliction, when the Jews were carried captives into the Land of the Caldeans, ver. 5. and herein the Lord promiseth among other blessings, that this captivity should produce in them an unfeigned repentance. They shall return unto me with their whole heart. Another promise to this effect we have, Zach. 13.9. I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tryed, they shall call on my Name, and I will hear them, I will say it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God. In the former verse the Pro∣phet speaks of a time of great mortality. Two parts

therein shall be cut off and die, but the third part shall be left therein; and then he foretels what should befal the third part that should be left, I will bring the third part through the fire; and then adds a gracious promise that they should be refined by passing through the fire; that is, God thereby would purge and purifie their hearts and conversations: urge God daily with these promises, plead them at the Throne of Grace, and rest upon God for the performance of them.