(3.) The third support to bear up the hearts and to cheer up the spirits of all that have suffered by the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz.. That this has been the common lot, the common case, both of saints
' See my ' Mute Christian,' pp. 260-279. [As before, Vol i. pp. 366-371.— G.] Our whole life is nothing but a temptation, saith Austin.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 175
and sinners. God has dealt no more severely with you than he has with many others. Have you lost much? so have many others.^ Have you lost half ? so have many others. Have you lost all ? so have many others. Have you lost your trade ? so have many others. Have you lost your goods ? so have many others. Have you lost your credits ? so have many others. Have you lost many friends, who be- fore the fire were very helpful to you and yours ? so have many others. Have you lost more than your all ? so have many others. This very cordial the apostle hands out to the suffering saints in his time : 1 Cor. X. 13, ' There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.' By temptation, he means affliction ; as the word is used, James i. 2 ; 1 Peter i. 6 — that is, there hath no affliction befallen you but that which is incident either to men as men, or to saints as saints : or thus, there hath no affliction befallen you but such as is common to man — that is, there is no affliction that hath befallen you but such as men may very well bear without murmuring or buckling under it. So 1 Peter v. 9, ' Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished,' or finished, ' in your brethren, that are in the world'; or in your brother- hood, that is, in the world. Afflictions are the common lot of the saints ; and who shrugs, repines, complains, murmurs, or faints under a common lot, it is at the sun because it scorches, &c., John xvi. 33 ; Acts xiv. 22. There are none of the brotherhood but, first or last, they shall know what the fiery trial, what the fiery furnace means. Jerome, writing to a sick friend, hath this expression, ' I account it a part of unhappiness not to know adversity. I judge you to be the more miserable, because you have not been miserable:' it being the common lot of the people of God to be exercised with adversity and misery. I think he hit it who said, [Bernard,] Impunitas securitatis mater, virtutum noverca, religionis virus, tinea sanctitatis: i.e., Free- dom from punishment is the mother of security, the stepmother of virtue, the poison of religion, the moth of holiness. Nihil est infeli- cius eo, cui nil unquam contigit adversi, There is nothing more un- happy than he who never felt adversity, said the refined heathen [Seneca] ; and shall not grace rise as high as nature ? The calamity has been common, therefore wipe your eyes, and do not say, There is no sorrow to my sorrow, no loss to my loss, no ruin to my ruin. Lam. i. 12. Under common calamities, men should neither groan nor grumble. Look, as no man may conclude, upon the account of com- mon mercies, that he is really beloved of God ; so no man may con- clude, upon the account of common calamities, that he is really hated of God, Eccles. ix. 1 , 2. And therefore bear up sweetly, bear up cheer- fully, under your present trials. In the common calamity of the plague, the destroying angel, perceiving the blood of sprinkling upon the posts of your doors, and upon the doors of your hearts, passed you by, and said unto you, ' Live,' Exod. xii. 7, 13. But by the common calamity of the fire, the Lord has turned you out of house and home, and burnt up your substance before your eyes. Now do but lay your hands seriously upon your hearts, and tell me whether you have not more cause to admire at the mercy of God towards you in 'Q5, than
^ The commonness of our sufferings doth somewhat mitigate the sharpness of our sufferings, &c.
176 London's lamentations on [Ira. XLII. 24, 25.
von liavc cause to coin])lain of the severities of God towards 3'ou in.