world havo Liunlnf^ for burning. God loves to retaliate upon liis peoi)le's enemies, Judges i. H, 7. Such as have clapped their hands at the sight of London's llanies, may one day lay their hands upon their loins, -when they shall find divine justice appearing in flames of fire against them. But,
(8.) The eighth support to hear up the hearts of the people of God under tlie late fiery jlispensation, is this — viz.. That all shall end ivell, all shall work for (joodA God, by this fiery disj)cnsation, will do his people a great deal of good. God cast Judah into an iron furnace, into a fiery furnace, but it was for their good. Jer. xxiv. 5, ' Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this i)lace into tlie land of tlie Chaldeans for their good.' Ps. cxix. 71, 'It is good for me that 1 have been afliicted.' Though afflictions are naturally evil, yet they are morally good ; for by the wise, sanctifying, overruling providence of God, they shall either cure the saints of their spiritual evils, or pre- serve them from spiritual evils. Though the elements ai-e of contrary qualities, yet divine power and wisdom hath so tempered them, that they all work in a harmonious manner for the good of the imiverse. So, though sore afflictions, though fiery trials seem to work quite cross and contrary to the saints' })rayers and desires, yet they shall be so ordered and tempered by a skilhd and omnipotent hand, as that they shall all issue in the saints' good. At the long run, by all sorts of fiery trials, the saints shall have their sins more weakened, their graces more improved, and their experiences more multi])lied, their evidences for heaven more cleared, their communion with God more raised, and their hearts and lives more amended. God, by fiery trials, will keep off from his people more trials. ' God loves by tlie cross to secure his peo})le from the curse ; and certainly it is no bad exchange, to have a cross instead of a curse. God led the Israelites about and about in the wilderness forty years together, but it was to humble them, and prove them, and do them good in their latter end. Dent. viii. 2, 16. God led them through fire and water, Ps. Ixvi. 12 ; that is, through variety of sore and sharp afflictions, but all was in order to his bring- ing them forth into a wealthy place. God stripj)cd Job to his shift, but it was in order to his clothing of him in scarlet : he brought him low, but it was in order to his raising him higher than ever : he set him upon a dunghill, that he might the better fit him to sit upon a throne.^ * Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Ben- jamin away: all tliese things are against me,' saith old Jacob, Gen. xlii. 3G ; but yet as old as he was, he lived to see all working for his good, before he went to his long home. Under all fiery dispensations, God will make good that golden promise, Roul viii. 28, ' And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.' Mark, the apostle doth not say, we suppose, or we hope, or we con- jecture, but we know, I know, and you know, and all the saints know by daily exjterience, that all their sulferings and aftlietions work to- gether for their good: the apostle doth not say de future, they shall
> Consult those scriptures, Isa. i. 2.5, and xxvii. S-11 ; Zccli. siii.9; TIeb. xii. 10; llobca ii. 0; Acts xiv. 2J ; Jolin xvi. 33; Jer. xxix. 11. - Compare the first and last chapter of Job together.
IsA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIEEY DISPENSATION. 185
work, but deprcesenti, they do work. All second causes work together with the first cause for their good who love God, and who are called according to his purpose. The Greek word a-vvepjet, ' work together,' is a physical expression. Look, as several poisonful ingredients put together, being well tempered and mixed by the skill and care of the l^rudent apothecary, makes a sovereign medicine, and work together for the good of the patient ; so all the afflictions and sufi'erings that befall the saints, they shall be so wisely, so divinely tempered, ordered, and sanctified by a hand of heaven, as that they shall really and signally work for their good. Those dreadful providences which seem to be most prejudicial to us, shall in the issue prove most beneficial to us. Gen. 1. 20. Look, as vessels of gold are made by fire, so by fiery dispensations God will make his people vessels of gold, vessels of honour, 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21. Commonly the most afflicted Christians are the most golden Christians : Zech. xiii. 9, ' And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried : 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.' The fire of London was rather physic than poison. There was more of a paternal chastisement, than there was of an extirpating vengeance in it ; and therefore certainly it shall work well, it shall issue well.