so shall all the just they shall shine as the Sun every glorified Saint by the reflection not onely of their mind but if their ocular body upon one another by a mutuall reciprocation of their beams every one shall shine in every one The glory of the soul shall transfuse it self and redound to the body Saint Paul in effect speaks as much as it is sowen a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body As the soul here is swallowed up of the body to the body as it were shall be swallowed up of the soul in a word both soul and body shall be turned into glory and the glory shall be to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS MANS REFVGE Ieremiah 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great mighty things which thou knowest not THe Prophet Ieremiah in this the foregoing Chapter layes down sundry and eminent mercies that he intends for the good of his elect people notwithstanding their provoking of God by their severall relapses sundry backslidings though their enemies also did threaten them with utter desolation and that they should be desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast yet the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the Bridegroom the voice of the Bride the voice of them that shall say praise the LORD of hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever this voice shall be to the inhabitants of Ierusalem But by what means shall these mercies be bestowed on then in this Text he tells them where ever they are afflicted or in any great distresse call unto me and I will answer thee And as Christ in the Gospell having the book of the Prophet Esaias delivered unto him when he was in the Synagogue read apart of it then closed the book and began his sermon to the people this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luke 4.21 So may I say of this Text that we have out of this Prophecy read unto you Behold this day hath the Lord fullfilled this word of his in our ears before our eyes And therefore is it that we are all here this day met before the Lord that we may witness unto this his good word and promise Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not In the two last Verses of this Chapter the Lord promiseth to establish a Covenant with David and raise up a deliverance to the seed of Iacob and cause them to return out of their captivities he will have mercy on them That which he saith to his people he speaks it plainly and openly I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth The heathen Gods did speak darkly and ambiguously to their worshippers that they knew not what to make of their words but I have not done so to you saith God They would have you worship them but they cannot help you when you have so done it is not so with me Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seed of Iacob that is the Church of God the Saints You will say Why are the people of God called the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or the seed of Isaac the seed of Iacob The reasons may be these two First because that all Iacobs posterity were the Church of God all Iacobs children the Patriarchs were every one of the Church All that came from Abraham were not so Ishmael was not so All that came from Isaac were not so Esau was not But all Iacobs children were therefore speaking of the people of God of the Church that should be to the end of the world they are said here to be the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or of Isaac Then secondly the seed of Iacòb because the Lord is here speaking of the blessing of his seed namely in the hearing of their prayers Call unto me and I will answer thee Now because Iacob was the most eminent in prayer though Abraham and Isaac no question were mighty with God in prayer yet the Scripture doth not put such an eminency either upon Abraham or Isaac for prayer as upon Iacob You have the most eminent expression for prayer that ever was spoken of any man never the like Gen. 32.28 And he said thy name shall be called no more Iacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed O how eminent was he in prayer Therefore it is rather said the seed of Iacob then of Abraham or Isaac But you will say then they should rather have been called the seed of Israel for his name of Israel was given him upon his prevailing with God We must not be too inquisitive These names are used promiscuously But this is one reason that is given and it seemeth to have probability with it In Scripture when God speaks of the Church in a low condition he puts the name of Iacob on them rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob and it follows ye men of Israel Isa 41.14 He puts them in mind of their low condition by this name rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob For before Iacobs name was changed ye know what a low condition and what streights he was in So here the Lord speaking of his Churches deliverance out of distress he calls them the seed of Iacob that they might see how by their prayers they were brought from their streights as Iacob was brought from his streights by prayer When he was Iacob before he was Israel he was in great streights so shall the Church be till they seek God Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not That is first I did require it of them and my requiring did prevail with them I did not exhort them to it or require it and my words fell to the ground and they did not call unto me but what I required of them was effected in them When God speaks to a people and they do not what he requires his word may seem to be slighted there being no efficacy in his words to prevail But saith God Call unto mee and I will answer thee that is I called not on my people to call unto me and they went their own way but what I spake to them prevailed with them and in them and they did that which I required This is a blessed thing that we do that which the Lord requires of us to be done That is the first observation Secondly call unto me and I will answer thee that is I did not onely command but I did promise to answer them They calling unto me in a right manner by
that way means which I directed them I promised to answer their desires when that they should call unto me I suppose that the principall scope of the holy Ghost is that which the words plainly present to our view That we must call upon God before he will hear and answer our requests God requires his people to call unto him and he is pleased to be found of them and not onely to answer them but to do abundantly for them So then this point ariseth plainly out of the words When God requires a people to him he will make it good to them that he will answer them Before I open this point I will give you a Scripture or two one in the old Testament and another in the new Deut. 4.7 For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Here is an experiment of the fruit of calling unto God and it is spoken to shew the honour of Gods people the priviledge of the seed of Iacob and the eminent condition they were in God is nigh to them in all things they call upon him for therefore they are not required to seek God in vain So Matth. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive A very strange expression Here might seem to be a tautologie One would think that it had been large enough to have said Whatsoever ye shall ask ye shall receive but here is all things whatsoever We would not speak so in ordinary language I will give you all things whatsoever Yet it may be this may be intended and I believe it is And all things here is the generall promise that all things that ye ask ye shall receive and whatsoever may referre to particulars every particular thing that ye ask ye shall receive You will say any one that understands reason or Logick knoweth that particulars are included in the generall But there is this illogicall reasoning of unbelief that though we agree to the premises in generall yet when we come to particulars we think they will not be made good to us I suppose you find your unbelieving hearts so irrationall that though they believe the generall promise yet when it comes to particulars and you cannot but say that such a particular is in the generall yet your hearts will not come up to it Therefore our Saviour saith not onely all things in generall but also whatsoever in particular So Jam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much There is but one word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the working prayer but it is translated by two effectuall fervent Surely then prayer and seeking of God is the ordinance which he hath appointed for the turning about of the great affairs of the world Tâ—… is the engine that doth it inwardly there are indeed a great many outward wheeles used but the spring of all is within prayer turns all about God never made use of any created power so much as of this He never did such great things by any created power as by the ordinance of prayer The Word is appointed for the converting of souls but a great part of the blessing of the Word dependeth on prayer In the opening of this point I will first give you some evidences of it Secondly shew you what great things prayer will do Thirdly wherein the efficacy and power of it lyeth Fourthly the objections of troubled unbelieving spirits against it And then come to apply all The evidences hereof are first the many famous records in Scripture of the noble and glorious exploits of prayer If any of you should come to me to ask as that King did of the prophets servant 2. Kings 8.4 What great things hath thy master done so what great things hath prayer done in the world truly we might spend houres and dayes in returning you an answer a great part of holy Scripture being spent in this very argument And it is a very good exercise for you in the night when you cannot sleep or at other times when you are troubled to do as that King did Esther 6.1 call for the book of the Records of prayer You that read the Scriptures mark what you read The word of God will tell you how prayer hath stopped the Sunne in the firmament opened heaven and shut it again raised from death to life opened the prison doores and what not Secondly all Gods people are able to tell you great stories of what they have gotten by prayer This poor man cryed saith David of himself Psalm 34.6 and the Lord heard him Who is it that cannot tell histories of Gods gracious dealing with him upon his calling unto him to be sure our Nation hath many things to say this way and every particular godly soul hath many things to say they would not lose their income of prayer for all the world Thirdly surely it is not in vain to call unto God for there was never any soul that ever would leave off but would continue as long as he lived seeking him he would seek his face evermore if he had had no answer he would have left off When we see a Bee stick on a Flower and will not be driven off or if she be driven off she will come again we conclude certainly it finds honey there So all the Saints of God that have ever sought God truly they would never be beaten off this way Let the world do what it will persecute them set spies to watch them in their meetings of prayer let it punish and imprison them let all the malice and rage of men be against them yet they cannot hinder them either from praying in their closets or from injoying the benefit of the communion of Saints in prayer Daniel had rather lose his life then be kept from his prayers though but for a day but pray he would and that openly yea three times a day as he was wont he would not forbear one time He did stick to prayer finding honey sweetnesse in it Oh how unlike are we to Daniel though the performance of this duty was exceeding hazzardable to Daniel yet he would not be deterred from it but every light trifle taketh off our hearts It is not in vain for wicked men to call upon God though they are not able to seek God as they ought The prayer of the wicked is abominable saith Solomon Prov. 15.8 That is not to be understood of the prayer of every man that is unregenerate wickednesse is not so to be taken in that place For we know that God hath regarded the prayers of men unregenerate The prayers fasting of Niniveh were regarded of God the praying fasting of Ahab was regarded of God God hath granted the wicked some mercies he hath looked on them as his creatures Though God seeth enough in their prayers to cast them off yet God hath
flesh before the spirituall priviledges of the Saints But how shall I know that I am one of the seed of Iacob How do you know such an ones child but by his likenesse to his father One that hath the spirit of Iacob is of the seed of Iacob There are manie things that the Scripture speaks concerning Iacob and see if you do answer them First Iacob was a mightie man in prayer he was a wrestler with God he wrestled till the day broke was as strong at the last as at the first hast thou the spirit of thy father Iacob art thou not discouraged in prayer though mercy come not presently yet dost thou wrestle all night resolve whatsoever come if thou die thou wilt die wrestling here is a child like the father therefore thou art of the seed of Iacob Secondly Iecob was one that feared God when God appeared to him he looked on the presence of God as dreadfull How dreadfull is this place Genesis 28. because God was there So dost thou look on the presence of God as dreadfull that thou canst say the fear of the great God is on thy soul when thou comest into his presence mark for this is that expression in the Psalm Ye that fear the Lord praise him all the seed of Iacob glorifie him and fear him all ye seed of Israel Psalm 22.23 If you will be sure not to seek God in vain but that you may praise him in seeking him fear the Lord all the seed of Iacob Thirdly Iacobs heart was disingaged from the creature a little of the creature would serve his turn Gen. 28. Lord saith he if thou wilt give me meat to eat raiment to put on He looked no further he minded no great matters Therefore in Ps 24. there the generation of Iacob is set out and one thing is he that hath not lift up his soul to vanity The men of the world have great things in their eyes they are vanitie in Gods eye though they be great in theirs and they lift up their hearts to them Now the sons of Iacob do not lift up their hearts to vanitie though the things of the world be present their hearts stirre not they rise not but if God and Christ and heavenly things be presented their hearts are lifted up If thy heart be lifted up to vanitie if thy heart be as iron and the vanities of the world come and draw it up thou art not a son of Iacob a little would serve Iacob though he were a great heir He was a plain man and dwelt in tents Genesis 25. and had a plain spirit he did not look after great things whereas Esau looked after great things abroad Again he was one of a tender spirit therefore where it is said he prevailed with the Angel it is said he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel there he spake with us That storie of Iacob concerns us how God dealt with our Father If now thou have a tender spirit as he had if when thou goest into the presence of God thou find thy spirit yield and melt and relent thou art one like thy father Iacob Again further Iacob did in the time of his streights repair to the covenant that was a great satisfaction to his heart he looked to the covenant he fastned on that and there he held as the main support of his spirit Gen. 32.9 And Iacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me return unto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee c. He heard that Esau was coming against him with a great company what doth Iacob he gets him to God O God of my Father Abraham of my Father Isaac the Lord which said unto me return into thy countrey c. He repairs to the Covenant Remember thy Covenant with Abraham and Isaac and with me to I went on thy word Here was the guise of Iacob canst thou in a straight get thee a word and a promise and brood thy soul over it and clasp it close and say this is the promise that must and will do me good Again Iacob was of an humble spirit I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies He admired at the mercy of God that he had any thing Gods mercies made him more humble this is an excellent disposition we are many times humble and lowly when we are under the hand of God in affliction but when mercies make us humble that the more God is gracious the more vile we are in our own eyes this is excellent And he looked back to his former condition he looked upon his poor beginning and gives God the glory I passed over this Iordan with my staff Many of you came with your staff and God hath given you two bands you are grown great are you willing to think of it and to acknowledge the poor estate that once you were in and to give God the glorie I was thus thus of poor parentage and see how God had dealt with me Another thing remarkable is that Iacob contented himself with God alone he accounted that he had enough in God alone though all were taken from him he did not look upon himself as undone but he had that that might make him for ever In Gen. 33. compare the 9. and 11. verses you shall find a notable difference between Esau and Iacob yet the word in our books is the same but this Scripture is much wronged by the translation In vers 8. Esau when he comes to Iacob when Iacob would have given him his present saith he what meanest thou by all these droves which I met he said these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord and Esau said I have enough my brother It was a strange speech of Esau A covetous wretch that is alway pyning and murmuring for having no more and thinks he shall want before he dye he doth not come so farre as Esau and Esau could say I have enough are there not many of you that never say you have enough I pray thee take my present saith Iacob for I have all things nay saith Esau I have enough The one saith I have enough the other saith I have all things for â—o the word is Col Esau had enough he did not want he had meat and drink and he saw none to interrupt him he was satisfied with his estate as his portion he had enough he cared for nothing more they might talk of other things but that was enough to him Iacob comes and saith I have enough but this was another manner of enough Esaus enough is his estate but Iacobs enough is God for he saith I have all Iacob was meaner for his outward condition then Esau for he had nothing but what he had gotten in hard servitude Now Esau saith I have enough Iacob saith I have all that is God
and the curse of God may follow such a mans estate Take heed know that there is an ingagement after this time And so for the libertie of the Gospell God expects that you should prise the Gospell more then ever Lord we were afraid the Gospell would have been gone if thou hadst given us up into the hands of our enemies and our eyes should not have seen their teachers we should not have heard things that refresh our hearts shall we have the Gospell and hope that our posterity shall have it we hope that we shall never provoke thee as we have done heretofore to take it away A man that hath been in danger to loose his estate and hath recovered it will be carefull after Our slighting of the Gospell because we had it so ordinarie might have caused God to take it from us and hath God restored it let us take heed we provoke not God now but attend upon the word more then ever we did Lastly doth God say to us Call upon me and I will answer thee then when God seeks us let us be found of him There is all the reason for it in the world If God be so gracious to poor base worms sinfull creatures that if we do but chatter our prayers are answered Is it not reason when God calls upon us that we should call upon him When God calls out of his word to perform such and such duties God seeks thee then make use of this Text I have called upon God and he hath answered my requests And now I go to hear the word and out of the word he calls unto me and seeks me let me say Lord what sayest thou to thy servant The Lord is ready to hear your call be you ready to receive his answer and go on go on with encouragement the Lord hath incouraged us this day And let all your prayers and indeavours break through all difficulties and the Lords mercy shall break through all oppositions for he hath said Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not FINIS These Books are lately Printed for Francis Eglesfield at the Marigold in St. Paul's Church-yard THe Leaper cleansed or the Return of Richard Bellamy of Tiverton in Devon from Anabaptisme to the Truth wherein their wiles to deceive are also laid open 3. Treatises First The young mans Memento Second Now if ever Third The danger of being almost a Christian published by Iohn Chishull Minister of Gods Word at Tiverton in Devon These Books following are now in the Press Mr. David Dickson his excellent Expositon on all St. Paul's Epistles lately translated into English and Printing in Fol. A new vol. of Dr. Prestons never before published Choice and rare experiments both in Physick and Chirurgery with variety of excellent receits for any distemper of the body never before published discovered by the Elaborate pains and industry of Mr. Tho. Collins Practitioner of Physick near the City of Glocester Verse 2. Verse 5. Verse 7. The words opened 89. Psal 47. Doct. 1. 1 Sam. 9.21 1 Sam. 10.27 1 Sam. 11.16 1 Sam. 14.27 1 Sam. 15.13 1 Sam. 15.30 1 Sam. 15. 14. chapters 21. Genes 14. 2. Chron. 21.3 33. Genes 19. 16. Luke 25. Why God gives any thing to wicked men 29. Ezekiel 18.19.20 Aug. de Civitate Dei 5. book 12. chap. Luther in Gâ—nes 33. Isaiah 1. The portion of the wicked is confined to this life 17 Ierem. 13.14 Revel 3. 11. Dan. 21. Vse 1. 1 Corinth 2.12 Vse 2. 18. Acts 17. 18. Iohn 38. 5. Iudges 18. 49. Genes 21. 25. Numbers 12.13 3. Philip. 2. Kings 23.13 1. Kings 11.7 â— â— Rom. 14.2 Vse 3. What poor things worldly men strive for 25. Acts. 10. Proverbs 26. Iob 7. 10. Hebr. Luther 11. Psal 6.24 Matth. 51. 27. Iob 8. 1. Signes of a man whose portion is in this world 17. Ierem. 13. Iude 12. 11. Hebr. 14. 5. Isaaih 8. Hebr. 11.36 The Saints have the Image of God Psalm 111.9 Isai 6.3 Revel 4.8 Rev. 15.4 Grace is the chiefest good that God doth bestow The excellency of things consecrated The Saints Relation to God The Saints Priviledges The Saints immunities that come by the Covenant of Grace The Saints have accesse to the Throne of Grace The Saints are the excellent on earth Luther an advancer of faith and holiness 〈…〉 Vse Vse Psalm 51.17 Psalm 34.18 The King of Babylons message to Hezekiah Boniface Prov. 10.20 Observation Communion of Saints is comfortable 1 Cor. 3.3 Cant. 6.9 Cant. 5.1 Psal 8.11 Why God is said to dwelâ— with his Saints Observation Isaiah 57.13 2 Chron. 20.21 Who are Iacobs seed Who are Esaus seed How are Iacobs seed known Gen. 32.24 Ruth 4.11