Neh 13. 17 1â— and charging the Nobles of Judah with this sin of the people what evill thing is this that ye doe and profane the Sabbath day the profanation was by them ver 15. that trod wine-presses and brought in sheaves on the Sabbath day yet the Nobles not hindering it are charged with it and all the evils brought on their fathers and the citie ascribed to this sin They were my Meditations upon the comming forth of that book for that sinfull Libertie on the Lords day and I did not forbeare to expresse them when I too often heard in neighbouring Parishes drums beating up for a Morris or a May-poole on that day we had just cause to feare lest the Lord should punish that sin with beating up drums for a march on that day and the Lord hath brought our feares upon us how many marches have been on that day since the beginning of these wars I have long thought it one of the highest provoking sins of this land and me thinks the Lord would have us take notice of it as I presume many did that leading generall battell at Kineton on the Lords day could it doe lesse then lead this Kingdome to take notice of that generall leading sin the profanation of that day But I hope those many Ordinances for suppressing this profanenesse will be a good meanes through Gods mercie to quench our unnaturall flames if to good lawes which are the life of a State be added carefull execution which is the life of lawes I have done with the report and proceed to that it wrought in Nehemiah And it came to passe when I heard these words that I ver 4. sate down and wept and mourned certaine dayes One would think Nehemiah had little cause so to take on at the report of the affliction of the Jewes and Jerusalems ruines himselfe then injoying all the honour and content that the favour of the King and the palace Shushan could afford But alas Gratious and Religious hearts Observ 4. have compassionate and tender affections and they cannot easily put off the common miseries of Gods people the Lord himselfe is affected with them that is a sweet expression in the Prophet of the Lords love and pitie towards his people In all their affliction he Isai 〈◊〉 9. Iudg 10. 16. was afflicted but that in the book of Judges is beyond expression His soule was grieved for the miserie of Israel and surely there are none of the Lords people which are not in this partakers in part of the divine nature I cannot omit that of Esay Look away from Isai 22. 4. me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people and yet this when he did but Dan. 10. 2 3. foresee and foretell the spoiling to come So Daniel mourned three whole weekes and did eate no pleasant bread found no sweetnesse or delight in any bread or food that he took whilst his brethren the Isai 30. 20. Jewes fed as Esay expresseth it with the bread of adversitie and the water of affliction I dare not adventure to give reasons why it is and ought to be thus I shall only intreat you before I apply to take notice that Two sorts of Teares there are two sorts of teares required of Gods people one of Compassion another of Humiliation the former for the miseries of Gods people the latter for the sins of Gods people that brought those miseries both which like two streames falling into one channell met in good Nehemiah I might for our imitation commend severall instances of both take one or two for the first begin with that of Christ even when he rode in state and triumph towards Jerusalem he could not behold Jerusalem nor think of the Luk. 19. 36 37 38 41. 2 Ki. 8. 11 12. desolation comming upon it with dry eyes When he beheld the citie he wept over it Adde that of Elisha when he did but looke upon Hazael The man of God wept And when Hazael said Why weepeth my lord He answered Because I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe Imperiall historie Pedro Mexia translated by Edward Grimstone in the life of Iulius Caesar The same in the life of Charles the 5. Turkish history Knâ—…es I might acquaint you with instances of compassion even towards enemies Julius Caesar pursuing Pompey into Egypt and there presented with Pompeys head he wept and at his returne to Rome refused to triumph for that victorie because over Citizens of Rome though in armes against him the like of Charles the 5th upon his great victorie over the French King at the siege of Pavia he strictly forbade all ringing of bels bonefires or any expressions of joy for his victorie because against Christians though his enemies yea even the Scythian Tamerlane when he walked amongst the slaine after a bloudie victorie against the Muscovites he accounted those Princes unhappie which by the destruction of their own kind sought to advance their owne honour protesting himselfe to be grieved even from his heart to see such sorrowfull tokens of his victorie And for teares of Humiliation how these in the dayes of solemne fasting required how the fasts of Gods people recorded in his Isai 22. 12. Joel 2. 12. Judg. 20. 26. 1 Sam. 7. 6. Esth 4. 3. Luk. 10. 37. book have been watered with these and what streames of mercie have issued from them hath been at large in a very fruitfull Sermon delivered in this place I will close both these with that of Christs upon the Samaritans compassion to the wounded man Goe and doe thou likewise Vse 1 And for the first we cannot want objects for teares of Compassion whether we look upon the plundered fired and bleeding condition of our brethren in Germanie Ireland and the most parts of our own Nation or which should more melt us the lamentable soule distresses of the remoter parts of our land those 〈…〉 Wales and the Counties adjoyning wherein there are 〈…〉 that in respect of the knowledge of God of 〈…〉 way to salvation know not the right hand from the left now the good Lord incline your hearts to a seasonable and speedie prosecution of that work which the Lord in mercie hath begun in some of those parts Nor if we look into our own bosomes our families our cities our countries our armies can we want objects for teares of Humiliation causes too many for every soul every familie to mourne apart and surely did our land weep more for â—in it would bleed lesse teares are the soules bloud did thâ—se run as they ought they might help to stay or turne the issue of bloud in our bodies so often a bleeding wound is stanched by opening a veine and turning the
expedition may not by Gods blessing be a meanes to bring in with advantage what hath beene alreadie given or to preserve what is left if neither of these yet O the comfort that this will one day bring unto your consciences when you can truly say God gave me a great estate and I thank my God with comfort I can speak it and I blesse his Name for it he gave me an heart not to see his cause at any time want what I had to give Let 1 Chron. 29. 6 7 9. me commend a worthy patterne unto you of David and the chiefe of the fathers the captains of thousands and hundreds and it was for Temple work and they offered largely Then the people rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord and David the King also rejoyced with great joy But it may be here is many an aged a weake a poore man nay women and children that have good hearts to be shooting against Babylon if we could finde a bow and arrow that they were able to deale with yes I can fit you all even the weakest arme in the Congregation I shall commend a bow to you which if used aright 2 Sam. 1. 22. will be as successefull as that bow of Jonathan that turneth not back from the bloud of the slaine from the fat of the mightie it is the bow of prayer the ejaculations of an holy heart shot up to heaven these arrowes have steele heads they will pierce and sticke where they light sharpe and keen in the heart of the enemie they are invisible arrowes the enemie can neither discover nor decline them they will kill in the darke this arrow will find a joynt in 1 King 22. 34. Ahabs armour draw this arrow as Jehu did against Jehoram with 2 King 9. â—4 your full strength and doubt not but it will in Gods time smite our Romish Jehoram at the heart and sinke him in his Chariot and chaire of pride O that when ever our armies are in the field charging the enemie a showre of these arrowes of fervent prayers a volley of this shot might light as thick on the enemies camp as those hailestones at Bethoron we should I doubt not see more slain Josh 10. 11. by this showre of prayer then the sword Reas 4 Are the wals of Jerusalem yet broken downe it may be that which is the first work in repairing ruinous wals was not then done the rubbish of the former decayes not yet removed and this was the peoples reason and part of their complaint there is much Neh. 4 10. rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall I pray you lay this to heart you that desire in any way to be repairers of our breaches do repaires in Church and state move slowly Let me aske is all the rubbish of our Church and State removed God be blessed much is but is there not too much remaining are there no more oaths in our streets in our armies no Achans in our camps that either beare too great affection to some rags of Josh 7. 21. the Babylonish garments of Rome or look more after our shekels of silver and wedges of gold more to the pay then an end of the war and the welfare of Church and State Is there no more drunkennesse in our taverns no falshoods in our shops no whoredomes in our chambers no excesse and vanitie in our attire what means that costlinesse and lightnesse in apparell it may be even on this day of mourning Non est conveniens luctibus ille color Surely sable colours will best suite with sad times when the people mourned upon the hearing of evill tidings No man did put on him Exod. 33. 4. his ornaments or as the Geneva no man put on his best rayment How doe I wish that I might not justly take up that charge of the Prophet against Israel with a little variation and that to the worse The pride of Israel doth testifie to his face too openly Hosea 5. 5. and manifestly declares it selfe in the faces of some what meanes the continuance of paint of spots of nakednesse are not these part of that rubbish which God looks we should remove Let me reason a little with you if any such here is it not better for you to remove them your selves then stay till God in wrath come to remove them if you will not suffer your selves to be cured by admonition God hath a cure for all these which when it comes you cannot put off They say there is white and red paint oh wash them off with teares of repentance lest God bring upon you that in Ier. 30. 5 6. the Prophet a voice of feare and trembling and all faces gather Ioel 2. 2 6. palenesse either through feare or famine and for black spots think a day of blacknesse may come too soone wherein all faces shall gather blacknesse heare Jeremie lamenting this when it came upon Lam 4. 7 8. 5. 10. them Their visage is blacker then a coale even theirs who were purer then the snow and whiter then milke and whence came this he will tell you in the following Chapter Our skin was black like Isai 47. 3. an Oven because of the terrible famine and for this nakednesse of pride one Prophet will tell you that God hath a nakednesse of vengeance and he hath an enemie as in another that shall discover her nakednesse shall take her sons and her daughters shall slay her Ezek. 23. 10. with the sword and execute judgement upon her Much other rubbish and sinks of sin might be discovered in our persons in our families you have Scavingers to cleanse your streets well were it for your citie if there was not more filth in many houses and shops then is cast out into the streets happie would it be if everie master of a familie pardon the word would play the Scavinger in his own house in his own heart that the inside Matth. 23. 26. of the platter might be made cleane also and take we heed lest the want of this besome of reformation bring not upon your houses Isai 14 23. the besome of destruction Reas 5 Lastly are the gates of Jerusalem burnt with fire and so continue it may be the matter which kindled that fire is not yet removed and will ye look that a fire should goe out whilst the fewell remaines that feeds it What kindled the fire in the gates of Jerusalem the Prophet will tell you If ye will not hearken unto me to Iâ—r 17. 27. hallow the Sabbath day and not to beare a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devoure the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched And if you will goe to a following Chapter of this Book you shall find Nehemiah complaining
bloud another way and I am perswaded was Gods house on these dayes of Humiliation more moistened with unfained teares of penitents our fields and dwellings would not be soaked and watered with so much bloud of the slain they are the expressions of Esay Isai 34. 7. Ezek. 32. 6. and Ezekiel full of awakening terrour if you please to read them and the Lord bring it to your hearts Vse 2 And let me intreat you to make use of your teares of Compassion for the miseries of this land to draw from you teares of Humiliation for the sins of this land How melting are many of us at the reading of some dolefull and lamentable relation which yet can read over and over the sad storie of their owne and the kingdoms sins without shedding a teare whensoever then your hearts are affected to expresse teares of compassion â—et them help to draw out teares of Humiliation do for this as those that coming for water to a Pump out of order first cast in water to fetch up water let your soules take in teares of compassion that they may be the apter to issue forth teares of Humiliation And surely I feare we have all cause to be more abundant in these of Humiliation if for no other sin but this our want of teares of reall compassion for those former 2 King 8. miseries the Church hath long endured remember what fetcht teares from that man of God when he lookt on Hazael it was not for any thing at the present done all runs in the future the evill that thou wilt do their strong holds thou wilt set on fire and yet could 〈…〉 have thoughts of this in his heart without teares in his 〈…〉 were then our teares of compassion for Germanie and Ireland wherein we have heard all these and worse have beene done their strong holds have been set on fire their young men have been slaine with the sword their infants have been dashed in pieces and their women with childe ripped up and many more unheard of cruelties have we read these with drie eyes with unrelenting hearts O labour we to see what great cause we have that our tears of Humiliation should be many if for no other reason but this because our teares of compassion have been so few That you may have both pray unto the Lord to give unto you tendernesse of affection a tender skin will bleed at the touch of a needles point Be Rom 1â—â—0 15 kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love weep with them that weep beg also broken hearts and wounded soules â— 1. 9. 1. a wound in the heart will usually bleed at the eye if the heart be full of bowels of pitie within like full vessels a small touch or shake will Foâ—s 〈◊〉 est â—or â—â—â—punctum doâ—ens Cornel à lâ—p in â—oc ubi 〈…〉 make them run over without water in the head and heart will have a fountaine of teares in the eyes We upon such dayes as these offer as we think much to God offer our lips in prayer our eares in hearing our persons and presence in attendance of almost a whole day in his house and service but would you know why the Lord hath not hitherto so fully manifested his acceptance of these offerings in giving us what we have desired nay seem'd by withholding that to reject the other let me tell you I am afraid there hath been too little of that offered which I am sure the Lord will not refuse what that is David upon his owne experience will tell you The sacrifices of God â—re a broken spirit sacrifices in the plurall Psal â—1 17. because this in stead of all and all without this nothing and he goes on a broken and a contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not despise We of this land may truly complaine with the Prophet with some small variation We have seen the breaches of our Kingdome Isai 22. 9. that they are many breaches in our counsels in our armies in our affections in our estates I am perswaded all our breaches yet remaine great because our hearts are so little broken for those great sins that made them take we heed then lest the with-holding our teares of compassion from our brethrens distresses doe not close Gods bowels of compassion towards our selves and lest our land shedding so few teares for sin loose not yet much more bloud as the just punishment of our impenitencie and want of Humiliation for sinne Observ 5. But did Nehemiah rest in his teares for the afflictions of the people and the ruines of Jerusalem was his pitie only verball like that mercie rejected by the Apostle when to a brother or sister naked and destitute of daily food one shall say unto him Depart in Iam. 2. 15 16. peace be you warmed and filled and yet give them not those things which are needfull for the bodie had they only a returne of good words from Nehemiah I am sorrie to heare of your affliction and reproach that your wals yet remain broken downe and your gates burnt with fire but be of good comfort build your wals repaire your gates I wish it were in my power to relieve you and further the work No Nehemiahs heart was so really affected with their miseries and ruines as it put him upon the use of those means which if any would prevail for redresse of their miseries and these are two Fasting and Prayer such as never failed when used aright For incouragement to the first I might commend unto you the confidence that Gods people in all exigents placed in this and their Fasting comfortable successe that of Jehoshaphat set the enemies to kill one another that of Esther changed the heart of the King and reversed 2 Chron. 20. Eâ—ther 4. 5. a bloudie decree neere execution Ezra more trusted to this for a Ezr. 8. 21 22 23 1 King 21. 27 28 29. 2 Chron. 12. 7 9 1â— 14. safe convoy then to a band of the Kings souldiers Ahabs hypocriticall fast put off the judgement to his sons dayes Rehoboam and his princes halfe humiliation as I may call it brought same deliverance Shishak King of Egypt had onely power to plunder him of his treasures not altogether to destroy him our owne comfortable experience since our last fast blessed be our God will speake though we be silent And pitie it is that so powerfull a remedie through our miscarriage in it should loose its power that our monethly use of it should make it like the same Physick often used uneffectuall to us Give me leave therefore in few words to give you the principall heads of the doctrine of fasting and because in this I may deliver nothing which is not knowne to the most here present these may please whilst I speake it may be to some for information to suffer their thoughts to goe along with me in a way of examination remembring Joh. 13. 17. that of Christ If
such as are not willing to appeare openly in the cause of God when they may doe good will never heartily pray in private for the Churches good Secondly it is an easie help he that can do nothing else may pray the French have a Proverb He that hath no money in his purse let him have honey in his mouth if you have not abilitie estates enabling you to contribute or lend towards the maintainance of an Armie you may yet contribute your Prayers and lay out these for the Lords blessing upon the Armie you shall heare some of the meaner rank say were we in such a condition had we such an estate as these and these men have we would doe this and that which these and other rich men doe not take heed we have deceitfull hearts I would have you try them by this what doe you in that condition wherein you are even in this of Prayer Doe you herein what you can are you often on your knees earnest with God to pardon the sins of the land that his cause may prosper that the expectation of the Churches enemies may be disappointed that the Lord would give hearts unto all those to whom he hath given abilities to lay out their utmost for the furtherance of Gods worke certainly if ye be wanting in this let me tell you had you greater estates you would not do much I cannot thinke that he which will not use his tongue will to any purpose use his hands or purse Thirdly it is a lasting helpe thy strength thine estate may faile thou maist be many wayes disabled from yeelding that helpe in other wayes which thou desirest nothing can disable thee from this whilst thou hast an heart thou maist pray Lastly in what place soever you are you may by your Prayers â— Tim. 〈◊〉 8. Ephes 6 18. helpe the Church I will that men pray every where said the Apostle those Christians which have put upon them that piece of Armour Prayer may use it in their beds in their chambers in their shops in their privatest closets in a word that souldier which fights for the Church with his Prayers and all may be such where ever he is he still keeps file cannot in any place be out of his rank Well then seeing Prayer is of such excellent use and that whereby every one may help the Church let me speake to all of this as in Isai 65. 8. the Prophet one once did of that Cluster Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it O destroy not your Prayers by not using them aright it is a Cluster from whence may be pressed many sweet and comfortable blessings take we heed then lest by our not using them as we should they prove uselesse to us and to the Churches cause for which we use them the poorest and meanest amongst you may be instruments by this of great mercies to the people of God and to your own soules be carefull then what ever you doe not to destroy your prayers by your ill usage of them to helpe you herein give me leave to prescribe some few short and plain directions for the right use of Prayer and for your better improvement of this so excellent an helpe to the best advancement of the cause of God First Prayer that would prevaile with God must goe up with an humble and sorrowfull confession of sins and well grounded resolution to forsake them for certainly he that prayes to day and returnes to his former sins to morrow unprayes his prayers and they which fast and confesse their sins to day and fall to the practise of them to morrow though they may seeme to fast unto God to day yet indeed they feast the devill to morrow the Lord looketh for at our hands not alone the words of prayer but as I may call them the works of prayer and though on this day We may cause Isai 58. 4. our voice to be heard on high yet not casting off our iniquities our works of sin will outcry our words of prayer Let every one then I beseech you search into his owne soul and find out the sins â—e stands guiltie of and whenever he goes to prayer to preface unto his soule with that of the Psalmist If I regard iniquitie in my Psal 66. 18. heart the Lord will not heare me and not forget that of the Apostle I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands for 1 Tim. 2. 8. Isai 1. 15. undoubtedly If God see impuritie in our hands we shall find little prevalencie in our prayers Prayer must goe up with fervencie heat and ardencie of affection Let my prayer come before thee as incense said the Psalmist and Psal 141. â— this never went up without fire you know who said it and upon what occasion The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man James 5. 1â— availeth much effectuall and fervent joyned to teach us that our prayers the more fervent they are are alwayes the more effectuall the Geneva reads The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent the more fervencie the more prevalencie in our prayers The souldiers of this Citie are commended for good fire-men that there be powder and shot in their muskets will doe no execution unlesse they give fire well O that we which are this day fighting with our prayers would labour for this fervencie in our prayers if they be nothing else but words they are but as the powder and shot in a Pistoll let there be no fire no fervencie of spirit they will never go off so as either to reach Heaven or the Churches enemies of all the foure Elements that of fire is neerest Heaven the more fire in any thing the higher it ascends heaven-ward cold sluggish prayers have so much earth in them that like the Grashopper if they mount a little upward they are presently downe again fall short of Heaven of all warlike engines your Grant does and fire-works are most deadly of all prayers those that have most fire most fervencie are most killing A third requisite in Prayer is Constancie and Perseverance not easily upon the Lords delay or seeming deniall beat off importunitie which is often offensive to man is alwaies pleasing to God commended Luk. 11. 5 8. 18. 1 5. it was by Christ in those two Parables of the friend at midnight and the widow with the unjust Judge We may not say of our approaches to God as Salomon of our neighbour withdraw Prov. 25. 17. thy foot from thy neighbours house or as in the Margent Let thy foot be seldome in thy neighbours house lest he be wearie of thee and hate thee no the oftener with God in his house in our own houses the more welcome the Lord will not say here is an unreasonable man and woman I can never be rid of them never at rest for them they are still following me praying and crying and seeking with every day a new suit
violent waters so the verbe comming of this in the New 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morus violentus impetuosus St ph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 29. 10. Testament is translated running or rushing violently Matth. 8. 32. Act. 19. 29. implying that let the Kings heart be set never so violently on this or that resolution yet the Lord that sitteth and ruleth on the flouds that can calme the greatest tempest is able at his pleasure to quiet the most violent spirits of Princes and some from hence referre it to the ebbing and flowing of the sea to assure that God who hath set barres and doores to the sea and said Hitherto Job 38. 10 11. shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed or as the Psalmist Thou rulest the raging of the Psal 89. 9. sea and when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them the same God hath set the counsels and power of Kings their bounds and limits which they shall not passe and can easily and if he please suddenly calme their rage what a full and comfortable evidence hereof is that of Nebuchadnezzars rage and fury against Shadrach Dan. 3. 13 14 19 20. Meshach and Abednego ver 13. full of fury 19. yet see how quickly God calm'd him ver 26 27 28 29. the place is worth your reading and observation you shall see how suddenly Nebuchadnezzars blaspheming God ver 15. turned into his blessing God ver 28. his decree for worshipping the golden image ver 10. changed into a decree for the honour of the true God ver 29. his rage and furie against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego ver 15. converted into his promoting them ver 30. The vulgar Latine reads divisiones aquarum the divisions of waters referring this either to the clouds those waters above the bottles of Heaven which the Lord is pleased to emptie on this Job 38. 37. Amos 4. 7. place and not on that as in the Prophet Or to the river Nilus whose overflowings sometimes fruitfull sometimes hurtfull so the Lord one while inclines the hearts of Kings to the good of his people according to that of the Psalmist of a good King He shall come Psal 72. 6. downe like raine upon the mowen grasse as showres that water the Exod. 15. 23. earth another time to the hurt of their people suffering them to be like the waters of Marah full of bitternesse and which is worse 7 â—0 21. like the waters in the rivers of Egypt turn'd into bloud insomuch as there was bloud throughout all the land of Egypt Others following the vulgar referre these divisions of water to the Lords dividing the red sea that when Pharaoh and his servants repenting of that libertie they had given to Israel for their passage out of Egypt pursued them with their whole strength as the Lord in that great strait of his people made a division of the waters in the sea for their safe passage but caused them to returne upon and drowne Pharaoh and all his forces so the Lord can turne the counsels and pursuits of such Kings as set themselves against God and his people as to the good of his people so to the ruine of themselves and their adherenes but in this the Lord be mercifull to our Soveraigne for his safetie and if nothing will calme the rage of the sons of Belial that then all the stormes and waves which their malice and furie hath raised may returne upon their own heads and overwhelme themselves Vse 1 To close all with some short Application give me leave to expresse my thoughts what is the best and likeliest way to have that mercie which Nehemiah here sought that we might at the length find favour in the sight of our King You have heard that the heart of the King is in the Lords hand and if ever we have it to out comfort we must have it from thence Now a prevailing way for this Neh â— 3 5 7 8 with God is Let the Lord in our Prayers for the Kings heart see in us Nehemiah's spirit he was all for the publike as will appeare in severall verses of the second Chapter not one word for his owne particular let the Lord then see that our desires for the return of our King are for the generall good of Church and State that Gods cause Reformation may be advanced that we may behold Jerusalem Prov 29. 26. in its beautie Religion in its Power and Puritie Many saith Salomon seek the rulers favour but for what surely most for 1 Sam. 22. â— that of Saul He will give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds Are not too many of our hearts too much after such as these so we may sit under our owne vine we little care what becomes of Gods vineyard let the wilde boare make what spoile and havock he will in this it little troubles us so we can keep him out of our own Jerome reports of Nebridius the Empresse sisters sonne a great Hieron ad Salvinam de viduitate servanda Courtier and in speciall favour with Princes that he never put up any suit but for others chiefly the poore and such as were in distresse insomuch as Princes usually granted his petitions upon this ground what we give unto him we give to many certainly it would much work with God to give us our Kings favour if he did see that we would improve it for the common good especially for Religion when we much care not how it goes with us in our particular so that may be safe and prosper David an excellent pattern 2 Sam. 15. 1â— 14 2â— when things were at the worst as in severall Verses yet what was the chiefest of Davids care for himselfe or his own safetie No he so much lookt to the publique the safetie of the Arke which was Israels glorie as he overlooks himselfe saying in that 1 Sam 4. â—2 1 Sam. 15. 25 â—6 extremitie of his to Zadok Carry back the Arke of God into the Citie let that be safe and for my selfe and mine own safetie I leave that to God If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and his habitation But if he say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him Vse 2 That God may be pleased to give us our Kings heart let us in truth and sinceritie give God our hearts be cordiall in his cause look chiefly at his glorie many in these times may be for the common good but it is for such things as if we have them by meanes of our Kings favour and presence we cannot truly say it is that favour which God gives And I am perswaded the Lord hath justly with-held our King from us because in our desires for his returne we have too little