our prayers are neither acceptable to God nor profitable to our selves the acceptance and efficacy of the Saints prayers with God turn onely upon this hinge and depend solely upon this substratum Joh. 14.13 14 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 8.3 4 that they are offered up in the Name and by the hand of Christ now if they fail in this they lose all their work which is but lost labour prayers without Faith are prayers without fruit because they are without Christ that which is Faithless is Christless and therefore must needs also be fruitless for in him is all our fruit found Hos 14.8 Wee cannot bear any fruit by any spiritual service or sacrifice wee tender up unto God but in and through his Son Jesus Christ Now wee cannot pray in the Name of Christ if wee do not pray in Faith it is Faith onely that taketh hold of the Name and merits of Jesus Christ and so bring our services unto God by him Ephes 3.12 To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray in the Faith of his Name we may pray with the Name of Christ in ouâ— mouths and yet not pray in hiâ— Name unless wee pray with the Faith of Christ in our hearts And observe it as a most certain and infallible Rule of interpretation that where-ever weeâ— are in Scripture commanded to do or promised to receive any thing in the Name of Christ the meaning is that wee should do and receive the same by Faith in his Name and not by the bare use of his Name in our mouths and to repose any confidence or lay any stress upon the bare use of the Name of Christ in our mouths any otherwise than wee have and exercise the Faith of his Name in our hearts is to act more like unto Conjurors than Christians more like Sorcerers than Saints Act. 19.13 14 15. Then certain of the vagabond Jews Exorcists took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the Name of the Lord Jesus saying Wee adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth And there were seven Sons of one Sceva a Jew and chief of the Priests which did so And the evil spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee And the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them c. It seems by this Scripture that 't is a peece of the Mystical Doctrin of Necromancy and the practice of sorcerers to trust much to the virtue and power of names but this is no part of the Doctrine of Christianity nor the practice of true Christians they do not expect to prevail with God by the Name of Christ in their mouths but by the Faith of Christ in their hearts here the seven Sons of Sceva come with the Name of Christ in their mouths thinking as many carnal Christians do to do great matters by the power of that Name but wanting the Faith of Christ in their hearts they prevail nothing but come off with shame and confusion of face through their miserable and unexpected expected disappointment and so will all those do that trust to their Carnal Forms and Lyturgies and as they suppose most Excellent and Absolute forms of prayers which they conclude with the Name of Christ which they often and in vain do take into their mouths whilst they have not the Faith of Christ in their hearts To pray with the Name of Christ in the mouth is fruitless and vain where there is not the exercise of the Faith of Christ in the heart therefore the exercise of Faith in prayer is of absolute and indispensible necessity Reas 2 Because wee cannot otherwise pray aright 't is the light of Faith onely by which the children of God are guided and governed in all the spiritual and heavenly exercises of Religion the things of the Spirit the things of eternity are unseen things things that are notseen by the eye of sense and natural reason and the light of Faith onely is that by which these things are seen and made manifest Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen No inferiour light can be sufficient to guide in and about those things that are superiour to it the light of sense being an inferiour light in man which is common to him with the brute is not able to guide him in and about the things of a man which are proper and peculiar to him as a man as to argue and discourse by fit mediums conducing to such an end to meditate upon the works of Creation and Providence to search out the natural Cause and Reason of things c. To bee guided in and about such things hee must have and exercise the light of Reason which is a superiour light to that of Sense and fitted and suited by the wisdom of his creator and planted in him for such an end So also the light of naturall Reason which is an inferiour light to that of Faith cannot guide a man in those actions and things which are Spiritual sublime and above the reach of Nature depending only upon Divine Revelation A man by the light of Nature cannot understand nor discern the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 Now Prayer being a Work of the Spirit and the things about which wee converse with God in Prayer being Spirituall and Heavenly things depending upon Divine Revelation upon the testimony of the Word and Spirit of God wee must of necessity have a superiour light to guide us in those things i.e. the light and evidence of Faith which is a Heavenly gift from the father of lights to the children of the Kingdom by which only they can converse with God and offer up their spirituall Sacrifices and services to him in a right manner And as it is impossible for a man to see and hear and smell and feel and taste without sense or to meditate discourse argue and understand the natural cause of things without Reason so it is impossible for a man to Pray Hear the Word Receive the Seals of the Covenant or perform any other spirituall duty in a right manner without Faith Heb. 11.6 Hee therefore that prayes without Faith prayes amiss and therefore receives not any fruit of his prayers James 4.3 Object But may not a man that hath no true Faith make such a Prayer which for the matter of it is very good and holy and ask such petitions as are right and good and which no man can finde fault with Answ Wee grant hee may but yet such an one doth ever ask amiss for though he asketh right and good things in prayer yet the grounds upon which he asketh and his ends and aims and the frame of his heart in asking are rotten and naught and therefore hee ever asketh amiss James 4.3 Yee ask and have not because yee ask amiss to spend it upon your lusts Reason and common light may direct a man to ask good and right things of God in prayer but these cannot help him
this therfore come into the hands of any prayerless souls know thou art yet without the spirit and so art none of Jesus Christs Rom. 8.9 Where-ever the Spirit of Grace is it is a Spirit of prayer Zach. 12.10 Dost thou feel the guilt of sin the want of pardon peace grace holiness thou wouldst not need the words of others to help thee in praying but thou wouldst know what it is for the spirit to help the proper and onely help in prayer thy infirmities and couldst bee no more satisfied with dry and empty forms then a hungry man with Air. If thou art a weak doubting soul and complainest of an unbelieving heart which is a good symptome here thou mayest meet with plain and spiritual resolves to thy doubts about the acceptance of thy prayer and the looking for answers thereof and what faith thou art to exercise on promises in order thereunto Yea all Saints may be further instructed in the efficacy and prevalency of prayer and to be encouraged that the Lord will not cast off a praying Generation that cry day and night unto him The Lord hasten to power forth the spirit of light and prayer upon his people and upon the world as the best sign of his own approaching to judge the earth In the waiting for which let all that have received the first fruits thereof be found at this day To which expectation Reader I commend thee and this spiritual treatise to thy perusal and it and thy self to the blessing made over to the seed of Jacob that wrastle it out with God and prevail over him The Saints do in a sense govern the World with Jesus Christ already by the spirit of Prayer that is in them making intercession in them according to Christs intercession in heaven and usually wee may know what God is about to do in the world by the prayers of his Saints especially in this last age of the world when their souls travel and are in pangs for Sions Redemption and the earth-quake to come into the Nations of the world till all the foundations of it as laid for the interest of Babylon and Antichristianism are shaken and out of course which the Lord will hasten in his time But I must break off and be-speak thy prayers for the Author and my self and all the Lords afflicted Ministers that are mourning in corners resting Thy Servant for Jesus sake Jacob wrestling with God and prevailing Matthew 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer beleeving ye shall receive THis Text is brought in as an Epiphonema or Closing speech to the history of the fruitless Fig-tree which being cursed by Jesus Christ for its barrenness presently withers and is dried up v. 19. to the great admiration of the Disciples vers 20. which action as it was extraordinary and miraculous in its self so in the tendency thereof it was of extraordinary use to the Disciples and did carry along with it a double instruction First To beware of an outside formal Profession without spiritual fruit and a suitable conversation which is alway attended with the wrath and displeasure of God and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Secondly To teach the great Efficacy and Power of Faith and what great things may be done thereby either extraordinary according to that dispensation of working miracles which was but for the time present and peculiar to some vers 21. for all had not this gift nor faith of miracles 1 Cor. 12.29.30 2. Or else ordinary according to the gift and force of prayer which is perpetual and common to all the Saints by which they have a constant and joynt access to the Throne of Grace in all causes whatsoever and may accordingly prevail with God provided they pray in Faith as in the Text. And all things whatsoever c. In this Text of Scripture there are two things principally taught and commended to our consideration 1. The Necessity of Faith in Prayer 2. The Efficacy of Faith in Prayer The first viz. The Necessity of Faith in Prayer is gathered from the word Beleeving which is brought in as a specifical and qualifying adjunct or necessary ingredient to all our prayers And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer beleeving ye shall receive The Necessity of Faith in Prayer is also gathered from other Texts of Scripture as Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must beleeve c. And again James 1.5 6. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God c. But let him ask in Faith And look as the body without the soul is dead and useless and cannot perform the actions of a man So also Prayer without Faith is dead and unprofitable James 1.6 7 8. So that Faith is the soul and life of Prayer and therefore a necessary ingredient thereto 1. Quest or Case of Conscience But what kinde of Faith is that which is so necessarily and indispensibly required in all our prayers to God is it the Faith of Assurance or the Faith of Relyance seeing James saith it must be without wavering and in nothing doubting Therefore it would seem that there is required in all our prayers to God a Faith of Assurance yea of full and perfect Assurance which admits of no doubting or uncertainty of the mind in the thing asked and that a Faith of Relyance is not sufficient seeing that is alwaies attended with some doubting as in Esther If I perish I perish she relyed upon God in the use of means but yet was doubtful as to the success and event thereof Now if this Faith be not accepted in prayer then the prayers of most of the Children of God are ineffectual seeing most of them have not the Faith of Assurance That saying of the holy man James shall be cleared in its proper place Answ But in answer to the Question it is affirmed That although it be the duty of all Christians to press after the Faith of Assurance as that which tendeth exceedingly to their comfort and inward joy Yet where there is a Faith of Relyance i.e. the heart doth inwardly rest upon Gods alsufficiency mercy faithfulness truth c. yet with doubting and uncertainty of the mind whether the thing shall be done which is asked of God in prayer the prayer is accepted of God and shall certainly have a gracious return in due time But that we may be the more clear and distinct in our handling this point to the satisfaction and comfort of weak and scrupulous consciences we shall first give a brief description of these two kinds of Faith in their distinct and different natures that so the person who is scrupulous may the better judge of his Faith of what kinde it is And then wee shall by Scripture and experience make good our assertion viz. that a Faith of Relyance is accepted of God in prayer where the faith of Assurance is wanting Faith of Assurance described The Faith of Assurance
wantonness fornication adultery oppressio◠cruelty with all other their fleshly wickedness is bad enough b◠their Religion viz. Idolatry Superstition Will-worship is wor◠of all and therefore called emphatically and by way of eminency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The unclea◠thing which the Saints of God are forbidden so much as to touch as ever they expect and hope to be received and owned by God in that relation of Adoption Wherefore come out from among them and be yee separate saith the Lord And touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a Father unto you and yee shall be my Sons and my Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Yea it is called the abominable thing which the Lord doth hate Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate Intimating that the holy God hath a special and peculiar hatred abomination and detestation thereof above all other things 3. Their formal prayers which they make and say over with much ignorant devotion with all their significant Ceremonies attending the same their vestures and gestures as bowing cringing spreading forth hands c. which hypocrites do so much magnifi◠and applaud in compariso◠whereof they do not only sligh◠and dis-respect but also mo◠desperately if not maliciously reproach and blaspheme even th◠blessed Spirit of Grace and Supplication how doth the Lor◠reject and disown them vers 〈◊〉 And when yee spread forth you hands I will hide mine eyes fr◠you Yea when yee make ma◠prayers I will not hear Yo◠hands are full of blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the voice from Heaven to◠the Graecian Tyrant i. e. The 〈◊〉 within will certainly frustr◠and make void all the extern◠services and devotions of su◠wicked hypocrites In whom tha◠Scripture is perfectly fulfilled Prov. 28.9 Hee that turneth 〈◊〉 his ear from hearing the Law eve◠his prayer shall be abomination Secondly This may inform us of the excellency and preciousness of true Faith The excellency and worth of things is to bee valued by their usefulness and the more usefull and necessary a thing is the more excellent and precious it is Bread-corn is a more excellent and precious thing than Bullymong * i. e horse-corn because more useful and necessary for the support of mans life And Wisdome is more excellent and precious than Rubies because more useful for the management of humane affairs Grace is more excellent than Gifts and Parts because more needfull and necessary in order to the souls eternal welfare A man may bee saved bee happy and blessed for ever without Gifts and Parts but a man cannot be saved without Grace Joh. 3.3 So Faith is a most excellent and preciou◠thing because so abundantly s◠indispensibly so universally usefull and necessary for us not only in this particular case of prayer but also in all other Spirituall sacrifices and services which wee offer up unto God through Christ In all which respects tha◠Scripture holds most true He◠6.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God Wee judge of th◠goodness and excellency of th◠Tree by the goodness of th◠fruit and of the Cause by th◠Effects So the excellency a◠preciousness of Faith is to 〈◊〉 discerned by the excellent 〈◊〉 precious fruits and effects the◠of in the hearts and lives of 〈◊〉 precious Saints Oh! the great and glorious things which the Saints and 〈◊〉 vants of God have been enabl◠and taught to do by the strength and light of Faith Heb. 11.33 Who through Faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousness obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness was made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens women received their dead raised to life again And as the Saints and Servants of God have been enabled to do So also to suffer great and strange things by faith vers 35. And others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection And others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented c. Oh the invaluable and incomparable worth and excellency of Faith which bringeth forth such precious fruits in the hearts and lives of poor weak and contemptible men and women who are subject to the same passions encompassed with the same infirmities liable to the same temptations common to mans nature and yet have been enabled to do and suffer such things as are above and against nature requiring a supernatural and divine ability and all this by the light and strength of Faith As vers 39. All these obtained a good report through Faith Optima san◠arbor quae tales habet fructus Most excellent doubtless is that Tree which brings forth such fruits I will shew thee my Faith by my works saith the holy man James 2.18 Faith is a working Grace and it worketh like its self Operari sequitur ad esse i.e. the operation and working of things is according to the nature and being of them is a true principle in nature and 't is as true also in grace if therefore the works of Faith be so excellent and glorious oh how excellent then is the nature the life and essence of this Faith It was the saying of a Heathen Philosopher from the observation which hee made of the excellent and admirable works and fruits of moral virtue in the lives of some Heathens that if the face and image of virtue could be represented to the bodily eye the beauty and glory thereof would be so great that it would even ravish the whole world if the Heathens were so much taken with the beauty of morality because of the excellent fruits and effects thereof in the lives of some Heathens Oh how much more should Christians be taken with the beauty of Faith and Grace because of the admirable and precious fruits it hath brought forth in the lives of the Saints with which the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do so much abound Thirdly This may inform us whence it is and how it cometh to pass that oft-times the prayers even of godly and holy men fall short of Heaven and prove not successful for themselves or others as both Scripture and experience doth testifie even from hence it is because they do not alwaies pray in Faith a good man a precious holy man may have the grace of Faith in his heart and yet may want the exercise of it in this or that particular case in this or that particular ordinance or duty Peter had the Grace of Faith in his heart but wanted the active power and exercise thereof in that particular case of confessing and owning Jesus Christ before men when he was in the High Priests Hall Mat. 26.70 72 74. Moses and Aaron had
And in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee Art not thou our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this Land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever And they dwelt therein and have built thee a Sanctuary therein for thy Name saying If when evil cometh upon us as the sword judgement or pestilence or famine wee stand before this house and in thy presence for thy Name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount-Seir whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the Land of Egypt but they turned from them and destroyed them not Behold I say how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast given us to inherit O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know wee what to do but our eyes are upon thee And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones their wives and their children Oh here is a prayer of Faith indeed there is much of the life of Faith and strength of argument in this prayer of good Jebosaphat 1. By Faith he sees and pleads the near relation betwixt God and his people Israel the seed of Abraham his friend 2. By Faith hee presses God upon his Covenant and Promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by which hee gave the Land of Canaan which is therefore called the Land of Promise to Abraham and his seed for ever 3. By Faith hee acknowledgeth and improveth the soveraignty and ruling power which God keepeth in his own hand over all the Kingdomes of the world yea over the very Heathen and those that are the enemies of his Church and People and therefore is able at all times to frustrate their deepest counsels disappoint their greatest designs bridle their greatest rage and power so as to deliver his people that put their trust in him 4. By Faith hee pleads the special Covenant and Promise of God made to Solomon on the behalf of his people at the dedication of the Temple and applies it to the present case in hand 5. By Faith hee improves the various passages of providence clearing up the innocency and integrity of his people Israel and the righteousness of their cause and on the contrary declareth the guiltiness ingratitude and wickedness of these ungodly nations that were now combined together to seek the ruine of Israel And upon the whole leaves the case with God as a most righteous Judge holy faithful and able to plead the case of his poor people in this great distress And prevails so far with God by this prayer of Faith that hee hath a gracious answer and a most glorious return in the wonderful Salvation of the Church and People of God for whom hee prayed and in the utter destruction and overthrow of their potent enemies against whom hee prayed for vers 14. Then upon Jahaziel c. came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the Congregation And hee said Thus saith the Lord unto you be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battel is not yours but Gods And ver 17. Yee shall not need to fight in this battel set your selves stand yee still and see the salvation of the Lord with you And vers 22. When they began to sing and to praise The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount-Seir which were come against Judah and they were smitten for the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the Inhabitants of Mount-Seir utterly to slay and destroy them And when they had made an end of the Inhabitants of Seir every one helped to destroy another And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness they looked unto the multitude and behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped And vers 25. When Jehosaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious Jewels which they stript off for themselves more than they could carry away and they were three daies in gathering of the spoil it was so much Oh what a wonderful deliverance and salvation was here obtained by one prayer of Faith Good Jehosaphat prayes in Faith and prevails by prayer with God The enemies are divided one against another and utterly destroyed one by another Israel saved with a wonderful salvation and greatly enriched with the spoil of their enemies 4. The Saints and Servants of God by Faith in prayer have prevailed with God for the stopping the course and changing the very law of nature in his government of the Creatures so that they have at the command of God been serviceable to his Church and People not onely beyond but even against the course and law of nature Instance 1 So holy Joshua by Faith in prayer commands the Sun and Moon to stand still and stay their course until hee had avenged the Lords people upon their enemies Josh 10.12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel And hee said in the sight of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon And vers 13. The Sun stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies Is not this written in the book of Jasher So the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day And vers 14. There was us day like that before it or after it that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel On the wonderful force and prevailing efficacy of Faith iâ— prayer that even the course and law of nature which no creature can resist or withstand should thereby be stayed Job 38.31 32 33. 34 35 Ezek. 1.17 and the Sun and the Moon which by the ordinance of God are to bee in continual motion and move with such wonderful speed Psal 19.1 2 3 4 5 6 as to compass the world in the vast circumference of the Heavens in a few hours should at the word of a poor frail man stand still and stay their course for the space of a whole day Instance 2 Thus also holy Moses prevails with the Lord by prayer for the dividing the waters of the Sea even the Red Sea so that contrary to the law and course of nature they stood upon an heap and were a wall to Israel on the right hand and on the left Exod. 14.15 16. And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward But lift up thou thy Rod
from our sins in his own blood And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father therefore yee may come boldly to the throne of grace through the glorious intercession of Jesus your great High Priest Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that wee have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Vers 16. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace And again Ephes 3.12 In whom wee have boldness and access by the Faith of him 2. The services 2 Their services and spiritual sacrifices of the Saints which they offer up to God in Faith are acceptable to the Father through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Yee also as lively stones are built up a spiritual-house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Where observe that the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ is the procuring cause of all the Saints acceptation with God both as to their persons and as to their services which here are called spiritual sacrifice And yee Saints of God know that your sacrifices are not therefore acceptable to God because spiritual but because offered to God thorow Jesus Christ because sprinkled with the blood of Christ Now it is the nature and property of Faith to lead us out of our selves for acceptation Rom. 5.1 as well as for assistance unto the blood and righteousness Isa 45.24 and merits of Jesus Christ and Faith seeks its acceptation with the Father onely Gal. 2.19 20 and wholly through the mediation of Jesus the Son of God And therefore all the prayers of the Saints which are put up in Faith do come under the mediation and glorious intercession of Jesus and are offered up to the Father by the hand of Christ who is therefore called the Angel of the Covenant and said to stand before the Altar i. e. the Incense Altar because hee offereth up continually the prayers of the Saints with his own hand perfumed with the Incense of his own merits unto the Father Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer And there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne And the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Oh needs must the prayers of Faith the beleeving prayers of all the Saints ascend up before God and prevail in Heaven which are offered up by the hand of this blessed Angel even Jesus who is before the throne And is there continually so that it is alwaies the time of Incense with the Congregation of Gods praying people for this blessed Angel is day and night before the Throne offering up their prayers with the pure Incense of his merits Jesus the Mediator and High Priest of our profession is alway within the vail carrying on this part of his Priestly office in Heaven Heb. 7.25 Seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them Use 1 If the Efficacy of Faith in prayer be such that the Saints may thereby prevail in Heaven And that all things whatsoever they shall ask in prayer beleeving they shall receive then woe be to all such as have the prayers of the Saints justly engaged against them It is easier to stand before the greatest Armies before the combined powers and policies of the greatest Monarchs and Princes in the world than to stand before the prayers of two or three poor Saints who pray in Faith and cry day and night to God for help against their wicked persecutors 'T is storied of the Champions and Worthies of the Old Testament amongst other worthy deeds and great things which they did by Faith That by it they put to flight the Armies of the Aliens and subdued Kingdomes Heb. 11.33 Who through Faith subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions quenc hed the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens By Faith i. e. by prayers of Faith for they cryed unto the Lord in their straits and under the great oppressions and tyranny of their enemies they prayed to the Lord for help against them And by Faith in prayer they obtained help from God against their persecutors Their enemies were wonderfully brought under mighty Kingdomes subdued and whole Armies strangely conquered and shamefully put to flight Sometimes without means Exod. 14.27 28 as Pharaoh and all his Host at the Red Sea Sometimes by weak and contemptible means Judges 4.21 as Sisera fell by the hand of a woman And King Herod that bloody persecutor Act. 12.23 dyed by Worms or Lice And the whole Army of the Midianites with the Amalekites and all the children of the East who lay upon the ground like Grashoppers so great was their multitude were put to flight by the dream of a Barley Cake tumbling into the Host of Midian Judg. 5.12 13 14 Sometimes by contrary means against the very Law of nature friendship and natural affection So proud and blasphemous Sennacherib fell by his own Sons Isa 37.38 whilst hee was worshipping in the house of Niseroth his God who were wonderfully over-ruled by the power and providence of God even against the Law of nature and religion to execute the wrath of God and avenge the cause of his praying-people upon this proud and wicked persecutor So also the children of Moab Ammon and Mount-Seir who were confederate against Judah were by the just judgement of God at the prayer of good Jehosaphat given up to such a spirit of division and hatred amongst themselves 2 Chron. 20.23 24 that they fully set themselves to destroy one another and ceased not till there was not one of them left Sometimes by preternatural and extraordinary means where ordinary means have failed Josh 10.10 11 Thus the five Kings and their Armies that fought against Joshuah were subdued and destroyed chiefly by hailstones from Heaven And thus the King of Assyria's Army consisting of an hundred and fourscore and five thousand Isa 27.36 were slain in one night by the hand of an Angel Thus the mouths of those greedy and roaring Lions were stopped by an Angel that they could not so much as touch Daniel Dan. 1.6.22 And the burning destroying power of the fiery Furnace so quenched by the glorious presence of the Son of God that it had no power so much as to singe the garments Dan. 3.25 26 27 or hair of the heads of those three Worthies Shadrach Meshach and Abednego So that the greatest Monarchs Princes Generals Armies and Kingdomes of the world have not been able to stand before the prayers of the Saints of God when they have prayed in Faith and cryed to the Lord for help against them Woe therefore be unto all those against whom
the Elect of God do cry for vengeance day and night 'T is not in the power of the greatest worldly force and pollicy to secure them from the revenging hand of God No but such must certainly fall before the prayers of Gods Elect Luke 18.7 8. And shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night unto him though hee bear long with them i. e. with the persecutors I tell you that hee will avenge them speedily Oh that therefore the Kings and Princes and Rulers of the Earth would bee wise and take heed how by persecuting and oppressing the People of God they constrain them to cry to Heaven against them 'T is blessed counsel which the Spirit of God gives by the mouth of his servant David Psal 2.10 Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed yee Judges of the Earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest hee be angry and yee perish in the way When his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Use 2 What a great mercy and blessing then are the Saints and People of God to the Nations and Kingdoms and Countries where they live who as so many Princes or rather Kings and Priests have power with God and can by Faith in prayer prevail with him for any thing What a mercy was one praying Moses to the Nation of Israel Psal 106.23 when they had provoked the Lord to jealousie by the golden Calf What a great mercy was one praying Lot to the City Zoar Gen. 19.21 which should have been destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah had not Lot prayed for it What a great blessing was holy Jacob who was a great wrestler with God in prayer Gen. 32.24.28 and as a Prince had power with God and prevailed and upon that account had his name changed from Jacob to Israel what a mercy I say was hee to the whole Family of his Unckle Laban Gen. 30.27 whilst he sojourned there That speech of the Lord to King Abimelech and his People concerning Abraham a poor traveller and stranger who came but to sojourn in his Country for a time is very remarkable Gen. 20.7 Now therefore restore the man his Wife for hee is a Prophet and hee shall pray for thee and thou shalt live Wrath was gone out from the Lord against King Abimelech and his People And the prayers of Abraham a poor stranger prevail in Heaven for the life of Abimelech who otherwaies was but a dead man and for those in his house whose wombs were fast closed up because of Sarah Abraham's Wife Gen. 20.3.17 18 whom Abimelech had sinfully taken to him Their own sin not Abraham's sojourning had procured wrath against them And Abraham by prayer procureth sparing and healing mercy for them A sinning Court who daily provoke the Lord against themselves and subjects ☞ had need of some praying souls daily to intercede for them How great therefore is the errour of the wicked who look upon the People of God as the onely troublers of their Israel 1 King 18.17 and attribute the cause of all their calamities and troubles to the Lords faithful servants which they procure unto themselves by their own wickedness Justly therefore may the Lords People answer such Ahabs in the words of that old non-conformist and good Prophet Elijah 1 King 18.18 Wee have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Fathers house in that yee have forsaken the Commandements of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim 'T is not the zealous and conscientious non conformist that troubles the Court and Country but the Idolatrous and superstitious party who cast off the Commandements of the Lord and set up their own inventions Psal 106.29 Rev. 13.12 15 16 and as a greater aggravation of their wickedness would compel others to sin with them Oh that therefore the eyes of the Nations of the Kings and Judges of the earth were opened to discern aright and to see who are the troublers of Israel and who are the chariots and horsemen thereof Well! that blessed day is a coming wherein the Kings of the earth even shall hate that scarlet whore Rev. 17.16 17 tear her flesh burn her with fire even so Amen The good Lord hasten it in his due time and let all the Saints say Come Lord Jesus come quickly Well then whatever wicked men say whatever proud men say out of the blindness and hardness and unbeleef of their hearts yet the zealous and conscientious non-conformists are not the troublers of Israel 2 King 2.12 Rev. 16.13 14 but the Chariots and Horse-men thereof Are not the Kings enemies but his and their Countries best friends Rev. 19.19 20 21 and wicked men will be found at last to be the worst subjects and enemies both to their King and Country Let the Nations Kings and Princes of the earth therefore know that 't is their best interest to cherish protect and incourage a praying and a holy people though they cannot in all things conform to their laws and customs in the matters of Gods most holy worship about which the holy God is so jealous Exod. 20.5 Dan. 3.17 18. 6.10 and his people so truly and tenderly conscientious And the prayers of such a people shall prevail more in Heaven for their King and Country in order to their defence and safety than all the Chariots and Horse-men Souldiers Armies Power and Policy that the whole world can afford them Use 3 Then O ye Saints and Servants of the most high God who have received the spirit of Adoption and have an interest in Jesus 〈◊〉 great High Priest who is entred into the Heavens for us even Jesus the Son of God come boldly and daily to the throne of grace improve your interest in Heaven and try what faith and prayer will do there for the help of your native Country your poor afflicted brethren abroad in the world for the consolation and deliverance of Zion that City of God and for the confusion and destruction of mighty Babel that Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth who hath corrupted the whole earth with her fornications involved the whole Creation in such a woful bondage and thraldome and made her self drunk with the blood of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Heb. 4.16 Come boldly I say to the throne of Grace Luke 18.7 and cry mightily to Heaven even day and night Isa 62.6 7 and give the Lord no rest till he doth arise Psal 87.3 and make his Jerusalem a praise in the earth and fulfil all those glorious things which are spoken of that City of God and execute all the judgements written against Babylon to binde her Kings in chains Psal 149.7 8 9 and her Nobles in links of Iron This honour have all his Saints O ye Saints this is an honour that the God of Heaven and earth hath put