there was great sorrow among the Iewes and fasting and weeping and mourning and many lay in sackcloth and ashes but they all prayed vnto God and he deliuered them and saued them from their enemies Chap. 9.17 and turned the dayes of famine into the daies of feasting and ioy So let vs giue our selues vnto continuall prayer that the Lord may be entreated of vs at the last and so in his appointed time it may come to passe that whereas many of the chiefe cities and townes amongst vs haue beene a long time in great perplexitie by reason of this grieuous pestilence and contagious mortalititie and in all places of this realme besides whither tidings of their estate hath and doth weekely come they haue been in sorrow and great heauinesse and in weeping and mourning and fasting now there may be cause of reioysing and praysing God and these dayes of sorrow and fasting may bee turned into the dayes of great ioy and feasting That so we may as this people wish for themselues here reioyce when he shall fulfill all our petitions VVhich the Lord of his infinit mercie graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen The sixteenth Sermon vpon the fifth verse That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. AS they bring this for a reason in their prayer to mooue the Lord to bestow vpon them this benefit so here they professe that if hee will vouchsafe so to doe they would reioyce indeed and bee glad and as they should haue cause From whence wee may learne how we ought to be affected with the common benefits of our time We ought to reioyce in the common benefits of our time as here they speake of publicke blessing namely victorie ouer their enemies and so of common peace and tranquilitie that should follow namely that we should take them from God as matter of great ioy And as when there is any common affliction and plague in the land of what kind soeuer wee should be affected with it and be sorrowfull for it and not haue that stoninesse and hardnesse of heart that is in too many whereby it should come to passe that wee should make light of such things and not be mooued with them as we ought So we should be touched with the consideration of the common benefits to reioice in them because we haue our part in them and the greater that those benefits be the more should we reioyce in them and the more should be our ioy for them or else we cannot be so thankefull vnto God for them as we ought VVee should not then be so carelesse that we should not marke the common benefits of our time nor so blockish and hard hearted that in marking of them we should not reioyce in them For we see that the seruants of God in their seuerall ages and times haue not onely greatly reioyced in the common benefits of the Church and Commonwealth wherein they haue had their part with the rest of their brethren but they haue openly professed it to the glorie of God and the good example of others As when they returned from the captiuitie of Babylon where they had beene long not onely in a strange countrey but vnder idolaters now when they come home and haue the freedome of their conscience in Gods seruice and that in their own countrey they were not onely filled with ioy but they speak of it among themselues to their mutuall comfort and as when they went out they wept and were touched with the common miserie of that time and put away all tokens of ioy from them Psal 137.2 For by the waters of Babylon they hanged their harpes vpon the willowes and said that they would not sing the Lords song in a strange land so in their returne they speake otherwise of themselues for as the benefit was so great and so vnlooked for of many Psal 126.1 That when the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion they were like them that dreame so their ioy was so great that they say Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy and they say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce The Lord hath vouchsafed vs and our forefathers the like mercie in deliuering vs long ago from the tyrannie of the Pope As that we are deliuered frō poperie and of his idolatrie and giuen vs this freedome of the gospell in our owne countrey we must so consider of it That as those holy men that wanted it so prayed for it that they might reioyce as this people doth here for another benefit so now we that haue it might reioyce in it indeed and not to be so sencelesse and void of feeling as many are not at all or very little to be mooued with so great cause of ioy The like may be said of all other common benefits whatsoeuer as when Salomon was appointed to be king in his father Dauids roome and this was done with the common consent of all the nobles and chiefe men of the realme it is said they gaue thankes vnto God and were exceedingly glad 1. Chron. 29.20 For Dauid said vnto them Now blesse the Lord your God and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the king And they did eat and drinke before the Lord the same day with great ioy and they made Salomon the sonne of Dauid king the second time So this great benefit to haue one good prince to succeed another peaceably And then wee haue one good prince to succeed another was vnto them matters of great ioy In which respect we haue no lesse cause to reioyce than they that after the death of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie by whom we did enioy many great benefits who did restore religion and tooke order for the seruice seruants of the Lord as Dauid did we haue one in Gods great mercie to succeed that maintaineth the Gospell and that he is peaceably come to the Crowne as Salomon was then so that neither we are fallen into the hands of our enemies nor giuen vp vnto Popish idolatrie as both of them were greatly feared But as this benefit was greatly desired of many before and they thought that then they would reioice and otherwise they could not so we that enioy it must reioyce in it and so consider of the greatnesse of it that our hearts may be made glad with it and that wee may eat and drinke before the Lord and vse other of his benefits as in his presence with great ioy So is it said afterwards in the dayes of this Salomon when he had builded and made an end of the temple of the Lord and had with solemne prayers and sacrifices dedicated it vnto his seruice all the people of the land that came vp to Ierusalem to the dedication of that house when all things were finished The king sent away into their tents
God king of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland defendor of the true auntient Catholicke and Apostolicke faith and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill and ouer all persons within these his realmes and dominions next and immediatly vnder Christ Iesus supreme gouernour and iugde we are to pray for his life and for the life of the Queene the Prince and all their noble and worthy ofspring and for his maiesties person that God would saue him from his enemies as we see that he hath not wanted some in this short time of his raigne that we might still reioyce And we must be thus persuaded that his saluation shall be still our ioy as this people doth thus here thinke of Dauid their king Therefore as we desire the continuance of our ioy and comfort so let vs still pray for the preseruation of his most excellent maiestie the meanes and cause of it For that which is sayd of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon is true of all good kings and namely of our soueraigne Lord King Iames most of all Dan. 4.9 What benefits we inioy vnder his Maiesties gouernment He was like a goodly great tree whose bowes were faire and the fruit thereof much and it was meat for all it made a shadow vnder it for the beasts of the field and the foules of the heauen dwelt in the branches thereof and all flesh fed of it So doe we vnder his gratious gouernment inioy defence and protection from all enemies iniuries and wrongs and it is as a shadow to vs against the scorching heat of the sunne and by his meanes we peaceably inioy the vse of all that we haue both for meat and drinke and all things needfull for the preseruation of this life and so we as it were feed of his fruit Therefore we had need still to pray for his preseruation not onely that all these great benefits might be continued but that we might still reioyce in them as now we doe and let vs be persuaded that as long as God shall preserue him out of the handes of his enemies and prolong his life so long shall we haue cause to reioyce VVhat shall we thinke then of them that haue sought not the preseruation but the vtter ruine and finall ouerthrow of their naturall princes kings and Queenes as wee haue had too great experience of it in this land both in the dayes of our late good Queene Elizabeth especially and also in this short time of our now worthy king Iames we must needs iudge of them not onely as traitours to their persons but as common enemies to all the people of this land in that they haue sought to bereaue vs and them of the chiefest cause of our ioy Traytors are enemies to the common ioy and so to cast vs into vntimely sorrow For as there was great lamentation among the Iewes and not without cause 2 Chron. 35.24 25. at the death of that good and godly king Iosiah so that Ieremie the Prophet trembled also and seemed to be the chiefe mourner so had we no lesse cause to lament at the death of our noble vertuous Queene and the ministers of the Gospell most of all and all the vnfained professors of the same and should haue had a great deale more if she had beene traitorously taken away before the full number of her dayes were expired to the great disturbance of the whole Realme according to the desperat and continual attempts of her enemies And so should we now still haue if any such thing should be offered vnto his maiesties person Therefore we must iudge of them as of our greatest enemies who seeke to bring vpon vs a common sorrow before the time But let vs lift vp though not our hands yet our voice against them pray vnto God still to disappoint them of their treasonable deuises and diuellish practises and to preserue our king and all his that so we may still reioyce in their saluation euen for Christ Iesus his sake In thy saluation c. As all subiects principally should by this example learne to pray for their kings and all chiefe gouernours vnder them That God would preserue and blesse them that they might thēselues reioyce because they be worthy instruments of Gods goodnesse vnto them which is the thing that hath bin handled alreadie so all inferiours may here see as in a glasse what minds they should carry to all their superiours those that God hath placed in any roume of what kind so euer they be that they should bee persuaded that in their preseruation and welfare consisteth their owne ioy and comfort All inferiors should count the welfare of their superiors their own ioy and that they cannot miscarrie or any ill befall them but themselues must needs be sorrowfull and in that respect pray for them continually be they neuer so meane As with this mind persuasion the people should pray for their minister's and teachers who watch for their soules Heb. 13.17 and for the saluation of them as the holy Apostle saith For it is true that Christ saith of them and was found most true in his owne person That when the shepheard is smitten Matth. 26.31 the sheepe will be scattered that is when God taketh them away who are their guiders the people are in daunger to fall into all kind of error heresie and sinne and to be distracted scattered among themselues not onely in iudgement but in affection besides they may want the comfort of Gods word and of their praiers So should all children be affected to their naturall parents fathers mothers and also seruants to their masters and gouernours That seeing God hath placed them ouer them for their good and they inioy so many great benefis in their houses and by their meanes and so haue so many causes of reioycing from them by them they should pray for their liues health and welfare that they may reioyce there still for they shall haue their part in it and it shall bee the better for them And they must thinke before hand that whē God takes them away they shall haue great cause of sorrow And their death or hurt their sorrow as we see how greatly Ioseph lamented for his fathers death who when he gaue vp the ghost Gen. 50.1 Vers 11. His sonne fell vpon his fathers face wept so he cōtinued mourning for him a long time at his buriall there was such great mourning for him that the place had the name of it And Esau the sonne of Izack though he was a wicked disobedient child as appeareth in his storie Heb 12.16 yea a prophane person as the holy Ghost calleth him yet he had so much grace in him as we say that hee thinketh of his fathers death before hand as of a time of sorrow and mourning and so speaketh of it Gene. 27.41 saying The dayes of mourning for my father will come shortly
denie but that this dutie of prayer for him is greatly neglected of many for how few doe vse to pray for him at home in their houses And bind themselues to it as a matter of dutie and at Church also they pray not for him as for themselues But the Apostle Paul chargeth Timothy a Minister of the Gospell to practise and to teach this I exhort saith he that supplications 1. Tim. 2.1 prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First of all pray for all sorts rich and poore bond and free next for those of whom there might bee some question then as for Kings and gouernours because they were enemies to the Church and people of God So then if we had the most wicked King and cruel tyrant set ouer vs as some haue in these daies and our forefathers haue had in the daies of superstition and Poperie yet wee ought all to pray for them for though they were nought themselues yet the gouernment is good and of the Lord much more then should we doe for those that are good What great reason there is of it as for our King he being a professor of the Gospel which is rare among Princes in these daies and after the purest manner and truly called the Defender of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith A great learned man also able to iudge of things himselfe and more learned than any Prince that we know of being brought vp of a childe in learning vnder most excellent schoolemasters and tutors his learned bookes also doe sufficiently testifie of his great learning both in the tongues the Artes and in the word of God He is one of great gouernment in himselfe both for apparell and for diet lowly minded and not ambitiously puft vp with the accesse of so great kingdomes and for his wisedome he hath been long exercised in gouernment and in gouerning of a troublesome kingdome A man of great courage for the warres and of policie for peace and in a word the mirrour of the world What cause then haue we to pray for him And that we might doe it What great benefits we enioy vnder the gouernment of our King let vs remember how the Apostle telleth vs of the benefits that wee receiue by our Kings and to what end their gouernment is appointed namely not for themselues but for their subiects that they by their meanes might liue peaceably honestly and godlily which are three great cōmodities and comforts of this life and without which our life were not life And first for peace nothing is more to bee desired than that for if we had all that we haue and a great deale more and yet were subiect to warres abroad or forren inuasions or to robbers and theeues at home it would doe vs little good And yet this peace without godlinesse is nothing worth as if wee had not the meanes of our saluation and might not thus come to the Church to serue God according to his word and to leade our liues thereafter And if we had these yet if there should bee no honestie among men nor any true dealing one with another so that one man might not trust another but there were lying deceiuing oppression and such like without controulment Now all these benefits of peace honestie and godlinesse we haue by the meanes of our King especially wee may looke for them vnder his gouernment 1. As to liue peaceably For as for forren enemies and inuasions which in former times wee haue been in feare of he is in league with all Christian Princes round about him so that we shall not need to feare them and as for tumultuous and disordred persons at home the lawes are still in force to suppresse them and it is like that new shal be made if there be any cause and though some doe breake out in hope of the Kings pardon yet for the time present the lawes will take hold of them and how farre his gracious pardon will extend they know not we may be sure that all such shall be exempted who doe euill before hand in hope of it 2. Godlily And we hope to liue godlily vnder him for we doubt not but that the Gospel shall be continued and wee hope that the estate of it shall be bettered and though the Papists seeke for a toleration of their superstition and comfort themselues with false promises that way yet we hope that their eyes shall fall out with looking for it in vaine for seeing that hee hath kept it out of Scotland all this while when he was of lesser power there is no likelihood that he should now yeeld vnto them when he is of greater power and more able to keepe vnder the whole route of them But the more obstinately that they seeke for it the more earnestly had we need to pray to God for the King to bee zealous against them 3. Honestly Lastly we hope to liue honestly vnder him for he seeketh alreadie the good of all his subiects as appeareth by his proclamations wherein he hath giuen all men that are any way oppressed to complaine of their griefes yea though it bee against them that are in authoritie with good hope of finding reliefe he hath also put downe the Monopolies and such like kinde of abuses because they stood not with the common profit of his people and this he hath done though his Maiestie was interressed in some of them and some vnder the colour and pretence of that hoped stil to retaine them Therefore when we haue and looke still to enioy such great benefits by his most gracious gouernment what great cause haue wee to pray for him What cause we haue to pray for the life of our King And the greater that these benefits be the more cause haue we to pray for his life by whom next vnder God we looke to haue them continued For if he should miscarrie which God of his great mercie keepe from vs then all these great blessings might goe away with him at once For though by the grace of God he hath issue of his owne bodie lawfully begotten in holy Matrimony who shal sit in the throne of the kingdome after him yet they are all yong and it is no great blessing but rather a punishment to haue children raigne ouer vs Jsai 3.4 as the Prophet saith For besides many great wants that would be found in them the Nobles and Peeres of the land and such great men could not so well bee kept in order some of them when there were none to complaine of them if they should offend a Lord Protector or Viceroy carieth not the maiestie of a King in the hearts of men The forraine enemies would be more bold against a childe than against a man both of wisedom and courage yea there would be more
rebellions attempted at home Therefore wee haue great cause to pray for the life of our King and the rather for that wee see how his life hath been desperatly sought by diuers as appeareth by the confession of some who are in prison at the least for suspition of treason Now if they begin thus malitiously and impudently so soone what will they not dare to doe hereafter if God and good lawes doe not suppresse them And truly by this experience that we haue that euill things thus determined in secret are wonderfully disclosed and brought to light before hand and the malefactors apprehended and taken we may see the fruit of our former prayers for his Maiestie and that should incourage vs with good hope to pray for him still Nay we haue longer experience of the fruite of our prayers for our Princes in the time of good Queen Elizabeth whose life was so often sought and so desperatly that she might truly say with the Psalmist They haue often times afflicted mee from my youth Psal 129.2 but they could not preuaile against me for she went to her graue with peace full of daies threescore and nine which is a great age for a Prince when she had happily and peaceably raigned fiue and fortie yeeres Let vs labour then as much as in vs lieth to draw out by our prayers the life of our most gracious Soueraigne as an euen thred to the full for as the Lord God hath ordained the thing so also the meanes which we for our part must not neglect And let vs pray not onely for his royall person but also for his gouernment that vnder him wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in al godlinesse and honestie 1. Tim. 2.2 as the Apostle speaketh vnto Timothy and namely that at the next Parliament good lawes may be made for the reformation of all things that are amisse in the Church common-wealth This sermon fell out vpon that day which caused this digression And seeing that we are commanded to keepe the memory of this day with publike thanksgiuing for a famous and memorable deliuerance bestowed vpon his Maiestie in his Realme of Scotland from the treasonable conspiracie of the Earle of Gowry and his complices of whom in that respect we may say as it is in the Psalme If the Lord had not been on his side Psal 124.2 3 4 c. when men rose vp against him they had then swallowed him vp quick when their wrath was kindled against him then the water had drowned him and the streames had gone ouer his soule But praised be the Lord which hath not giuen him as a pray vnto their teeth his soule is escaped out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and he is deliuered it falleth out not vnfitly with the argument that out of this text we haue in hand For as Dauid in this Psalme teacheth the people to pray for him and in the next to giue thankes so it is our bound dutie not onely to pray to God for him but to giue thankes for him as the Apostle also speaking of the duties of the people to their kings which he exhorteth Timothy to teach and to practise ioyneth these two together saying I exhort that supplications prayers intercessions 1. Tim. 2.1 and giuing of thankes be made for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there is great reason that wee should thus doe What cause we haue to giue thankes to God for our King for if wee ought to bee thankfull vnto God for other common benefits as peace libertie the Gospell and such like then also for him by whom wee hold them Therefore among other benefits let vs continually remember this and see how wee faile therein and in our thanksgiuing remember other priuate benefits and not this great one or not so much as we should And though we must needes confesse that we haue great cause to be sorie for the death of our late Queene Elizabeth by whose wise gouernment we inioyed so many great benefits that we might much more truly say of her than Dauid did of Saul in his lamentation 2. Sam. 1.24 that she cloathed vs in skarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of gold vpon our apparel yet we must see and confesse to the praise of God as the truth is that we haue great cause to reioice that the Lord hath prouided one to succeed in her roome when her time was expired that it might not bee said of vs as it was of the Iewes in the daies of the Iudges Iudg. 18.1 that there was then no King in Israel and so we should haue bin as sheepe without a shepheard scattered here and there as it is said of the Israelites when King Ahab was slaine in the battell These haue no master let them returne euery man to his house in peace 2. Chron. 18.16 Then haue we much more cause to be thankfull that God hath raised vp him for vs In respect that he is right heire to the Crowne euen the right heire to the Crowne both by father and mother they two being the lawfull grand-children of the Ladie Margarite sometimes Queene of Scots by mariage and eldest daughter to King Henry the seuenth where if the Nobilitie had set vp some other of the bloud royall further off there must needes haue been great ciuill warres to the spilling of many thousand English mens blood and some of them should haue died in an ill cause ignorantly or against their wils as when the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were a long time diuided in this land And then also some forrainer might easily by their owne power and by the helpe of the Papists and other mutinous and malecontented persons haue soon set footing into this Isle which would not so easily haue been driuen out againe And besides all this wee haue great cause to bee thankfull And so rarely qualited for the kingdome that he being the right heire is so wonderfully qualited for the kingdome that as the Queene lately deceased was a rare woman fit for the Crowne by election if not by inheritance so he a very rare man for all parts of soule and bodie and that the Lord did so fit him for this place and then sent him vnto vs that he came not as Saul in Gods wrath who was a cruell tyrant but as Dauid in Gods mercie to feede his people in Iacob Psal 78.71 and his inheritance in Israel And for his royall posteritie Act. 13.36 And this is no small benefit that he hath a royall posteritie to succeed in the throne of the kingdom least when he should haue serued his time by the counsel of God and so fall asleepe and be laid with his fathers we should be in a new feare And what should we say of this that he came to the Crowne so vnlooked for For though it was his inheritance yet such was the wisedome of
the name of God that is his iustice mercie power and truth Now seeing Gods name is manifest not onely in his word but in his workes of mercie and iustice for the inuisible things of God are seene in the creation and gouernment of the world as his eternall power infinit wisedome Rom. 1.20 mercie c. to leaue all men without excuse let vs pray to God for them that hee would sanctifie vnto them the one and the other euen this fatherly visitation of his vnto vs all that thereby wee and they may more and more know and feare his name euen that he is iust and hateth sin and will not make the wicked innocent Exod. 34.7 but visiteth the iniquitie of the father vpon the children and vpon childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation and that he is mercifull to all those that repent at what time so euer as wee see in the example of the theefe vpon the crosse who when at the last gaspe he confessed his sins saying to his fellow We are indeed righteously punished for we receiue things worthie of that wee haue done and cried vnto God for mercie Luc. 23.41 saying vnto Christ Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome he receiued this most comfortable answere from him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise That so wee might all iudge our selues thorowly now at the last that the Lord in his good time might cease iudging of vs whilest that we shall exhort one another as the Prophet willeth vs and say Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath spoyled and hee will heale vs hee hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp And so many of vs as do know the name of God aright let vs make that good vse of it that we should namely that we seek vnto him in prayer both for our selues and for others and say as it is in the Psalme Psal 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake that is that hee would helpe vs euen for the glorie of his name The God of Iacob The God of Iacob Whereas he speaketh not onely of the name of God but of the God of Iacob If by Iacob we mean that particular person the holy Patriarke so called because when he was borne Gen. 25.26 he held his brother by the heele in token that though hee was the yonger yet in time he should supplant his brother and preuaile against him as also hee did when he got the birthright first and then the blessing of God from him who was also afterwards called Israel that is Chap. 32.28 a mightie prince of the strong God when hee had wrastled with the Angell and preuailed with him in his returne frō Laban to shew that seeing he had preuailed with God he should much more preuaile with mē euen against all his enemies as he did against Laban Esau and others If I say it be thus taken then they in their prayers haue respect vnto that great deliuerance that God gaue vnto him against all his enemies according to his name Iacob and so by it they confirme themselues by this great experience in him They confirme their faith by the example of Iacob and so must we by his others that God would do so now to them in the like case that as he defended Iacob from his enemies so hee would defend Dauid from his and as hee heard Iacob praying in his trouble when he fled from Esau and from Laban so he would doe Dauid now And truly this was a very good meanes to confirme their hope at this time to consider the former dealing of God with others in the like case Therefore by their example we must so read and search the scriptures that we may marke and apply the examples of Gods mercie and deliuerances vpon others to our selues That we may say that that God hath done so and so to others let him deale so mercifully with me now For there is no change in God or respect of persons with him but as hee hath punished the wicked in former times and holpen the godly so will hee doe still And therefore as S. Paul doth rightly applie the examples of Gods iustice in the Scriptures to the Corinthians to keepe them from sinne saying Let not vs commit fornication as some of them committed fornication and fell in one day three and twentie thousand 1. Cor. 10. ◠neither let vs tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed with serpents neither murmure yee as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer So doth Dauid here allude vnto the mercie of God in Iacob and applie the example of it vnto them to incourage them vnto prayer Rom. 15.4 For indeede whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope And truly if we would thus do Then might we haue great comfort in our prayers for euery estate then might we haue great confidence in our prayers for there should be no estate of our owne or of others but we might in the Scripture finde some example of Gods mercy shewed to them in the like case that haue sought to him for it As if we cōsider the dangers and enemies of our King which hee hath had since hee came into this realme that we might pray for him with good hope we must set before our eyes the estate of King Dauid not only before he came to the right of the crowne by the continuall and cruell practises of Saul but after that he was lawfully possessed of it by treason at home euen by the rebellion of his own children and others their confederates but yet God defended him from them all that wee might say The name of the God of Dauid defend thee that is thou God that thus diddest maintaine Dauid in his right of the kingdome against al his enemies defend thy seruant our King in his iust inheritance against all his enemies But if we consider as wee haue great cause to doe this dangerous time of the pestilence As in this pestilence from the example of Dauid that wee might bee incouraged vnto prayer let vs bethinke our selues how it was in the daies of Dauid when hee and the people had prouoked the Lord. Hee sent such a grieuous plague among them that in the space of three daies there died of it threescore and ten thousand But when Dauids heart smote him for that that he had done and he repented and confessed his sinne vnto God and did iudge himselfe for it being willing to beare the punishment himselfe that the people might be spared hauing pitie vpon them as it is written of him It is euen I that haue sinned 1. Chron. 21.17 and haue committed
oppressions So was it in the time of the Iewes captiuitie when Haman for malice that he bore vnto Mordecay sought his destruction and because his malice was vnsatiable he thought it too litle to lay hands vpon him onely Hest 3.6 but because they had shewed him the people of Mordicay he sought to destroy all the Iewes at once that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahashuerosh to that end vnder the colour of the kings profit he gat a decree to be sealed with his signet That vpon such a day all of thē should be rooted out destroied both young old women children This seemed vnto him very good pollicie to bring his purpose to passe and when the posts with the kings letters were sent out into all places he might haue thought himselfe sure of it but God did not prosper it and so it came to naught and his purpose was disappointed because God did not fulfill it Chap. 5.14 And afterwards when Zeresh his wife all his friends gaue him this counsel That seeing he was in so great fauor with the king the queen as to be inuited with the king vnto a banquet which the queene had prepared and none but he was inuited that he would make a gibbet of fiftie cubites hie and in the morning when hee went vnto the king that he would speake vnto him that Mordecay might be hanged thereon and then he should goe ioyfully with the king vnto the banquet And that also pleased Haman well and he purposed to doe so But this tooke no place neither because God did not prosper it but contrariwise himselfe was hanged on it by the commaundement of the king and thus he could not bring his purposes to passe because God did not fulfill them But on the other side when Hester and Mordecay did heare of this wicked decree and did aduise with themselues what was best to be done for the safegard of the life of the Iewes and at the last did resolue vpon this Chap. 4.8 That the queene should goe into the king and make supplication for her people and she did so This good counsell and the successe thereof they commended vnto God in prayer yea in fasting and prayer three daies and three nights together and this God blessed and brought it to passe so that they had libertie from the king Chap. 8.11 both to stand for their owne liues and to destroy all the power of the people that vexed them both children and women and to spoyle their goods and they did so And truly if all men in all controuersies which they haue with their aduersaries would first take good counsell according to Gods word and then acknowledge that the successe of it is in Gods hand and pray earnestly vnto him for it they might prosper more in their suites at the law than they doe But because they neglect this and for the most part seeke for craftie counsell such as hath no promise of Gods blessing because it is contrarie to the law of charitie and then in such cases they neither doe nor can pray to God for his blessing vpon it that he would fulfill all their counsell therefore it is not so And thus we see why some are ouerthrowne in their good causes namely they seeke not to God that he would fulfill all their counsels but thinke themselues sufficient without his blessing and so God leaueth them to themselues that by experience they might see it to bee otherwise Therefore let vs profit vnto our dutie by other mens harmes Furthermore whereas Dauid was a king and now gone out to warre and willeth the people at home to pray to God for him That hee would fulfill all his purpose and counsell wee must vnderstand thus much that as he was wise himselfe so he had his counsell both for warre and for peace as all kings haue and they were to aduise him in euery action what was best to be done yet he rested not in that We ought to pray that God would blesse the consultations of the king and his counsellors but desireth the people that they would pray That God would fulfill all which by his grace they should determine and they did so So must we doe for the kings highnesse And though he be godly and wise himselfe and hath many worthie noblemen of his most Honourable priuie Counsell who are of great wisedome and long experience as they must not rest in their owne deuices but commend them vnto God in prayer and desire others also that are about them that they would doe so and by this meanes might they greatly prosper so is it our bound dutie to pray vnto God for them that he would blesse their consultations and bring them to passe for the good of his Church and profit of this realme And as they doe weekely meet at the Counsell table and sometime oftner for matters of State so we should continually commend them to God in all our prayers so shall we haue the benefit of our owne prayers when God shall fulfill the good things that they purpose And as we ought to doe thus alwais so especially against the Parliament we should pray that God would fulfill all the good purposes of that great assembly for the rooting out of Poperie and all remnants of superstition Especially all consultations in the Parliament house and all other abuses and for the establishing and enlarging of the preaching of the Gospel and all other good orders in all places Otherwise we see that good counsell may be giuen but not followed and if it be yet not brought to passe and so there shall not that good be done that might and which many good men in the Parliament house intend Therefore as we desire to enioy the common benefit of our time so let vs pray not onely for the King but for all our gouernors in the Church and Commonwealth That God would fulfill all their purposes Then ought we much more thus to pray for our selues if we were a great deale wiser than we are for when we haue taken the best aduice and thereupon do things to one end they may fall out to another And all our own counsels and purposes yea cleane contrarie to that which we purposed and so we shall be disappointed As for example in matters of mariage which is an ordinarie thing some think to ioyne themselues or their children in alliance with such and such hoping thereby to aduance their houses As in matter of mariage but it falleth out otherwise and by that meanes they come to ruine and so God doth not fulfill their purpose And this was the very case of king Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 18.1 Chap. 21.6 who ioyned himselfe in affinitie with Ahab king of Israel by ioyning his eldest sonne Iehoram in marriage with his daughter and though Iehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance yet the king of Israel was greater than he as hauing more tribes
that we may so reioyce in all Gods benefits and ordinances so vse them with ioy that he may be praised for them VVhich he also graunt vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake Amen The seuenteenth Sermon vpon the fifth verse That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. WE must consider who they be that speake thus and of whom they speake it they are the subiects that thus speake of their king and they say that they will reioyce when God shall saue him so they speake not of themselues but of him Such then is and ought to be the vnity of the prince and the people as of the members of the bodie and of the head that they acknowledge the safegard of the king to be sufficient cause of their ioy VVe must then thus pray for the life and honour of our liege lord and Soueraine king The welfare of the king is the peoples â—â—y not as one a loofe off from vs with whom we haue nothing to doe nor he with vs and whose estate doth nothing concerne vs at all but as one in whose life is our preseruation and whose honour is our aduancement in whose decay is our losse and in whose ouerthrow is our vtter ruine Therefore as wee must thinke that we should haue great cause to be sorrie if any thing did befall his royall person otherwise than well so that in his preseruation and prosperitie we haue alwayes cause to reioyce Rom. 13.4 For we know as the Apostle saith that kings and princes are ministers of God for our wealth that is they are called of God vnto those high places not for themselues but for the good of the people therfore in their saluation we must reioyce for it is ioyned with our owne wealth And Saint Paule vnto Timothie sheweth this point more fully 1. Tim. 2.3 when he saith That vnder them we lead a peaceable and quiet life with all honesty and godlinesse This benefit then we get by them when they be good we liue by their good gouernment peaceably honestly and godlily which are three great benefits and without the which our life were no life therefore we must pray for them In this respect they ought to pray for his life that by them we might inioy these great benefits and so reioyce in his preseruation by whose meanes we doe inioy them For if the prince miscarie any waies we are in danger to leese all our wealth yea peace and all honest and godly liuing For if there were no king at all we may easily see in what lamentable estate we should be when as it is sayd in the time of the Iudges Judg. 21.25 In those dayes there was no king in Israel but euery man did that which was good in his eyes Thus would it be with vs and with all people euery man would do that that seemed good in his owne eyes and then what confusion and disorder would there be in the world what peace what godlinesse or what honestie could there be among men And this is not once but three times at the least set downe in that booke in the beginning middest and endding of two notable and famous stories which shew what kind of life was then amongst them euen such as was neither peaceable and quiet nor honest nor godly The one is of the Leuits concubine abused and oppessed euen vnto death the other is of that idolatrie which began in the house of Micah and so did spread it selfe ouer the whole tribe of Dan and of the rest besides that the Leuites and ministers of God were neglected then and not sufficiently prouided for in the narration of which this is often interlaced as a graue sentence shewing the cause of all that disorder In those dayes there was no king or supreame gouernour in Israel and so euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes as if it had beene sayd Surely if they had had any good gouernour among them and namely one chiefe to ouersee and rule the rest these abuses had neuer broken out or if they had they should neuer haue growen to such an head Besides this where there is a continuall succession of kings yet euen in the change of them to death without a speciall grace and blessing of God there is great daunger of chaunge in the state of the people Therefore all people had need to pray for the life health preseruation of their kings that so themselues might reioyce as they doe here And for proofe of this we may easily conceiue how the people of Israel did flourish and abound in all things in the dayes of king Solomon by that which is written of them he was a peaceable prince and so the people had peace and wealth 1. King 4.25 10.27 For euery man did sit quietly vnder his vine and vnder his figge tree and none did raise them vp and in his dayes siluer was as plentifull as the stones in the street and Cedar in as great abundance as the wild figge trees which grow abundantly in the plaine and such almost was our case all the dayes of our renowned and worthie Queene Elizabeth for wee had peace and wealth with the Gospell also in great abundance But when Salomon died For in the death of the prince there is great feare of alteration to the state what great alteration was there in the kingdome of Israel when his sonne Rehoboham refused the auntient counsellors of his father and chose new in their roome like to himselfe whereupon there grew a faction and diuision first among the nobles and then among the rest of the people so that ten parts of his people fell cleane away from him from God too euen to idolatrie and to the golden calues in Dan and Bethel so that there was much warre betweene them and bloodshed among them Now when all this fell out how did they see by experience that they had cause before to pray for the life of Salomon their king as the chiefe and onely cause of their welfare and ioy So we in like manner had great cause in this respect to pray for the life of our Queene as we did to preserue her both against forraine inuasions intended and also secret treasons and practises at home for in her life we had great cause of ioy And in all deliuerances of her from danger which were many and great wee had cause still to reioyce and so in her long life we did enioy the fruit of our prayers for we did so much the more and longer reioyce in her and in all benefits which wee enioyed by her and we had iust cause to feare that in her death we should haue had more cause of sorrow than by the grace and mercie of God we had But now we would be loath to haue any more changes on the sudden and therefore we are to pray earnestly vnto God for this our Soueraigne King Iames by the grace of
respect wee haue great cause to be sorie The great losse when the good die whose prayers we had whē the Lord taketh away any good mā or woman for then we want so many that might stil haue prayed for vs and for the Church and so wee are left the more destitute of helpe And if wee ought to lament the death of those who haue been beneficial to vs for worldly things whose helpe wee see now that wee want to our great hindrance then especially should wee be grieued that wee are depriued of the comfortable presence of those to whom in all distresses of bodie or minde wee might resort and communicate our whole estate as Dauid did to Ionathan and might boldly haue desired their prayers and might with great facilitie haue obtained them for vs. Thus much for this part of the title that this Psalme being a prayer of the Church for Dauid hee made it for them and committed it to the singer that he might take order that it should be vsed publikly and so by vertue of it did require that thus they should pray for him One thing more of Dauid is to bee obserued out of the title and the discourse of the whole Psalme namely with what minde and purpose or to what end he desired their prayers Not as purposing to neglect prayer himselfe Dauid in desiring their prayers did not purpose to neglect prayer himself or to grow any whit more slacke in it because of that and so to put off this as a burden from himselfe as one that had other great matters in hand and so to commit it to them that should haue leisure enough As if hee should haue said you know that I must goe out to battell against the Ammonites and in warre wee shall haue our hands full and our mindes taken vp euery way I shall haue no leisure to pray to God there though I know it to be necessarie and would faine doe it I would haue you therefore to pray for me and so trusting to them should neglect this dutie himselfe and so they might haue prayed very doubtingly for him but that they might be the more willing to pray for him in this case hee telleth them and professeth it openly that he would pray to God himselfe and as he should be in any speciall trouble so he would doe it much more earnestly and therefore he would haue them pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers of his So then in requiring this of them hee did not leaue them in suspense to thinke thus he willeth vs to pray for him indeede and so it is our bound dutie to doe and wee will doe it but wee cannot tell whether hee will vse any prayer himselfe which if hee doe not ours shall doe him the lesse good But as hee required their prayers so hee bound himselfe to the like practise No more must kings when their subiects doe pray for them and would haue them also to know it before hand that so they might pray accordingly that God would heare his prayers So that first of all Kings and Princes be they neuer so great must not so require their subiects to pray for them that they shuld thinke it were not needfull for themselues to pray at all for they had enow that daily did it for them euery where And all others that desire the prayers of their brethren must not for that bee any one whit the more remisse and sparing in their owne prayers which is diligently to bee marked of vs because it is contrarie to the common practise of the Church of Rome and of diuers others For the Romish Synagogue maketh Emperours Kings The practise of the Papists is otherwise and great men to beleeue vpon their credit that prayer doth not so necessarily belong vnto them or to such kind of men that doth peculiarly belong to the Clergie and Church-men as they cal them they could pray enough for them and for al the world if they may be wel paid for their labours Therefore if such men as they will but giue some lands and reuenewes to an Abbey or erect a Monastery or some religious house there to be prayed for they shall haue so many continually to pray for them that it maketh no matter though themselues very seldome or not at al pray This kingly prophet or propheticall king was of another minde and so ought all godly and religious not onely Princes but men and women to be But to leaue these men And of some Gospellers and their religious practises to themselues we shall finde this corruption to be in some that are not of the worser sort that when they know that others doe pray for them in sicknesse or otherwise they can be contented to let passe their owne prayers now and then in hope of that and to become somewhat remisse themselues But as Dauids desire was here not onely that they would pray for him but after this manner euen that God would heare his prayers which hee had and would make euery day so doth the Apostle ioyne these two very fitly together and requireth them both of all men alike Jam. 5.13.14 saying Is any man among you afflicted Let him pray Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him where he would haue al men to pray for themselues in their seuerall afflictions and to send for others that they might pray for them likewise We must not seuer our own prayers from the prayers of others And as he would not haue them in some cases to content themselues with their owne prayers but send for others to pray with them so hee would not haue them passe ouer their owne prayers in hope of that but begin with them first and pray themselues and if they cannot that way preuaile sufficiently then to call for the aide of others among whom it may come to passe that the prayer of some one righteous man or other might bee so feruent that it might auaile much for them Therefore those things which the Lord by precept and by the practise of his seruants hath ioyned together so neerely let no man put asunder Yet God heareth his seruants for those that neither doe nor can pray for themselues And yet we doe not denie but that such is the goodnes of God to all sorts of men to leaue them without excuse and that hee hath made so many gracious promises vnto the prayers of his seruants that hee often heareth them praying for those who neither pray for themselues at all neither can pray nor haue any purpose to doe it So did he diuers times as hath been declared before heare Moses and Aaron praying for Pharaoh King of Egypt for his Princes and for his people all which had no purpose at all to serue God themselues neither knew how to doe it but did hinder as much as lay in them his people from
our gouernours that for certaine causes best knowne vnto themselues which it is not meete for vs to inquire into it was not lawfull for any of the common sort to haue discourses of the heire apparant and so few of them thought of him that we haue now or of any other But this is most of all to be wondred at And for his peaceable entrance that he came to the kingdome so peaceably and with so great approbation of all sorts of men and trauelled through the length of the whole land almost euen at the first for meaner men haue not come to their inheritances and taken vp the possession of them so quietly For truly by the grace of God to his praise bee it spoken there is no more alteration in the land in any estate or in priuate mens condition for the most part than if the Queene were still aliue And this benefit is the greater because we feared the contrarie and none could haue looked for after her death such times as we haue now And if there be any change at all And that in this short time since his comming things are bettered it is from worse to better so that since his comming many things are better in the Church commonwealth For by the gracious proclamations of his Maiestie many abuses of Playes and Interludes with Bearebaitings and Bulbaitings vpon the Sabbath day are put downe with Monopolies and ingrossings of wares into the hands of a few men many worthy men are aduanced to greater honour and worship the Papists in lesse hope of any toleration for their Popish idolatrie than before And vnto all these benefits this is none of the least And all things very cheape that God hath added this plentie of all things euen at this time whereby victuals and other things are resonable cheape least by scarcitie there might be occasion of dislike Therefore in respect of them all let vs be thankfull vnto God and yet againe let vs consider that all these come not without some punishment as this plague which is so scattered in many parts of this land especially the chief cities wherein wee must also acknowledge the great mercie of God But we are fallen into Gods hand by reason of the plague that wee haue escaped that which wee had deserued and had most cause to feare euen to fall into the hands of our enemies that they might make a pray of vs and of al that wee haue which Dauid accounted a great mercie and chose it when both of them were offered vnto him saying Let vs fall now into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hands of men 2. Sam. 24 14. therfore let vs be thankfull vnto God for this mercie also and so ioyning thanksgiuing vnto prayer for these causes that wee haue heard let vs pray vnto God for the preseruation and honour of our Lord and King Iames whom the Lord at this time with so many great benefits hath sent vnto vs and let vs take these words of the Psalme into our mouthes from which I haue a little vpon this occasion that you haue heard of digressed and say The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble c. The Lord heare thee These are the words of the prayer of the people for Dauid their King but as Ioab taught the woman of Tekoah what she should say to the King Chap. 14.19 and did put those words into her mouth which she spake before him so Dauid made this prayer for them and taught them what they should say vnto God in his owne behalfe and did as it were put these words into their mouthes when they should come before him And so hee not onely as a King taught his subiects what dutie they did owe vnto him but as a Prophet also speaking by the inspiration of the spirit of God 2. Pet. 1.21 as other holy men that wrote the Scriptures informeth the Church of God what duties they owe to him and to their superiours Dauid teacheth the people their dutie to himselfe So that he doth not in teaching them this duty of prayer for him ambitiously seeke himselfe and stand vpon his own prerogatiue to say Oh I am your King you ought to pray for me and to doe so and so but he knew it to bee his owne dutie to informe them that were committed vnto his charge in all duties to God and men euen to himselfe and therefore doth thus discharge it knowing also that in his owne safetie did consist their welfare and therefore in praying for him which hee taught them to doe they should benefit themselues So may and ought all superiours do to their inferiours So that by his example it is lawfull for all publike persons in the Church and commonwealth to teach those that are vnder them what duties they should doe to them and to require them at their hands without all suspition of ambition vainglorie or any waies seeking themselues Yea they ought to doe it and no man to finde fault with them for it not only because all superiours must teach their inferiours but also and especially because the inferiours in doing such duties vnto them shall greatly profit themselues Thus may and ought all the Ministers of Gods word in wisedome teach the people and flocke that is committed vnto them As the Minister to their people and flocke what duties they owe not onely to God and other men but euen to themselues and in so doing not to be thought of any ambitious proud c or their doctrine any waies disliked or suspected and to shew vnto them whether for reuerence of their persons to haue thē in singular estimation for their workes sake or for obedience of their doctrine 1. Thess 5.13 Heb. 13.17 to obey it that they may goe on with cheerefulnes or for maintenance or recompence of their labours in worldly things 1. Tim. 5.17 to giue them double honour or in any thing els what they should do vnto them Not only because they be faithfull in Gods house as Moses was Heb. 3.2 and so deliuer vnto them the whole counsell of God Act. 20.27 as Paul did and so teach them all-things and therefore of necessitie there must bee a time for them but also because the people in doing these duties to them they benefit themselues For in preseruing the authoritie of the ministery of the word inuiolable in their consciences and in the consciences of others consisteth the peoples welfare So that as this people was not to except against this prayer when it came to them from Dauid for it came not by the way of intreatie as an indifferent thing but by a princely iniunction or propheticall instruction and so as a necessarie dutie of theirs and therefore they were to thinke that they were bound vnto it and that hee did necessarily require it at their hands and not to make
oppresse the poore both in lending to them vpon vsurie and when a man is vnder foot to exact the forfeiture vpon them what is this but to grinde the faces of the poore Jsai 3.15 and otherwise in bargaining with them besides that vnmercifulnes that there is little giuing to the poore no not at this time which is a time to receiue mercie from God yet they that should receiue it will shew little or none vnto men when the verie day of fasting doth require at their hands that they should giue something yet they are hard hearted and shut vp their compassion And what should I say of them that vnder the colour of the law haue taken away from the poore euen from the fatherlesse and the widowes all that they haue had whereby it hath come to passe that not onely they haue cried vnto the Lord against thē out of the abundance of their griefe but euen the very stones in the walles and the beames in the houses of these oppressors haue made an eccho Hab. 2.11 and answered vnto the same If the Prophet Amos prophecying against many nations did say That for three transgressions and for foure Amos 1.3 God would not spare them then when among vs not seuen but many though by seuen hee there meaneth many haue raigned long among vs and doe still no marueile if God doe not spare vs. Which sins are so much the greater among vs because God hath borne with vs so long in thē and giuen vs his word which they had not and many meanes besides to call vs from them as benefits vpon benefits fauours vpon fauours without number Therefore let vs iustifie the Lord in his righteous proceeding against vs and confesse as Daniel doth We haue sinned haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea wee haue rebelled Dan. 9.5 and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruāts thy Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings and to our Princes and to our fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and to vs open shame as appeareth this day to euery man of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and far off because of their offences that they haue committed against thee Which if we can come vnto thē we see in this storie of Exodus from which vpon occasion we haue somthing digressed what did preserue the Iewes in that plague what must preserue vs and all men Or the Israelites whom God spared of his mercie euen that the bloud of the Lambe bee sprinkled vpon the posts of our doores to keepe out the destroyer that is the bloud of Iesus Christ that immaculate Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world be sprinkled vpon our consciences by faith and that we earnestly repent vs of all our sinnes Iona. 3.8 and turne from all our euill waies as the Niniuites did and from the wickednesse of our hands and crie mightily vnto God that for Christ Iesus his sake whose most precious bloud was shed for our sinnes vpon the crosse he would spare vs and say Thou Lord who of thy great mercie for Christs sake didst commaund the destroyer to passe ouer the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when there was an vniuersall plague ouer the whole land set a marke now at the last vpon all places of this our land and countrey that thy destroying Angell might passe ouer them Thus also in this case might wee set before our eyes the example of Aaron the high Priest And when the plague was among the Iewes in the wildernes who when there was a plague begun in the hoste of Israel for their sinnes euen for their murmuring at the death of Core and his companie who iustly perished by the hand of God tooke a Censer and fire therein of the altar and put therein incense whereby the sweetnes of prayer was represented and offered vp his prayers with this incense vnto God for them Numb 16.47 and so made an attonement and when he was come among them for the plague began in one end of the campe and so spread it selfe further and further in the hoste after the manner of a plague and stood between the dead and the liuing the plague was staied A great mercie of God for it was a great plague for of it in a short time died fourteene thousand and seuen hundred The cause of it as of al others was their sinne but by the prayer of Aaron it ceased if God did heare one for so many then much more may we hope that God will heare many in his good time for the rest Let vs then looke vpon this example also and say Thou Lord who at the prayer of Aaron wast intreated to stay the pestilēce among thy people when there had died of it before foureteene thousand and more heare many and all of vs or some one among all the rest that this plague now at the last of which haue died already twenty thousand and more may be staied and so some may stand betweene the quick and the dead that is cause that the dead infect not the quicke and so it proceede no further Thus if we search the Scripture we shall both in this and all other calamities by patience and comfort of them haue hope as was said before The God of Iacob If by Iacob they meane him and his posteritie with whom God made a couenant The God of Iacob as with Abraham and Isaac that he would be their God and the God of their seede then they looke vnto this that they are of the posteritie of Iacob and so of that couenant that God made with him and his And thus the whole posteritie of the Iewes is sometimes called by his name both of Israel and Iacob as in the Psalme Often times from my youth vp may Israel now say they haue afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuaile against me Psal 129.1 And in another place Let Israel waite on the Lord Psal 130.7 and he will redeeme Israel from all his iniquities And when Balaam the false prophet was sent for to curse the Israelites in the wildernes vpon the borders of Moab he often speaketh of them by the name of Iacob as The King of Moab hath brought me from Aram saying Come Numb 23.7 curse Iacob for my sake and a little after Who can tell the dust of Iacob and lastly There is no sorcerie in Iacob Vers 10. 23. According to this sense they haue respect vnto the couenant that God made with Iacob and his posteritie for the blessing came from Isaac to him his which couenant included not only the promises of the life to come but much more of this life also as Dauid expoundeth it in the Psalm where he hauing spoken before of many great outward blessings concludeth
might be strengthened and haue a good heart in Gods defence and so hee might not faint in his troubles First then he sheweth that he beleeued that all his confidence in trouble and courage in danger should come from the meanes of Gods worship and without theÌ„ he should be as faint-hearted as might be but by them hee might bee made confident and bold to behaue himselfe in the midst of trouble Commeth all strength of faith as he should doe And this is most true and that which all of vs must beleeue and shall finde to be true by experience that into what trouble or danger so euer we shall come we shal haue no more heart to beare any thing than as we haue profited by the word and Sacraments and prayer to beleeue the promises that God hath made vnto vs in his word For as Dauid confesseth of himselfe I had perished in my trouble if my hope had not bin in thy word Psal 119.92 so thereby we see what did vphold him and this must vphold all men As from the word of God the hope that they haue of Gods protection deliuerance as it is promised in the word So that take away the word and there can be no hope without hope we haue no strength to beare any thing and so we must needes perish in any trouble And hereunto agreeth the Prophet when he saith Psal 130.5 My soule hath waited on the Lord and I haue trusted in his word he was in great trouble and prayed vnto God confessing his sinne beleeuing the mercie of God and so waiting vpon him for it but how trusting in the word so al his hope was from that And indeede what hope can we haue but from it For if God had promised vs nothing or we knew it not how could we haue any hope and without hope there is nothing but impatiencie and so no strength to beare any thing So that al our strength is from the word and in that respect from Sion that is the place where it is publikely taught vs that we might beleeue it and so be strengthened by it Few beleeue that all their strength to beare things is from Gods word Thus though it be most true yet few beleeue it that when trouble comes all their strength to beare it must come from the knowledge and faith which they haue gotten from the word But without this they imagine that they shall beare things well enough for they haue good hearts and stout and are not fearfull as they say they will not be daunted for a little they haue such and such meanes to trust vnto and they will be merrie and haue good companie and passe away things lightly and they shal not come neere their hearts greatly to trouble them and so they will beare them out well enough And therfore wee see that when trouble comes few giue themselues to thinke of that which God hath promised in his word or doe determine to come more diligently vnto the word than before as though they beleeued that all their strength must come from thence But whatsoeuer men imagine of their owne strength this will be found true at the last that all our courage is from the meanes of our saluation and that all other confidence that men haue from any thing els sauing from them wil deceiue them For though they may stoutly beare out things for a time yet in the end they will fall into great impatiencie and despaire or els into hardnes of heart and blockishnes but as they shal be strengthened by the free promises of God made in his word Ephes 6.16 For it is onely faith that will quench all the firie darts of the diuell as the Apostle saith whether he tempteth vs for our sinne in the time of our trouble as the tempter will do for he is not so called without a cause or he tempteth vs vnto sinne in all these temptations only by faith we stand and that shall be as a shield wholy to defend vs 2. Cor. 1.24 and to quench the firie darts of the wicked that is euen those grieuous temptations which otherwise are able to set soule and bodie on fire But what faith can we haue but from the word and the free promises therein contained therfore all our strength is from thence and from the rest of Gods worship in Sion The want of this faith hath pulled downe the hearts of the stoutest as al the Canaanites seuen great and mightie nations The want of saith in Gods word hath pulled downe the hearts of the sâ—outest their hearts fainted them for feare of Ioshua they had no means from Gods word to strengthen them in his defence And Saul the King of Israel though he was a goodly man of stature and of great courage yet when by the meanes of a witch he heard what should become of him he died away for feare 1. Sam. 28 20. and there was no strength in him This made Achitophel and Iudas 2 Sam. 17.23 Matth. 27.5 both of them traytors to their masters to destroy themselues when in their wicked proceedings the feare of Gods wrath was vpon them they could haue no strength from God by meanes of his word Gen. 4.14 This also made Cain to become a vagabond and a runnagate so that his conscience would not let him be quiet in any place because he had committed a most horrible sinne and did not repent him and so could looke for no fauour or protection from God in that case And this causeth many of the wicked to tremble and shake as a leafe Dan. 5.6 as the King of Babylon did when he was in the middest of his prophane cups drinking and swilling Act. 24.26 and Felix also in all his great pompe and brauerie because they were void of faith wheÌ„ the one saw the iudgmeÌ„ts of God against him and the other heard of them and so they could haue no strength from his word which they did neither beleeue And is the cause of all weaknes and feare in Gods children nor know And this want of the knowledge and faith in the word of God is the cause of all the weaknesses and impatiencie that hath appeared in Gods children and of all their feares euen that they haue not been sufficiently perswaded of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and of Gods fauour and that hee hath a care of them and will diminish their griefe and paine in his good time and giue them patience and lay no more vpon them than they shall be able to beare and that he will turne all vnto their good in the end and so they haue not bin sufficiently strengthened by the word For when they haue come to this by hearing and reading and meditating vpon Gods word and by praier then haue they felt themselues strengthened to beare all things and not before and then onely in that measure that they haue attained vnto this perswasion and
profit by it to amendment of life if he should also giue vs patience yea if hee should take vs away in this plague and should assure vs in the middest of all pains and feares of death of the forgiuenes of all our sinnes and giue vs good hope of euerlasting life and of the resurrection of our bodies that when wee giue vp the Ghost wee might boldly say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit might wee not bee well assured by these that God had heard our prayers Therefore if affliction and trouble doe come let vs see how we profit by it and what patience God giueth and so accordingly be assured that God hath heard our prayers And that the Lord in mercy will thus deale with vs wee may be assured of it so many as pray to him aright and this must be sufficient for vs and a sure token that God hath heard our prayers that wee might bee thankfull to him for it Therefore let vs not cease praying vnto him night and day not doubting but that God in his good time will turne our burnt offerings into ashes that is some way or other shew that he hath heard our prayers to his glory and the comfort of our selues and of our brethren Selah The vse of it for musicke Selah The Hebrew word retained in the Latine and English translations for the Greeke hath it not vsed for the most part only in the Psalmes which were made to bee sung in the temple noteth a vehement lifting vp of the voyce and especially thereby also a contention and affection of the minde so that the Musitions when they came to this word which was vnto them as a direction in Musicke did not so much sing it or say it as we doe now but letting it passe thereby did know that they should lift vp their voyces on high to that end that thereby their minds and the minds of others might be moued with that that was then sung according to the matter thereof And so it was a note of some change in the musick and thereby also in the minds euen as wee when wee speake of any waightie matter wee put in some note of exclamation or word to stir them vp to attention and to marke it diligently as our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell often in such cases and to this end vseth this word Behold So was this word vsed to stirre vp their voyces and thereby to stirre vp their minds That kinde of musicke that was then vsed in the temple for which this was written is now ceased with the rest of that Leuiticall kind of seruice And for the affections of the mind and so there is no more vse of it that way yet still it is carefully retained in the text and there is good vse of it in the Church for it serueth to the stirring vp of the mind with some speciall affection vnto that whereunto it is affixed which affection must alwaies be according to the matter contayned in those words whereunto this is adioyned And therefore it noteth out not any one speciall affection of the mind as some interiections doe but diuers and generally all kind whatsoeuer which must be in vs diuersly according to the matter As in the third Psalme it is vsed three times for three seuerall affections according to that that is said there Psalm 3.2 as Many say to my soule there is no helpe for him in his God Selah As if he should say O what a great calamitie or crosse is that I am greatly affected with that and would haue others to bee so too and pity mee thereafter Verse 4. And I did call vnto the Lord with my voyce and he did heare me out of his holy mountaine Selah They said God had forsaken him but hee prayed vnto God and God heard him and then hee addeth Selah as if hee had said Oh what a good God is that and how is that to be marked And lastly in the same Psalme Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord Verse 8. and thy blessing is vpon thy people Selah As if he had said God only can saue and he saueth his people and then affixeth Selah As if he had said Oh what a blessed thing is that and how should wee therefore put our trust in him So here when Dauid had willed them to pray that God would remember his prayers and shew that hee had heard them he addeth Selah to stirre vp their minds and his owne Theirs that they might pray this earnestly for him and know that he had great need of it for hee commended it vnto them with some feeling and hee knew that it was a great thing to offer vp any thing to God that should bee acceptable vnto him if we consider his excellency and our own vnworthines And for himselfe that he would esteeme this as a great benefit if the Lord would shew that he had heard his prayers euen as hee confesseth in the next Psalme Psalm 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes where hee doth also adde this note Selah to shew that as before they did earnestly pray for it so now they should be greatly affected in thankesgiuing with it and as they had a feeling of their want in praying for it so they should haue of the goodnes of God in giuing thankes for the same and so both in the one and in the other to haue their minds specially moued with that they said Generally wheresoeuer this is vsed The generall vse of this word we must carefully marke it and make some good vse of it according to the matter where it is vsed For though the whole Scripture be excellent in it selfe and in euery part of it as being giuen by the inspiration of the holy Ghost 2. Tim. 3.16 and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works yet some parts haue more speciall vse to vs in some cases than other and therefore some are commended vnto vs with the title of excellencie as all the Psalmes commonly called of degrees Psalm 120.1 or as others reade it of excellencies because in that shortnes they containe some excellent matter So also in the same Psalme some part may bee of greater vse and of more note and obseruation for some causes than some other part of the same as here in this Psalme though hee commended the whole Psalme vnto them and whole matter of the same as appeareth by the title and inscription of the same and the whole discourse of it yet in it the matter of this verse he doth specially commend vnto them for some causes with this marke or note then well knowne because it was in great vse when he addeth Selah So also in another Psalme Dauid commendeth one thing vnto them with a double note Psalm 9 16. Higgaion
his seruice they haue fayled or that they haue not trembled at his word nor been pricked at the heart when they heard their sinnes laid open as those did that are spoken of in the Actes of the Apostles but that they haue been hard hearted rather and not so moued as they should So that they haue had a godly feare that their best seruices might haue been refused And Dauid this holy man of God it seemeth being priuie to the corruption of his owne heart was somewhat afraide that all that seruice which he had done was not as it shuld be whē he so earnestly desired the people and by this note Selah did pricke them forward thereunto that God would accept with fauour his seruices and shew by the euent that he had done so And this is that godly ielousie that Iob had of his children in the dayes of their feasting together which caused him to doe as it is written of him Iob. 1.5 And when the dayes of their banqueting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob thought it may be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts thus did Iob euery day When they had done feasting the next day hee called them to the sacrifice and seruice of God but that they might doe it as they should hee bad them sanctifie themselues that so they might come holily to it as they ought so that he would not haue them come suddenly from feasting to the sacrifices as though it made no matter how they serued God but bad them prepare themselues and besides he saith it may be they haue not blessed God in their hearts that is they haue not so serued God and giuen thankes to him from their hearts as they should haue done So that the best seruants of God knowing what an hard thing it is to serue God haue been desirous to doe all things so that they might be approoued vnto him and when they haue done best they haue somewhat feared that they haue not done so and so haue earnestly desired to see some way that God had accepted of their seruices and prayers Contrarie to this the hypocrites and all formall men The hypocrites thinke that any kinde of seruice is good enough for God who know not what Gods seruice doth meane they thinke that if they doe any outward seruice to him here in the Church or elsewhere hee is bound to take it let it bee done after what manner it will be and they thinke that they haue great wrong offred if it be not And this is that which the Prophet Malachi speaketh of Ye offer vncleane bread vpon mine altar Malach. 1.7 and you say Wherein haue we polluted thee In that yee say The table of the Lord is not to be regarded and if yee offer the blind for sacrifice it is not euill and if yee offer the lame and sicke it is not euill offer it now vnto thy prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hostes Where hee complaineth that for the seruice of God they brought the worst things and they said it made no matter if they brought not of the best where all things in and for the seruice of God should be of the best Where besides that hee saith that this way they brought the seruice of God into contempt he bids them goe and carrie it to their gouernour or any meane man of authoritie and see if hee will take such gifts if they will refuse such presents and thinke themselues abused with such gifts as are not meete for them then the high maiestie of God much more doth not only not receiue such seruice of men as is done carelesly but hee is displeased with it Therefore if it be an hard thing to present the King with any thing that hee may like of and they that vndertake such a matter will vse all diligence to that end then we much more must be perswaded that it is a very hard thing to doe any seruice of prayer or otherwise vnto God so as may be acceptable vnto him and so prepare our selues for it and be carefull to do all things in that manner Yea and when we haue done all let vs pray vnto God to forgiue the weaknes and imperfection of our seruices and to accept them in the righteousnesse and perfect obedience of Christ Which also that they might be they must be according to his word with all our heart being sorie that we can doe no better than we doe For herein consisteth the perfection of our obedience that wee acknowledging with sorrow the imperfection of it and labouring daily after a greater measure of perfection do present it vnto God in the perfection of Christs sacrifice wherein not onely all our sinnes but our imperfections much more are pardoned and not imputed vnto vs. He did esteem the hearing of his prayers as a great fauour of God Thirdly and last of al when to this prayer that they make that God would heare the prayer of the King and some waies shew it he addeth this note of affection Selah it was to shew how he did esteeme of this and how all they should also esteeme of it as of a speciall benefit and great fauour of God if he would so doe and so for it they should be thankfull vnto him As if they had said Let God heare his prayers c. Oh what a great blessing of God were that how should we be bound to him for it what great cause should we haue to be thankfull So then when they prayed for it hee would haue them esteeme it as no common benefit and haue that affection to it Therefore when God had thus done hee doth not onely make another Psalme for the Church to be thankfull to God for it but when in the same hee commeth to make mention of this very thing that they pray for here namely that God had shewed that he had heard his prayer he addeth this Selah againe As Psal 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his harts desire and hast not denied him the requests of his lips Selah As if they had said Oh how much are we bound to him for this what great cause haue wee to bee thankfull what a singular benefit is this worthie alwaies to bee remembred that God hath heard our prayers Here then wee are taught to make great account of this that God at any time doth heare our prayers whatsoeuer we pray for And as wee must make this account before hand when we doe pray so afterwards also If we pray for any thing for soule or bodie for our selues or any of ours for the Church or Common-wealth wee must thus thinke Oh if God will heare my prayers and giue me this thing how shall I be beholding to him for it al the daies of my life So did Iacob also
Gen. 28.20 So doth Iacob in that prayer that hee made when hee went towards Laban as may appeare by his words If God will be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I go and will giue me bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that I come againe vnto my fathers house in safetie and if thou wilt be my God then this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shall bee Gods house and of all that thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth vnto thee And truly it must needes be so So must we doe if we consider our great wants if we doe but consider our great neede of euery thing and what wee are if God doe not supplie them As if a poore creature that hath neither bread nor meate nor cloath nor money to helpe himselfe should come and aske almes and receiue must not he needes thinke how am I beholding to him that hath thus refreshed me and what should haue become of mee poore soule if hee had not had compassion on me As Iob saith of himselfe that he did feede the hungrie and clothe the naked so that the very bellies of them that were fed with his meat Job 31.20 and the loynes of them that were cloathed with the fleece of his sheepe did blesse him So then when wee see that if God doe not thus and thus for vs we are readie to perish must we not thinke that if hee doe and when hee doth bestow it wee shall haue great cause to praise him for it We must not then pray as though we cared not for it but in the great feeling of our need so shall wee esteeme of all things when God shall heare our prayers as we ought Especially if we well way our great vnworthines Moreouer concerning this one point if wee consider our owne vnworthines euen of the least benefit and fauour nay how we haue deserued the cleane contrary then much more must wee thinke when wee pray for any thing that wee shal be greatly beholding to God for it And for our vnworthines remember that wee not onely haue no goodnes that can commend vs vnto God for wee haue not in all things done our dutie as we should but because wee haue been vnthankfull for that that we haue haue abused many things wee are worthie to haue all taken from vs yea when wee remember other of our sinnes we must thinke that we haue deserued his punishments in steed of his blessings When then we aske any thing and shall see so many things to hinder vs from receiuing if it shall please God in the multitude of his mercie to passe by them all and to giue vs our desires must wee not needes thinke our selues greatly beholding to him for it And though it may be wee haue in some sort repented vs of our sinnes yet when we are priuie to our owne hearts that our repentance is so small and when wee finde our faith so weake and that wee aske that that we doe with so much doubting if God giue vs any thing when wee come to him after such a manner must not wee needes confesse that wee shall bee wholy beholding to his Maiestie for the same So that euery way we see that when we pray we must do it with this affection that wee thinke it a great mercie of God and for which wee shall be greatly bound vnto him all the daies of our life if he giue vs any thing And truly if we could come to pray thus If we did thus pray we shuld see how God would heare vs. not onely in the feeling of our great wants but also in the conscience of our great vnworthines and so acknowledge in respect of both how much wee should be beholding to God for any thing then we should see a great deale more than we doe how hee would heare our prayers For as a man when he is sued vnto if he heareth vs confesse that if hee will grant vs our request we and all ours shall be beholding to him as long as we liue this is a thing that will greatly mooue him So the Lord when he seeth that we esteeme the hearing of our prayers to be so great a benefit as it is then is he readie to heare vs for hee will haue vs see how much wee are beholding to him for that that we receiue We pray now that God would stay this heauie hand of the pestilence and that he would proceed no further in iudgement against vs but to our prayers we must adde Selah that is wee must stirre vp our affections so to desire it as that wee professe it to bee an inestimable benefit And namely for the remouing of this mortal plague if this way he shall shew that hee hath heard our prayers And indeede this we must needes doe if we consider how vnable we are to helpe our selues in it vnlesse God helpe and how vnworthie we be of his helpe and so let vs determine when we pray to be thankfull vnto him for it Thus must wee doe also for all other things that we pray for if we will be heard So that if we aske the forgiuenes of our sinnes the increase of faith the assurance of Gods fauour and the feeling of his loue we must doe it as Dauid did Psal 4.6 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart than they haue had when their wheate and their wine did abound as if he had said If the Lord shall giue me this thing I shall be more beholding to him for it than if I had had all the wealth in the world giuen me When that godly woman Hannah prayed for a man-child she doth it so earnestly as may appeare by her words and with such protestation that she did cleerely shew how she did esteeme this that God would heare her in this thing For she saith O Lord of hostes if thou wilt looke on the troubles of thine handmaide 1. Sam. 1.11 and remember me and not forget thine handmaide but giue vnto thine handmaide a man child then will I giue him vnto the Lord all the daies of his life Where we see out of the abundance of her feeling how many words she vseth as if thou wilt looke vpon me and remember and not forget me c and what she promiseth for it and God heard her prayers and she did according to her vow and made a song of thanksgiuing for it Few mē haue these affections in prayer or in desiring others to pray for them Rom. 9.1 We haue prayed vnto God for many things but haue wee done it with that acknowledging that we should be so greatly beholding to God if he heare vs Haue we added Selah that is haue wee thus stirred vp our affections and did wee then determine to be thankful to God for such a mercie and since haue we remembred to be thankful I speake the
pray in this time of the plague that all men may profit by it repentance for them strength against them faith in Gods promises the feeling of his loue and all those things that appertaine to the glory of God and those we are sure are according to his will and if wee did aske these more we should receiue more But all outward things as long life health and wealth let vs desire in the second place both with lesse desire and with mindes contented to want them if it bee not Gods will to giue them and so farre wee may bee assured that he will heare vs. And namely for this visitation of the Plague let vs thus pray that all might profit by it to repentance and amendment of life for to that end we are assured that it is sent For as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians when there was great sicknes among them so that many also dyed For this cause meaning sinne 1. Cor. 11.30 whereof he named one that was common among them many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe that is dye for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged but when we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because wee should not bee condemned with the world So that if either wee had not sinned before or hauing sinned we had repented vs in time and iudged our selues God would not thus grieuously haue entred into iudgement with vs. For as Dauid saith he is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger Psalm 103.8 and of great kindnes and will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer though wee offend him continually For if hee should straitly marke our iniquities Psalm 130.3 and deale with vs thereafter who should stand that is no man should be able to abide it But hee deferreth his punishments often to see if men will repent them in time and in deede hee giueth all men sufficient time for that and calleth them to it daily as he did the olde world before the flood by the preaching of Noah Gen. 6.3 giuing them an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in and so did hee to the wicked Sodomites by the Ministery of righteous Lot before they were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen and so did he to the Israelites and to the Iewes by all his Prophets before they were carried away into captiuitie and so hath he this long time and often forewarned vs of his iudgements and called vs earnestly vnto repentance by the ministery of all his faithfull seruants in our time before this plague came vpon vs. So that wee cannot say as the diuell did falsely challenge Christ in the Gospell Matth. 8.29 Why art thou come vnto vs before the time But when for all this men goe on in their sinne and will not bee reclaymed nor iudge themselues one whit hee is constrained to iudge vs. Therefore let vs pray that we may profit by it and all his people also euery where and whosoeuer haue any such good desires in them wee may helpe them with our prayers and pray that God would giue them their desire as the people doe here for the King for this is according to Gods will And wee may safely pray for those that are vnder this visitation that God would giue them patience and strength to beare whatsoeuer it shall please God to lay vpon them for this also is according to his will as the Apostle saith God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10.13 which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you bee able but will giue the issue with the temptation that yee may bee able to beare it And that they may patiently beare it So that if any haue this desire that they are contented to bee tried euen this way as well as any other if it bee Gods will so that hee would strengthen them to beare it we may all of vs further them in their prayers and desire God to giue them their hearts desire And thus farre also wee our selues may bee assured that wee haue our part in all the prayers of our brethren this day and at all times as wee doe desire to profit by this hand of God and to haue patience to doe his will in this and all other crosses of his But as for the remouing of it And how farre for the remoouing of it wee may and ought to pray that it may bee in his good time when it is his holy will and as it shall please him so it may bee and that wee might bee willing to waite vpon his leasure and prescribe no time vnto him nor any measure of his dealing but that his will may bee done and not ours as our Sauiour Christ prayed in his greatest agony Father not my will but thine be done then will hee heare vs as hee did him But if wee shall bee impatient and murmur against God and thinke that hee dealeth hardly with vs in continuing so great a plague so long or haue any such wicked desires in our mindes which flesh and blood is ready to offer vnto vs as wee must not dare to offer them vp vnto God so if wee doe none must further them to desire God that hee would giue vs according to our heart If we submit our wils to Gods will then all the Church prayeth for vs. Therefore let euery one examine his owne heart both for this and for any thing else that hee prayeth for and see what it is that hee desireth and how that if hee findeth it to bee according to Gods will hee might haue comfort in the prayers of the Church for in what case so euer hee bee all the Church prayeth with him and for him Thy will bee done So that if his will bee agreeable to Gods will as it ought then all good men and women pray for him continually in all his troubles both of body and minde And truly this is and may bee a great comfort for vs at all times and in all distresses that in what estate so euer wee bee night and day if wee pray vnto God if wee can bring our hearts to this that the desire of them bee according to his will and though wee would faine haue this and that yet euermore with this condition and no otherwise if it bee his blessed will and wee submit all our desires to his holy will and bee contented that not so much our wils as his might take place then the whole Church euery where prayeth for vs and will doe as they did heere for Dauid and so wee neede not doubt but God will heare vs and them in his good time that so wee might waite patientlie vpon him But many men haue such wicked and vngodly desires Many mens desires are so wicked that they are not to be commended to God or men and the purposes of their heart are so bad as they dare not commend them vnto God but hide them from him as
haue it they begin to bethinke themselues how and which way to accomplish it and then taking counsell with themselues or others they deuise and determine to doe so and so as Dauid might doe in this case This counsell of his and purpose whatsoeuer it was he willeth them to pray to God for him that he would fulfill that so he might haue his desire and Gods prouidence might be serued thereby This word Purpose the most and the best doe translate Counsell And so the meaning of it is that whatsoeuer he should aduise himselfe to doe by good counsell for the effecting of his desire and whatsoeuer things he should put in practise vpon mature deliberation to that end that that counsell and those meanes God would blesse and giue a good successe vnto and so bring the thing to passe So that we see with what humilitie and distrustfulnesse of himselfe he speaketh acknowledging his owne insufficiencie to be so great that hee was so vnable of himselfe to bring to passe his owne desires though they were good and in a lawfull cause that when he had taken the best counsell for it yet that should be in vaine and altogether frustrate and doe him no good at all vnlesse God blesse it Therefore here he prayeth vnto God for his blessing vpon his consultations and good purposes and desireth them to help him with their prayers therin both that God would direct him to those meanes that might best serue his prouidence and that he would giue good successe vnto the same and that he might not fall into any vaine courses or as it were crooked wayes They aske of God good counsell and the successe of the same which the Lord did not purpose to worke by This then must pull down the high minds of those proud conceited men who thinke so highly of themselues and of their owne wit that they presume that for euery thing they are all sufficient of themselues for in all matters that shall befall them they can tell presently what to doe they can tell how to aduise themselues sufficiently they haue counsell ynough at home and so can bring all their matters to passe For though I graunt it to be true that it is a great blessing of God vpon any that in time of need they know what is to be done for many times for want of good counsell men are in doubfull matters greatly perplexed and almost at their wits end yet they must thus thinke that when they haue the best aduise that can be from thēselues or others yet the successe of it depends only vpon the blessing of God and so they must seeke vnto God for it as Dauid doth here though he was very wise of himselfe For it is sayd of him when he was but young 1. Sam. 18.30 That when the princes of the Philistims went foorth at their going forth to warre he behaued himselfe more wisely than all the seruants of Saul so that his name was much set by And for the repressing of this foolish presumption of our owne wisedome to be able to bring all matters to passe the Prophet Ieremie giueth a good lesson saying Thus saith the Lord Jere. 9.23 let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me For though a man haue wisedome to deuise God onely establisheth and ouerthroweth mens counsels strength and riches to bring to passe and where these three concurre there is likelihood of great matters yet euen then God onely bringeth the purpose to passe For either we shall not resolue vpon the best or take good counsell when it is giuen vs or if we doe God can destroy it This we see to be true in the counsell of Achitophell who was one of the wisest men of his time in so much that that which he counselled was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God 2. Sam. 16.23 when in the conspiracie of Absalom he gaue counsell one way and Hushay the Archite gaue counsell another way though the first counsell was best at that time yet it was not followed Chap. 17.14 but all of them sayd The counsell of Hushai is better than the counsell of Achitophell For the Lord had determined to destroy the good counsell of Achitophell that he might bring euill vpon Absalom Thus we may here learne that it is in God onely to ouerthrow or to establish the counsels of men euen of the wisest according as he is purposed to doe good vnto or bring euill vpon them So was it also in the dayes of King Rehoboam the sonne and heire of Solomon when in the beginning of his raigne the people came vnto him with this petition 2. Chron. 10.4 That he would make the grieuous yoake which his father had put vpon them lighter and they would serue him and he bad them depart for three dayes and then come againe for an answere and in the meane time he asked counsell of the wise auncient experienced men which had serued his father and they gaue him good counsell that he should yeeld to them in this request and he after conferred with the young men who had bene his pages and brought vp with him and they gaue him ill counsell as appeared by the sequell That he should take it vpon him like a king and speake roughly vnto them and so he did refusing the good counsell of the auncient men And thus though their counsel was good God did not fulfill it and though it was offered vnto him he did not take it because the Lord would bring that vpon Solomon which he had threatned by Ahiiah the Prophet That for their idolatrie 1. King 11.31 ten tribes should be rent away from his kingdome in the dayes of his sonne as also came to passe for when they heard the answere of the king ten tribes fell away to Ieroboam and could neuer be recouered So that whensoeuer we determine to doe any thing as we ought to take counsell and doe nothing rashly and vnaduisedly as many doe for then we shall thriue thereafter so we must also beleeue that God must bring all things to passe and so pray to him for it continually So that all men when they haue the best counsell in the world if it were as good as Achitophels they must seeke to God by prayer for his blessing vpon it if they will haue things to thriue prosper with them When we haue taken the best counsell we pray to God for the successe of it And this is true in all things as if we haue to deale with men that seeke to oppresse vs any wayes we must take the best counsell that we can to defend our selues and then pray to God that hee would bring things to passe otherwise our owne counsell and purpose shall doe vs no good against their
bestow this benefit vpon me then I will praise him for it As we should doe thus for all Gods benefits We should more specially praise God for those benefits which we haue asked of him so most of all for those which we haue asked of him as they say here When he shall fulfill all thy petitions they had prayed before that God would heare them and now they promise this That they will set vp their banners in his name And there is great reason of this for besides the benefits that we receiue which deserue prayse we haue thereby experience of the goodnesse of God in hearing our praiers Thus we read in the Gospell that when ten leapers were cleansed all of them hauing begged it of Christ before saying Iesus master haue mercie vpon vs Luke 17.17 but one returned to giue thankes and Christ asketh for the other nine and so sheweth what was their dutie also namely that as they had asked this benefit with him so they should haue returned with him to giue thankes And to this end is it sayd so often in the Psalme where he sheweth how in sundry afflictions men crie vnto God and he heareth them and deliuereth them Psal 107.8.15.21.31 Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men where he exhorteth all to praise God for those benefits which hee hath bestowed vpon them at their prayers But indeed this doctrine is so well knowne that it needeth no great proofe there is none so ignorant or so vnthankefull that will denie it onely we had need to examine our selues how we doe practise it whether we haue endeuoured to praise God for all his benefits and especially for those that we haue most desired when we haue had thē whether we haue ben any whit the more carefull to set forth the prayse of God for them than before Now if we find by this triall that the more that God hath giuē vs the more we haue glorified him then may we haue comfort and hope of the continuance of them but if in the abundance of all Gods benefits Let vs examin whether as Gods benefits encrease so we set foorth his glory the more we take our ease and set out our selues to the world and grow more proud and be lesse carefull to glorifie God as most commonly it falleth out then we prouoke God to take them away or to punish vs in them Therefore let euery one consider what good he doth with all that he hath and how by Gods blessings as wealth and such like not his owne name is aduaunced but what good he hath done since for the seruice and glory of God If he see they goe together the increase of Gods benefits vpon him and the increase of Gods glory in him it is well and he hath cause to reioyce but if the one increase greatly and the other decay or stand at a stay then it is the next way to loose all As we are taught in the parable of the Talents Matth. 25.24 he that hid that one that he had in a napkin and did no good with it nor vse it to his masters aduantage it was taken from him and he is called an euill and vnprofitable seruant So all are vnprofitable that in their seuerall callings vse not that which God giueth them to his glory and this shal be the end of them That all that they haue shall be taken from them and they shall haue their portion with the wicked That we may reioyce c. As they haue desired helpe of God for the glory of his name and promised to prayse him for it so more particularly they say that they shall reioyce in the saluation of the king They pray for this benefit that they might reioice namely if God would helpe him out of the hands of his enemies and giue him victorie ouer them For in the preseruation of the king was the good of the whole Church and common wealth therefore if he did well they should reioice and in his hurt and losse was the losse of them all and so they should haue cause to sorrow Therfore they vse this also as a reason to persuade the Lord to hear them That wheras now they were doubtfull or rather in great feare he by the victorie would giue them cause to reioice And though they shew whereunto their ioy should tend namely to the prayse of God singing vnto him of his saluation and setting vp their banners in his name yet they exclude not this but rather include it namely the common ioy of all the people and of the whole Church of God So that we may lawfully desire of God such things as we want to this end euen that we might reioyce and this one thing is sufficient to moue the Lord to giue them euen that thereby we might haue cause to reioyce as we must confesse that then we shal haue cause so to doe For besides the comfort of the thing that he giueth which may cleere vp the outward and inward man the inuisible things also of God are to be seene in his creatures and benefites as his wisedome power Rom. 1.20 goodnesse and mercie c. and so in the sight and feeling of the same we may reioyce much more especially when we haue prayed to God for them we may reioyce that God hath heard our prayers And so we may desire God to heare vs that so not onely for his benefits but for his goodnesse towards vs in them and especially in hearing our prayers for them we may reioyce God is willing to blesse his people that they might reioice Behold then I pray you the wonderfull goodnesse of our God who desireth our ioy and comfort and giueth vs things to that end that we might reioyce and would haue vs aske them of him to that end as this people doth here For as among men this often moueth them to heare vs that we professe to them and they see it also that if they shall doe so and so for vs we shall haue great case to reioyce and be glad and whereas now wee for the want of it are in heauinesse and sorrow this will cheere vp our hearts And this is sufficient to moue them that are of any good disposition that in doing for them that are in need we see that we shall make them and theirs right glad and the poore when they sue to them they vse this as a reason and it is accepted Then may we vrge this vnto the Lord much more and we may be assured that it will moue him As parents are willing to doe good to their children to that end For so good is the Lord to all that are his that he delighteth not in their sorow and griefe no more than parents doe in the griefe of their children nay a great deale lesse by how much his loue infinitely without all degree of comparison
exceedeth the naturall loue of the most tender parents Therefore as they are willing to doe any thing for them when they see their children sad and heauie to cheere them vp and the very bowels of the mother yearneth vpon them to bring them out of their heauinesse so doth the Lord God of his infit compassion in whom that is sea-full whereof we haue but one drop And we may desire of him our comfort and the meanes of our comfort and therefore pray that he would giue vs this and that according to our particular need euen that we might reioyce whereas now and and without them we are full of griefe Therefore if a man be in feare of some trouble as these were of enemies which maketh him sad at the least he cannot reioyce as he would he may pray to God as these doe and say O Lord heare mee and helpe me And we may pray God to helpe vs to that end Iohn 16.21 that I may reioyce now I am heauie and haue no ioy bat if I were out of this feare then should I reioyce O Lord make me to reioyce A woman in trauaile as Christ saith in the Gospel when her paines are on her is in great heauinesse but soone after all is forgotten for ioy that a manchild is borne And he compareth the afflictions of the Church generally of euery one particularly vnto them Heb. 12.11 Now because as the Apostle saith no affliction for the time present is ioyous but grieuous but after the fruit of it is ioyous to them that are exercised therein and their deliuerance also Therfore as a woman in her trauaile may pray to God Lord make an end of my paines and deliuer me that I may reioyce so may all those that are in any distresse pray for deliuerance out of their aduersitie that they might reioyce and God in his good time will giue them cause of ioy For as the prophet saith ioy is sowen for the righteous Psal 97.11 and gladnesse for them that are vpright in heart and therefore if they tarie the time they shall reape it Psal 126.5 for they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy as it is said of the Israelites when they were caried captiues into Babylon They went weeping and caried pretious seed but they did returne with ioy and brought their sheaues with thm Besides if any be in sorrow and griefe for their sinne As when we are grieued for our sinnes that by the forgiuenesse of them he mould make vs glad 22. 1 2. Psal 32.3.4 Psal 6.6.7 or for the want of the feeling of Gods fauour they may pray to God to giue them their hearts desire that they may reioyce and say now there is nothing but heauinesse in me but if God would assure me of his fauour how should I reioyce As Dauid complaineth that he roared out night and day the hand of God was so heauie vpon him and that his handes were wringing wet with the teares of his eyes that he watered his couch with teares and that he mingled his drinke with his teares and that his eyes were sunke into his head with griefe yea that his eyesight fayled him and many such grieuous complaints he vttereth but if God would forgiue him his sinne and assure him of his fauour then he should reioyce exceedingly As he saith Psal 4.6 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me and I shall haue more ioy than if I had all the goods in the world So in another place when he was troubled for his sinne he prayeth to God to forgiue him that he might reioyce Haue mercie vpon me O God Psal 51.1 according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities wash me throughly c. VVhere we see how vncomfortably he beginneth and how hee confesseth his sinnes with great griefe and prayeth earnestly for the forgiuenesse of them and what reason vseth hee to him this one euen that he might reioyce Vers 8. For he saith Make me to haue ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce that is that I may reioyce who am now wounded in my mind with the conscience of my sinnes and for fear of those iudgements which thou by thy seruant hast denounced against me Vers 12. And a little after Restore me to the ioyes of thy saluation where he desireth that he might haue that ioy in his saluation that he had before Thus in all griefe of mind especially for our sinnes or for any iudgement of God vpon vs or like to befall vs wee may pray That God would be mercifull vnto vs To this end we may pray that God would remoue this plague that we might reioyce As now this great mortality euery where hath been the cause of much sorrow to some for the great losse of their friends and to others for feare of that that might befall them and theirs and none can reioyce any where in this time of heauinesse as before Now we may pray to God that he would make an happie and a speedie end of it not onely for the glory of his name but for the ioy of his seruants that they who a long time haue ben in heauinesse might now at the last be comforted reioice And no doubt as this wold be a matter of exceeding great ioy to the greatest part of this land so in that respect let vs not cease praying vnto God that we might reioyce in his saluation that is in that health that he should bestow vpon vs and the rest of his people And let vs doe it the rather Psa 30.5 because he hath promised That though heauinesse bee in the euening yet ioy shall come in his morning that is in his most blessed time which let vs wait vpon him for For it is said of the people of God in Aegypt That God did certainely see their trouble Exod. 3.7 and knew their sorrowes and heard their crie and so was come to deliuer them shewing that he would haue them in sorrow no longer and so it appeared in the end that they went out with great ioy That our brethren in all places might reioyce loaden with the spoyle of the Aegyptians So we may be sure that he is not ignorant of the trouble and sorrow that many in this land a long time haue been in and he hath heard the cries that they haue beene driuen to make let vs beseech him for them that it would please him in his good time to deliuer them from it and from the cause of it especially seeing he is so mercifull that it is truly said of him Psal 103.9 He will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer And as in the dayes of Hester it is written Hest 3.15 Chap. 4.3 That not only the chiefe citie Shushan was in great perplexitie but in euery place whether the kings commission came
ioyous and with glad hearts 2. Chron. 7.10 because of the goodnesse that the Lord had done for Dauid and for Salomon and for Israel his people Thus they reioyced againe in this great blessing that God had set vp the place to his worship among them so that all knew whether to resort vnto it In regard whereof we haue as great cause to reioyce at this time as they had then for God hath giuen vs his holy word and Gospell and we haue publike places appointed euery where And that the Gospell is planted euery where whether we all the people may resort with the freedome of our consciences to serue God and we are not by the grace of God vnprouided for this way let vs doe as this people did here consider of it as a matter of great ioy And truly so it is if we doe rightly weigh and esteeme of it for what I pray you would our forefathers haue giuen to inioy these great benefits that we doe and how comfortable would they haue thought their times to haue bene in respect of that they were then if they might haue had them as wee haue I meane this libertie and freedome from persecution this good gouernment and peaceable inioying of all that we haue especially the puritie of the Gospell and the peace of the Church And if any one of them seuerally be sufficient cause of ioy then all of them together a great deale more let vs then seeing we haue them not loose the comfort of them but so esteeme of them and so consider of them as causes of great ioy as in their owne nature they are And as we ought to doe thus at all times so especially and most of all we had need to doe it in the time of any sorrow or griefe that thereby we might beare the same so much the more easely when in so many great benefits we shall see what great ioy we haue In the time of sorrow most of al we ought to reioice in Gods benefits And truly if we could come to this as we ought we should find that though many times for this and that and such things as doe befall vs we haue cause to sorrow yet for these and such like we haue againe cause of ioy and so it might happily come to passe that we setting the one against the other we might easily ouercome at the least the extremity of griefe and find fault with our selues for being grieued too much Psal 42.11 and say as Dauid did to himselfe Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me wait on God for I will yet giue him thankes he is my present helpe and my God So we might say to our selues why am I thus grieued haue I not these and these causes of ioy And so though all griefe be not taken cleane away from vs yet at the least it should by this be so moderated and mitigated as the furious spirit of Saul was with the pleasant musicke of Dauid that it might be tollerably and in some good sort borne So shall our sorrow be the more easily borne VVhen as it should be with vs as it was with them that built the second Temple at Ierusalem where some wept and some reioyced and so among the people there was ioy and sorrow mingled together Many of the Priests and of the Leuites Esra 3.12 and of the chiefe fathers auncient men which had seene the first house when the foundation of this house was layd before their eyes wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud for ioy So that the people could not discerne the sound of the shout for ioy from the noise of the weeping of the people for the people shouted with a loud cry and the noyse was heard far off Some here wept because they had no more and some reioyced because they had so much and they could not tell which of them was the greatest the noyse of them that mourned or the noyse of them that reioyced So it might come to passe that in the middest of our sorrow there might be some ioy and our ioy might be as great as our griefe and so much the greater by how much the cause of the one is greater than the other and thus when we began to be sorowfull we might also begin to reioyce For it is said in a song of one of the confessors of the Church who desired to haue bene a Martyr Some men for sudden ioy doe weepe and some in sorrow sing c. Betwixt them both saith he will I begin c. meaning that he would so sorrow for his sinnes that he would reioyce in Christ in whom he saw more cause to reioyce than he could see of sorrow in himselfe and so he would begin betweene both and that did make a very good meane So must wee doe think as well what cause we haue of ioy as we do of our sorrow so neither reioyce without sorrow when there is cause nor sorrow without ioy when there is cause of both but as he said begin betweene both And let vs be willing to do thus the rather because few haue any care at all to doe it as they ought whereby it commeth to passe that they loose the fruits and comfort of these benefits Few do truly reioyce in Gods benefits and though they haue them yet they are not so comfortable vnto them as they might be For these things that we haue spoken of namely the common benefit of peace and good gouernment and the Gospell are common to all in our time as well as to our selues but how few doe truely reioyce before the Lord in them or in the causes of their ioy doe at any time thinke or consider of them or when they would make themselues merry do enter into the serious consideration of these causes of ioy but what is the cause of it Surely they neither haue prayed vnto God for them as this people did here for this that they speake of neither haue they esteemed of them as of great befits as they did of this that they prayed for and so they cannot reioyce in them as they should and by that meanes also it commeth to passe that they cannot be so thankfull to God for them as they ought and as others are For these two goe together and cannot be seuered To reioyce in Gods benefits and to be thankefull for them so that the more we reioyce the more thankefull should we be and the want of ioy in Gods benefits is the cause of vnthankefulnesse for them As wee see here also that in this verse they are ioyned together when they say That we might reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of our God as we shall hereafter see by the grace of God out of these words VVhat should be the fruit of all true ioy in Gods benefits wherby this ioy of the holy Ghost differeth from all
carnall and worldly ioy euen thankesgiuing to God who hath bestowed them vpon vs and in them hath giuen vs so great cause of ioy All priuat benefits are causes of ioy And as all common benefits are causes of ioy euen as this people professe here That if God bestow this vpon them they shall reioyce in it so are also all priuat blessings so many causes of ioy to all those that enioy them whether they bee vpon their soules or bodies for this life or the life to come vpon themselues or any of theirs And as the things that they inioy are more and greater than others haue so they ought to confesse that God hath in this vale of miserie giuen them so much cause of ioy For who is he or she or where are they that being in neuer so meane an estate doe not inioy many great benefits from God as life and health libertie conuenient food lodging rayment for which they haue cause to reioyce In which respect the poorest hath great cause of ioy but especially if they haue faith and repentance and the peace of conscience and assurance of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and hope of saluation what cause haue they then to reioyce though they were in neuer so great want besides Therefore in their poore estates they must so cōsider of their wants as that they doe not forget Gods benefits which may make them to reioyce euen in their pouertie and in their affliction So that as the Prophet Elisha said to his seruant who was in great feare and cried out when he saw the great host of armed men which the king of Aram had sent 2. King 6.16 to take them at Dotham Feare not for there are more with vs than against vs for God had sent horses and chariots of fire to defend them So euerie one may say when his estate is at the hardest that there is more with him than is against him that is that he hath more benefits and so more causes of ioy than crosses and so in them causes of sorrow For if we doe but liue especially in these dayes to serue God and to saue our own soules it is better than the estate of many nobles and princes in other parts of the world that haue not these meanes of their saluation that we haue and may haue and in that measure and with that peace and freedome that we haue them in which respect the estate of the poorest is better if they doe see it and can so consider of it than not onely of many nobles but of the great Turke himselfe of the Emperor yea the Pope himselfe who taketh himselfe to be king prince of the whole world For that which Dauid saith of himself is true of all if they could so esteeme of it A day in thy courts Psal 84.10 is better than a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse for the Lord God is the sunne and shield vnto vs the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly Therefore when any of you shall be in such a case that you shall spend away the whole day in sorrow and then at night lie downe in heauinesse as wanting many things necessarie both for food and raiment for lodging and firing besides health countenance which others haue in great measure and yet little pitie those that haue not like vnto that rich glutton that in his great aboundance had no compassion of poore Lazarus then consider I pray you for the loue of Christ and for your owne consolation how many benefits you enioy And in the middest of their wants they must thinke of Gods benefits that they might reioice looke into your soule meditate vpon the graces of God in it if you haue any thinke vpon faith hope and charitie with the feare of God and such like which the Lord in mercie hath bestowed vpon you and reioyce in them Be not stil harping all of one string of your wants for that will giue you but one tune of sorrow But as Dauid sayth I will sing Mercie and Iudgement Psal 101.1 vnto thee O Lord will I sing So let vs haue two strings at the least to our harpe one of our wants and another of Gods benefits that is consider you as well of Gods benefits as of his crosses and more of them than of the other because you had need to find out matter of ioy the cause of sorrow will offer it selfe vnto you fast ynough And therefore if the string of your sorrow be somewhat too high let it downe lower and stretch vp the cord of your ioy one note higher that is thinke more of the causes of your ioy and lesse of the causes of your sorrow and thus your instrument shall well accord and make good musicke which was too dolefull and vntunable before And thus the more cunning you are and the more you can doe the better harmonie shall you make to your selfe and others that is the more you shall reioyce euen then when to the worldward you haue cause of nothing but sorrow Act. 16.23 Thus shall it come to passe That as Paule and Silas after extreame whipping being cast into prison and into a dungeon and had their feet made fast in the stockes did sing Psalmes vnto God at midnight so shall you reioyce in the middest of your affliction be it neuer so great For they at this present not only or not so much considered their imprisonment beating and stocking which did minister nothing to them but matter of griefe but rather other great benefits and fauours of God which with them they enioyed and so must you doe likewise consider the one as well as the other So shall not onely your selues haue comfort but God shall haue prayse and for want of this wise consideration of both neither haue you ioy in your selues nor God honour from you in that estate though he hath giuen you sufficient cause of both And as for the rich what great cause of ioy they haue in the multitude of so many great benefits as they enioy of whom it may be truly said as the Apostle saith of the Gentiles Act. 14.17 when he preached vnto them That God had filled their hearts with food and gladnesse themselues do best know I need say little or nothing to them So that in such an estate as many are in if they cannot reioyce but liue in heauinesse and discontentedly whereby they can neither serue God so cheerefully nor praise him so continually as they should they are altogether vnworthie of all I need not therefore say any thing to them their owne eyes and hands their backes and their bellies can tell them sufficiently what cause they haue to reioyce What cause the rich haue to liue ioyfully and comfortably their apparrell and their clothing
wherewith they are kept from cold when others goe halfe naked quake for cold their food in aboundance and of the best both for necessitie and delight when others are pinched with hunger haue but bread and drinke and not ynough of that who themselues and their children do eat by measure and by weight to draw out their food at length their soft and warme lodging when others lie hard and cold and scarcely can be warme all night These and many things els can put them in mind from day to night and from night to day what great cause they haue to reioyce aboue many others Let them then in the name of God so consider of them that they may reioyce for God hath giuen them to them to that end as Salomon saith in the booke of the Preacher Eccle. 2.24 That this is the fruit of all that a man can haue of all that he hath to eat and to drinke and to reioyce in the blessings of God and yet that also is the gift of God as he confesseth there Therefore they aboue all others must confesse that God hath giuen them great cause of ioy and nothing can so befall them vnlesse God take all away from them as hee did from Iob but they must needs acknowledge that still they haue cause to reioice So that it is not onely lawfull for them in and for these to reioice but it is necessarie that they should doe so and it is required at their hands insomuch that if they were so blind that they would not confesse that they had great cause of ioy all men would by the benefits which they enioy in great number witnesse against them and if they were so froward that they would not reioice all men would condemne them for it And thus we see that all sorts in respect of Gods benefits which he hath bestowed vpon them haue cause to reioice The prayse of God must be the fruit of our ioy But what is to be done in this ioy and for all these causes of ioy it followeth in the next words of the text on this wise And set vp our banners in the name of our God that is praise God for them for we see here how they are ioyned together That we may reioice in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of the Lord our God So they say that this should be the fruit of their ioy they would praise God in it for the cause of it And this ought to be the fruit of true ioy in all men and for all things For as all good and godly sorrow should driue vs vnto prayer that God might turne that away from vs or remooue it for which we doe sorrow so on the contrarie all true and godly ioy should driue vs to thankesgiuing for that which is the cause of our ioy And as herein godly and wordly sorrow differ that the one many times driueth to despaire or causeth sicknesse and so death in the end 2. Cor. 7.10 the other causeth repentance neuer to bee repented of and so prayer to God for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes which haue iustly brought vpon vs that cause of sorrow So on the other side herein godly ioy differeth from worldly ioy the one maketh a man secure and to forget God and to rest in himselfe and sometimes to be prophane and to keep no measure in things but to abuse that that he hath but the other inlargeth the heart to praise God and maketh him to goe out of the things themselues the causes of his ioy vnto God the author of them And thus doth the Apostle very excellently by these fruits note out vnto vs true sorrow Iam. 5.13 and true ioy when he saith Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merrie let him sing where hee maketh prayer the fruit of sorrow in affliction and thankesgiuing the fruit of ioy in Gods benefits And S. Paule doth shew vs at large the difference betweene the worldly ioy of the wicked and the godly ioy of the righteous when he sayth to the Ephesians Ephe. 5.18 Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be fulfilled with the spirit speaking vnto your selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts And therein true ioy differeth from all worldly ioy giuing thankes alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein one kind as in feasting which is lawfull and common to the good and bad and which is an honest means to make men merry and glad hee sheweth the diuersitie of the mirth of the one and of the other The men of this world they exceed and fall into the abuse of Gods creatures sometimes till they be drunken or haue surfeited and so also giue themselues vnto that mirth which is excessiue and immoderat and sometimes yea commonly ioyned with prophane scoffing or some wickednesse The children of God vsing his creatures soberly and in his presence euen at their feasts doe thereby prouoke one another to prayse God and make themselues merry in God and as in his sight VVee see then what should be the fruit of our ioy in Gods benefits namely the prayse of God and to what end also hee giueth to vs so many things wherein we may reioyce euen that he might haue the whole glorie and prayse of them So that whether we be poore or we be rich haue we more or haue we lesse to reioyce in this must be the fruit of all that we praise God for such things as make vs to reioyce And so as there is none in the world but hee hath some cause of ioy so the Lord looketh for continuall prayse at the hands of vs all but as many haue more cause to reioyce than others Thus all haue cause to praise God by reason of the manifold blessings which they enioy aboue them so he looketh for more prayse and thankes at their hands than of others as there is good cause For to whom much is giuen of them much shall be required VVhich if they doe not labour to performe and profit by Gods benefits and by their ioy in them to that end it may come to passe that the wicked may haue as much ioy in the things that they possesse as themselues yea the very vnreasonable creatures and the brute beasts in their kind for if our ioy end not in the prayse of God what are we better for it than they Therefore it is not ynough for a man to say I liue merrily and at my hearts ease I haue many causes of ioy I am void of sorrow and griefe I haue nothing that doth trouble me but am in continuall mirth it is not ynough I say to be in this estate and thus to boast and say but we must labour to be thankefull vnto God for it who is the cause of it let our ioy in these
things lead vs vnto him then shall it appeare in truth that our ioy is not so much carnall as spirituall not altogether worldly but heauenly Thus haue the seruants of God behaued themselues in time past in the midst of their ioy as that good king Iehoshaphat and his people when God gaue them victorie ouer their enemies according to their prayer euen ouer that great hoast of the Ammonites and the Moabites and those of mount Seir of whom it is thus written 2 Chron. 20 25. That they destroyed one another So that when Iudah came to Mizpeh in the wildernesse they looked vnto the multitude The godly haue ended their greatest ioy with thāksgiuing and behold the carkasses were fallen on the earth and none escaped and when Iehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoile of them they found among them in abundance both of substance and also of bodies laden with pretious iewels which they tooke for themselues till they could cary no longer for they were three dayes in gathering of the spoile for it was much Then euery man of Iudah and Ierusalem returned with Iehoshaphat their head to goe againe to Ierusalem with ioy for the Lord had made them to reioyce ouer their enemies Thus they reioyced greatly as they had cause both for the victory and for the spoile but what followed vpon that the praise of God for it is said in the verse going before That in the fourth day they assembled themselues in the valley of Berachah for there they blessed the Lord therefore they called the name of the place the valley of Berachah that is of blessing or praysing of God vnto this day So that as their ioy was great so was their thankesgiuing and praise to God great and famous so that the place had the name of it And they did not tarrie vntill they came home to Ierusalem to giue thankes there which yet it is most like that afterwards they did but euen in that place where God gaue them cause of ioy and whilest that lasted that they might doe it the better So we see that they practised that which is spoken of here they so reioyced in the saluation that God gaue to the king and to all the people that they did set vp their banners in his name when he had fulfilled their petitions which they had made vnto him before So must we also in all feares that we be in when God shall deliuer vs out of them as he did these and so giue vs cause to reioyce we must prayse his name for it as they did As for example when it shall please God to put an end euery where vnto this great mortalitie of the pestilence that hath a long time beene in many places of this land and is still then all shall haue cause to reioyce So must we do when God shall make vs glad by taking away this plague But as we meet now from weeke to weeke and from day to day to pray to God for it so must wee then meet againe in the valley of Berachah to prayse him for it that is we must publickely and often meet to giue thankes vnto him and to set vp our banners in his name that hath so gratiously fulfilled our petitions And in the meane season looke in how many feares we haue beene in either of that or of any other thing and haue escaped it and so now we are glad we must yeeld so many prayses vnto God for the same That vertuous woman Hannah when she had by prayer obtained the benefit of a sonne she greatly reioyced as she had cause and as she confesseth her selfe saying My soule reioyceth in the Lord my horne is exalted in the Lord 1. Sam. 2.1 c. Before that she was sad and wept and could not eat her meat nor hide her griefe because her barrennesse was reprochfull vnto her but now she reioyceth and in this ioy looketh vp to God and prayseth him saying Mine heart reioyceth in the Lord and she maketh a song of thankesgiuing vnto God as appeareth by the wordes following So must we doe in all the benefits that God bestoweth vpon vs I meane not only reioyce in them as naturall men but prayse God for them as spirituall that so our ioy might be such as it should Let vs then consider in the feare of God how many times we haue reioyced and that with exceeding great ioy when God hath had no praise nor thanks from vs at all know assuredly that that ioy hath not bin rightly ordered for God doth make vs reioice not for our selues alone but for himselfe also yea principally that he might be praysed for it Therefore we must be carefull that these two goe together alwayes namely our owne reioycing and the prayse of God As the blessed virgin Marie doth ioyne them together in her song Luke 1.56 My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour where she ioyneth her owne ioy with the praise of God and maketh the one the cause of the other So that whether wee ioy in the common benefits of our time wee must prayse God for them as Iehoshaphat and his people did or wee reioyce in our priuat benefits as Hannah and Marie did we must prayse God for them so shall our ioy be not onely comfortable to our selues Our ioy and Gods prayse should goe together but acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto others when as the more benefits that we haue the more we reioyce and the more we reioyce the more thankefull are we to God for the same VVe doe not therefore find fault with myrth we forbid not men to be merry be it farre from vs that we should be so Stoicall seuere nay we exhort all men to it and shew that they ought when God giueth them cause only that kind of myrth is condemned in the Scripture which tendeth to the dishonour of God or when they fall into excesse or they cannot be merry but they will be mad also as we say so that they throw firebrands and deadly things and say Prou. 26.19 They are but in sport as Solomon speaketh of them or that kind of myrth wherein God hath no prayse at all which is the best kind of myrth that the wicked and men of this world haue VVe allow of that wherein God is praysed and of that onely for though we be not bound in all our myrth to sing Psalmes neither indeed can we yet after all our myrth both for it and for all causes of it we should giue thankes vnto God But many are so farre from this that they reioyce in such things for which they cannot prayse God yea for such which it is shame once to name whom we leaue vnto God that he may giue them better minds others though they haue cause of honest and lawfull ioy yet they forget to be thankefull for it for whom let vs pray also and for our selues
that is my father is old and will shortly die and then I must mourne for him which though hee spake with an ill mind and to an ill end for in the hatred of his brother Iaakob he comforted himselfe that he might shortly kill him when his father was dead yet nature the good education which he had had taught him to confesse that when his father died he should haue cause to mourne Therefore if there were no commaundement of God to bind them vnto it or any other reason to persuade them this were sufficient to mooue them to pray for the life and health of their parents that themselues might still reioyce and not be gracelesse as to thinke that if their fathers were dead they should be merry liue wel ynough yea better than they do now so not to care whether they liue or die yea to wish rather that they were dead than aliue as there are too many such in the world who in a wrong persuasion gape after their fathers death as Absolon did but God can well ynough disappoint thē of their long hope as he did him We ought to pray for the good of others that we might reioyce therein But this doctrine is yet more generall and doth concerne euery one of vs and sheweth that wee ought to beare that affection of brotherly loue all of vs one towards another that we should desire and pray for the good and welfare one of another not onely that they themselues but that wee might reioyce in that good which God shall bestow vpon them at our prayers and if we were thus affected in loue to the good one of another then should we pray a great deale more often and more effectually than we doe For this is that which the Apostle teacheth vnto the Romanes Be of like affection one to another saith he and how reioyce with them that reioyce and weepe with them that weepe where he would haue vs so affected with the estate of our brethrē that if God blesseth them we should reioyce with them if he afflict and punish them any way we should sorrow with them and so we should count their sorrow and ioy our owne and therefore when they are in any destresse we should pray for their deliuerance that we might reioyce with them and in them And truly if we come to pray for our brethren with this affection as our sauiour Christ hath taught vs willing vs to say Giue vs our daily bread c. so that we should pray for others as for our selues we might obtaine great things for them Therefore when we pray for any let vs put their estate vpon vs be moued with it as though it were our owne and so speake to God for them as for our selues and thinke that if God shall blesse them we shall reioyce And this measure of loue in prayer the more that we can come vnto the more assurance may we haue that God will heare vs for them nay indeed without it we can haue little or none at all that God will heare vs for any As for example if any in their sicknesse doe desire that we should pray for them here in the Church and we doe so we must desire their health and recouerie not onely that the partie himselfe prayed for might reioyce and his familie wife and children and the rest of his friends but that we all might be glad and comforted by his life and health and we must account his recouerie our ioy and thinke that if God shall heare vs for him we our selues shall be bound to giue thankes vnto God for it And when the Lord shall see that that will be matter of ioy vnto many then will he the sooner bestow it vpon vs. And thus doth the Apostle speake of the sickenesse and of the recouerie of Epaphroditus a minister of the Gospell in the Church of Philippi Philip. 2.25 I supposed it necessarie to send him vnto you for he longed after you all and was full of heauinesse because he had heard that he had beene sicke and no doubt hee was sicke very neere vnto death but God had mercie on him and not on him onely but on mee also least I should haue sorrow vpon sorrow Thus if he had died Paule and all the rest of the Church of God should haue sorrowed for the losse of such a worthy instrument of the glorie of God therefore they being in great heauinesse alreadie God would not by taking him away increase their griefe by this new cause of sorrow but as they all desired his life for their further comfort so God did rayse him vp that they all might reioyce Few pray for their brethren with this affection But for the most part men are not thus affected with the estate of their brethren no not when they pray for them but for want of loue as if their affliction continue still vpon them they will not greatly sorrow for them so if it bee remooued and taken away they will not greatly reioyce but it is all one with them howsoeuer it falleth out with them and so it commeth to passe as it must needs that they pray very coldly and therefore obtaine very little or nothing for them And yet our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs as was said euen now to pray with this affection and fellow-feeling of the estate of others both in soule and bodie where he hath commaunded vs to say Giue vs this day our dayly bread and forgiue vs our trespasses and lead vs not into tentation c. So that when we pray for others we should account their estate our owne But men commonly through selfe-loue which raigneth in them are so taken vp wholly into their owne estate that they can neither sorrow nor reioyce nor any wayes bee mooued with any thing but with that which concerneth themselues The Apostle writing to the Corinthians giueth a reason of this sympathie that should bee among all the true beleeuers drawne from a comparison of the parts of the naturall bodie among which they all haue the same care one for another and the same affection both of ioy and sorrow 1. Cor. 12.25 when he sayth thus God hath tempered the bodie together and hath giuen more honour to that part which lacked least there should be any diuision in the bodie but that the members should haue the same care one for another Therefore if one member suffer all suffer with it So ought it to be in the mysticall bodie of Christ which we are and euery one of vs members of the same as he sayth there Vers 27. Now yee are the bodie of Christ and members for your part Therefore as when any part of the bodie is pained all the rest by a naturall instinct desire the ease of it not onely for the benefit of it but for their owne comfort which otherwise cannot be quiet so should we by the motion of Gods spirit much more pray for
by experience though God haue giuen them something Mich. 3.4 Zach. 7.13 for a man may once or twice do for his enemie and for him whom he neuer meaneth to gratifie any more Another cause then why wee haue so little knowledge in the time of our need that God will heare vs is that we haue so little acquainted our selues with prayer and that we haue not done as the Apostle willeth vs namely Phil. 4.6 in all things made our requests knowne vnto God in supplication and prayer that is we haue not so often prayed vnto him as wee haue need and so we haue not that experience that we might haue had Seeing then that this is a great blessing of God which is or should be desired of all namely to know when we pray that God will heare vs let vs come often vnto him in prayer and that I may vse the words of S. Paule In all places and vpon all occasions lift vp pure hands vnto God that we may haue often talk with God and be as it were well acquainted with him and so by experience know what account we may make of his helpe And that our experience herein might be such as it ought we must not onely pray often as hath beene said before but especially we must well see and diligently marke how God graunteth our requests and alwayes consider what hath followed vpon our prayers And then wee must marke what followeth vpon our prayers And this is that that Dauid sayth of himselfe Psal 5.4 Heare my voice in the morning O Lord for earely in the morning I will direct my prayer vnto thee and I will wait where he saith That when he had prayed vnto God he would tarrie Gods leisure and consider what followed vpon his prayers For all good experience ariseth not so much of the often practise of a thing as of the wise and diligent obseruation of the euent of it insomuch that some shall vse a thing very often and yet make little or no vse of it at all to themselues as we see some neuer marke what meat or drinke doth hurt them But the skilfull physition that hath often prescribed a medicine against such a disease and hath marked in his patient how it hath wrought and how he hath been cured by it thereby gathereth a certaine knowledge that this medicine is good for the cure of such a disease for saith he I haue not only often giuen it but haue found that many haue been cured by it and thus all rules of that art as of all other arise of experience that is of marking what was the effect of such a cause So then when a man hath not onely often prayed vnto God but hath also marked how he hath obtained his requests at the hand of God then specially from the promises of God and secondly from his owne experience of the truth of them hee gathereth a certaine knowledge that God will heare him for he considereth how according to that goodnesse that is in him and the truth of his promises he hath oftentimes heard him before Otherwise it may come to passe that though the Lord hath often heard vs For want of this we haue not that assurance from experience that we might and that in many things if we either through negligence haue not regarded it or through carelesnesse haue forgotten it we can haue little knowledge in the time of our need that he will heare vs. And thus the Lord many times in iustice punisheth the vnthankefulnesse of men who marke not his fatherly dealing towards themselues for their owne comfort and the praise of his name that though he hath often holpen them and all the world hath seene it yet in their greatest need they are in as much doubt of his goodnesse and pray with as great distrust as though he had neuer done any thing for them before As on the other side he thus in mercy and fauour plentifully rewardeth the thankfulnesse of those that often pray and call vpon him in the time of their trouble and also carefully marke and diligently remember what hee hath done for them to prayse his holy name for the same that by this good experience they know what he will doe for them for the time to come And thus it falleth out when we haue any dealing with men Thus is it when we haue any dealing with men as when in any distresse we shall be in such case that we know not whom to seeke to for helpe and we complaining of it one should say to vs Goe to such a man and then we should say nay for I know not what he will doe for me he neuer did any thing for me yet and therefore I haue no great cause to presume of his helpe Then the other shall say to vs againe yea that is not so for I remember my selfe how at such a time in such a need you had great succour and comfort from him then we being not able to denie it should say It is true indeed as you say but my memorie is so ill that I had cleane forgotten it Are we not here iustly punished for our vnthankefulnesse to doubt of a mans good will there where there was no cause So is it when by forgetting Gods mercifull dealing towards vs we doubt of his goodnesse in the greatest time of our need without any iust cause But otherwise he that well beareth in mind what benefits from time to time hee receiueth of men to be thankefull vnto them for the same he can in any distresse presently tell what to doe and say to his owne comfort as namely I will goe to such a man for I remember how often he hath done for me heretofore So fareth it with all them that marke what God hath done for them In this respect therefore it is requisit that we keepe a register of all Gods benefits We must therfore keepe a register of Gods benefits Psal 103.1 and say to our selues as Dauid doth Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Especially we must marke diligently what things he hath done at our prayers the same Dauid also saith of himselfe This poore man cried Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all troubles And as hee in some cases did make speciall Psalmes which beare the titile of remembrance and they were made specially that by them he might keepe a thankefull memorie of Gods benefits Psal 38. so ought we to doe some thing to helpe our memorie this way especially when we see how forgetfull we are of them that so vpon long experience we might say I know that God will heare and helpe me Therefore when we haue prayed for any common benefit or for any deliuerance as feare of enemies and such like when we haue prayed in the Church here for any that haue beene sicke when for others in other cases priuatly when for our selues at home
are found in Shushan and fast yee for me and eate not nor drinke in three dayes day nor night I also and my maids will fast likewise And so they did and God heard their prayer and did not forsake her in this thing whereunto he had called her Thus in a matter of great moment which was full also of great difficultie and wherein she did hazard her life being persuaded that God had called her vnto it she prayeth for her selfe and others also for her that God would helpe her and heare her in heauen and he did so Thus did Iaakob cōfort himselfe in a dangerous voyage whereunto God had called him VVhich is written for our instruction and comfort to shew vs what wee should doe and in doing what we may looke for from God in the like case And from hence also did Iaakob comfort himselfe in the like danger and this was the ground of his prayer who in his retunrne from Laban did heare that his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men then he remembring his former threats was greatly afraid and sore troubled and after other things that he did for the defence and safegard of his companie he prayeth vnto God after this manner O God of my father Abraham Gen 32.9 and God of my father Izaack Lord which saydest vnto me returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother c. VVhere we see that as it appeareth in the former part of this story as he did not vndertake this iourney to Laban at the first of his owne head neither did voluntarily forsake his fathers house without cause like some roiotous children who cannot tell when they are well and as the prodigall sonne did but went away with his fathers liking and leaue and with his blessing for Izaack blessed Iaakob and sayd Get thee to Padan Aram to the house of Bethuel Gen. 28.1 thy mothers father and thence take thee a wife of the daughters of Laban thy mothers brother c. So hee returned from thence Chap. 31.3 not of his owne priuat motion but by the commaundement of God who said vnto him Turne againe into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will bee with thee And therefore when this great danger did befall him in the way hee remembreth that hee had a calling from God to this voyage and so prayeth to God that hee that had called him would defend him and as he had commaunded him to goe and hee did it at his commaundement so he would not forsake him in it or suffer him to perish in the mid way by the crueltie of his brother Esau saying Lord which saidest vnto me Returne into thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother c. And so the Lord did not onely heare his prayer and defend him but assure him of it beforehand by a vision of an Angell that wrestled with him all night Chap. 32.24 and could not preuaile against him and by the change of his name from Iaakob to Israel to teach him that which was then said vnto him For God hath promised to defend vs in all our lawfull wayes Psal 91.10 Because thou hast had power with God thou shalt also preuaile with men And this is that which is generally promised to all those that in their callings follow the wayes of God namely that he will defend them in all dangers that may befall them in the same when as it is said There shall none euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and Aspe the yong lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder feet that is Gods Angels shall keepe vs in all those wayes that are most dangerous when we keepe our selues within the compasse of our callings And thus much for these words It followeth in the text By the mightie helpe of his right hand As in the former words hee did strengthen his owne faith and the faith of the people by the consideration of his calling that he was the annointed of the Lord The mightie helpe of Gods right hand so in these words he doth the same by the meditation of the omnipotent power of God who was able to giue great helpe aboue all power of man For in a figuratiue speech by the right hand of God is meant the strength and power of God because that as man commonly hath most strength in his right hand so to our capacitie and vnderstanding though the Lord be a spirit and hath no bodie and so consequently no hand yet the Scripture attributeth vnto him an arme an hand and a right hand as when it is said in the Psalme Psal 44.3 They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou fauouredst them And thus Moses with the rest of the people in their song of thankesgiuing for the destruction of Pharoah and his hoast in the red sea doe speake of the power of God Exod. 15.6 Thy right hand O Lord is glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath brused the enemie that is as men by the strength of their right hand doe bruse a thing in pieces so the Lord by his great power had vtterly destroyed and brought to nought Pharoah and his great hoast which like enemies pursued them euen into the sea They confirm their faith by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power Now this great power of his they set before their eyes to this end that though their enemies were manie and mightie yet the Lord was greater than all and stronger than they and had power aboue them and so as they had prayed to him for his defence so they beleeue that he would heare them and helpe them according to the same power of his As Elisha said vnto his seruant who when he saw the chariots and horses and great hoast which the king of Aram had sent to Dotham to take them cried out for feare 2. King 6.15 Alas master how shall we doe Feare not sayd he they that be with vs are moe than they that be with them hee meaneth that God was with them whose power to defend them was greater than all the power of their aduersaries to hurt them And that the power of God in all things is so infinit that he is alwayes able to defend his seruants against all the power of their enemies be it neuer so great is most euident both in the Scripture and by daily experence so that there need not any great
and people to rule than he and so his kingdome much bigger yet that was the cause of the ouerthrow and vtter ruine almost of his house For to say nothing of this how Edom presently rebelled and fell away from him and made a king ouer them Vers 8. nor how Iehoram fell into idolatrie after the manner of the kings of Israel and compelled the people thereunto Otherwise they may fall out to a clean contrary end for which he came to a miserable end being sicke of sore diseases so that his guts fell out at the end of two yeares all his children afterwards were slaine by the Aramites sauing the youngest whom they made king in his fathers roome and this man Ahaziah was slaine by Iehu Chap. 22.7 and it is said that his destruction came of God in that he went to Ioram his fathers brother by mariage being the sonne of Ahab for when he was come to him he went foorth with Iehoram against Iehu the sonne of Nimshi whom the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Ahab And so doth it fall out with many in this kind euen in our daies when they doe not commend their purposes to God in prayer to direct them and blesse them as Iehoshaphat though a good man yet in this action had not his direction from God neither is it set downe in the text that he sought it of him But it fell out well in the marriage of Izaak But it succeeded more happily with Abraham who when he sent his seruant to prouide a wife for his sonne Izaack as he did direct him in the right way and assured him of good successe by the promise of God Gen. 24 7. saying That he would send his Angell before him so this man his seruant prayed vnto God that he would prosper him Verse 42. O Lord God of my master Abraham if thou now prosper my iourney which I goe c. And Izaack also for whom this marriage was sought did not neglect to pray vnto God for good successe and to fulfill his fathers good purpose towards him Verse 63. for it is said that whiles his fathers seruant was in his iourney he went out to pray in the field toward the euening and so God did heare all their prayers and gaue good successe to this purpose of mariage So is it in all matters for the world So is it for matters of the world a man thinketh to enrich himselfe and therefore he mindeth to buy sell or to take a farme or to deale in marchandise c. and euen the same things turne to his vtter decay and by that meanes they find it to be true Psal 127.2 That it is in vaine to rise vp early and to goe to bed late and to fare hardly for either in them they shall not prosper or els there shall come some great losse that shall hinder them that they might learne by experience to commend all their purposes to God in prayer Therefore whatsoeuer good we purpose either for our selues or for our children or for our friends let vs pray heartely vnto God to fulfill them els we may purpose one thing and God by the same meanes that we vse shall bring to passe another And how God can alter mens purposes we see it in the example of Iacob God can alter all mens purposes Gen. 37.14 and of his children He sent his sonne Ioseph into the fields to his brethren who were there keeping of his sheepe with this errand Goe see whether it be well with thy brethren and how the flockes prosper and bring me word againe Thus we see what he purposed in sending him forth But when he came among them they sold him into another countrey and sent his coat home to his father dipped in blood as though he had been slaine with some wild beast so Iacob was disappointed of his purpose And so were the brethren of Ioseph also for first of all they sought to kill him and after they sold him for a seruant that he might neuer be aboue them according to that which God had shewed him in dreames but by this meanes he came into Aegypt and there in processe of time he was made ruler of the whole land and in the time of famine his brethren came thither to buy corne bowed before him did him great reuerence when they knew it not and so Gods purpose was established and not theirs who had sent him thither beforehand for their preseruation Chap. 48.5 as himselfe afterwards doth confesse vnto them The like may be said of our owne iournies As when they purpose any iournie A man shall purpose such a thing to goe to such a place at such a time and either things shall so fall out from day to day that he shall not compasse it and so it shall still be deferred against his will or els when he doth go things shall fall out otherwise with him than he thought and so he shall goe to another end than he purposed at the first And this the Apostle Paule by good obseruation confesseth of himselfe Rom. 1.10 That he had a long time purposed to come to Rome that he might preach the Gospell there to them as he had done vnto others yet he was put off from the execution of this purpose many yeares and at the last he commeth thither but after another manner and not as he looked for for he was sent thither as a prisoner and was caried by force he being compelled beforehand by the malice of the Iewes who sought to kill him secretly Act. 23.12 and fortie men had bound themselues with an oath to doe it to appeale vnto Caesar the Emperour of Rome Let vs therefore submit all our purposes to the will of God Thus he had not his purpose in his iourney when and as he would Therefore let vs submit all our purposes vnto the will of God and desire him to haue them fulfilled so farre forth as it pleaseth him as Paule did praying that at one time or other he might haue a prosperous iourny by the will of God to come vnto them and when we see that it is not his will as Paule sayth Rom. 1.13 he was hetherto letted let vs be contented to stay at home and to be crossed in our purposes And yet if our desires be good let vs continue in them and pray as he did that at one time or other we might haue a prosperous iourney by the will of God And let vs not be so obstinatly set vpon any thing as the manner of some is that we should be restlesse when we haue not our mind and purpose in euery thing for then if we be headstrong as the Lord can hinder vs whether we will or no so if we will needs doe according to our owne purpose we shall find that all things shall not fall out as we looked for And this we see plainely in