graine of his Wheate shall be lost g Amos 9. 8 9. he will either keepe them out of the furnace or preserve them in it hee will either save them from the judgement it selfe or from the evill of it that it shall not hurt them one way or other he wil be an hiding place a Isay 32. 2. Isay 8. 14. and a Sanctuary to his own servants as here he promiseth to save his servant Moses so this unchangeable God with whom is no respect of persons wil doubtlesse doe the like for them Thirdly he will not onely save their persons but also recompence their losses if Moses lose his principalitie God will give him another it shall be the raysing not the overthrow of his house if any of Gods servants shall with Amaziah be troubled for losse of their offices lands revennues or mony as hee for his hundred talents c 2 Chro. 25. 9. the answer of the man of God may satisfie him Is not the Lord able to give thee more then this First for losses voluntary have you willingly laid out much for Christ in the service of the Church and State remember how God dealt with Abraham d Heb. 11. 8. he in obedience to God and for his sake left his native country all he had and yet was no loser for the Lord recompenced his losse and gave him a better for it Secondly for losses castigatory consider how God dealt with Job he was plundered by the Chaldeans at one time and by the Sabeans at another even quite undone yet the Lord raised him up to a greater estate then ever e Job 42. 1◠Vse Now therefore Gods people have cause to bee well contented to suffer with patience the spoyling of their goods not only upon this ground that they shall have in heaven a better and an enduring substance f Heb. 10. 34 But also even in this life they shal have an hundred fold g Marke 10. 30. Not onely that which is equivalent in spirituall graces but also even in outward things so farre as shall bee for their spirituall good They shall be no losers as our Saviour promiseth that in all the troubles that were to come upon the world they should not be an haire the worser h Luk. 21. 12 The rivers emptie themselves into the Sea and the Sea fils all their channels againe and so will the Lord returne backe whatsoever his servants lay out upon him nay they shall be gainers they scatter and are the more encreased i Prov. 11. 24. Now wee are come to the last point The Lords intimation of the remedy let me alone that c. which how howsoever it seemeth to be a prevention of Moses his mediation yet as Augustine Non pracipiendo sed monendo et exprimendo quid illum a supplicio revocet Aug. in Exo. q. 149. well observes the words doe not carry in them a prohibition of Moses praying but an intimation of the remedy that would stay his hand from destroying and an indirect incouragement to the use of this remedy of prayer for them whetting his desires and blowing backe the flame to make it burne the faster and this use Moses made of it for in the next Verse wee finde him earnestly praying and mediating for them so that from hence this truth naturally ariseth Doctr. 6 That the fervent prayers of Gods people are the most effectuall meanes to save a stiff-necked people from present ruine This here the Lord intimates and the event proved it so for upon the earnest prayer of Moses we finde Verse 14. that the Lord changed his minde from the evill he intended against them a Exod. 32. 14. and which he had brought upon them had not Moses stood in the gap b Psal 106. 23. We reade that the prayers of the Church did great things on the behalfe of Peter c Act. 12. 5 6 c. brake open the prison doores made his chaines fall off made the Iron gate flie open of its owne accord and so removed all obstacles that might hinder his enlargement I confes here were the prayers of many for one so the lesse wōder but we may reade of Jacob d Hos 12. 4. that when his brother came against him with an army he alone by his prayers and teares so prevailed with God that he obtained a glorious victory not conquering the Army but overcomming his brothers heart that all ended in Gen. 32. 24. 33 4. brotherly complements expressions of love in a sweet agreement We finde one Lot prevailing for a whole Citie f Gen. 19. 20. and Abraham for five Cities g Gen. 18. 32. and Deborah by her prayers trode downe the Churches enemies h Jud. 5. 21. And if fasting and prayer will cast out Devils why not the Churches enemies i Mat. 17. 21 and if the prayer of faith will save a sicke person from the naturall death k Iam. 5. 15. why not a sicke dying State from a civill death And yet howsoever the prayers of Gods people are effectuall meanes yet have we no certaine assurance that they shall actually save such a stiffe-necked people from ruine and therefore we finde the promises made to encourage men to seeke the Lord in a time of publike danger for such a people to be set downe in a doubtfull manner with an if in respect of the contingencie of the event if God will thinke upon us that we perish not l Jona 1. 6. and who knoweth if God will turne from his fierce wrath that we perish not m Jona 3. 9. Jo. 2. 14. For first their prayers may be so faulty in the manner that they may become vaine and fruitlesse performances n Isa 1. 13. and Saint James tels us that oftentimes the cause why men are not successefull in their designes is either because they sought not God by prayer or failed in the manner Yee have not because yee aske amisse o Iam. 4 2 3. Or secondly the sinnes of a Nation may be so great in themselves and so aggravated and the Lord so wearied in repenting p Ier. 15. 6. in often calling backe his anger and reversing his sentence that had gone out against them that he peremptorily resolves to repent no more yea though Daniel Noah and Joab though holy men should entreat for them yet shall they save but their owne soules q Ezek. 14. 14 Or thirdly the safety of a Nation is but a temporall blessing though a great one and we have no absolute promise to obtaine them by our prayers indeed spirituall mercies are bona absoluta and bona bonum habentem facientia they are ever good to him that hath them and therefore we have an absolute promise to speed in our Mat. 7. 11. Luke 11. 13. prayers for them he will never deny things truly good to them that aske But outward blessings are only bona
10 yee shall soone have a gracious answer to your prayers from the Lord and prosperity shall come like light after darknesse as the morning after a sad darke night of adversity yea the Almighty Job 29. 4. shall shine upon your Tabernacles as in former times Now therefore the same caveat which our Saviour gives for hearing let me Luke 8. 18. givee for praying Take heed how yee pray Vse 4 In the fourth place the consideration of the premisses may shew us what to thinke of the present condition of our Kingdome and how the Lord intends to deale with us If we looke upon the face of the Kingdome we cannot deny but the wickednesse of the Land is very great the sinnes great in themselves universally spread many wayes aggravated and people hardened by the refusall of grace offered in the meanes and so like the Israelites a stiffenecked people which is ground of feare But then withall it cannot be denied but that still we are the Lords flocke a true visible Church having the true Religion professed among us and that we have many of the true servants of God among us for whose sake we have cause to hope that the Lord will spare the Nation Againe we have indeed the forme of godlinesse among us and doe draw neare to God in praying hearing fasting and in the use of all the ordinances as if we were a most righteous Nation which is matter of comfort But withall there is a generall want of the power the soule and the life of godlinesse they pray and fast and yet their hands full of bloud they pray and yet grow worse and worse this is matter of feare Indeed our Ship is in jeopardy the winds and waves very strong upon it and some holy men though I hope not many not affected with it no more then Jonah in the storme the Amalekites are many and strong our enemies that are risen up against us are many and extreamly enraged which is matter of feare But then we know they are Gods enemies as well as ours and we have many holy men every where like Moses mediating and interceding for us as Moses for Israel like Abraham putting up prayer after prayer as he for sinfull Sodome and with Jacob wrastling day and night with the Lord for us which is ground of comfort So that like Nabuchadnezzars image we stand upon feete part of iron and part of clay staggering betweene hope and feare we doe not certainly know what the Lord will doe But for our comfort we finde that the prayers of Moses reversed the Lords sentence gone out then against stiffenecked Israel and we hope the like prayers may prevaile for sinfull England Vse 5 The fifth and last is a Use of exhortation which is three-fold 1. Part. 1. To all men whatsoever to stirre them up to a twofold duty First that by true repentance they would gather themselves to seeke the Lord that they would labour to get into such a condition that they might be able to doe some good to themselves and others by their prayers First the Kingdome is in danger and hath need of good mens prayers perhaps there may want five Gen. 18. Ezek. â—â— 30. of the Lords number perhaps there may want but a man to stand in the gap a few may turne the scale If not yet secondly thou shalt save thine owne soule at least thy prayer shall be with much comfort returned into thine owne bosome whereas if we doe not get into a praying condition What will yee doe in the day of destruction Psal 35. 13. whither will yee flie and with whom will yee leave your glory there Isa 10. 3. is no creature on earth to fly unto or in whose hands we can safely deposite any thing that is deare unto us now when we have no friends on earth to have God an enemy too to have our hearts shut up that we cannot pray and heaven also that we cannot prevaile surely this condition is wofull Now therefore we should labour for the Kingdomes sake and our owne to get into a praying condition But if you will not be perswaded to this yet secondly bee intreated at least thus farre by all loving and respectfull usage to give encouragement to holy men to be much in prayer for the Land the Persians were wont to give divine honour to the Sunne not so much because it was so glorious a creature but because an instrument of so much good to the world all creatures by its light influence being preserved and refreshed though we doe not deifie the publike instruments of good to Church or State yet good reason we should love and honour them and especially those that are the servants of the most high God who are a blessing in the middest of the earth they have power to doe great things as being the friends Act. 16. 2. Isa 19. 29 Isa 41. 8. Hos 12. 3. of God and having a prevailing power with God And therefore seeing their prayers like the prayers of Moses are so usefull to the Church of God good reason all should endeavour with Aaron and Hurr to keepe up their hearts and hands in prayer The second part of the exhortation is unto Gods owne servants earnestly to exhort them as Mordecai did Esther a Esth 4. 8. to 2. Part. goe to the King of heaven as hee to King Ahashuerosh and make petition and supplication before him for themselves and the kingdome So the Prophet Zephaniah b Zeph. 2. 3. finding little hope of prevailing in his exhortation to repentance in the two first Verses at the third Verse he addresseth himselfe to Gods owne people and exhorteth them to seeke the Lord that if they could not prevaile for the land that yet themselvs might be hid in the day of the Lords wrath as you can see further into the kingdomes danger then others by Prov. 22. 3. 2 Sam. 24. 16. an eye of faith seeing the sword stretched out over our Jerusalem ready to destroy it so also you are neere to the Lord and have more interest in him than Esther had with that Persian King you have the gift of prayer you have this powerfull engine to effect great things and shall there be a price in your hands and not an heart to Prov. 17. 16. Isa 62. 6 7. use it God forbid Therefore give mee leave to extend the Prophet Isays exhortation Isay 62. 6. 7. principally intended to the Lords watchmen unto all Gods people all yee that are mindfull of the Lord whether watchmen or people keepe not silence give the Lord no rest bee instant with him day and night for Ion. 1. 6. our Jerusalem and as the Shipmaster awakened Jonah checked him for his securitie when the ship was in danger and prest him to call upon the Lord for the common safetie so our ship being in the like danger let me exhort you to the same dutie and presse my exhortation with the same argument even earnestly to call upon God if so be that the Lord will thinke upon us that wee perish not and that you would entreat and plead with God for England as Moses here did for Israel The third part is to you my Lords and Gentlemen of the Parliament 3. Part. As the Lord hath raised you up above your brethren and as it were with Moses set you with him upon the Mount so my humble request unto you is that you will labour to bee holy as Moses was fit to come neare the Lord and to speake unto him And then like Moses to be deepely affected with your owne and Israels sinnes and earnestly to entreate and pleade with God for that people whom you represent As the Lord hath made you glorious creatures like Starres shining in your Orbes so withall he hath appointed that by your prayers and endeavours you should be in continuall motion night and day to communicate light and influence to the lower world The Lord hath raised you up above us as the Sunne the Clouds not to roule over our heads by Lordly preheminence but to refresh the dry earth below with fruitfull showers you have your praeesse propter prodesse as the Schoolemen speake God hath furnished you with abundance of this worlds goods as he hath filled the mothers breasts with milke not for her owne sake if shee keepes it up it is her owne hurt but to impart it to hungry babes that need it Unworthy great ones are like meteors when they are raised up though they carry a great luster yet are they ominous dismall signes of approaching evills they shine a while and vanish in a stinke of ignominie But great men should bee like the higher spheares as they guide the lower and sway them in their motions so should they imbrace and carry them in their bosomes and by their prayers and best endeavours seeke to procure the peoples good that they may worthily carry the name of patres patriae the fathers lovers and protectors of their country And so like Deborah the hearts of the people shall be towards the governours of Israel a Jud. 5. 9. they will love serve and honour you whiles you live and after death as your soules shall live in heaven so your names on earth and be had in everlasting remembrance b Psal 112. 6 FINIS
the evils removed that provoke the wrath of God by a through reformation as well as the outward judgement if by true repentance peace be not made with God as well as an outward peace in the Kingdome surely though the outward evils be cut off yet like Sampsons haire they will grow againe if we cut off onely the branches the root will sprout againe Now therefore such prayers as Moses used by such men as Moses was and in such an order as Moses did are most effectuall means to save a sinfull Nation in time of the greatest danger Now the reasons why such prayers are so effectuall for the saving of a Kingdome in danger are three Reas 1 First because prayer deales with God and inclines him to favour and pitie a people now it is God that wounds and heales spoyles and saves he raiseth the storme and calmes it againe Hos 6. 1. judgements like the Centurions servants goe and come at his command and therefore if we be troubled and arrested by judgements for the debt of our sinnes it is proper to make our peace with God and agree with the Creditor no matter for the Sergeant if Dogges fly upon us it is most proper to speake to their Master to call them off who first set them on And howsoever prayer cannot change or cause God to alter his eternall unchangeable decree yet it causeth him to recall his present sentence that is gone out against a people mutat sententiam Greg. mor. l. 2. c. 24. non decretum saith Greg. And indeed Gods eternall decree takes in the meanes as well as the end so that according to Gods decree when his sentence of ruine is gone out against a Nation prayer and other meanes fall in to hinder execution and so his decree stands the present sentence onely fals as we see in the case of Hezechiah the Ninivites and the Israelites here in my text Reas 2 Secondly because prayer workes on mens owne hearts and makes them fit for and capable of a mercy and indeed for the Lord to bestow a mercy on a people before they are fit for it were to put new wine into old bottles the mercy is lost and the receiver Matth. 9. 17. hurt by it therefore the Lord is ready to bestow mercies and waits untill wee are ready to receive them God is as ready to give Isa 30. 18. mercies as a womans breasts to give milke he waits but for our drawing Now prayer draws the hearts of men nearer to God and so puts them into a posture fitter for mercies it drawes downe fitnesse from God it empties the heart of selfe and takes in more of God and when prayer brings a mercy from Heaven it fits a man in thankfulnesse by an holy use of it to send it backe thither againe as Hanna when by prayer she had obtained a sonne of the 1 Sam. 1. 28. Lord she gave him to the Lord againe Reas 3 Thirdly because prayer carries God along with the meanes and causeth him to cooperate howsoever secondary causes have their causality and efficiencie put into them by God with their formes in their first creation yet there must be a concurrence of the first cause to make them put forth their strength and actually to effect things and therefore second causes and means as the King 2 King 6. 26. of Israel told the woman cannot helpe if the Lord doe not concurre What can the pipe do if the spring deny it water The Lord doth sometime suspend the power of meanes sometimes enlarge it above its naturall pitch as it seemes good unto him if the Lord cooperate with the meanes how weake soever they shall doe the 1 Sam. 14. 6. Rom. 8. 31. Jud. 7. 20. worke The sword of Gedeon shall doe great things if the sword of the Lord goes with it Now prayer carries God into the Army and engageth him in a just warre to take his peoples part and to fight with them and for them as we shall shew anon And therefore when the inhabitants of Jerusalem were making fortifications and warlike preparations against their enemies the Prophet blames them for not looking up to God in the meanes and the Lord cals them to adde fasting and other spirituall fortifications to their outward to Isay 22. 11 12. make them effectuall Before I come to Application I desire to answer two questions 1. Whether the cries and prayers of wicked men can availe any thing either for themselves or others 2. How the prayers of some can be availeable for others especially being absent To which questions that I may give the more satisfying answer I desire to premise certaine distinctions 1. Crying is taken two wayes 1. Properly for the putting up of a petition or prayer 2. Improperly for the expression of the 1. Distinct creatures misery by the moane and cry that it makes Now indeed the cry and moane of the creature often moves the Lord in mercy to succour it as the cry and moane of the babe though it makes no formall request maketh the mothers bowels to yerne with compassion towards it and to succour it so the Lords mercy being over all his workes a Psal 145. 9 exceeding great and extended to all his creatures his mercy is drawne forth to succour them at the sight of their misery and thus he is said to heare the cry of the Ravens b Psal 147. 9 because he is moved to relieve this poore creature in its misery So Psal 78. c Psal 78. 34 35 36 37 38. when the wicked were in distresse and earnestly cryed to the Lord though their heart was not upright with him yet the Lord in mercy called backe his anger and destroyed them not Now the Lord did not this in answer to their prayers but as an act of mercy at the sight of their misery expressed by their cries The question then is touching wicked mens prayers and cryes properly taken Concerning them take another distinction Prayer may bee taken 1. Strictly for the putting up of a formall request or petition to God 2. Distinct 2. Largely for the exercise of prayer in its ordinary use Now the exercise of prayer by reason of many divine truths inserted in it as confessions of sinnes declarations of Gods nature and promises and pressed as arguments if not to move the Lord yet to move our owne hearts all which truths being reflected backe upon the soule may possibly through a concurrence of Gods spirit beget faith bring the soule into frame yea it may become unto the speaker and hearers a converting ordinance and so make a man capable of mercies and thus the prayers even of wicked men may be availeable to the speaker and hearer whether good or bad by way of causation But secondly for prayer properly and strictly taken for the putting up of desires to God by way of petition a wicked man hath no promise to ground his hope of prevailing upon