respectiva good in reference to certain ends somtimes by accident they make the possessor worse and sometimes the deniall of an outward mercy makes way for a greater and so oftentimes it comes to passe that negando accipimus we receive a mercy in Gods deniall we may have the end of our prayer in the deniall of the forme Howsoever yet the prayers of Gods people are the proper remedy to save a stiffe-necked people that will not repent it is all that can be done for them For first it is the most effectuall meanes to appease the wrath of 1 Sam. 25. 24. 32. God and to stay him from destroying as Abigails humble entreaty prevailed with David Secondly it is certaine that if prayer like Noahs Dove be sent forth it shall never returne without an Olive branch either with tidings of an abatement of the generall deluge for the common good or at least it shall returne with much comfort and peace into your petitioner bosome Psal 35. 19. And thirdly as nothing without it can save such a stiffe-necked Nation so if any thing will doe it the prayers of Gods people will and therefore the effectuall prayers of Gods people should be procured in a time of danger as the Mariners did Jonahs Jon. 1. 6. in the storme and the Ninivites cried mightily when their City Jon. 3. 9. was in danger though but upon this ground Who knoweth what the Lord may doe Outward meanes indeed are not to be neglected as we must not idolize the meanes in trusting in them so neither tempt God in neglecting of them Sometimes indeed the Lord will doe the worke by his own immediate 2 Chro. 20. 17. hand then the people are to stand stil and see the salvation of God But ordinarily the arme of the Lord workes by the hand of Moses Isa 63. 12. all that is in our power must be done by us our Saviour told his Disciples that howsoever whiles he was personally present with them he did miraculously provide for their sustentation Luke 22. 36. and protection without scrip or sword and they found no want of these meanes yet after his ascension they must use ordinary meanes a scrip and a sword must be procured yea then a sword more necessary then a coat sell thy coat and buy a sword In saving Jon. 1. 6. vers 5. 13. the Ship in that tempest in the first of Jonah as they were praying and crying to the Deity for helpe so they spared neither cost nor paines to helpe themselves they rowed hard vers 5. and threw out their goods vers 15. And when enraged Esau came Hos 12. 4. Gen. 32. c. 34. 1. with an army against his brother Jacob and his family as Jacob wrastled with God by his teares and prayers so withall he used prudent and submissive endeavours for a pacification There must be a concurrence of three things to make prayer effectuall to save a Nation from ruine 1. The persons praying must be holy men such as Moses was for first such only can pray in a spirituall manner as having the spirituall gift of prayer culinary fire is in every house but the element of fire is so rare that it is a question whether there be any such thing existent or no so the naturall gift of prayer is very common that is such a praying faculty as a naturall man may acquire or have by naturall meanes as quicknesse of wit strength of memory elocution and exercise in the word and prayer But spirituall prayer the breathing up of holy and spirituall desires whether for outward or spirituall mercies yet alwayes for spirituall ends this fire comes from Heaven this spirituall gift of prayer comes from the Spirit of grace that doth disponere and excitare giving Zac. 12. 10. both the habit and the act of prayer the power to pray and actuates that power it brings into the soule the fuell of holy desires and enkindles them also and sets then a burning Secondly as holy men onely can pray in a spirituall manner so their prayers onely are prevalent for in a sense they are the prayers of Rom. 8. 27. Christ indited by his Spirit put up in his name and presented by his mediation so that when such men pray Christ in his members praies and prevailes 2. They must be such prayers as Moses his prayers were earnest Vers 10 11 12 13. strivings and wrastlings with God First from an heart touched with a deepe sense of our wants we should offer up prayers and supplications with strong cries and Heb. 5 7. Rom. 8. 26. teares as our Saviour did in the dayes of his flesh with sighs and groanes unutterable earnest ejaculations like darts shot up to Heaven out of an affectionate heart our spirits in their desires like Noahs Arke should rise the higher as the waters grow deeper and the flouds greater so we finde that Christ prayed the more earnestly when in that bitter agony formall cold prayers like Luke 22. 36. Caesars hartlesse Sacrifice will not profit us nor finde acceptance with God painted fire as it hath no heate so it is of no use it is an argument that we disesteeme and undervalue a mercy when we conceive such cold prayers to be fit meanes to procure it Secondly our prayers must be argumentative persuasive entreaties pressing the Lord with arguments we must plead with God and reason the matter with him by reverent expostulations the Lord is well pleased to be reasoned withall by such as are reformed Isa 1. 16. 17. and washed especially in his owne language indeed we can plead nothing that is in us to move the Lord to mercy but what is in his nature his Christ his promises we have many examples of this kinde of prayer in Scripture as it is acceptable to God so very prevalent with him as here we finde that Moses thus prayed and prevailed vers 14. Exod. 32. 14. Thirdly as Moses in his so we in our prayers should not only strive against the present outward judgement but especially against the power and guilt of sinne that cause the judgement so did Moses here as we see vers 31 32. he confesseth and bewaileth Ex. 32. 31 32. their sinne and cries unto the Lord for pardon of it that so the Nation might be every whit whole We ought not onely to Ioh. 7. 23. strive against the plague without but against the plague of the heart not onely against warres and contentions but against pride 1 King 8. 38. covetousnesse ambition and such other lusts of the heart from Iam. 4. 1. Prov. 13. 10. whence they come We should not onely as Chirurgions looke at the outward wound of the Kingdome and seeke the cure of that by outward applications but like the Physitian looke into the causes of these evils and labour to procure a remedy for those inward distempers whence the outward doe spring If we have not
and that not onely his servants the Prophets that are neare him as he never hideth any such secret from them g Amos 3. 7. 1 Sam. 3. 11. But all his servants in ordinary as Lot Abraham Noah and others The Lord doth not now ordinarily discover future judgements by divine revelation as of old Neither onely by their foregoing naturall causes For so every intelligent man and discreet Statist by an eye of reason may foresee the ruine of a Nation like a storme in the clouds by such evils as in their intrinsecall nature are destructive to a State and brings its ruine by way of naturall causation every effect being virtually in its proper cause before the actuall production of it as 1. Divisions in a Church or State like the oppositions of the Planets are of dangerous consequence and make way for civill warres as the Jesuiticall faction well know which makes them so industrious in sowing the seeds of dissention in Church State Parliament City and in all parts of the Kingdom expecting that a Kingdom or City divided will not long stand h Mat. 12. 25 Gen. 18. 17. Heb. 11. 7. 2. Generall misapprehension and misconceits of the Fathers of a Countrey when men looke upon them as destroyers who are the maintainers and upholders of it it is a dangerous symptome when a disease so seazeth upon the braine that the sicke man looketh upon his Father and Brethren as enemies comming to kill him whose onely desire and care is to recover and save him 3. When through the covetousnesse and ambition of some and partiality of others things are so carried in a Church or State that worth is neglected and worthlesse men advanced i Ec. 10. 6. 7. when the wise Counsellor and valorous Captaine the strength and stay of a Kingdome are taken away or taken off and children set to rule over men k Isa 3. 1 2. 3 4. 19. 11. when all creatures are out of their proper place and in a motion contrary to their naturall principles this must needs be a fearfull signe of approaching ruine 4. Licentiousnesse sensuality and luxury take away the heart l Hos 4. 11. effeminate mens spirits infatuate a people and make them neglective of their owne private and of the publike good and a body thus filled with excrementitious humours cannot be far from some dangerous sicknesse A Nations ruine by these and the like evils is discernible by reason as procuring it by naturall causation But the Lord foresheweth the ruine of a Nation to his owne people in speculo verbi and by an eye of faith it is discernible by parallel cases and upon spirituall grounds in the Word of God As first he sheweth the casting out of a Nation by its fulfilling the measure of sinnes and provocations of divine Majesty m Gen. 15. 15. when the sinnes of it are great in themselves great in Gods account by manifold aggravations universally spread over all sorts of people men hardened also under the meanes of grace by heapes of wrath n Rom. 2. 5. Dan. 5. 5. so laid up the Lord foreshowes a day of wrath at hand Secondly by prodigious sinnes mira if not miracula God with his owne hand as it were writing the ruine of a Nation as he did Belshazzars on the wals of the great house of the world which though the wise men of Babylon by all their Art could not understand yet the Lords Daniels can read and interpret them by helpe of the Word as letters written in unknowne Characters cannot be understood without a rule from the Writer I might instance in other particulars as the Lords making way for his judgements by taking away of the righteous or withholding their prayers But of this anon Now the Lord gives such cleare notice that howsoever blind Balaams will not see the sword that is before them yet as Solomon saith the prudent Christian foreseeth it n Prov. 22. 3. and that not only when it is so neare that obvious to sense or discernible by reason in the naturall cause of it but while it is afarre off as St. Peter speaks o 2 Pet. 1. 9. Zeph. 2. 1. in fieri not in esse in the wombe of Gods threatning before it comes forth and onely discernible by an eye of faith And indeed though the judgement be future and at present invisible as being not yet existent yet by faith it is made as evident and certaine to the faithfull as if this tragedy was now acting before their eyes as the Apostle speaketh p Heb. 11. 9. Noah by giving credence to divine warning 120. yeares before the stood came saw the windowes of Heaven opened the fountaines of the deepe broken up the raine falling the waters rising all crying Helpe helpe we perish we sinke we die The reasons why the Lord is pleased to discover his purpose may be these Reas 1 First To grace his people that the world may see that howsoever they account them as the worst of men and the off-scowring of all things q 2 Cor. 4. 13 yet they are privy counsellers to the great King and he reveales arcana imperii his secrets to them r Psal 25. 14 Reason 2 Secondly That Ministers publikely and others occasionally should warne the world to flye from the wrath to come as Eliah did Ahab saying there is aboundance of raine comming and therfore up to thy Charriot and flye for shelter s 2 King 18. 4 Reas 3 Thirdly That Gods servants might prepare aforehand against the storm either to get shelter from it or else to provide Cordials before to refresh and support them in it Uses This truth First should raise our esteeme of Gods servants Secondly Comfort and encourage them Thirdly Teach all to make a right use of these warnings But the time hastens mee to a second observation namely the Lords manner of taking notice of their sinnes in these two particulars mentioned First his view I have seene this people contemplatus sum or consideravi as Vatab renders it or notum est coram me as the Chald. Paraph. hath it i. e. he so considered of them that he had a cleare sight and full knowledge of them Secondly his censure it is a stiffenecked people Howsoever the Lord be an infinite omniscient essence above time no prius and posterius with him although he doth not draw forth one thing by and after another as man doth by discursive reason but sees all things unico simplici intuitu by one simple intuitive Act yet is the Lord pleased to use this Anthropopathie to hold out unto us this golden rule to be observed in judging either of persons or of things opinions or practises whether those be true or these good which I shall propose to you as my second Doctrine Doctr. 2 In judging we ought first to enquire and see and then accordingly determine The like rule we have laid downe by Saint Paul Try all things finde
PRAYERS PREVALENCIE FOR ISRAELS SAFETY Declared in A SERMON Preached in Saint Margarets Westminster before the Honourable House of COMMONS at the late solemne Fast June 28. 1643. By THOMAS CARTER Minister of Dynton in Buckingham-shire Published by order of that House LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes and are to be sold by John Bellamie and Ralph Smith at the signe of the three golden Lions in Cornhill neare the Royall Exchange 1643. Die Mercurii 28. Junii 1643. IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons that Sir Oliver Luke doe from this House returne thanks to Mr. Palmer and Mr. Hill to Mr. Carter for the great paines they tooke in the Sermons they this day Preached at the intreaty of the House of Commons at St. Margarets in the City of Westminster being a day of Publique humiliation and that they desire them to Print their Sermons And it is Ordered that no man presume to Print the said Sermons or either of them but whom the said Mr. Palmer and Mr. Carter shall Authorize under their hands in writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint John Bellamie and Ralph Smith to Print my Sermon THO. CARTER Errata PAge 3 Line 38 for sinnes read signes p. 8 l. 37. for jude r. judge p. 12. l. 26. for mediate r. immediate p. 18. l. 15. for First r. Fist p. 20 l. 1â— dele how p. 21. l â—â— for Jâ—ab r. Job p. 22. l. 5 for your petitioner r. the petitioners p. 32. l. 5. for is r. â—â— p. 18. l. 25. in Margin defect 5. Doctr. TO THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT IN the fathomlesse depths of infinite goodnesse and wisdome a designe is laid through the cleare discoveries of Gods perfections and glory to compleate and accomplish his servants happpinesse There is not any thing that befals them in this valley of teares but by his contrivance it brings with it a secret influence and activity to raise them to the mount of joy I need not tell you how neere the dust Gods people of this Kingdome were they yet retaine the dints of contempt and scorne but hath not a strong reflection of Gods power beene cast upon us from that very cloud under which we were are there not deliverances created for us even beyond our hopes hath not the Lord raised you up most Noble Senators as once he did that Pillar to the Israelites to be a light to us and darknesse to our Exod. 14. 20. enemies Indeed at present we are in the midst of a red Sea the whole face of our Kingdom 's besmeared with bloud But is not God able to make of these threatning and discoloured waves wals of defence and safety hath he not a Canaan reserved for England also he is certainly full of bowels towards his and the true Israelites with us cannot want strength to draw them forth But God will not have his mercies abortive when the appointed time of deliverance comes even in the Mount he Ezek. 36 37. will be seene yet will he be sought unto for this In his servants hearts he hath an armory of faithfull prayers these he appoints to prepare his way before him and till he findes himselfe encountered with the compleate strength of his owne Spirit he Gen. 32. 24. 2â— will not be conquered This is that meanes of meanes the life and vigour of all the rest that a Nation hath of safety of whose prevalencie most religious Statists my imperfect meditations with which at your command I lately presented your eare and now your eye be pleased to honour by your Patronage and crowne by your practice Be yee wrastlers with the God of Heaven and yee shall be sure to foyle your enemies on earth It is the humble motion of him who is Your unworthy servant and faithfull Auxiliary at the Throne of grace THO. CARTER PRAYERS PREVALENCIE FOR ISRAELS SAFETY Exod. 32. 9 10. And the Lord said unto Moses I have seene this people and behold it is a stiffe-necked people Now let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a mighty Nation AFter a narration of Israels sinne in the sixe first Verses of the Chapter we finde First the Lords complaint of them unto Moses 1 For their wickednesse in generall v. 7. 2 For their idolatry 1. in making an Idol 2. in worshipping it 3. in ascribing their deliverance unto it verse 8. Secondly we have in my text a fearfull commination of their utter ruine Wherein observe these three generall parts 1. The preface prefixed And the Lord said unto Moses 2. The ground of the threatning I have seene this people and behold it is a stiffe-necked people Wherein observe 1. The compellation this people 2. The Lords manner of taking cognizance of their sinne First his view I have seene this people Secondly his censure it is a stiffe-necked people Thirdly the sinne whereof he finds them guilty namely obstinacie metaphorically expressed it is a stiffenecked people Thirdly the forme of the threatning Now therefore let me c. 1. The judgement denounced namely the utter ruine of that Nation first the cause the Lords wrath secondly the effect the Nation consumed 2. The exception of Moses out of the threatning implied with a gracious promise expressed the Lord will not onely save Moses from perishing in the common calamity but he will make of him a mighty Nation 3. An intimation of the onely remedy to stay the hand of God from destroying this stiffe-necked Nation namely Moses his mediation Let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot c. 1. The preface tels us that the Lord had no sooner entertained a purpose to destroy this Nation but he presently acquaints his servant Moses with it which being compared with his dealing with others of his servants in like case affords us this instruction Doctr. 1 Before the Lord destroyes a Nation he usually gives his servants notice of his purpose Indeed the wicked are suddenly destroyed a Pro. 29. 1. and brought to a fearfull end b Psal 33. 18 for either first the judgement falleth suddenly upon them like a net upon a bird c Hos 7. 12. without any precedent notification given or secondly without any foregoing expectation of it all warnings notwithstanding they securely goe on d Pro. 22. 3. and are chearfull like Agag thinking the bitternesse of death is past when presently hewen in peeces e 1 Sam. 13. 3 or thirdly without any precedent preparation for it like those foolish Virgins in the Gospel though they expected the Bridegrooms comming yet when he came were unprepared and their Oyle 's to seeke f Mat. 25. 18 So that either through want of precedent notification or expectation or preparation the judgement is either sudden in it selfe or at least sudden to them But for the Lords owne servants he useth to acquaint them with the approaching judgement before it comes
42. vers 7 9 10 11. whence it came and what the end of its comming if not to prejudice the State turne it and looke upon it every way in its causes nature concomitants effects and consequences yet warily distinguishing betweene proper and accidentall effects 2. That with much humility and selfe-deniall we seeke to the only wise God that he would present his truth and make it clearly Prov. 20. 27. shine before us that he would heale our understandings that we may see it and by his Spirit guide our thoughts and so lead us Joh. 16. 13. into all truth Vse This Doctrine first discovers unto us the cause that we have so many errours in the Church like Tares among the Wheat sown by that envious man like the Frogs of Egypt creeping into Matth. 13. 25. every house surely it is because men judge according to appearance this act lookes like idolatry this forme of government lookes like the Antichristian this opinion or that way such and such holy men are for thus whiles they judge according to personall or reall appearances they judge not righteous judgement 2. It discovers the cause whence it comes to passe that learned and godly men do often meet and dispute yet cannot agree upon a right determination they have light and no doubt look through the mist of appearances into the very nature of things yet perhaps there may be passion or prejudice to sway or else they may be too full of selfe selfe-ends looking at the credit of victory rather then the beating out of truth or perhaps selfe-conceit and selfe-dependance Prov. 3. 5. leaning too much to their owne understanding and then no wonder if they judge not righteous judgement 3. It discovers the reason why we have so many misconceits and evill censures of our Worthies in Parliament and in our Armies men shooting the arrowes of harsh censures out of the Bow of a proud heart even against these Starres Surely for the most part the reason is because they censure before they see and speake Jude v. 10. evill of what they doe not understand So I come to the third point the compellation this people The Lord was wont to looke upon Israel as his owne as Exod. 3. Exod. 3. 7. Exod. 7. 16. I have seene the affliction of my people and Exod. 7. Let my people go but now their idolatry hath caused a variation of title now he will not owne them but lookes upon them as strangers populus meus is now become populus iste Whence we may infer Doctr. 3 That Idolatry dissolves a Church unchurches a people and breakes that bond of relation betweene God and them For the clearing of this proposition I shall endeavour to shew two things 1. What it is that constitutes a visible Church 2. How and in what respect Idolatry dissolves it First the profession of Christ in the use of right ordinances doth constitute a visible Church and difference it from all other societies and so it did even before Christs Incarnation though more obscurely then since As the true mysticall union of the faithfull with Christ and among themselves is the forme that gives being to the invisible Church so an externall union by profession not publikly contradicted by their owne opinions and practices as in the Papacie gives being to the visible Church as may be collected from Mat. 16. 18. Matth. 16. 18. Now this profession of Christ and of a people to be his followers must not onely be verball but reall and consisteth in the setting up of his ordinances either by a Law or by generall submission unto them and attending upon him in the constant use of them I say in the use of all the ordinances habitually and in the actuall use of such of them as they are capable of I doe not meane those inferiour ordinances of magistracie marriage c. But those sacred ordinances of preaching the Word celebration of the Sacraments and prayer which the Lord hath ordained and instituted as to be part of his worship so also to be the proper mediate ordinary meanes of conveying the beginnings and encrease of all saving grace unto the soules of men Indeed the right manner of using these ordinances with those helps of discipline government c. requisite to make the ordinances the more to put forth their strength and so the more efficacious to us these I grant to be necessary to the well-being of a visible Church but the ordinances themselves I conceive to be of the very essence and being of it no visible Church without them and that a true visible Church which hath them as afore specified And hence it is that the Prophet cals the whole Nation of the Jewes professing themselves to be his in the use of his ordinances the Lords flock in reference to those that were truly so the denomination Jer. 13. 17. there following the better part and the Lord cals the people of Israel his sonne and such they were though not by spirituall Exod 4. 22. Hos 11. 1. yet by externall adoption and so they are called his spouse as being married unto him by an externall covenant and stipulation Ezek. 16. 8. And as by effectuall calling there is a reall dedication of the soule to Christ and so an actuall admission into the invisible Church so by Baptisme we are given up to Christ by an externall dedication and so admitted into the universall visible Church and thereby are united to Christ and one to another by mutuall covenant if not actuall and formall yet vertuall and interpretative and thereby also made members of particular visible Churches nationall and congregationall Now secondly as the profession of Christ in the use of right ordinances as aforesaid doth constitute a visible Church so idolatry in setting up by a Law or by generall consent and submission a creature to be worshipped terminatively in stead of God or relatively intending or pretending to worship God by worshipping that creature this dissolves a Church An instance of this we have in my text this people having set up an Idol to worship though they intended not to terminate their worship in the Idol but to worship the Lord by it as vers 5. yet for this the Lord speakes of them as a people cast off Exod. 32. 5. and at present would not seeme to owne them And howsoever that Nation untill Christs incarnation had a peculiar priviledge which no other Nation could challenge in respect of Gods absolute covenant made with them and so were not de facto at least on Gods part unchurched he having not pronounced the sentence of divorce upon them yet their sinne both in respect of their demerit dishonouring God in so high a degree and also in respect of the intrinsecall nature thereof as having thereby forsaken the Lord and taken a strange God This sinne I say on their part did by breach of covenant actually unchurch them and on Gods part
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