that all was at a stand for Jerusalem The remnant of the people that are left were in great affliction and reproach the wall of the citie remained broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire An expected end God had promised and questionlesse the people of the Jewes had long looked for the accomplishment of this promise but it must not come yet they had more affliction to suffer the wals of Jerusalem must remaine longer in their ruines and the gates in their ashes Thus we shall find the Lord often dealing with his Church and people they seldome injoy any great blessing or enter upon the fruition of any speciall promised mercie but it costs them deare God made a mercifull Promise to Abraham that he would give Gen. 15. 7. him and his posteritie that goodly land of Canaan yet they must pay deare for this before they had it Know of a surety saith God that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and ver 13. they shall serve them and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeares They must not look to have so pleasant and fruitfull a land for nothing No it must cost them deare many yeares hard service a great deale of affliction they must go through an iron furnace Deut. 4. 20. Gen. 15. 17. Gen. 37. 5 6 7 8 9. Psa 105. 17 â—8 Divino ju lâ—â—io quod deâ—lâ—r are conatisunt reaâ—tendo serâ—â—erunt Greg Moral l 6. c 1â— Ideò venditus est à â—raâ—râ—bâ—s Ioseph ne aâ—oraretur â—ed â—deò est adoratus quia venditus sic divâ—â—um consilâ—um duâ—â— devitatur impletur sic bumanasaptentia du n reluctatur comprehend tâ—r Id ibid. Isai 65 17 18 19. Rev. 21 1 2 3 4. 2 Pet. 3. 13. so is Egypt called represented as it may seeme to Abraham in his vision in that smoaking furnace another instance may be that of Joseph who was assured that he should have the honour which his dreames had promised but it must cost him his being sold for a servant his casting into prison his feet hurt with fetters he was laid in it on or as the margent his soule came into iron and hitherto he was brought into a far lower condition then he was at the time of his dreames yet see the over-ruling Providence of the most wise God so disposing that every descent into a lower condition was made unto him as a staire to ascend unto that honour which his dreames had promised To come neerer unto our selves and that which concernes the Church in this latter age of the world there was a glorious Promise made to the Church by that Evangelicall Prophet Isay Behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde But be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create And John the Propheticall Evangelist gives the Church such assurance of this as if he had then seene it performed I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away And I John saw the holy citie new Jerusalem comming downe from God out of heaven And the Church expecteth the accomplishment hereof We saith the Apostle according to his Promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse It is now the Churches expectation we looke with John to see this new heaven and new earth and to behold that holy Citie comming downe from Heaven we hope the Lord at this present is about this worke but goe back to the former part of this prophecie and you shall finde that the Church must not have this new heaven and new earth till it hath paid deare for them you may see from the eighth Chapter to Rev. 12. 3 4 13 15 17. this 21. what the Church paid for this before she had it I will instance only in the 12. and 13. Chapters in the former you have a great red dragon that is as our best Interpreters take it the Devill and what mischiefe he did to the Church you may find in severall passages of that Chapter he stood before the woman which was to be delivered for to devoure her childe as soon as it was borne not being able to devoure the childe he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man childe casting out of his mouth water as a floud after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud and when no prevailing against her he went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keepe the Commandements of God and have the testimonie of Jesus Christ Rev. 13 1 7 â—1 14. In the next Chapter there is one beast rising out of the sea having seven heads and ten hornes the heathenish Romane Empire And to him it was given to make war with the Saints and to overcome them ver 7. in ver 11. there is another beast rising out of the earth the Papacie which had the power of the first beast and did by many lying wonders deceive them that dwell on the earth what the Church hath suffered by the crueltie and subtiltie of these two beasts the histories of the Church doe abundantly manifest It cost the Primitive times the tortures and bloud of many thousand Martyrs before truth and peace setled by Constantine and Theodosius I need not tell you what our owne Kingdome Germanie and France paid for the beginning of Reformation If you would have my thoughts why the Lord in his wisdome selleth his choice mercies at so deare a rate I conceive it may be Reas 1 1. To try what esteem his Church hath of those mercies it looks for the Church of God in all places expects great mercies we of this land at this time look for speciall favours we look for the Reformation of what is amisse in Church and State for an establishment of Truth and Peace the Lord now would trie how we esteeme these how we prize them what we are willing to pay for the injoyment of them we will not give much for that which we value at little large offers argue an high esteeme God is now trying the hearts of England great matters are expected but how doe we prize them surely it cannot be better knowne then by what we will give for the purchase of them Will we part with all to injoy them Doe we thinke our whole estates our children our neerest friends our dearest bloud not too deare a price to pay for them It is an undoubted evidence that we highly prize those things which we neither will nor can want whatsoever they cost us when all that we have and more if we had it shall freely goe for them and questionlesse that wise merchant could no way so fully manifest his Matth. 13 46. esteeme of the pearle to be more worth then all he had then when he sold all that he had and bought it Reas 2 The Lord doth this to
Die Mercurii 24. April 1644. IT is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Sr Robert Harley and Sr Robert Pye do from this House give thanks unto Doctor Stanton and Master Greene for the great paines they tooke in the Sermons they preached this day at St Magarets Westminster at the intreatie of this House it being the day of publike Humiliation And they are desired to print their Sermons And it is ordered that none shall presume to print their or either of their Sermons but by the Authoritie of their hands writing H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Philemon Stephens to print my Sermon John Greene. NEHEMIAH'S Teares and Prayers FOR JVDAH'S AFFLICTION And the ruines and repaire of JERVSALEM Delivered in a SERMON in the Church of Magarets Westminster before the Honourable House of COMMONS upon the day of their Monethly Humiliation April 24. 1644. BY JOHN GREENE Master of Arts late Pastour of Pencomb in the Countie of Hereford Isai 22. 4. Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Ver. 9. Ye have seen also the breaches of the citie of David that they are many Psal 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the wals of Jerusalem LONDON Printed by G. M. for Philemon Stephens and are to be sold at his shop at the golden Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1644. PIISSIMO PRVDENTISSIMO AMPLISSIMOQVE SENATVI DOMVS COMMVNIVM IN PARLIAMENTO CLEMENTISSIMA DEI PROVIDENTIA CONVOCATO POTENTISSIMA DEI TUTELA CONTINUATO MEDITATIVNCVLAS HAS SVAS TENUICULAS JUSSU è SUGGESTO EDITAS HORTATU VESTRO TYPIS EVULGATAS HONORIS ET OBSERVANTIAE ERGO SUMMA CUM HUMILITATE D. O. V. Amplitudini vestrae in Domino obsequentissimus Joh. Greene. A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS at their Monethly Fast on April 24. 1644. NEHEMIAH 1. 3 4. And they said unto me The remnant that are left of the captivitie there in the Province are in great affliction and reproach the wall of Ierusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire And it came to passe when I heard these words that I sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven THe first Verse of the words read if you look back to that next before are the answer of Hanani and certain Vers 1. men of Judah unto a question moved by Nehemiah being then in Shushan the Palace the winter-house Lavater ex Athenaeo lib. 1â— cap. 3. Antiquitar lib. 10. cap. 5. of the Kings of Persia Josephus relates the storie thus Nehemiah meeting certaine strangers entring the gates of the Citie Shushan perceiving them to have come a long journey and hearing them speaking one to another in the Hebrew tongue he demanded of them whence they came they answering that they came out of Judea he puts a two-fold question unto them one how it stood with the people of the Jewes that were returned out of the captivitie and then in the province of Judea the other what the condition of Jerusalem And in the former words of the Text they give answer to both and it was a sad answer for the Jewes that came out of the captivitie they are in a very miserable condition in great affliction and reproach under many hard pressures full of scorne and contempt and for Jerusalem it remaines still in its old ruines the wals continue broken downe the gates burnt with fire and if we shall adde to these the time Nehem. 1. 1. 2. â— when this report was made which will appeare by comparing the first verse of this Chapter with the first of the second to have been in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes the King we have as I conceive the summe of that which the former verse holds out In the latter you may see how this sad report affected Nehemiah it put him also into a sad condition when he heard how it was with the people how with Jerusalem he wept and mourned and it was not a little suddain melancholick fit for a time but it held out certain dayes and to shew that this mourning of his was reall did really affect him that it came indeed from bowels of pitie and compassion towards the people and the citie it put him upon those meanes that if any would minister reliefe to the citie and people and make way for their freedome from former pressures and expedite the repaire of present ruines And these are two he fasted and he prayed and in the latter you may consider unto whom he prayes to the God of heaven if you looke to the last verse of this Chapter you shall finde Nehemiahs maine request was to the King that he might finde favour in his sight his suit was to a man on earth so he calleth him in that verse this man yet he goes to heaven for the obtaining of it as knowing it would little availe him to goe unto the King unlesse he went first unto God to move the Kings heart he had small hope that his petition could speed with man which had not first been presented unto God Here is ground you see for varietie of observations I shall doe as you use when you goe to a shop furnished with choice of severall wares you will not take all that may be had but only such as best fit your occasions So shall I by Gods assistance out of this varietie observable from the Text endeavour to single out what I conceive will best suit with our present times and somewhat further the duties of this day Observ 1. Jer. â—9 10 11. You shall heare the Lord before the Captivitie making a gratious promise by the Prophet Jeremiah unto the people of the Jewes when 70 yeares are accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and performe my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place for I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end Here was a pretious Promise made before they knew the miserie that should make them stand in need of such a Promise And the Lord began to make this good when in the first yeere of Cyrus according to that Promise the Lord stirred up the Ezra 1â— 2 â— spirit of Cyrus by Proclamation to grant free liberty unto all the people to goe up unto Jerusalem and to build the Temple And if ver 5. you goe to verse the fifth you shall see how fairely the work proceeded The Lord stirred up also the spirits of the chiefe of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem And yet many yeares after as you shall heare in the following passages comes this sad report to Nehemiah
worke a greater esteeme of these mercies when he is pleased to bestow them health is much prized by all but more by those that have lyen many yeeres upon the bed of languishing Libertie is sweet unto and desireable of all but most of those that have knowne the hardship of a long imprisonment the violence and danger of a storme makes a safe harbour the more welcome Mark 5. 25 26 â—7 the diseased woman that was cured of her issue of twelve yeares continuance would have taken it for a great favour if any of the Physitians she made use of could have cured her but when she had spent all and found her selfe not the better but the worse then Christ to come and heale her without any further cost or pains but only the touch of the hemme of his garment could not but work in her a greater and more thankfull esteeme of her cure The Joh. 5. 2 4 5 6 7. impotent man at the poole Bethesda that had an infirmitie thirtie eight yeeres would have been very glad if any man would have helped him into the water when the Angel troubled it and it was his complaint to Christ that he could find no such favour from any now when after so long waiting man would doe nothing for him for Christ to come and heale him with a word it could not but work in him an high esteeme of that comfortable healing Abraham much desired a child and so desired that when God told him Gen. 15. 1 â— Gen. 17. 17. Gen. 21. 6 â—8 12. Riserat pater admirans in gaudio riserat mater dubitans in gaudio sed side confirmata riâ—â—s â—lâ—e non al irrideâ—dum opprobrâ—i sed ad celebrandum gaudium pertinebat Aug. de Civ Dei l. 18 c. 31. I am thy exceeding great reward he replies Alas Lord What wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse as if all that God could doe for him was nothing till God gave him a childe The Lord did at length give him a childe but it was when Abraham and Sarah were out of all hope and see how this affected both their hearts the Text saith Abraham laughed at the promise he grew to such an excesse of joy that he could not containe himselfe from laughter and Sarah when the Promise was made good and Isaac borne God saith she hath made me to laugh though her former laughter proceeded from unbeliefe yet this from joy and to shew the height of joy whereunto this mercie had raised them their son must beare the name of their joy be called Isaac that is Laughter Gen. 21. 3. It is ordinarie with us what costs little we doe not usually esteeme much and we can easily part with it our common Proverbe Lightly come lightly goe but such an estate such an house cost me so many thousands the purchase so much in building so much in furnishing and other accommodations for my content so that I laid out my whole estate nay hazarded my life in running through some dangers to compasse it what part with this No I will rather part with my life then forgoe this Surely I am perswaded that Reformation just Liberties and Priviledges with other Mercies we now expect if the Lord please to give unto us our expected end or if this favour denyed to us yet vouchsafed to our posteritie I am perswaded I say that we and they will farre more prize and esteeme these by how much more they cost our fore-fathers and our selves such losse in estates so much bloud to purchase and obtaine them at Gods hand Is not then that done for Religion for Reformation the assurance of just Liberties and after Peace which we expect and for which we have long pray'd yea and pai'd much also surely it is to be feared and we may probably conceive that we are not yet come to Gods price England and Ireland must both bid more and abide more before they enter upon those great desired mercies Hath it cost us much of our estates alreadie 't is somewhat probable it must cost us more suppose our whole estates nay our lives yet that pearle in the Gospel the Kingdome of God in its power and puritie will prove more worth then all Vse 1 It is a wonder to see too many hazarding the losse of heaven to leave a great uncertaine estate to their posteritie on earth and shall we thinke much at the cost of our purses nay of our lives if God call for them to leave unto a Kingdome to a Church to succeeding ages a more cleare and prevailing way and meanes to that immortall inheritance that is prepared and reserved for the Saints in Heaven Souldiers will never grudge the hazard of limmes of life so they may get the victorie and what should dishearten or dismay any whoâ—e hearts the Lord hath inclined to further the work in hand willingly and cheerfully to lay out themselves and what they have in their power whereby they may help the Lamb to overcome and to set Christ upon his Throne that this and all the Kingdomes of the earth may be his who is the King of kings and Lord of lords It is storied of Epaminondas that having received by a speare Aemilias Pâ—cbâ— in vita Epaminondâ— his deaths wound in the battell betwixt the Thebans and Lacedemonians the speare head remained in the wound till he heard that his armie had gotten the victorie and then he rejoycingly commanded it to be plucked out his bloud and life issuing forth together with these words Satis vixi invictus enim moriar I have lived enough that die unconquer'd and being told a little before his death that however he had lost his life yet his shield was safe he cryes out by way of exulting Vester Epaminondas cum sic moritur non moritur your Epaminondas thus dying doth not die Ephes 6. 16. There is no shield like that of faith and if the heart be right he may die with comfort in that cause which preserves life in the doctrine of faith leaves that safe and entire Oh tell me is it not an estate well weakned that strengthens the power of Religion is it not a life well lost that helpes to save the life of truth and yet a life so lost if we dare take Christs Word is not lost but saved Mark â—â—5 Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall save it since then we heare what Gods people have paid for such mercies as we expect if we have not hitherto received what we desire let us think we are not yet come to that price which God lookes for and which these great mercies must cost before we have them Vse 2 Again when the Lord was about the raising up and imploying good Nehemiah for perfecting the worke of the Courts of the Temple and repairing the ruines of the citie Jerusalem had that which was alreadie done cost the people much affliction many sufferings and doth there yet
come a sad report of the low afflicted and despised condition of the Jewes then in Judea let the consideration hereof helpe to support the spirits of Gods people in their most sad dejecting times you have heard there is a new heaven and a new earth promised a Jerusalem to come downe from heaven a glorious building going up And you know they which build large and great houses being to set them upon hollow and false ground as we call it are forced to dig very deep before they lay the foundation and usually when we see work-men digging very low for a foundation we presently conclude here is some great building a frame of more then ordinarie weight to be set up I hope this is the Churches present case it hath been brought very low in Germanie in Ireland in our own land and we trust the Lord is all this while digging the foundation this is the work the Lord suffereth the Churches enemies to labour in to prepare the ground-worke for erecting in his Church a glorious fabrick that these at the worst shall be but the Lords mattocks and spades and if the Lord be still pleased to continue them at their work in Ireland in England it is to be feared that it may be too many of the Irish hearts are yet to God-ward as rotten and hollow as their bogs and we in England though we have firmer ground yet I doubt as false hearts a great deale of hypocrisie hollownesse and rottennesse remaining so that the Lord though he have alreadie gone very deep brought us low is not yet come to firme ground so may goe on to bring us lower in our affliction to work us lower in our humiliation And I could wish our spirits in regard of humiliation alwayes solow as our condition that when God throwes us on the ground we would lye on the ground put our mouthes in the dust but at no time to be low in distrust for our confidence in God to have highest spirits in lowest estates as knowing that our raising up is then at hand If a stranger one that never heard of the ebbing and slowing of the sea and of your river should come to your Thames side at an high water and should stay and observe how much it fals in six or seven houres he might probably thinke that your river would run it selfe drie whereas you that are acquainted with your tides know that when your ebbe is at the lowest the tide of a rising water is returning and trust unto it the lowest estate of the Church Osiander Cent. 4. cap. 5. Sethuâ— Calvisius anno Christi 〈◊〉 8. Osiand Cent. 4. cap. 9. Idem Cent 4 cap 14. 3â— is mostly an immediate fore-runner of its raising the Church in the Primitive times found it thus the most raging and violent of those ten bloudie Persecutions was that of Dioclesian never the like tortures invented and executed nor so many martyr'd and banished onely in Egypt 144000. put to death 700000. banished yea so violent his rage that his wife Serena however a well deserving Ladie put to death because a Christian but this crueltie and rage of his followed with the milde and peaceable times of Constantius the father and Constantine the sonne And it is the Lords promise it shall be thus and that upon a right and religious observation of dayes of fasting and humiliation Is not this the fast Isai 5â— 6 7 8 9 10. that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness and in the close of ver 10. then shall thy light rise in obscuritie and thy darknesse Psal 30. 5. be as the noone day thy darkest and saddest night of calamitie shall be followed with a gladsome and comfortable morning of joy so cleared from after-clouds of sorrow and distresse as is the Sun at noon day when it shineth in its full strength Observ 2. To proceed are the wals of Jerusalem broken downe and her gates burnt with fire Jerusalem that had out-stood so many sieges from before which the confident potent and numerous armie Isai 37. 36 37. of Zenacherib was forced to rise and retreat with shame and losse of 85000 in one night of whom the Psalmist sung after that 2 Chron. â—0 deliverance as some think or as others after that from that combination of those many Kings that came against Jehoshaphat Compasse Psa 48. 12 1â— about Zion goe round about and tell the towers mark well the wals thereof behold her bulwarks see if a stone shaken or a turfe fallen in her out-works what Jerusalem She that was princesse Lam. 1. 1. Calvisius ex Iosepho among the nations so strong so populous as twentie hundred thousand in it at the beginning of the siege or as some above foure millions in so seeming secure a condition as the Kings of the Lam. 4. 12. earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have beleeved that the enemie should enter into the gates of Jerusalem the wals of this Jerusalem broken down and her gates burnt with fire Oh learne that former deliverances will not secure sinfull Kingdomes and sinning Cities from after dangers and ruines I will onely commend unto you the instance of Nineveh made secure by the Lords turning away a former threatned judgement and within 40. dayes of execution yet then exposed to a miserable ruine Art Nehum 3. 8 9. thou better then populous No from ver 8. to the end of the Chapter a fit resemblance in many particulars of this land of ours the Lord grant we may neither be like that in sin or destruction Vse And it is the desire of my soule that this citie honoured hitherto with safety with the discoverie and defeat of so many plots and attempts would seriously lay this to heart that former deliverances might not beget securitie but more watchfulnesse both to drive out those sins which are the apparant in-lets to an enemie and to discover and prevent the secret contrivances of false-hearted brethren considering the continued vigilancie and unsatisfiable rage of the Churches enemies and specially of your citie The fenced 2 Chro. 12. 4. Isai 36. 1 2. cities that belonged to Judah would not satisfie Shishak the King of Egypt but he came up against Jerusalem the like of Zennacherib the like certainly the enemies malice and furie against your city and me-thinks I heare their Generals saying of yours as once â— King 22. 3. Ahab of Ramoth in Gilead Know ye not that London is ours and be we still and take it not out of the hands of Rebels and traitours for so they call you or as Haman once of Mordecai all the Esther 5. 1â— honour and favour I enjoy availes me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the Kings gate That they have Bristoll in the West York in the North with others will not satisfie unlesse they had London also And beleeve it their taking of other places is but
willing to do his power inables him to doe when you seek to God in prayer what ever your necessities be for soule for bodie for the Church for your selves you goe not to a weak God that hath not where withall to satisfie your desires but you go to the God of Heaven that whatsoever is in Heaven or in the earth he hath it at his command to give I proceed to those incouragements that Prayer it selfe gives to all those that will make use of it and I hope by Gods blessing they may be some provocations to put us more upon prayer we all I hope desire to helpe somewhat towards the cause of God let me tell you a little to quicken your attention there is no such way whereby every one may help as this of Prayer First it is an help of the largest extent other helpes can goe no farther then your counsels persons and purses can reach but the help of Prayer can extend to the redresse of the miseries and distresses of Gods people in the farthest parts of the world David Psal 1â—9 7 8 â— in his Meditations travelled through Heaven earth and the seas and where ever he went he sound God present I am sure Gods Church and his servants at one time or other have found the like and their Prayers have in all places met with God on the land as more anone on the sea as Jonah the breath of the Churches prayers Jonah 2. 1. hath raised up such stormes in this as hath scattered and distressed invincible navies of their enemies as Englands prayers did that Spanish Armado in 88. they have also stirred up prosperous gales to bring ships for the Churches reliefe in strait sieges to their desired haven they did it for late besieged Tredah in Ireland in a word Psal 107. 30. where ever God is there Prayer can come and you know God is everie where as the Lord himselfe Am I a God at hand saith the Jet 23. 23 24. Lord and not a God afarre off Doe not I fill heaven and earth Secondly Prayer is a speedie help many places miscarry and are lost because helpe comes too late and many friends would helpe sooner if they could tell how sooner to convey helpe all other helps of men armes ammunition money c. require time for raising and conveying whereas this of prayer is a quick a speedie and present help our prayers if such as they should be are no sooner out of out mouthes nay in our hearts but they are in Heaven and no sooner in Heaven but the benefit of them may be with the distressed Church many thousand miles distant Daniel found this Whiles I Dan. 9. 21 22 23. was speaking in prayer the man Gabriel being caused to fly swiftly informed me and said at the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth c. Thirdly Prayer is an invisible help many would willingly send reliefe to friends in distresse if they knew how to convey it with safetie and without danger of intercepting but there lye armies in the way Scouts ambushments and many other hazards now Prayer can avoid all these it can goe to God and bring such helpe from Heaven as the enemies Scouts can neither discover nor stop no ambush can way-lay or surprize it Fourthly no such universall help in all extremities as Prayer It 1 Kin. 8. from 33. to the end of 39. from 44. to the end of 50. is Salomons Catholicon whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse war want of raine pestilence famine cities besieged enemies prevailing yet if they pray and make supplications turne from their sin when thou afflictest them then heare thou in Heaven and forgive and doe and give to every man according to his wayes I might single out many incouraging instances Prayer can give victorie Exod. 17. 11. in doubtfull battels as in Israels against Amalek sometime Amalek prevailed but in the end Moses hands lift up in Prayer not Joshua's sword got the victorie It can recover lost Judg. 20. 26. battels as in the Civill war betwixt the eleven tribes and the Benjamites after two battels lost wherein were slaine fortie thousand Isai â—7 1â— 36. of the Israelites Prayer in the third obtain'd the victorie Prayer can raise a siege even a dangerous and confident one as was that of Sennacherib against Jerusalem Prayer can turne the plots and wisdome of the greatest State-Polititians into foolishnesse and for them on to twist an halter for their own execution the Prayer of â— Sam. 15. 31. 17. â—4 23. David did it against Ahithophel I might adde many other both out of forraigne and our own Histories the victorie against Cedwall Fox Martyr vol. 1. 151 â—98 18â— and Penda in the time of the Saxons ascribed to the Prayers of Oswald the like against Suâ—no the tyrant and Alluded against the Danes I remember an observation I have read of Constantine that after God had blessed and honoured him with many victories whereas the Effigies of other Emperours was engraven upon their loynes triumphing he would be set in a posture of Prayer kneeling to manifest unto the world that he attributed all his victories more to his Prayers then his sword what was said of the wicked their Psal 57. 5. 59. 17. 149. 6. tongue is a sharp sword swords are in their lips may be truly said of the tongues and lips of Gods people in prayer they are as two-edged swords in their hands to execute vengeance and surely Gods enemies have often found the power of this sword of Prayer and those which are the Lords people may say of this when used as it ought as David once of that which was Goliahs There is none like 1 Sam. 21. 9. that give it me To conclude this such is the prevalent power of Prayer that what is it which God can doe that Prayer hath not or cannot do I had almost said that God cannot doe that which the Prayers of his servants will not have him doe and I may say it for the Lord Exod. 32. 10. himselfe hath said as much to Moses Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot and me thinks I heare Moses answering Lord who lets thee and God replying My hands Moses are tyed from executing wrath whilst thine hands in Prayer are lift up for mercie I come to the last incouragement in reference to our selves Prayer is First a very safe helpe many are kept from appearing in the Churches behalfe because afraid of danger they may hazard the losse of their places of honour or profit their estates it may be their lives whereas Prayer is such an help that you may use it against the enemie and for the Church even when you are in the enemies quarters in the enemies dungeon and that without all danger nor can those fetters that may chaine your hands and feet tye your hearts your tongues yet give me leave to tell you I feare that
such as are not willing to appeare openly in the cause of God when they may doe good will never heartily pray in private for the Churches good Secondly it is an easie help he that can do nothing else may pray the French have a Proverb He that hath no money in his purse let him have honey in his mouth if you have not abilitie estates enabling you to contribute or lend towards the maintainance of an Armie you may yet contribute your Prayers and lay out these for the Lords blessing upon the Armie you shall heare some of the meaner rank say were we in such a condition had we such an estate as these and these men have we would doe this and that which these and other rich men doe not take heed we have deceitfull hearts I would have you try them by this what doe you in that condition wherein you are even in this of Prayer Doe you herein what you can are you often on your knees earnest with God to pardon the sins of the land that his cause may prosper that the expectation of the Churches enemies may be disappointed that the Lord would give hearts unto all those to whom he hath given abilities to lay out their utmost for the furtherance of Gods worke certainly if ye be wanting in this let me tell you had you greater estates you would not do much I cannot thinke that he which will not use his tongue will to any purpose use his hands or purse Thirdly it is a lasting helpe thy strength thine estate may faile thou maist be many wayes disabled from yeelding that helpe in other wayes which thou desirest nothing can disable thee from this whilst thou hast an heart thou maist pray Lastly in what place soever you are you may by your Prayers â— Tim. 〈◊〉 8. Ephes 6 18. helpe the Church I will that men pray every where said the Apostle those Christians which have put upon them that piece of Armour Prayer may use it in their beds in their chambers in their shops in their privatest closets in a word that souldier which fights for the Church with his Prayers and all may be such where ever he is he still keeps file cannot in any place be out of his rank Well then seeing Prayer is of such excellent use and that whereby every one may help the Church let me speake to all of this as in Isai 65. 8. the Prophet one once did of that Cluster Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it O destroy not your Prayers by not using them aright it is a Cluster from whence may be pressed many sweet and comfortable blessings take we heed then lest by our not using them as we should they prove uselesse to us and to the Churches cause for which we use them the poorest and meanest amongst you may be instruments by this of great mercies to the people of God and to your own soules be carefull then what ever you doe not to destroy your prayers by your ill usage of them to helpe you herein give me leave to prescribe some few short and plain directions for the right use of Prayer and for your better improvement of this so excellent an helpe to the best advancement of the cause of God First Prayer that would prevaile with God must goe up with an humble and sorrowfull confession of sins and well grounded resolution to forsake them for certainly he that prayes to day and returnes to his former sins to morrow unprayes his prayers and they which fast and confesse their sins to day and fall to the practise of them to morrow though they may seeme to fast unto God to day yet indeed they feast the devill to morrow the Lord looketh for at our hands not alone the words of prayer but as I may call them the works of prayer and though on this day We may cause Isai 58. 4. our voice to be heard on high yet not casting off our iniquities our works of sin will outcry our words of prayer Let every one then I beseech you search into his owne soul and find out the sins â—e stands guiltie of and whenever he goes to prayer to preface unto his soule with that of the Psalmist If I regard iniquitie in my Psal 66. 18. heart the Lord will not heare me and not forget that of the Apostle I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands for 1 Tim. 2. 8. Isai 1. 15. undoubtedly If God see impuritie in our hands we shall find little prevalencie in our prayers Prayer must goe up with fervencie heat and ardencie of affection Let my prayer come before thee as incense said the Psalmist and Psal 141. â— this never went up without fire you know who said it and upon what occasion The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man James 5. 1â— availeth much effectuall and fervent joyned to teach us that our prayers the more fervent they are are alwayes the more effectuall the Geneva reads The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent the more fervencie the more prevalencie in our prayers The souldiers of this Citie are commended for good fire-men that there be powder and shot in their muskets will doe no execution unlesse they give fire well O that we which are this day fighting with our prayers would labour for this fervencie in our prayers if they be nothing else but words they are but as the powder and shot in a Pistoll let there be no fire no fervencie of spirit they will never go off so as either to reach Heaven or the Churches enemies of all the foure Elements that of fire is neerest Heaven the more fire in any thing the higher it ascends heaven-ward cold sluggish prayers have so much earth in them that like the Grashopper if they mount a little upward they are presently downe again fall short of Heaven of all warlike engines your Grant does and fire-works are most deadly of all prayers those that have most fire most fervencie are most killing A third requisite in Prayer is Constancie and Perseverance not easily upon the Lords delay or seeming deniall beat off importunitie which is often offensive to man is alwaies pleasing to God commended Luk. 11. 5 8. 18. 1 5. it was by Christ in those two Parables of the friend at midnight and the widow with the unjust Judge We may not say of our approaches to God as Salomon of our neighbour withdraw Prov. 25. 17. thy foot from thy neighbours house or as in the Margent Let thy foot be seldome in thy neighbours house lest he be wearie of thee and hate thee no the oftener with God in his house in our own houses the more welcome the Lord will not say here is an unreasonable man and woman I can never be rid of them never at rest for them they are still following me praying and crying and seeking with every day a new suit