the name of God that is his iustice mercie power and truth Now seeing Gods name is manifest not onely in his word but in his workes of mercie and iustice for the inuisible things of God are seene in the creation and gouernment of the world as his eternall power infinit wisedome Rom. 1.20 mercie c. to leaue all men without excuse let vs pray to God for them that hee would sanctifie vnto them the one and the other euen this fatherly visitation of his vnto vs all that thereby wee and they may more and more know and feare his name euen that he is iust and hateth sin and will not make the wicked innocent Exod. 34.7 but visiteth the iniquitie of the father vpon the children and vpon childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation and that he is mercifull to all those that repent at what time so euer as wee see in the example of the theefe vpon the crosse who when at the last gaspe he confessed his sins saying to his fellow We are indeed righteously punished for we receiue things worthie of that wee haue done and cried vnto God for mercie Luc. 23.41 saying vnto Christ Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome he receiued this most comfortable answere from him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise That so wee might all iudge our selues thorowly now at the last that the Lord in his good time might cease iudging of vs whilest that we shall exhort one another as the Prophet willeth vs and say Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath spoyled and hee will heale vs hee hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp And so many of vs as do know the name of God aright let vs make that good vse of it that we should namely that we seek vnto him in prayer both for our selues and for others and say as it is in the Psalme Psal 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake that is that hee would helpe vs euen for the glorie of his name The God of Iacob The God of Iacob Whereas he speaketh not onely of the name of God but of the God of Iacob If by Iacob we mean that particular person the holy Patriarke so called because when he was borne Gen. 25.26 he held his brother by the heele in token that though hee was the yonger yet in time he should supplant his brother and preuaile against him as also hee did when he got the birthright first and then the blessing of God from him who was also afterwards called Israel that is Chap. 32.28 a mightie prince of the strong God when hee had wrastled with the Angell and preuailed with him in his returne frō Laban to shew that seeing he had preuailed with God he should much more preuaile with mē euen against all his enemies as he did against Laban Esau and others If I say it be thus taken then they in their prayers haue respect vnto that great deliuerance that God gaue vnto him against all his enemies according to his name Iacob and so by it they confirme themselues by this great experience in him They confirme their faith by the example of Iacob and so must we by his others that God would do so now to them in the like case that as he defended Iacob from his enemies so hee would defend Dauid from his and as hee heard Iacob praying in his trouble when he fled from Esau and from Laban so he would doe Dauid now And truly this was a very good meanes to confirme their hope at this time to consider the former dealing of God with others in the like case Therefore by their example we must so read and search the scriptures that we may marke and apply the examples of Gods mercie and deliuerances vpon others to our selues That we may say that that God hath done so and so to others let him deale so mercifully with me now For there is no change in God or respect of persons with him but as hee hath punished the wicked in former times and holpen the godly so will hee doe still And therefore as S. Paul doth rightly applie the examples of Gods iustice in the Scriptures to the Corinthians to keepe them from sinne saying Let not vs commit fornication as some of them committed fornication and fell in one day three and twentie thousand 1. Cor. 10. ◠neither let vs tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed with serpents neither murmure yee as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer So doth Dauid here allude vnto the mercie of God in Iacob and applie the example of it vnto them to incourage them vnto prayer Rom. 15.4 For indeede whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope And truly if we would thus do Then might we haue great comfort in our prayers for euery estate then might we haue great confidence in our prayers for there should be no estate of our owne or of others but we might in the Scripture finde some example of Gods mercy shewed to them in the like case that haue sought to him for it As if we cōsider the dangers and enemies of our King which hee hath had since hee came into this realme that we might pray for him with good hope we must set before our eyes the estate of King Dauid not only before he came to the right of the crowne by the continuall and cruell practises of Saul but after that he was lawfully possessed of it by treason at home euen by the rebellion of his own children and others their confederates but yet God defended him from them all that wee might say The name of the God of Dauid defend thee that is thou God that thus diddest maintaine Dauid in his right of the kingdome against al his enemies defend thy seruant our King in his iust inheritance against all his enemies But if we consider as wee haue great cause to doe this dangerous time of the pestilence As in this pestilence from the example of Dauid that wee might bee incouraged vnto prayer let vs bethinke our selues how it was in the daies of Dauid when hee and the people had prouoked the Lord. Hee sent such a grieuous plague among them that in the space of three daies there died of it threescore and ten thousand But when Dauids heart smote him for that that he had done and he repented and confessed his sinne vnto God and did iudge himselfe for it being willing to beare the punishment himselfe that the people might be spared hauing pitie vpon them as it is written of him It is euen I that haue sinned 1. Chron. 21.17 and haue committed
The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee The meaning of the words THe thing that he wils them to pray for in his behalfe is that God would heare his prayers that he should make in the time of his trouble and accordingly defend him by sending helpe to him from heauen and giuing him strength and courage against his enemies from the place and meanes of his worship and seruice as it is in the second verse The Lord heare thee c. These words import thus much that Dauid was already in or likely to fal into some great trouble that he did pray beforehand or would pray in the time of his trouble and that he desired the people of God to pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers that he should make in the time of his trouble First then though he was a good King Dauid in his lawfull calling was not free from trouble and had a good cause in hand yet he did not promise to himselfe to bee altogether free from trouble he was to goe to warre against the Ammonites in the defence of his people and kingdome hee was not ignorant of the manifold dangers and troubles of warre for he had been a long experienced Souldier and Captaine and so thought that some of them might befall him and that he might be driuen to some great straites Therefore as he was determined to pray to God for succour in such cases so he desired them to further his praiers that God might defend him in his troubles and deliuer him out of them By outward things wee must not iudge of the lawfulnes of Kings titles We are not then rashly to iudge of the lawfulnesse of Princes titles and of the goodnes of their gouernment and of any thing that they attempt by the outward peace and quietnesse that they haue at home and abroad or on the cōtrary by the troubles dangers that they fall into of the vnlawfulnesse of the same to say this is a good King in deede and taketh none but good causes in hand for hee hath no troubles at all or otherwise to say this is a cruell Tyrant in deede and taketh ill matters in hand for see how many enemies doe rise vp against him and seeke his life for we see it otherwise here in the first words of the Psalme And besides Dauid after that he was annoynted to be King by Samuel the Prophet at the expresse commandement of God how many troubles did he fall into both before he came to the kingdome by Saul and after he came to it by Adonijah Absolom the rest Neither must good and godly Kings in their lawfull proceedings against malefactors or otherwise preiudice themselues and their owne causes through some weakenes by occasion of any trouble that shall befall them to thinke thus with themselues surely I haue not taken a good course because such euill hath befallen me This is true indeed We ought as any crosses do befall vs to examine our waies that vpon such accidents of trouble euery man should examine his owne heart and his waies whether hee bee in the waies of God or no and this is a great fault in many that they doe not as in Balaam the sorcerer who when he was sent for by Balak the King of Moab to curse the people of Israel out of his land and in hope of great reward went though in that vnhappy voyage of his vndertaken with an ill mind he was often crossed by the Angell of God with a drawne sworde Numb 22.23 so that his Asse that he rode on turned out of the way and afterwards in a straite shee thrust her selfe so neere the wall that she dasht his foote against it and at the last the Asse fell down vnder him yet he did not by all these troubles that befell him in the way examine himselfe and say Good Lord what doe I heere Whether am I going and where about But when men haue good ground and warrant for their doings then they are confidently to goe on whatsoeuer may betide them with prayer vnto God commending themselues and all their waies vnto him The blessed Lady Queene Elizabeth how iust was her title and how godly and lawfull were all her proceedings Not only with her owne subiects at home but with her forraine enemies abroad yet she fell into many troubles both of professed enemies and secret traytors So this our Lord and King Iames who is in a right line descended from her progenitors as heyre apparant to the crowne and since his first entring into this land hath sought to reforme many abuses and to doe much good euen to continue the Gospell and to keepe out Popery see how many troubles in this short time he is fallen into besides all those which in his former kingdome of Scotland hee suffered All good men must looke for trouble in the best actions And this is not onely the portion of good Princes Kings and Queenes but of all good men in their best actions they must looke to finde many dayes of trouble in them For as the Kingdome of Christ was most subiect to all kinde of wrongs in the head as Dauid prophetically complaineth Psalm 2.1 2. Why doe the heathen rage and the people murmur in vaine the kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ so euery member of the same as hee most seeketh to aduance his kingdome by doing good and opposing himselfe to euill so many more troubles shall he sustaine of the enemies of the same then others For besides that the men of this world are against good men and their godly actions and therefore this way the more that they shew thēselues forward the more trouble shall they haue the Lord also by sparing them somtimes in the deserued punishment of their sinnes and causing them to finde troubles and to suffer for righteousnesse sake and for well doing Therefore we must not iudg of things by the euent doth this way like a mercifull father trie their faith and their obedience Therefore let no man be discouraged in any good action for any trouble that shall befall him in it neither let vs iudge of things by the euent but be sure that our cause bee good and agreeable vnto Gods word and then if trouble come let vs beare it patiently nay let vs looke for it that wee may beare it and for want of this meditation many break off and giue ouer in their best actions And this is that that wee haue to obserue from hence that speaking of the things that belonged to his calling he maketh mention of the troubles that were like to befall him The second thing ariseth from these words The Lord heare thee In which as hee confessed before Dauid prayed to God in his trouble that he looked for troubles so in these he
by vertue of their office so farre as may make for his glorie and the good of his Church And in that respect all people that haue such set ouer them to raigne may with great freedome and comfort pray for them That the Lord would defend them in all dangers euen as hee hath set them ouer them at the first Therfore seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed vs this mercie to giue vs such a worthie king to raigne ouer vs who is his annointed that is one that commeth to the crowne not by vsurpation by murthering the right heires as some haue done not by tyrannicall inuasion and conquest but by inheritance lineally descending from his auntient progenitors the noble kings of this realme therefore I say we may with great assurance pray to God for him In this respect we may with great hope pray for the life of our king Prouerb 28.2 that as hee hath hetherto ouerthrowne the plots of traytors in his owne countrey of Scotland and in this kingdom also of England both of them his iust inheritance so it would please him to doe still and so he will doe if our sinnes doe not deserue the contrarie For many times because of the sinnes of the people a land often changeth her princes as the VViseman saith and as we see in the kingdome of Israel falling vnto idolatrie 1. King 16.8 that in the space of one yeare they had three or foure kings successiuely to raigne ouer them Therefore seeing it is our bounden dutie to pray for him 1. Tim. 2.1 according to the doctrine of the Apostle who willeth That supplications and prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men and namely for kings and all that are in authoritie let vs be willing to doe it the rather because he is the Lords annointed that is come to the crowne by all lawfull and peaceable meanes approoued in the law of God that so wee may say from thence I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed So that though we could haue no comfort from our selues that we should be found worthie of such a prince yet seeing it hath pleased the Lord in the riches of his mercie to set him ouer vs for the good of this land wee may hope that he will haue respect vnto his annointed and not to suffer men to put downe him whom he himselfe hath set vp Euen as we had great experience of this in the dayes of our late Soueraigne the Queene how the Lord did miraculously preserue her out of the hands of the Papists her enemies when she was cast into prison and as she then said of her selfe Tanquam eius as a sheepe euery houre readie to be carried to the slaughter and at the last brought her to the kingdome so in the same he did as wonderfully preserue her in many dangers and conspiracies because shee was his annointed Dauid in many troubles prayeth in hope of Gods defence because he was his annointed And thus Dauid doth often comfort himselfe in his prayers when hee was in great trouble and in feare of the losse sometimes both of his kingdome and life and that both before he came to the crowne and after he comforteth himselfe with this That he was the Lords annointed that is that Samuel did annoint him to bee king by the commaundement of God and that that was not done vnto him in vaine but that the Lord who had called him vnto it would both bring him to it in time and defend him in it to the end As when hee was kept from the publicke assemblies by Saule and his great crueltie who neuer left seeking after his life but hunted after him continually 1. Sam. 26.20 as a man would after a Partridge as he sayth of himselfe whereupon he was driuen sometimes to hide himselfe and sometimes to flie out of the land and very seldome durst be seene openly he prayeth thus O Lord God of hostes heare my prayer Psal 84.8 hearken O God of Iaakob behold O God our shield and looke vpon the face of thine annointed that is not onely and principally vpon thy sonne Iesus Christ the Messiah who is appointed to be king and sauiour of the Church and for his sake doe it but looke vpon me whom thou hast appointed to be king and as thou knowest I haue not thrust in my selfe for then I might well thinke that all this were iustly come vpon mee And thus may all lawfull kings comfort themselues in all their lawfull proceedings against all the malitious attempts of their desperat enemies That God will defend them because of their calling and place that they be in and people that he hath set them ouer and say Looke vpon the face of thine annointed that is consider good Lord the place that I am in And so doth Dauid againe in the second Psalme where he doth with great admiration complaine of the multitude and maliciousnesse of his enemies saying Psal 2.1 Why doe the Heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine the kings of the earth band themselues and the princes are assembled together against the Lord against his Christ or annointed saying Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. VVhere because he was a figure of Christ therefore he speaketh of himselfe vnder that name calling himselfe the Lords Christ or the Lords annointed as wee see how afterwards it was verified in the person of Christ himselfe Act. 4.27 as the Apostles expound it in their prayer and say Doubtlesse against thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou haddest annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together But afterwards Dauid comforteth himselfe in the same Psalme with hope of Gods defence Psal 2.5 because of his calling and bringeth in the Lord speaking thus of him Then he shall speake vnto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure saying Euen I haue set my king vpon Sion mine holy mountaine as if hee had said he is my king and I haue set him vp therefore I will defend him VVhereas if he had set vp himselfe he could not haue had this comfort But I see that I cannot finish this doctrine at this present but must leaue it vnperfect vntill the next day The one and twentieth Sermon vpon the sixt verse The Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mightie helpe of his right hand Euery man may comfort himselfe in the lawfulnesse of his calling COncerning the doctrine of faith in Gods prouidence and defence that we ought to haue from the lawfulnesse of our callings which out of these words we began to entreat of the last day it is further to be obserued that it is true not onely of kings and princes of whom it is here directly spoken but of all inferiour callings in the Church and commonwealth That whosoeuer is in any such place which is
but reposeth his whole confidence in Gods defence therefore hee prayeth to him before he beginneth any thing and determineth further in the whole course of his proceeding stil to pray vnto God for direction and aide And not onely to doe it a little at the first as may appeare out of the verse Dauid did desire the people to pray for him 1.3.4 but because it concerned not himselfe alone but all the people and finding his owne insufficiencie in prayer and beleeuing the promises of God made vnto the prayer of other especially of the Church he desireth them to pray for him and namely to pray that God would heare his prayers which what they were or should be in particular they knew not but generally they might presume that they were good and such as did concerne that action and so whatsoeuer they were he would haue them pray to God that he would heare them as appeareth vers 4. The people doe according to this direction and commaundement of his The Prophet did vse this forme of prayer for him for they vsed this forme of prayer which hee had prescribed and so did pray earnestly for him that God would both heare his prayer and defend his person and to that end send him helpe from heauen and declare by the euent that hee had heard his and their prayers in giuing them victorie ouer their enemies and God heareth them all and saueth the king confoundeth their enemies causeth them to returne home with victorie and great triumph as appeareth by the next Psalme wherein he and they together giue thanks vnto God for the victorie attributing it onely to God and not to their owne strength or any power of man as in this Psalme they had professed that they did not trust in chariots and horses and such warlike defence as men vse to doe and namely their enemies did but only in the protection and defence of God which by calling vpon his name they sought for And so this is the generall argument and summe of this Psalme both in respect of Dauid who made this prayer and of the people who did vse it for him By the inscription then it appeareth that Dauid making this prayer for the people to vse in his behalfe was desirous that they should pray for him and did as it were seek it at their hands If he in so good a cause did not rest in the confidence of his own prayers but desired others to pray for him and if he did it then when he had so many means to accomplish his desire because he knew God to be aboue them and so as without him they could doe nothing and hee was able to hinder and to frustrate all and if hee that was so well able to pray for himselfe and others yet did desire the prayer of others of those that were inferiour vnto him Kings ought to take order that the people should publikly pray for them Then no King Prince or Potentate is exempted from this to stand in neede of the prayer of others and therefore they ought to take order in their seuerall realmes and dominions that the people may vsually pray for them in their publike places and assemblies and more seriouslie and particularly to doe it as there shall bee any speciall occasion as here was in the time of Dauid Therefore this order that is among vs established by lawe that in all Churches the Minister and people are willed to pray continually for the Kings most excellent Maiestie both in common prayer and in preaching and that as warre or other thing shall fall out so some speciall formes of prayer are set out by publike authoritie to bee vsed in such cases is according to Gods word and to the example of godly Princes I speake not now of our duties to pray for them but of theirs that they should thinke that they neede it and so require it of the people Al men ought to desire others to pray for them according to their seuerall neede And if Kings are bound thus to doe then Noblemen and other inferiour persons much more who haue not so many meanes to accomplish their owne desires or it may be are not so well able to pray for themselues at leastwise as Dauid was And so generally all men for this as well as the rest of the Scripture is written for our learning are bound as at all other times to desire others to pray for them so also as they shall haue any speciall cause to desire them to doe it a great deale more and not only to pray themselues for themselues continually because prayer in all things is our speciall refuge and succour but to desire others to pray God that he would from time to time heare their prayers And as Dauid doth it here in this speciall neede of his as being in danger and feare of his enemies so if we be in sicknes and feare of death we should in the feeling of our own weaknes and in the faith of the prayers of others desire thē to pray for vs and not only to pray our selues And this is the aduice and commandement of the Apostle Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13.14 let him pray is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Now seeing sicknes is but one kind of crosse and the Lord hath many waies else to afflict vs in any of them we ought to do the like yea and not only when affliction is vpon vs that it might be remoued and taken away but when wee haue iust cause to feare it that it might be preuented and so we escape it And not onely in outward affliction but all inward much more by how much they are more dangerous and grieuous as if wee shall be distressed in minde being tempted by Sathan either vnto sinne or for sinne for if they be auailable in other cases then in these And so to conclude this one point in a word in euery matter that is of any importance either for our selues or for any of ours wee ought so to commend the same and the whole successe of them vnto God in prayer who must onely bring them to passe as that we rest not therein but desire also the prayers of others to helpe vs in the same This ordinance of his By this God would haue vs vnited in loue one to another the Lord in much wisedome and mercie hath left to vnite vs in brotherly loue one to another that when we shall see by experience how much we are or may be beholding one to another in that by their prayers wee haue been holpen in so great distresses wee might from the bottome of our harts vnfainedly loue one another Thus the greatest Monarch may be beholding to all his subiects as Dauid was here to his people and the rich this way may thinke that they faire the better for the poore and the Minister for the meanest
heard them and one of them for another as the people of Ierusalem for Dauid their King the Prophet Isaiah for Hezekiah and the rest of the people and the captiued Iewes for Hester the Queene and her for them so will hee doe one of vs for another So that if we daily giue our selues to prayer and make conscience to vse that holy ordinance of God our selues wee may in great faith and hope desire the prayers of others And thus much for him that made the prayer whose name is prefixed in the title of it now for them that vsed it which was the Church of God at Ierusalem which is to be gathered out of the discourse of the whole Psalme but I cannot enter into it at this present I will reserue it vntill the next day THE THIRD SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee The people pray for the King as they were desired THese are the words of the people which they spake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they did as Dauid desired them namely pray for him If they did thus pray for him being desired thereunto and it was their bound dutie so to doe and they knew it to be so and therefore did make conscience of it and it had bin a very great fault for them to haue failed in it then by consequence it followeth of necessitie that whensoeuer any of our brethren or sisters in Christ shall desire this dutie at our hands So must we do for all those that desire our prayers wee must bee carefull to performe it and it were a fault not to be excused in vs both against God and them to faile in it Therefore wee must not thinke that when godly men and women at their parting or otherwise desire our prayers and say I pray you pray for me or remember me in your prayers that these are words of course though I doe not denie but that many doe so vse them and so doing they take the name of God in vaine but wee should be perswaded that out of the abundance of their feeling of their owne wants they speake vnto vs and so be willing by our prayers to helpe to supplie them Especially when they shall make their estate known vnto vs And especially wee should doe it when they shall make knowne their estate vnto vs as here Dauid did to the people giuing them to vnderstand that he should or might be in great daunger of his enemies and so it was a time of trouble vnto him as he called it and as the Apostle S. Iames speaketh Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Jam. 5.16 that ye may be healed that when the sicke should send for godly and graue men and so they should not onely see their estate for bodily health but they should also for their owne further comfort confesse vnto them their speciall sinnes which they finde to haue been the cause of them that then they would bee most willing to pray for them being sent for to that end especially So then if we see plainly that they haue cause to desire our prayers and that they doe it with earnestnes then most of all should we thinke vpon them and vpon their estate to pray for them and it must needes bee a great fault to forget them For as if any should bee in distresse or want and should stand in neede of our helpe for meate and drinke and cloathing or other things and should come and make their moane vnto vs and desire reliefe from vs if we seeing their estate to be so pitifull as indeede it is should not be mooued in compassion to helpe them according to our abilitie it were a token of great hardnes of heart in vs So much more when any shall make knowne their wants vnto vs to that end that we might pray to God for them if wee should forget it or neglect to doe it it should bewray too great want of fellow-feeling and brotherly compassion in vs. Most of all this dutie of prayer ought to bee carefullie performed And most of al when thereupon we haue promised to pray for them Psal 15.4 when wee haue promised it vnto any vpon such notice of their estate for as all promises made to our brethren ought to be kept yea though it bee to our owne hindrance so those most of all that so neerely concerne them And as if when any should desire vs to speak to some great man for them and wee promise to doe it and they trust to it hoping that we will be as good as our words it were a great deceit in vs to faile them and so to frustrate their expectation For all lawfull promises must be kept So when any haue desired vs to speake to God for them and vpon our promise they would comfort themselues ouer it if we should by negligence deceiue them it were a great fault in vs and that which the Lord would require at our hands though they should neuer know of it Therefore as we ought dâ—â—y to pray one for another vnasked as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs O our Father which art in heauen giue vs this day and forgiue vs our trespasses and leade vs not into temptation c so more specially and by name should we do it for them that haue desired it of vs. And so parents especially should not forget their children in their prayers which daily aske their blessing and hope to be blessed of God by their prayers Secondarily if wee should neglect to pray for them that haue desired it at our hands Els they that we trust vnto shal neglect to pray for vs. how could we haue any hope that others whom we haue desired to pray for vs should performe that dutie vnto vs Nay might not wee iustly feare that they would altogether neglect it seeing we doe neglect them and should it not be iust with God so to punish vs according to the saying of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7.2 Looke with what measure you meat vnto others it shal be met vnto you againe And I remember that this was the saying of a reuerend father in the Church who is now fallen asleepe in the Lord when any desired him to pray for them as many did and more then any that I haue knowne he would say vnto them I pray you pray for me and pray that I may remember you and then I hope I shall not forget you Therefore if we would haue others pray for vs let vs pray for them for wee can neuer haue greater assurance that they will doe it for vs than that we are carefull to doe it for them and the more that we doe it for them the more may we hope that they will do it for vs. For the spirit of God that mooueth vs pray and knoweth much more that we doe so it being
sheweth what hee would then doe namely flee to God for succour pray to him and call vpon his name that he might heare him and defend him He would vse all good meanes fit for that purpose but he would not neglect this knowing that all they were nothing without this for they must haue their successe and blessing from God by prayer For he knew that though he had men and horses and munition fit for war yet as he saith in another Psalme I trust not in my bow Psal 44.6 33 16. neither can my sword saue me and againe The King is not saued by the multitude of an hoste neither is the mightie man deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength for as Salomon saith when the horse is prepared against the battell Prou. 21.31 yet then saluation is of the Lord who is truly and properly called the Lord of hostes because hee is aboue all and commandeth al and therefore as King Asa confesseth in his prayer it is nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power 2. Chron. 14.11 Therefore he was determined especially to pray to God in all his troubles that he might saue him and so he did as appeareth by Psalm 21. So did King Hezekiah when the hoste of the King of Ashur came vp to Ierusalem against him Jsai 37.16 So haue other good Kings done saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the heauē the earth incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see c. Saue thou vs out of the hands of Sanecherib that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. Thus also did good King Iehosaphat one of his predecessors when the Ammonites came to battell against him and did not onely seeke to the Lord by prayer but proclaimed a fast 2. Chron. 20.3 that he might pray the more feruently and the forme of his prayer is set downe there And in thus doing hee followeth the example of his good father King Asa Chap. 14.9 who when Zerah of Aethopia came out against him with an hoste of ten hundreth thousand chariots hee went out also before him and set the battell in aray but then hee cried vnto the Lord his God saying Helpe vs O Lord our God for wee rest on thee and in thy name are wee come foorth against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee So that it appeareth that this which Dauid did now hath been the common practise of all the godly Kings when they haue been in feare of their enemies and so it hath been a day of trouble with them as it was now with him So must all men seeke to God in all kinde of troubles Now that that is said of this kinde of trouble and of these kind of men is true of al other both sorts of trouble and degrees of men that whatsoeuer troubles or daungers not onely Kings but al others shall fall into at any time great or small if they will haue comfort in them or looke for any deliuerance out of them they must seeke for it at the hand of God by supplication and prayer who onely can giue it of whom alone commeth al the means of our deliuerance and the whole disposition and wise vsing of them and the whole successe and blessing vpon them from whom also may come that that we seeke for without all meanes and without whose aide all things will doe vs no good For as it is said man liueth not by bread onely Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and as Christ saith in the Gospel no mans life consisteth in the abundance of that that he possesseth Luk. 12.15 that is in all things it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon them that must doe vs good So that in all troubles wee must put that in practise which the Lord speaketh of Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are readie to seeke to this bodie and to that and to call vpon them for help but God saith Call vpon me and that we might doe it he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he will heare vs and deliuer vs. And this Dauid beleeued when he saith in the words following Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will heare c. And vnto this agreeth that which the Apostle Saint Iames setteth downe Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13 let him pray where he speaketh vnto all and in what kind of affliction soeuer they be Therefore as prayer is alwaies requisite and necessary according to the doctrine of the Apostle who saith 1. Thessal 5.17 Pray continually and in another place Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance so most of all in the time of trouble For as Peter when he walked on the water to go to Iesus and saw a mightie winde so that hee was afraide and began to sinke cried saying Master saue me Matth. 14.29 The time of trouble is the speciall time of prayer so all men the more euident and dangerous their trouble is the more earnestly should they pray vnto God for helpe For the lesse able that they are to helpe themselues or others to doe any thing for them the more should they seeke for help from God who is able sufficiently to affoord it And truly many times God doth of purpose bring vs into trouble that wee might call vpon him and so hee might heare vs in the day of our trouble So that no trouble should so dismay vs that it should hinder vs from prayer but rather quicken vs vp vnto it and to a greater feruency in it Psal 10.1 For when the Church saith Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction it sheweth that as that is the fittest time for the Lord to heare and helpe vs so for vs to pray vnto him and to seeke for helpe at his hands Therefore let vs not onely not thinke that trouble doth exempt vs from prayer or that it is so great that we cannot pray and if wee were out of it and so might haue our mindes quiet we would pray as that we beleeue rather that God at no time looketh for so much prayer at our hands as when hee laieth affliction and trouble vpon vs. Both publike and priuate So that if our troubles bee priuate wee must often and earnestly pray priuately and if they be publike wee must haue publike prayer thereafter that so God may heare vs euery way in the day of our troubles which he cannot doe
Leuit. 2.1 When any shall offer a meat offering vnto the Lord his offering shall be of fine flower and he shall powre oyle vpon it and put incense thereon and shall bring it vnto Aarons sonnes the Priests and he shal take thence his handfull of the floure and of the oyle with all the incense and the Priest shall burne it for a memorial vpon the altar Which was to teach them according to the dispensation of those times that as incense perfume doth delight the senses of men so God would be well pleased with that which they offered according to his word for Christs sake in whose mediation it should be as it were perfumed For he is that Angell that S. Iohn speaketh of who stoode before the altar Reuel 8.3 hauing a golden censer and much odors was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all the Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne and the smoke of the odours with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand Prayers compared vnto incense whereby was shewed that in his mediation and in the vertue of his prayers all the prayers and seruices of Gods Saints are accepted incense then was vsed to confirme nourish in them the faith of this doctrine which was not so cleerely reuealed to them as it is to vs now in the Gospell where we haue many gracious promises made that whatsoeuer we aske in the name of Christ according to his will he wil grant it vnto vs. Whereunto now they haue respect in these words of their prayer when they pray that God would smell his gifts that is fauourably accept the seruice done And according to this phrase of speech it is said of the sacrifice of Noah that he after the flood built an altar vnto the Lord Gen. 8.20 and tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane foule and offered burnt offerings vpon the altar and the Lord smelled a sauour of rest the Lord said in his heart I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause The Lord did smell that is he did accept the sacrifices that were offered and so he was pacified and his anger did cease which for the sinne of man was kindled iustly before and caused the world to be drowned but now his anger being staied he said that he would no more smite all things liuing as he had done According to this kind of speech vsuall in the Scripture they pray that God would bee well pleased with his prayers and seruice done vnto him By this then we see God remembreth all our seruices done to him that the prayers that we make to God at any time and the seruices which wee owe vnto him are not for the time present only whilest they are a doing as some other things which perish with the vse of them but they are also for the time to come and God doth remēber them when they be past and will blesse vs for them thereafter and we may pray to God in faith that he would so doe and are by this example taught to doe it with comfort So that as incense burnt or a perfume that is made leaueth a good smell behind it and the sweet sauours of it may be felt in the place where it was made a good while after so our prayers and seruice done in faith are so acceptable vnto God for Christs sake that they leaue a sauour of rest behind them before God for vs that hee may remember them and vs for them So that many dayes after we may think of it with ioy and delight that we haue done so and so vnto God and pray him to remember it and be assured that hee will doe so This is a great mercy in God that hee wil thus vouchsafe to remember vs and our poore seruices and a great comfort to vs to know that he doth so Therefore euen as the sinnes of men that haue been done long since As he remembreth all the sinnes of men to punish thē in time God remembreth them and will punish them in time and though men when they haue done them forget them and so make no account of them to repent them of them in time but go on securely and carelesly as it is said of prophane Esau when he had sold his birth-right and so to satisfie his appetite for the time present had departed from the greatest testimony of Gods fauour that he had Gen. 25.34 he did eate and drinke and rose vp and went his way so he contemned his birth-right he was as merry as euer he was before and forgat what he had done yet God did remember it well enough and did punish him for it for he was afterwards depriued of the blessing of his father and of God So it is said in the Psalme of al those that are companions with theeues and with adulterers and of all the wicked These things hast thou done Psalm 50.21 I held my tongue therfore thou thoughtest that I was like thee because God did not presently punish them they forgat their sins and thought that God did so too but he answereth I will reproue thee and set them in order before thee that is hee doth both know and remember euery thing that they haue done for he will set them in order before them and punish them for them and so cause them also to remember them in time as wee see here it is said of the crie of Sodome Gen. 18.20 that it was very great and that God did heare it and remember it and sent his Angels to destroy them for it They continued in their sinnes and God did patiently suffer them but at the last in sending fire and brimstone from heauen vpon them to consume them hee did sufficiently declare to the whole world that he did remember them If God deferre to help we are ready to think that he hath forgotten vs. So doth he remember all the seruices which men doe vnto him at any time and they are euer present before him and he neuer forgetteth any and wil blesse them for the same in time And though he defer this blessing of his and do not presently reward vs for our seruice or deliuer vs when wee haue prayed vnto him yet we must not thinke that therefore he forgetteth vs and what we haue done as though we had lost our labour which the diuel through our vnbeleefe is ready to suggest vnto vs Psalm 13.1 as we see how Dauid breaketh out into such words How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me Where he complaineth that because God did not presently deliuer him from his enemies according to that that he prayed for therefore God had forgotten him and did not see him For we by reason of infidelity are ready to iudge of God as of mortall men if we haue put vp any
good things But for want of this because by the coldnesse of our desires it appeareth that wee doe not esteeme of them or but smally regard them therefore wee haue them not And this is that that the Apostle speaketh of to the Romanes I beseech you Rom. 15.30 that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me and to the Corinthians also saying So that yee labour together in prayer for vs 2. Cor. 1.11 where hee compareth prayer vnto labouring and striuing Therefore as when wee striue for any matter of moment wee will alwaies put to our strength that we may do our best that we can but yet sometimes we will put to all our strength As our Sauiour Christ did before he came to the crosse and straine our selues to the vttermost that we might preuaile so we in our prayers though wee must alwaies bee earnest yet in somethings wee must stretch out our affections vnto the full And so it is said of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ both before and when he was vpon the crosse as it is set downe in the Gospell He prayed Father if thou wilt take away this cuppe from me Luk. 22.42 Neuerthelesse not my will but thine bee done and being in an agonie hee prayed more earnestly and his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Where it is said that he was in an agonie that is in a great conflict of the minde with the wrath of God as appeared by the bloudie sweate that came from his precious b dy when he kneeled vpon the cold ground and so hee prayed the more earnestly He prayed alwaies in the spirit but in this distresse of bodie and minde he inlarged his affections as appeareth also by his words when three times hee prayed that if it were possible that cup might passe away from him Chap. 23.46 And after that manner he prayed vpon the crosse So afterwards when he was vpon the crosse he cried with a lowd voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when he had thus said he gaue vp the ghost Thus being at the last gaspe as we say he strained himselfe to the vttermost not onely in bodie but in minde and so earnestly prayed and declared his earnestnes with the lowd crie that hee made that with it hee spent all his strength in soule and bodie so that at the end of his prayer he gaue vp the ghost and died praying So must we alwaies watch in prayer as Paul speaketh that is watch ouer our affections Ephes 6.18 that as any thing seemeth more needfull so we more earnestly desire that As if we had many suites to a Nobleman and something did specially concerne vs and wherein consisted as we say our making or marring we would moue him most earnestly in that and as we would desire him to remember vs in all things so most of all and especially in such a thing So doth Dauid here he willeth the people to pray for him that God would send him helpe and strengthen him against his enemies yea that God would heare his prayers and declare by the euent that he had done so indeede and then he addeth Selah as if he had said Oh I pray you remember that especially and doe not forget aboue all other to pray that God would some waies declare that he hath heard our prayers So must wee doe in all things when we pray to God Thus must we pray for this Plague As now we haue many things to pray for but among them this is the chiefest that we thus weekly twice in one day meete for euen to pray to God that hee would forgiue vs our sins and be reconciled vnto vs through the bloud of his sonne and so stay in his blessed time this heauie hand that so long and in so many places to the losse and destruction of so many thousands hath lien grieuously and vncomfortably vpon vs Vnto these prayers of ours and when wee come to this one thing must be added Selah that is euery one must pray for this most earnestly For our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs by the parable of the wicked Iudge what importunitie of earnest prayer can do Luk. 18.7 euen that God will heare them that thus crie vnto him day and night though hee deferre for a time Therefore let vs stirre vp our affections and by how much the benefit of health is the longer a comming and we most vnworthie of it by so much let vs pray most earnestly and let vs doe as Christ Iesus did that is seeing wee are in distresse let vs pray more earnestly as Dauid saith also of himselfe when he was in great troubles and could not tell how to get out of them Psalm 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voyce So that as a man if hee were fallen into a great pit or well and could not tell how to get out hee would not onely call and crie for helpe but he would straine his voyce as much as hee could So let vs in this forlorne hope and desperate estate of ours not onely pray to God but straine all our desires to the vttermost Those that vse to sleepe at prayers or talke or haue their mindes otherwise occupied this doctrine and the practise of it cannot concerne them one whit but those that are deuout in prayer and the most deuout of all that they would learne this as occasion shall serue to shew their deuotion in prayer to the vttermost and not thinke that alwaies one kinde of deuotion is sufficient Secondarily when he teacheth them thus to pray that God would shew that he had fauourably accepted his prayers Wee must thinke it a very hard thing to doe any seruice so as God may accept of it offrings and all seruices that he had done to him and then addeth Selah This note of stirring vp the affection it was to shew how hee thought of this thing euen that it was a great thing to do any seruice or to offer vp any prayers that might be acceptable vnto God therefore that it might be so that is well pleasing in his eyes it was to bee commended vnto him againe and againe And truly thus must we thinke of the seruice of God and we shall finde that if we consider rightly the high maiestie of God and what is meete for him on the one side and then our owne vnworthines and insufficiencie to bring any thing at all vnto him on the other side we must needes confesse that it is a very hard thing to doe any thing after that manner that hee may vouchsafe once to regard it Euery thing is not meete for him it must bee agreeable vnto his word otherwise he refuseth our will-worship and saith Who hath required these things at your hands Isai 1.12 So then we must not obtrude vnto him our owne blind deuotions as they did in
him and so why needed he to doubt of any of his desires The like may be sayd of Ahab the king of Israel when he desired the vineyard of Naboth and could not get it at the first whereupon he was greatly displeased and laid himselfe vpon his bed and would not eat How soone was there a way deuised for him by his wife Iesabell 1. King 21.4 to satisfie his desires though it was vnlawfull And first of all she comforteth him ouer it Verse 7. and sayd Doest thou now gouerne the kingdome of Israel c. as if she had sayd what I perceiue thou knowest not who thou art Thou art a King thou mayest haue what thou wilt one way or other by might or by wrong thou needest but desire and haue Vp eat bread and be of good cheere I will giue thee the vineyard of Naboth c. And then she wrote letters that he might be accused condemned of treason that so it might fall to the king by law as it did and as it followeth in that storie But this is that which principally for our purpose is to be obserued that she was of this mind That a king might haue whatsoeuer he desired And so many foolish people thinke that kings And so doe many worldlings thinke of themselues and of others noblemen rich men those that haue wealth inough they may haue all things after their harts desire so haue nothing to crosse them in their desires so that if they were in their case they would liue at their hearts ease for look whatsoeuer they desired they would haue who shold hinder them from it and so they would set their heart at rest and liue as merrily as the day is long and broad and they maruell why others should not do so and that they should at any time complaine that they haue not their desire Luke 12 16. VVherein they are like vnto that Epicure that is spoken of in the Gospell whose ground when it brought forth fruit so plenteously that he could not tell where to lay it vntill he bethought himselfe to enlarge his barnes and then he said to himselfe Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eat drinke and take thy pastime so that he thought because he had wealth ynough that he might haue his hearts desire in all things and be beholding to none but to himselfe for it no not vnto God for he speakes as one that neuer thought of him But the Lord did disappoint him of it and said O foole Verse 20. this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided And thus will he say and doe to all such foolish worldlings or worldly fooles For it is added So is he that gathereth riches and is not rich in the Lord. But Dauid here sheweth that he was of another mind for though his desires were neuer so good and lawfull in this action and he had neuer so many means to accomplish them as indeed for his desire in warre he had as many as could almost be desired for he had many worthie captaines 2. Sam. 23.18 and we read not of any the like as their courage and great valour is set downe in the Scripture yet he beleeued and would haue his subiects to beleeue also that neither himselfe nor they for him could accomplish his desires but as God should graunt them and therefore he willed them to pray to God that he would so doe saying Graunt thee according to thine heart This then is that But only God giueth to all men their desires that from hence we must beleeue that it is God onely that doth and must accomplish the desires of all men and women and none is sufficient of themselues to doe it be they neuer so great and mightie nor any other for them And this is the first article of our faith That we beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is that he made all things of nothing and doth still bring al things to passe and therefore as nothing is done without him so he only doth all things Psal 135.6 as it is said in the Psalme He hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and in the earth and in all the deepes So that whatsoeuer good any hath desired in time past if they haue obtained it they must confesse to the glorie of God that it was not thēselues or any other for them but God alone that gaue thē their hearts desire For though they had these meanes And this we must confesse in all things that we haue receiued yet God could haue hindered them all that they should haue done them no good And therefore that which Moses forewarned the people of Israel of when they should come into the land of Canaan That they should take heed that they did not ascribe any to themselues but all vnto God who was the only giuer of the same is true of all other things Deut. 8.17 when he saith thus vnto them Beware least thou say in thine heart my power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance but remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giueth thee power to get substance to establish his couenant which he sware vnto thy father as appeareth this day VVhere he forbiddeth them not onely proudly to boast of themselues but not so much as to suffer it once to enter into their thoughts Say not in thine heart c. Thus did Dauid confesse of himselfe that God had giuen him his desire in that Psalme that he maketh of thanksgiuing for the victorie he teacheth the people to praise God for it vnder this title That God had brought to passe his desires and that he saw his desire vpon his enemies he ascribeth it neither to himselfe nor to his worthie captaines Psal 21.2 but to the Lord saying Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire As if he had said O Lord I desired such and such things in my heart but I could not procure them to my selfe therefore I prayed vnto thee for them and I desired others also so to doe and thou hast giuen vs the thing that wee desired and therefore wee giue thankes vnto thee for it And this is that also which the Psalmist saith of the Israelites whilest they were in the wildernesse they longed for flesh but they could not satisfie their owne desires though they were neuer so many but the Lord he sent them meat ynough and so did satisfie their desires He rained flesh vpon them as dust Psal 78.27 and feathered foule as the sand of the sea and he made it fall in the middest of their campe euen round about their habitations so they did eat and were well filled for he gaue them their desire So must we all say of our selues for all things that we desire and
there was great sorrow among the Iewes and fasting and weeping and mourning and many lay in sackcloth and ashes but they all prayed vnto God and he deliuered them and saued them from their enemies Chap. 9.17 and turned the dayes of famine into the daies of feasting and ioy So let vs giue our selues vnto continuall prayer that the Lord may be entreated of vs at the last and so in his appointed time it may come to passe that whereas many of the chiefe cities and townes amongst vs haue beene a long time in great perplexitie by reason of this grieuous pestilence and contagious mortalititie and in all places of this realme besides whither tidings of their estate hath and doth weekely come they haue been in sorrow and great heauinesse and in weeping and mourning and fasting now there may be cause of reioysing and praysing God and these dayes of sorrow and fasting may bee turned into the dayes of great ioy and feasting That so we may as this people wish for themselues here reioyce when he shall fulfill all our petitions VVhich the Lord of his infinit mercie graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen The sixteenth Sermon vpon the fifth verse That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. AS they bring this for a reason in their prayer to mooue the Lord to bestow vpon them this benefit so here they professe that if hee will vouchsafe so to doe they would reioyce indeed and bee glad and as they should haue cause From whence wee may learne how we ought to be affected with the common benefits of our time We ought to reioyce in the common benefits of our time as here they speake of publicke blessing namely victorie ouer their enemies and so of common peace and tranquilitie that should follow namely that we should take them from God as matter of great ioy And as when there is any common affliction and plague in the land of what kind soeuer wee should be affected with it and be sorrowfull for it and not haue that stoninesse and hardnesse of heart that is in too many whereby it should come to passe that wee should make light of such things and not be mooued with them as we ought So we should be touched with the consideration of the common benefits to reioice in them because we haue our part in them and the greater that those benefits be the more should we reioyce in them and the more should be our ioy for them or else we cannot be so thankefull vnto God for them as we ought VVee should not then be so carelesse that we should not marke the common benefits of our time nor so blockish and hard hearted that in marking of them we should not reioyce in them For we see that the seruants of God in their seuerall ages and times haue not onely greatly reioyced in the common benefits of the Church and Commonwealth wherein they haue had their part with the rest of their brethren but they haue openly professed it to the glorie of God and the good example of others As when they returned from the captiuitie of Babylon where they had beene long not onely in a strange countrey but vnder idolaters now when they come home and haue the freedome of their conscience in Gods seruice and that in their own countrey they were not onely filled with ioy but they speak of it among themselues to their mutuall comfort and as when they went out they wept and were touched with the common miserie of that time and put away all tokens of ioy from them Psal 137.2 For by the waters of Babylon they hanged their harpes vpon the willowes and said that they would not sing the Lords song in a strange land so in their returne they speake otherwise of themselues for as the benefit was so great and so vnlooked for of many Psal 126.1 That when the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion they were like them that dreame so their ioy was so great that they say Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy and they say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce The Lord hath vouchsafed vs and our forefathers the like mercie in deliuering vs long ago from the tyrannie of the Pope As that we are deliuered frō poperie and of his idolatrie and giuen vs this freedome of the gospell in our owne countrey we must so consider of it That as those holy men that wanted it so prayed for it that they might reioyce as this people doth here for another benefit so now we that haue it might reioyce in it indeed and not to be so sencelesse and void of feeling as many are not at all or very little to be mooued with so great cause of ioy The like may be said of all other common benefits whatsoeuer as when Salomon was appointed to be king in his father Dauids roome and this was done with the common consent of all the nobles and chiefe men of the realme it is said they gaue thankes vnto God and were exceedingly glad 1. Chron. 29.20 For Dauid said vnto them Now blesse the Lord your God and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the king And they did eat and drinke before the Lord the same day with great ioy and they made Salomon the sonne of Dauid king the second time So this great benefit to haue one good prince to succeed another peaceably And then wee haue one good prince to succeed another was vnto them matters of great ioy In which respect we haue no lesse cause to reioyce than they that after the death of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie by whom we did enioy many great benefits who did restore religion and tooke order for the seruice seruants of the Lord as Dauid did we haue one in Gods great mercie to succeed that maintaineth the Gospell and that he is peaceably come to the Crowne as Salomon was then so that neither we are fallen into the hands of our enemies nor giuen vp vnto Popish idolatrie as both of them were greatly feared But as this benefit was greatly desired of many before and they thought that then they would reioice and otherwise they could not so we that enioy it must reioyce in it and so consider of the greatnesse of it that our hearts may be made glad with it and that wee may eat and drinke before the Lord and vse other of his benefits as in his presence with great ioy So is it said afterwards in the dayes of this Salomon when he had builded and made an end of the temple of the Lord and had with solemne prayers and sacrifices dedicated it vnto his seruice all the people of the land that came vp to Ierusalem to the dedication of that house when all things were finished The king sent away into their tents
the ease and release of the affliction of our brethren that we may reioyce Here then we haue another reason to persuade vs to pray for those that are and haue beene a long time visited with the pestilence and the grieuous hand of God Wee should pray that the plague might cease from our brethren that we might reioyce for which they are in great heauinesse and feare night and day entreating the Lord that when it hath wrought his good worke in the hearts of all for which it is sent to commaund it to cease and to take it cleane away not onely that their sorrowfull hearts might be cheered vp and comforted after this long sorrow and so some light might arise vnto them after this darknesse but that all we our selues and the rest of our brethren in all parts of this land might reioyce in their saluation That so we might take into our mouths the words of the Psalme which were vttered after a great deliuerance Others said of them Psal 126.2 The Lord hath done great things for them but they said The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce So we should not count our selues strangers from our brethren and from their good and speake of them as it were aloofe off when we should heare how the plague is stayed in such and such a place The Lord hath done great things for them but as though it were our owne case say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce and so we to reioyce in their saluation we accounting the good that is done to them as done to our selues And truly if all men did thus it were to be hoped that God would soon heare vs. This affection was in Paule when he wrote vnto Philemon and entreated him for his seruant Onesimus who had stollen something from him and was come away and cast into prison for it and Paule had conuerted him and then desireth him to pardon him and to receiue him againe not onely that his poore seruant might bee comforted who was now greatly troubled for his sinne but that Paule himselfe might reioyce in this great blessing bestowed vpon him when he sayth thus yea brother let me obtaine this pleasure of thee in the Lord Phile. 20. comfort my bowels in the Lord where he entreateth him that in pardoning and receiuing his seruant againe he would bestow that great benefit vpon himselfe comfort him in the Lord for so he would account of it and thus he preuailed for it and so might we with God much more for our brethren VVhether then we looke to this visitation of the pestilence or to any other calamitie that our neighbors shall be in we in their preseruation or deliuerance must thinke our selues greatly comforted in the Lord and therefore in all things pray for their good that wee might reioyce so God may heare vs if not for their sakes yet for our owne And this is that which we haue to obserue out of the fifth verse it followeth in the next The interpretation of the sixt verse Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his sanctuarie by the mightie power of his right hand In this verse Dauid professeth beforehand that he did beleeue that God would heare him and would defend him from his enemies according to his prayers for hee was the authour and penner of this Psalme And in teaching the people thus to pray for him he would haue them also beleeue that God would heare them concerning these requests which they made in his behalfe that so they likewise might pray in the same faith And this faith of them all is expressed and declared not onely when they say that they did know that God would heare and send helpe but especially and most significantly in changing the number For whereas in the former verse they spake as a multitude euen the whole Church together saying That wee may reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of our God where three times they speake in the person of many Here as though there were but one that prayed they say I know and this they doe according to the nature of true faith which is to applie Gods promises and his merciful deliuerances particularly to euery man and woman and so say as it is in our Creed I beleeue in God and not we beleeue that is I am persuaded that hee is the God not onely of others but of me And so here though many did vse this praier together yet euery one was to haue this faith in themselues that they did know that God would heare them And what doe they or should they beleeue That God will helpe his annointed that is their king Dauid so called because he was by the commaundement of God annointed by Samuel the Prophet vnto that office 1. Sam. 16.13 and that he would heare his prayers and graunt his requests from his sanctuarie that is from heauen And thus they beleeue that God would doe by or with his right hand that is by his great power that he hath in himselfe whereby hee is able to doe all things and by the mightie helpe thereof that is that great helpe which he shall and will giue which none is able to resist And thus for the further strengthening of their faith they set before their eyes the great power of God whereby hee is able to defend all those that put their trust in him in all dangers whatsoeuer as also in the verse following they doe by comparison of the confidence of their enemies more fully expresse it saying Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God that is whereas others did trust in outward meanes as chariots and such like they did trust onely in the power and grace of Almightie God This teacheth vs to come so prepared vnto prayer that wee beleeue beforehand that God will heare our prayers We must pray in faith beleeuing that God will heare vs. and that we shall not pray in vaine but he will giue vs the thing that we aske And this faith is so requisit and necessarie that without it neither are our prayers acceptable vnto God neither can wee looke to receiue any thing at his hand Heb. 11.6 For without faith it is impossible to please God as in no other duties that we doe so not in prayer And faith is requisit in all those that aske any thing of God euen as all they that came vnto Christ in the dayes of his flesh to receiue any thing of him hee required of thē this first That they should beleeue For as it is said of them of his owne countrey when he was among them Matth. 13.58 Marc. 6.5 He could not doe many great workes there for their vnbeleefe sake he could haue done ynough his diuine power was sufficient but they had not faith to
for dispight and sunke in because of all mine enemies Here we see that in these seuen first verses he complaineth most grieuously of his owne estate prayeth most feruently vnto God for deliuerance and no man can say more either to expresse the griefe of his mind or his feruent desire to haue releefe and comfort See then I pray you in the words following what a great alteration there is made in him of the sudden and what a wonderfull great change he findeth in himselfe when he sayth thus Away from me all ye workers of iniquitie Vers 8. for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayers All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddenly VVhere he sheweth what gteat comfort the Lord gaue him at the last in this trouble of his euen that he should be deliuered out of it when his enemies looked that he should perish and be swallowed vp in it and he attaineth vnto so great assurance of this that he is not able to containe himselfe but againe and againe professeth that the Lord had heard his prayers and the voyce of his weeping And not onely that is to be marked but especially this that he commeth vnto this assurance not vntill the end of many long and feruent prayers and that in the beginning either he had it not at al or nothing in that measure that there he professeth it for then no doubt he would haue done it sooner and not so long haue fed himselfe with such grieuous complaints and lamentable outcries as there hee doth And so may we do for God giueth it by ordinarie meanes So is it possible for vs in what trouble soeuer we shall be in if we pray vnto God in all humilitie and sorrow for our sinnes as he did euen with great aboundance of teares for he saith That he watered his couch and made his bed to swim with them by which hyperbolicall kind of speech he meaneth That he wept very much not only in the day but euen in the night also and if we did pray with that feruencie that he did not fainting nor giuing ouer but stretching out our affections and desires according to our present need it is possible I say for vs to attaine by degrees vnto that measure of persuasion of Gods goodnesse towards vs that may suffice vs. And though wee come not to that great measure that was in this holy man because we pray not in that feruencie and zeale and tendernesse of heart that hee did yet in some acceptable measure and more than we had in the beginning For I am not of that opinion that this was inspired into him as he was a Prophet who had many things extraordinarie neither that any man can come to haue any assurance or full persuasion either of their saluation or that God heareth their prayers or of any other fauour from him without some reuelation and so it should be thought presumption in a man to say he is assured of such things but that God giueth this assurance and increaseth it by ordinarie meanes and namely and especially by prayer For seeing prayer is very fitly compared vnto wrastling or striuing as we haue seene heretofore by which we labour with all the power of our soules and bodies A comparison to shew the truth of it to obtaine some thing of the Lord as by bodily striuing men seeke to obtaine some masterie among men and thus the Apostle speaketh of it to the Romanes Rom. 15.30 Desiring them to striue with him by prayers to God for him as in striuing a mans strength is not alwayes greatest at the first neither can himselfe or others perceiue so well whether he shall ouercome but sometimes yea most vsually when after some paines taken his bodie is well heat he increaseth in strength of bodie and agilitie of lims whereby it commeth to passe that he findeth that in himselfe which giueth him greater hope of preuailing against his aduersarie than he had before So is it when we pray to God and as it were striue with him that though wee put all our strength vnto it at the first that is pray with all the desire of our hearts yet when by continuance in praier the spirit of God in vs is well heat as I may say and the heat of it increased we shall find that both our desires are greatly increased also our assurance from thence of being heard is inlarged So that in the middest or ending of our prayers we shall perceiue our minds more pacified and quiet and our selues more readie to submit our wils to the will of God and to rest in the hope of his defence and deliuerance than before VVhereof if we were asked though we could giue no great reason from outward things for all things are still with vs as they were before yet we find it to be true by experience and must account it a fruit of our prayer in that the Lord hath giuen vs greater assurance than wee had before and so we are contented to wait vpon him The like may bee shewed in many other Psalmes Another example of this in the person of Dauid as indeed that one booke as it is full of godly prayers so of notable examples of this kind of the working of the spirit of God in his children and seruants but for breuitie sake I will content my selfe with one or two now In the seuenteeth Psalme he prayeth vnto God to be preserued from his enemies either Saul or some other for indeed he had many and saith thus Heare the right Psal 17.1 O Lord that is my righteous cause consider my crie hearken vnto my prayer of lips vnfained Let my sentence come forth from thy presence and let thine eyes behold equitie Thou hast proued and visited mine heart in the night thou hast tried me and foundest nothing for I was purposed that my mouth should not offend Concerning the workes of men by the words of thy lips I kept me from the paths of the cruell man Stay my steps in thy path that my foot doe not slide Then he breaketh out into these wordes of comfort Vers 6. I haue called vpon thee surely thou wilt heare me O God incline thine eare to me and hearken vnto my wordes VVhere after many prayers and reasons to mooue the Lord to heare him as the goodnesse of his cause the vprightnesse of his mind the feruencie of his prayer and such like he saith that he did then assure himselfe that God would heare him and so doth continue his prayer vnto him in that assurance of faith But it is to be noted for this purpose that we haue in hand for which this is alledged that though in the beginning he prayed and then againe returneth to his prayer vnto the Lord that hee would heare him yet he putteth this in
Vers 22. to slay and destroy them when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir euery one helped to destroy another Here we see also in this common danger and feare when many prayed together there was one man at the least to whom God gaue this assurance to the great comfort of all the rest that he did openly say Now I know that the Lord will heare his anointed and helpe him from heauen by the mightie power of his right hand And though others in that companie could not say so yet God gaue it to him for all the rest who if he had beene wanting the rest might still haue languished in their feare vnlesse God had raised vp the spirit of some other In this respect we ought to make of the companie and presence of the godly And so wee see what a blessed thing it was to haue such a faithfull and zealous man in their companie to pray for them Therefore let vs make much of the company of the godly especially let vs be desirous to be partakers of their prayers that when as we be weake our selues and discomforted in our selues yet we may be strengthened and vpheld by them For as when one lyeth very sicke and like to die and all about him are in feare of it there may be a skilfull Phisition or some of great experience who may see great tokens of life in him more than all the rest so comfort them in hope of it when they are all discouraged So when many are in trouble and looke for no way but one as we say the Lord may so open the eyes of the mind of one who by faith after earnest prayer may see into that helpe that God hath promised in his word and comfort them with the hope of it And for want of this we are many times more dismayed in trouble than otherwise we might be Therefore in all affliction if wee desire comfort from God let vs desire those that are faithfull and godly to pray with vs and for vs. It followeth in the words of the text His annointed that is Dauid why so called that The Lord will helpe his annointed This is then further to be considered that Dauid prayeth himselfe and teacheth the people also so to doe That God would helpe his annointed by which word he meaneth himselfe and they meane Dauid their king VVho is so called because he was annointed with holy oyle to be king according to the custome of that time by which as by an outward visible ceremonie they that were made kings were seperated and put apart from the rest of the people and inuested into that office and high calling VVherby also they were taught to labour for those gifts of the holy ghost which were needfull for that function and to beleeue that if they did so God would bestow them vpon them in that measure that was most conuenient for them Now that Dauid was thus annointed to that office it is most euident in his storie where it is said that when Saule by disobeying of Gods commaundement in not killing the Amalekites was cast off from the right of the kingdome and Samuel was willed to goe tell him so 1. Sam. 15. Chap. 16.1 he still continued mourning for him vntill the Lord did reprooue him for it and bad him fill his horne with oyle and he would send him to Ishai the Bethleemite for hee had prouided a king among his sonnes and he did so and caused all his sonnes to come before him from the eldest to the youngest and when Dauid came the Lord said vnto him Arise and annoint him for this is he Vers 8. then Samuel tooke the horne of oyle and annointed him in the middest of his brethren and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that day forward euen as it departed from Saule being cast off of God and an euill spirit was sent of the Lord to vex him Thus Dauid was annointed that is made king And because this was not onely ouer the people of God but specially by the commaundement of God therefore hee is called his annointed that is one appointed to be king ouer Gods people by the Lord himselfe euen as Dauid doth oftentimes call Saule in respect of his first annointing and calling The Lords annointed As when hee had Saule in a caue and his men persuaded him to kill him he said The Lord keepe me from doing that thing vnto my master 1. Sam. 24.7 The Lords annointed to lay mine hands vpon him for hee is the annointed of the Lord Chap 26.9 and at another time hee said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hands on the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse In this part of the prayer then hee doth assure himselfe that because hee had not intruded himselfe into that roome He confirmeth his faith in Gods defence by the lawfulnesse of his calling but was lawfully called thereunto by the Lord that therefore God would defend him in the same against his enemies and teacheth them to pray in that faith also That seeing God had set him ouer them to be their king and he was no tyrant or vsurper that therefore God would preserue him in that place whereunto he had called him and so from the lawfulnesse of his calling hee doth comfort himselfe and them that God would heare them for him and defend him And truly there was great reason of that for if an earthly king when he appointeth any to be iudges ouer his people doth also protect them in that office by his lawes and by all his subiects so that in their whole circuit they haue the Sherife of the Shire and all his men with the rest of the chiefe knights and gentlemen and other inferiour officers to attend vpon them because they represent the kings person and the Iudge he comforteth himselfe in all his lawfull affaires against all the desperat attempts of theeues witches murtherers and all malefactors that seeke to hurt him That the king who hath called him to that place will defend him in it and not suffer him to sustaine any dammage for the executing of his office then the Lord the king of kings appointing Dauid in this place and making him to be his vicegerent vpon earth ouer that people much more would defend him in it against his enemies And as this was true so he did beleeue it and taught them so to do and to pray in that faith that God would send helpe vnto him because he was his annointed And this that Dauid sayth here So may al lawfull princes is true not onely of his owne person but of all other kings and princes that are the Lords annointed that is who are come to their kingdomes lawfully either by free election or lineall discent and so are put in by God it is true I say that the Lord will defend them in all their lawfull attempts which they take in hand
God when they are so qualited for them as he hath required in his word and when they came to them by such lawfull choise as he hath appointed That so euery one doing that which God requireth of them in the same they might as any trouble shall come vpon them or any difficultie shall befall them they might I say with comfort and in faith pray that God would heare and helpe them they being his anointed that is come to those places by his appointment Euen vnto the meanest calling as of being a seruant And this as it is requisit in euery calling or state of life that one is in euen vnto the meanest to be persuaded That they are placed in them by God so there is great comfort therein whatsoeuer shall befall them in the same As the Apostle speaketh of the calling of a seruant 1. Cor. 7.17 and of being called vnto the estate of marriage and saith of them and of all others generally That as God hath distributed to euery man and as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke and so ordaine I in all Churches VVhere he warneth euery man generally to liue with a contented mind in the Lord what state or condition of life so euer he be in and therfore he telleth him that it is that trade of life which God hath distributed vnto them which he hath called them vnto So that a seruant must be persuaded Ephe. 6.6 that God hath called him to that place and therefore as he must make conscience of doing faithfull seruice not to the eye as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will seruing the Lord and not men as he writeth to the Ephesians So also from this persuasion of his calling hee may pray vnto God to defend him against all wrongs Vers 8. and to assist him in all things euen as Saint Paule in the same place biddeth to that end know That whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same shall he receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free So that seruants being persuaded of the lawfulnesse of their calling and of their owne fidelitie in the same may pray to God to reward them for their good seruice and to defend them in a good cause against any abuses that their master shall offer vnto them And so for the other estate of life And of being called to the state of marriage that he speaketh of there if any be called vnto mariage they must not onely be persuaded of the lawfulnesse of it and that God hath called them vnto it but also that he hath ioyned them together this man to this woman as Eue in paradise was ioyned to Adam by the immediat hand of God and so that they came not together by fortune or chance or by the will and consent of their friends or by their own choice only but by God that their marriage was first made in heauen before it was solemnised vpon earth and therfore that they are in that place that God hath called them vnto Then may they with comfort pray for all such gifts as are needfull for those places as in doing of their duties that the Lord would preserue them from all crosses that might befall them and assist them in them and generally that he would heare their prayers and send them helpe from heauen as the people doe here And to conclude this point In all actions of our life we ought to be persuaded that God hath called vs vnto them we must all of vs be persuaded in the whole course of our liues that whatso-we doe we haue a calling to it from God and so therein we are his anointed that is appointed of God for it VVhich we shall ordinarily know by this that the thing it selfe is good in it owne nature and agreeable to the word of God and commanded there and then that by vertue of our places that we be in God requireth them of vs and that that time and place doth also require them for all things are not required of all men alike nor at all times and in all places Then hauing this persuasion from the word of God though they be dangerous and full of trouble and such as might discourage vs we may confidently pray vnto God to assist vs and defend vs therein and to helpe vs in all affliction that shall befall vs for the same And thus Dauid here being a king was to defend his subiects and therefore their enemies comming against them to battell he goeth forth and aduentureth himselfe to the warre and thus prayeth vnto God and willeth the people to pray for him in this good action whereunto he was lawfully called and God did heare their prayers and gaue them good successe In like manner that famous and worthy Queene Hester after that Mordecai had sent vnto her the copie of the kings letter that was sent abroad by postes for the rooting out of the Iewes in one day and willed her to goe in to the king and make request for the life of her people at the first she like a fearefull woman drew backe and excused her selfe saying All the kings seruants and all the people of the prouinces know Hester 4.11 that whosoeuer man or woman Then may we haue bouldnesse in them though they be neuer so dangerous that commeth to the king into the inner court which is not called there is a law of his that he shall die except to him whom the king holdeth out the golden rod that he may liue now I haue not beene called to come to the king these thirtie dayes Then Mordecai sent her word againe that she must not thinke to escape in the kings house more than all the Iewes but if she did hould her peace at this time deliuerance should appeare to the Iewes out of another place but she and her fathers house should perish and who knew whether she was come to the kingdome for such a time Thus when he had persuaded her by good reason that God did require it at her hands and that she was raysed vp out of a meane place to such an high dignitie by the Lord for such a purpose and that God would require it at her hands if she failed in it shee aduentureth her selfe though it was very dangerous with this resolution that seeing God had called her vnto it he would defend her in it but howsoeuer it should fall out shee would commit her selfe in this cause to his blessed prouidence contented to be ordered by his will I will goe in to the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish But in the meane season hauing this faith in this action she prayeth to God to assist her to guide her to direct her and to blesse her and willeth all the people to doe so likewise saying Goe Verse 16. and assemble all the Iewes that
oppresse the poore both in lending to them vpon vsurie and when a man is vnder foot to exact the forfeiture vpon them what is this but to grinde the faces of the poore Jsai 3.15 and otherwise in bargaining with them besides that vnmercifulnes that there is little giuing to the poore no not at this time which is a time to receiue mercie from God yet they that should receiue it will shew little or none vnto men when the verie day of fasting doth require at their hands that they should giue something yet they are hard hearted and shut vp their compassion And what should I say of them that vnder the colour of the law haue taken away from the poore euen from the fatherlesse and the widowes all that they haue had whereby it hath come to passe that not onely they haue cried vnto the Lord against thē out of the abundance of their griefe but euen the very stones in the walles and the beames in the houses of these oppressors haue made an eccho Hab. 2.11 and answered vnto the same If the Prophet Amos prophecying against many nations did say That for three transgressions and for foure Amos 1.3 God would not spare them then when among vs not seuen but many though by seuen hee there meaneth many haue raigned long among vs and doe still no marueile if God doe not spare vs. Which sins are so much the greater among vs because God hath borne with vs so long in thē and giuen vs his word which they had not and many meanes besides to call vs from them as benefits vpon benefits fauours vpon fauours without number Therefore let vs iustifie the Lord in his righteous proceeding against vs and confesse as Daniel doth We haue sinned haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea wee haue rebelled Dan. 9.5 and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruāts thy Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings and to our Princes and to our fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and to vs open shame as appeareth this day to euery man of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and far off because of their offences that they haue committed against thee Which if we can come vnto thē we see in this storie of Exodus from which vpon occasion we haue somthing digressed what did preserue the Iewes in that plague what must preserue vs and all men Or the Israelites whom God spared of his mercie euen that the bloud of the Lambe bee sprinkled vpon the posts of our doores to keepe out the destroyer that is the bloud of Iesus Christ that immaculate Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world be sprinkled vpon our consciences by faith and that we earnestly repent vs of all our sinnes Iona. 3.8 and turne from all our euill waies as the Niniuites did and from the wickednesse of our hands and crie mightily vnto God that for Christ Iesus his sake whose most precious bloud was shed for our sinnes vpon the crosse he would spare vs and say Thou Lord who of thy great mercie for Christs sake didst commaund the destroyer to passe ouer the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when there was an vniuersall plague ouer the whole land set a marke now at the last vpon all places of this our land and countrey that thy destroying Angell might passe ouer them Thus also in this case might wee set before our eyes the example of Aaron the high Priest And when the plague was among the Iewes in the wildernes who when there was a plague begun in the hoste of Israel for their sinnes euen for their murmuring at the death of Core and his companie who iustly perished by the hand of God tooke a Censer and fire therein of the altar and put therein incense whereby the sweetnes of prayer was represented and offered vp his prayers with this incense vnto God for them Numb 16.47 and so made an attonement and when he was come among them for the plague began in one end of the campe and so spread it selfe further and further in the hoste after the manner of a plague and stood between the dead and the liuing the plague was staied A great mercie of God for it was a great plague for of it in a short time died fourteene thousand and seuen hundred The cause of it as of al others was their sinne but by the prayer of Aaron it ceased if God did heare one for so many then much more may we hope that God will heare many in his good time for the rest Let vs then looke vpon this example also and say Thou Lord who at the prayer of Aaron wast intreated to stay the pestilēce among thy people when there had died of it before foureteene thousand and more heare many and all of vs or some one among all the rest that this plague now at the last of which haue died already twenty thousand and more may be staied and so some may stand betweene the quick and the dead that is cause that the dead infect not the quicke and so it proceede no further Thus if we search the Scripture we shall both in this and all other calamities by patience and comfort of them haue hope as was said before The God of Iacob If by Iacob they meane him and his posteritie with whom God made a couenant The God of Iacob as with Abraham and Isaac that he would be their God and the God of their seede then they looke vnto this that they are of the posteritie of Iacob and so of that couenant that God made with him and his And thus the whole posteritie of the Iewes is sometimes called by his name both of Israel and Iacob as in the Psalme Often times from my youth vp may Israel now say they haue afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuaile against me Psal 129.1 And in another place Let Israel waite on the Lord Psal 130.7 and he will redeeme Israel from all his iniquities And when Balaam the false prophet was sent for to curse the Israelites in the wildernes vpon the borders of Moab he often speaketh of them by the name of Iacob as The King of Moab hath brought me from Aram saying Come Numb 23.7 curse Iacob for my sake and a little after Who can tell the dust of Iacob and lastly There is no sorcerie in Iacob Vers 10. 23. According to this sense they haue respect vnto the couenant that God made with Iacob and his posteritie for the blessing came from Isaac to him his which couenant included not only the promises of the life to come but much more of this life also as Dauid expoundeth it in the Psalm where he hauing spoken before of many great outward blessings concludeth
thus Psal 144.15 Blessed are the people that be so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and not onely deliuerance from eternal destruction but from all other enemies and dangers so farre foorth as may make for the glorie of God Now God hath renued or rather confirmed the same couenant with vs and with all beleeuers in Christ They pray in the faith of Gods couenant made vnto Iacob and to his posteritie Heb. 1.2 and for his sake and is therefore called God the the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is not only his father but of all that beleeue in him And so look whatsoeuer was included in the first couenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob wee are heires of them by faith in Christ who is heire of all things and in whose bloud the couenant is established who is also the Mediatour of it Heb. 9.15 1. Cor. 3.21 and so if Christ be ours as the Apostle saith all is ours Therefore wee are to direct all our prayers vnto God in the faith of this most merciful couenant and looke to be heard for Christs sake As they consider here not only of God and so pray to him but as one that had made a couenant with them in Iacob and pray the God of Iacob to defend him So wee are to pray vnto God as to our father who hath so reuealed himselfe vnto vs in Christ for whose sake it is said that whatsoeuer wee aske of God according to his will shall bee graunted vnto vs. Therefore though God be in heauen Joh. 14.13 Eccles 5.1 and we in earth though he be iust and we sinfull and so we can looke for nothing from him in our selues yet because of his couenant wee come vnto him So must we in the faith of his couenāt made with vs in Christ and pray him for Christs sake to be good vnto vs to saue vs and to defend vs calling him not God onely but the father of our Lord Iesus Christ so in him our father Part of which couenant is that if we offend him or as it is said by God himselfe if they breake my statutes Psalm 89.31 and keep not my commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stroakes yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from them nor falsifie my truth my couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And according to this part of his couenant we must pray him to deale with vs that is that though he doth iustly chastise vs with this plague for our sinnes yet he would not take his louing kindnes from vs and so play as Dauid doth O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath Psal 6.1 where hee doth not simply refuse to be chastised for then he should haue been out of the couenant but not in the anger of God Euen in this time of the plague so must we be willing to beare this visitation of the Lord so long as it shall please him to trie vs with it only let vs desire that his wrath may cease from vs and that his louing kindnes may not be taken away and let that be sufficient for vs. Therefore to conclude this point that we might now and alwaies pray in faith let vs looke to Gods couenant made with vs and to the promises included therein and to Christ in whom only the couenant is stedfast and in whom onely all the promises are Yea and in him they are Amen to the glorie of God 2. Cor. 1 20. It followeth in the second verse Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary strengthen thee out of Sion In which they continue to pray for their King that God would defend him frō all euil The interpretation of the second verse as before and namely to that end they pray that God would send him helpe from his Sanctuary and giue him strength and courage against his enemies to that end from Sion Where by Sanctuary he meaneth heauen In the Hebrue it is Holy namely place that is heauen which is the holy place of Gods abode and in the sixt verse both are expressed namely heauen and holy place And it must needs be then takē here for from whence should God heare vs and helpe vs but from heauen Doe wee not when wee pray lift vp our mindes our eyes and our hands vnto heauen and Christ hath taught vs to pray O our Father They pray for helpe from heauen which art in heauen c. He teacheth thē then to pray that God would send them helpe from heauen and thus he sheweth his owne faith and taught them also so to beleeue that all his help in all dangers must come from heauen Therefore as it is God that i◠all troubles doth defend vs so the meanes that we haue are of him and the successe and blessing of them and so all our helpe is from heauen And this is that that wee must beleeue in all dangers that what meanes so euer we haue as wee must acknowledge them to be of God so vnlesse hee blesse them they will doe vs no good for all our help is from heauen If we want all meanes yet God can send vs help without them therefore whether we haue them ascribe them to him with thankes and pray to him to blesse them or if wee haue them not pray yet that he would send helpe from heauen where and when there is none in the earth We see then with what minde Dauid goeth to the battell he was a valiant man himself Though they had many helpes for warre yet they looke for all their helpe from heauen 2. Sam. 23.8 as appeared in his combat with the great giant Goliah hee had a great armie also and all things meete for warre and had gotten many great victories before and so he knew by experience what he and his companie were able to doe and hee had many worthie Captaines whose exploites and valour are highly commended in the Scripture and yet they goe not on confidently and presumptuously thinking that they should bee able to make their part good enough against their enemies for they were able to doe so and so one of them had slaine eight hundreth at one time another of them defended a place against the whole hoste of the Philistims and another slew three hundreth at once and three of them did breake through the armie of the Philistims to fetch water for Dauid and returned safely and such like things they might haue boasted of But as though they were no bodie nor euer had done any thing or had no means to help themselues they pray that God would send them helpe from heauen acknowledging that all that they had or that they could say for themselues was nothing without him and his helpe Contrarie to the common course of our time Contrary to the common