proposed was to shew the manner how all this good must be done that it may be the more effectual It must be done 1. Cordially What you do must be done as in the presence of him by whom actions are weighed Your prayers must not come out of feigned lips 1 Sam. 2.3 Psal 17.1 2 Cor. 2.17 What you speak must be as in the sight of God It is easie to use a few complemental words in speaking to Men or a few vain words in speaking to God for them as all are that come not from the heart When you are about this work you should endeavour to draw deep even from the bottom of your hearts Paul calls his prayer for the Jews his greatest enemies his hearts desire Rom. 10.1 2. Readily Titus is charged to put Christians in mind of this To be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 Altho these good works be contrary to corrupt Nature Grace will make a Man ready to them The holiest Men have been alway the most forward in them When God had set that Mark of his displeasure on Miriam for chiding with Moses how ready was he to pray for her Moses cried unto the Lord and said Heal her now O God I beseech thee Numb 12.13 The Jews before the Captivity were grown to a height of wickedness 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his word and misused his prophets and among the rest Jeremiah in particular who was sent to tell them of the approaching Captivity yet he was far from desiring that evil to overtake them tho they said Jer. 17.15 Where is the word of the Lord let it come now He appeals to God in the next verse That he had not desired the woful day He was so far from that that he prayed hard for that hard-hearted people How his heart stood this way you may see by Gods telling him again and again that he should not pray for them Pray not thou for this people Jer. 7.16 So again chap. 11.14 and once more chap. 14.11 till he tells him at last tho Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his mind could not be toward that people chap. 15.1 Such an admirable readiness was found in the Man of God against whom Jeroboam stretched out his hand saying lay hold on him for his crying in the Name of the Lord against his idolatrous Altar at Bethel God had dried up that hand which he stretched forth against the Prophet which brought him to intreat the Man of God to pray for him And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored again and became as it was before 1 Kings 13.6 3. Constantly It is not enough to use these means once or twice for a fit or when you are in a better frame than ordinary but it must be your constant course You find that when your bodies are full of evil Humors the use of a good Medicine once or twice doth not remove your Distemper therefore you steer to a course of Physick So must you do to remove or alter the tough Humors that may be in others you must use the Means constantly There must not only be a well-doing but a patient continuance in it Rom. 2.7 Gal. 6.9 If you find no good effect for a while be not weary of well-doing Say not I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord Prov. 20.22 Thus did David for a long time when Saul was his enemy he waited on the Lord and kept his way tho he was put to many a hard shift the while And God put a sweet song into his mouth at last when he had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies and the hand of Saul Psal 18.20 21. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompenced me for I have kept the ways of the Lord. Use 1. If these these things be so have we not cause to take up a lamentation when we see Men professing themselves Christians make so little account of such duties as Christ hath by Precept enjoyned and by Example led them to how unsuitable to Christian-Doctrine is the practise of such as cannot or will not forgive the least injury This is far from endeavouring to overcome evil with good How can such say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Some of old are said to leave out these words as we forgive c. fearing it 's like that doom Out of thine own mouth will I judg thee thou wicked servant If any be more hardy in our days they may know one day That God will not be mocked Nor is this all Are there not some that account it necessary to avenge themselves for a small offence it may be only for a word tho to the hazarding nay the loss of their own and others blood And to do thus is by many accounted to be of a brave spirit and he that will not do so is by some not thought worthy of the name of a Gentleman as if the name were allied to Gentilisme rather than Gentleness Indeed a Learned Divine speaking of this matter saith Gentility according to the vulgar Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith chap. 13. parag 8 9. and most plausible notion retains the substance of Gentilism with a light tincture of Christianity But the Learned and Pious Bishop Davenant speaking of the same says Haec opinio est plusquam Ethnica This opinion is more than Heathenish For several Heathen Philosophers have given better counsel in the case than these Christian Gentlemen think fit to take and if it be more than Heathenish think what it must be There are others Est illa diabolica opinio quae invasit mentes omnium ferè qui se generosis somniant nimirum non posse se salvosue honore nominis sui existimatione ferre vel verbum contumeliosum sed teneri ad ultionem quaerendam etiam duello Davenantius in Col. 3. and too many too who altho they dare not go about to wrest the sword of Vengeance out of the hand of God who says Vengeance is mine to commit so great an evil as is the forementioned yet they will be adventuring to shoot their arrows even bitter words against such as do in the least offend them or stand in their way And O that we could say that such as make a greater profession than others and are in most things of good and exemplary Conversations were altogether free in this matter But this evil is Epidemical and the best I fear are too much infected with it The sad consequences of this we partly see already and may see more in time if God in Mercy prevent them not So that it is for a lamentation and like to be for a lamentation Use 2. Look about you and take heed that you be not overcome of evil 1. Let not imaginary evils overcome you as they will be like to do
was able to do them good he not only gave them bread in their hunger but nourished and comforted them and was a shelter to them in a strange Land as long as he lived As we should do them all the good we can so we ought to prevent any evil that might fall upon them Saul had been very defective in his duty to David both as a Prince and a Father As a Prince he ought not only to have protected but rewarded so deserving a Subject As a Father he ought to have cherished such an obedient Son who went whither soever Saul sâ—nt him 1 Sam. 18.5 But on the contrary he not only encourages some of his Followers to kill him but endeavours to take away his life by his own hand 1 Sam. 19.1 10. Now how doth David carry it in this case He endeavours to save himself as well as he could by withdrawing and giving place to Saul's wrath And when he in pursuing after him 1 Sam. 24.6 7. 1 Sam. 26.8 9. falls into his hands more than once he doth not only not destroy him himself but withholds those that would The tenderness that was in him toward such an enraged Enemy appeared in this that his heart smote him but for cutting off the skirt of his Garment tho this was done only to shew that he was in his power and that he could have done him a mischief if he would What effect this had upon Saul may be seen in the Story When David shewed him the skirt of his Garment and spake a few words to shew his innocency he tho a King and mightily enraged against him is melted into tears 1 Sam. 24.16 17. Saul lifted up his voice and wept saying Thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil There is nothing like to overcome the rough temper and rugged carriage of others sooner than a kind and gentle behaviour toward them When Paul came first to Thessalonica he found them or at least many among them Constat apud Graecos translatitiè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad mores ad animum accommodari Beza to be a rough and untractable people The Bereans Acts 17.11 are said to be more noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of better breeding and more ingenious than they who upon Paul's preaching there took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gatheted a Company and set all the City in an uproar ver 5. Hence it is that he saith 1 Thes 2.1 2. That at his entrance in unto them he spake the Gospel of God with much contention that is on their part For as for his own part he was otherwise disposed It was the Rule he gave to Timothy 2 Epist 2.24 The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth This was his own practise at this time for ver 7. he says We were gentle among you as a nurse cherisheth her children As a Nurse bears with the frowardness and peevishness of Children and by all ways imaginable endeavours to quiet them and bring them to a good humour so did the Apostle with them And it is probable that those of them that did believe partly by the Apostle's Doctrine and partly by his Example were of the like disposition and carriage toward them that believed not And what the effect of this was in that place where the Gospel was so much opposed at first we may gather from what he says in his second Epistle to them Chap. 3.1 Pray for us that the word of the Lord may have a free course and be glorified even as it is with you 2. As we should do them all the good we can and prevent the evil that might hurt them so we ought to pray that God would do them the good and prevent the evil we cannot Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And if for such much more for such who tho they may be in some particular instances prejudicial to us have a love to and kindness for us David complains Psal 57.4 That his soul was among lions and that he did lie among them that were set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth were spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword And of these or such as these he says Psal 35.15 They did tear me and ceased not What did David now Did he rend and tear as they did No ver 13. As for me when they were sick my cloahting was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosom What could he have done more for his nearest Friend or dearest Brother So he says ver 14. I behaved my self as tho he had been my friend or brother Take an instance also of what was done for Friends who in a day of temptation did not the good they should When Paul came to Rome he preacht the Gospel among them for two whole years together Acts 28.30 31. And no doubt but that he that was sure that when he came Rom. 15.29 he should come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel was kindly received by them And we may well think that he who before he came to them did so earnestly beseech them for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit Rom. 15.30 31. to strive with him in prayers to God that he might be delivered from them that did not believe in Judea did confidently expect that they would use not only that but other good means that he might be delivered from them that did not believe at Rome But it fell out otherwise For when a day of tryal came these Romans Faith did so far fail that not a man of them stood by him when he was in that great danger to be devoured by the mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me This must needs greatly affect and afflict him yet in the next words he prays that this sin might not be imputed to them I pray God it may not be laid to their charge You see this is the will of God and this hath been the Saints practise But if you find holy men as sometimes you may David and Paul uttering themselves in another manner against God's and their enemies Psal 59.13 2 Tim. 4 14 as if they desired evil to fall upon them either the evil was Temporal or Eternal 1. If the evil were Temporal they cannot be thought to desire it absolutely sub ratione mali as evil but as it had a tendency to their good Deliberata imprecatio mali sub ratione mali contra homines quae est formalis maledictio non potest non esse mala Ames Cas lib. 4. Augustine de ser D. in monte As David Psal 9.20 Put them
would not have accomplisht and by that cunning fetch of the Woman of Tekoah brings into the light that birth of desire whereof he knew David was both bigg and ashamed 2 Sam. 14.21 See here the mask of Royal Indulgence It is not David that recalls Absalom Not He he only does it to answer the humble Petition of an importunate Subject and to follow the advice of Joab a discreet Councellor The King said Behold now I have done this thing that ye desire go therefore bring the young man Absalom again But stay Another fetch Let him turn to his own House and let him not see my face v. 24. for fear the People should cry shame on this unjust Indulgence 2. Absalom the Rebel Absalom the Traitor 2 Sam. 15.10 Having prepar'd the People for a Rebellion by a wicked insinuation of his Fathers unjust Government he sets up as King in Hebron and the Conspiracy was strong His Eye is on the Metropolis His first March must be to Jerusalem To make room for the young Rebel the poor old Father must pack up and be gone v. 14. with an heavy heart weeping eye cover'd head and bare feet as it were Never did he with more Joy come up to this City than now left it with Sorrow And how could he do otherwise when the Insurrection of his dearly beloved Son drove him out from his chief City and Throne yea from the Ark of God 1. His first Prank was a sufficient Earnest of what was like to ensue An Act of the highest incestuous Uncleanness that ever the Sun saw They spread Absalom a Tent upon the top of the House and Absalom went in to his Fathers Concubines in the sight of All Israel 2 Sam. 16.2.22 23. The Practice was like the counsel v. 22. as deep as Hell it self An Act uncapable of Forgiveness Beside the usurping the Throne to violate the Bed of his Father unto his treason to adde incest is no less unnatural that the World might see that Absalom neither hoped nor cared for the reconciliation of a Father And as if the villany could not have beâ—n shameful enough in secret he sets up his Tent in the top of the House and lets all Israel be witness of his own sin and his Fathers shame Ordinary sins are for Vulgar Offenders but Absalom sins like himself eminently transcendently and doth that which may make the World at once to blush and wonder The filthiness of the Sin is not more great than the impudence of the Matter 2. His pursuit 2 Sam. 15.14 Absalom is now on his High march ready to make his onset David rallies up all the forces he could make not so much to Assault his Son as to defend himself But see his charge 2 Sam. 18.5 The King commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai his three Generals saying Fight neither against small nor great for they poor deluded Souls are come forth in the simplicity of their hearts are meerly drawn in and Know not any thing 2 Sam. 15.11 but against the Head and Ringleader of these Rebels that Son or traitor rather that came forth of my Bowels and seeks my life 2 Sam. 16.11 Is not this Davids Charge No not such a Syllable in their Commission But thus which is not to be mention'd without a blush Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 But stay what do I hear Is this the voice of David what that David that formerly was forced to employ his Arms for his defence against a tyrannous Father-in-law and is now forced to buckle them on against an unnatural Son What he that has muster'd his men commission'd his Generals marshal'd his Troops what is this his charge and word and signal for the Battel Doth he at once seem to encourage them by his eye and restrain them with his tongue Oh! David what means this ill-placed Love this unjust cruel mercy Deal gently with a traitor of all Traitors with a Son of all Sons with an Absalom The graceless murtherous incestuous traiterous Son of so good so tender a Father And all this for my sake whose Crown Kingdom Blood he hunts after For whose sake must this wretch be pursued if he must be forborn for thine He was still courteous thô hypocritically to thy followers affable to Suitors plausible to all Israel that so he might be perfectly cruel to thee Wherefore are these Arms if the sole cause of the quarrel must be the Attractive perswasive motive of Mercy Yet thou sayst Deal gently We see even in the holiest Parents on Earth corrupt Nature may be guilty of most unjust tenderness of bloody Indulgence But let 's advance a step farther 3. The Battel is joyn'd The God of Justice takes part with Justice lets Israel foolish Israel feel what it is to take part with and to bear Arms for a traiterous Usurper 2 Sam. 18.6 to 9. the Sword devours twenty thousand of them and the Wood devour'd more than the Sword Among the rest the loyal Oak singles out the Ringleader of this horrible Conspiracy and by one of his spreading Arms becomes at once his Gaol and Gibbet The Justice of God twists an Halter of his locks and no marvail if his own Hair turn'd traitor to him who durst rise up against his Father Joab is inform'd that the Beast is noos'd comes and sees him hanging makes no demurr but immediately thrust three darts through the Heart of the bloody Traitor Wâ—â—t the poor Souldier forbore to do in obedience v. 12 13. that the General doth in zeal v. 14. not fearing to preferr his Sovereigns safety before and beyond all little respects whatever as being more tender of the Life of his Prince and the peace of his People than the weak or strohg affections of a misguided Father v. 14 15. 4. Now for the Catastrophe the last Scene the Battel 's ended David hears the Trumpets sound a Retreat What news Our Care is wont to be where our Love is How fares the Army Joab Abishai Ittai my Generals how is it with them My Crown does it stand more firm and fixt or is it fallen Speak Ahimaaz say Cushi None of this in the least but to the everlasting reproach of fond Parents Is the young man Absalom safe v. 29. Ahimaaz prudently answers The Lord hath deliver'd up the men that lift up their hand against my Lord the King v. 28 29. Ahimaaz turn thou aside and stand thou here Behold here comes Cushi with a joyful heart and open mouth Tydings my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee v. 32. But these are not the Tidings that David so much pants after Cushi thou must learn to distinguish betwixt the King and the Father and tell him plainly Is the young man Absalom safe v. 32. That murtherous incestuous Traitor whom thou callest the young man is dead O King And let the Enemies of my Lord the King and
as the the troubled Sea Isa 57.20 which cannot rest it will be casting out the mire and dirt which before lay at the bottom Nullum vinditae genus tam in promptu habet quam hoc maledicendi Davenantius Prov. 25.28 The evil of the heart is usually vented first at the mouth but it will soon appear in the other Members When once the mouth is full of cursing and bitterness the feet will be swift to shed blood till destruction and misery be in mens ways Rom 3.14 15 16. He that will not be overcome of evil must take care to rule his own spirit He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like to a city broken down and without walls easily overcome Nothing can conduce more to the calming of our spirits when they begin to rise against such as are offensive to us Psal 103.10 Psal 130.3 2 Sam. 16.6 7 10. than to consider how obnoxious we have been and still are to the great God David's patience towards Shimei was admirable when he cast stones at him and cursed him still as he went No doubt the consideration of the sins whereby he had provoked God made him the more calm toward that vile wretch Use 3. Rest not in this That you are not overcome of evil but endeavour as much as you can to overcome evil with good Do not your Relations perform the duties of their place to you be you the more circumspect and diligent to perform the duty of yours to them Are Neighbours unkind to you let the law of kindness be in your mouth and acts of kindness in your hands to them Vis ut ameris â—na Do any hate you let your love work to overcome that hatred 1. Keep your hearts in a constant awe of God commanding you When they draw back as they will be apt to do think of God standing by you and saying Have not I commanded you If others make no great matter of sinning against God do you say as Nehemiah But so will not I because of the fear of God Neh. 5.15 This was it that kept Samuel to the duty of praying for a people that had dealt very unworthily by him As for me says he God forbid that I should sin against the Lord 1 Sam. 12.24 in ceasing to pray for you 2. Have much and often in your eye the great example of all goodness Christ whose name you bear He met with a great deal of evil from an unthankful World yet he went about doing good still Acts 10.38 How kind was he in word and deed to his greatest enemies to the very last When Judas came to betray him the worst word he gave him was Friend Mat. 26.50 Friend wherefore art thou come And when Peter in zeal for his Master's safety had drawn and cut off the ear of one of the Officers that came to take him he touched his ear and healed him Luke 22.51 Consider him therefore who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself Heb. 12.3 lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds If he whom you call Lord and Master did thus should not you do so much rather To further you in this work take these few Considerations 1. By doing thus you will shew your selves to be genuine Christians and truly spiritual Jam. 3.14 15. To render evil for evil is devilish good for good something humane but no more than Publicans used to do but to render good for evil that is Christian What do ye more than others Mat. 5.46 The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness Eph. 5.9 If then there be found in you such fruits of the Spirit as are mentioned Gal. 5.22 Love joy peate long-suffering gentleness goodness c. it will be a token that the good Spirit of Christ is in you 2. It will tend very much to amplifying of the Kingdom of Christ Haec illa virtus est qua primitiva ecclesia excelluit accrevit ferendo non resistendo ad hanc quia redditi sumus inhabiles res Christianismi in deterius ruunt in dies Aretius 2 Cor. 13.11 and the bettering of the World One great reason why Christianity hath made no greater progress in the world in latter times is because Christians have not been so much conversant in this duty as they were in the Primitive times The rendring evil for evil makes the World a doleful place an house a Bedlam for fury and disorder A City a Wilderness for rapine and confusion A Kingdom a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof as was said of that Numb 13.32 But to render good for evil tends to make the World a peaceable habitation where God and Men may delight to dwell If this duty were more practised the Wolf would sooner dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie down with the Kid as is prophesied Isa 11.6 3. It 's a sign that God hath more blessings in store when he hath given a Man a heart to perform this duty His labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Besides the eternal reward in Heaven God doth usually give a temporal reward on earth There is this encouragement given to afford bread to an hungry enemy That God will reward it Prov. 25.21 22. Saul was among the Prophets when he presaged good to David for not suffering him to be hurt when his Spear was taken from him while he lay sleeping 1 Sam. 26.25 Blessed be thou my son David thou shalt both do great things and also shall still prevail It hath been observed That such children as have been without cause discouraged by their parents so as not to have a like share in their favour nor a portion of their substance with the rest and yet have continued every way dutiful to them have been blest by God above the rest And such Servants as have had hard and froward Masters and yet have continued diligent and faithful in their Service have been wonderfully prospered when they have set up for themselves 4. This is the most glorious way of overcoming others It 's God's and Christ's way Hosea 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with hands of love What glory would it be to a man that it should be said of him as Psal 9.6 Thou hast destroyed cities if he himself be in the mean time destroyed by his own lusts To be slow to anger is better than the mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato and he that ruleth his own spirit than he that taketh a city Prov. 16.32 5. Hereby you will keep a sweet serenity in your own spirits There is not only glory and honour but peace to every one that worketh good Rom. 2.11 How was David transported with joy when Abigail had been a means of keeping him from avenging himself with his own hand on Nabal and his house His mouth was full of blessings He blesseth the Lord God of Israel that sent her he blesseth her advice 1 Sam. 25.32 33.
trust him serve him and to cleave to him What! Davids Soul fitted for God and for self management converses and improvements Why should this Soul be thus disquieted and cast down He was not so vain and idle as to expect relief from Heaven by so engaging God for him as to neglect himself inward as well as other work must be performed 5. Observe the manner of his d scoursing with himself it is expostulatory He cites and challenges searches and chides himself and hints these things unto himself That 1. Something was attended to that it should not 2. Some thing was not attended to that should 3. That therefore all ought to be set and kept right as to his inward thoughts and sentiments with reference to his present Case and Cure 4. And that because mistakes and rashness in such important matters are dangerous and sinful in their tendency consequences and effects Hence then 1. He observes his pressures and the temper and behaviour of his Spirit under them and he finds some trucklings of Spirit which he dislikes and wonders at 2. He is Solicitous to know the most that can be found alledged and urged to countenance and justifie these disquietments and dejections 3. All this be searches after in order to a fair and an impartial Tryal and in this Tryal he concludes that nothing objected can hold weight 4. He is aware of other things that are to be produced for the suppression and rebuke of his dejectedness and for the revival and encouragement of his Soul through hope in God 5. These things he is ready and willing to produce and urge and so to adjust the whole concern And 6. Hereupon he drives the thing up to its utmost height and turns a faithful and impartial self censurer and instructour that so he may not be buffeted in the dark and prove a sinful Instrument in his own dejections and distress nor he baffled by these his Sorrows 6. His Self-arraignment and Discourses being finished thus he now proceeds to Self-instruction and Encouragement Grace in the Heart and God in the Eye when Saints have dealt faithfully and closely with themselves afford them no small relief under their Pressures and Discouragements from what they feel Here then Observe 1. What David advises himself unto Hope thou in God 2. How he Argues and Enforces this his Counsel upon himself For I shall yet praise him 1. The Counsel which he offers to himself is this viz. To Hope in God He would not look upon his Case as desperate But 1. Commit his Case and Soul to God and leave them wholy with him 2. And so expect Protection and Redress from God in doing thus And what is Hope but a desirous expectation of these Mercies and Reliefs from God which present Exigencies and Concerns may need and call for whereas Gods Name and Promises are our Encouragements thereto This David proposes to and urges upon himself in his dejected frame of Spirit as his best Succour and Support and as his choicest Refuge and Remedy and he was very apprehensive of this That his Soul must be active herein if he would be benifited hereby And hence he suffered not his Spirit to be Idle nor to be guilty of any culpable application and improvement of that great but oft times much abused Truth We can do nothing of our selves 't is God alone must help us But he turns Counsellor and Commander and becomes a strict Inquisitor and most impartial Judg to his own Soul and by the meek exercise of all just Providence and Authority towards his own Spirit he works himself up to his Hope in God by an Eye fixed there and thence and thus expects his help And though he was deeply sensible of his own doleful State at present and very prone to aggrevate his own Calamity and apt to give up all for lost yet he resolves upon all fit Enquiries after help and with Authority and great force of Argument he here Commands and so prevails upon himself to hope in God Such work requires good Consideration great Resolution and the just exercise of all Authority over our selves 2. His Arguments and Motives hereunto are impregnated with very great Sense and Strength and urged upon himself as the just Rate thereof Hope thou in God For he is 1. God 2. Thy God 3. The Health of thy Countenance And 4. One whom thou shalt certainly and for ever Sym. Praise as such And 5. Do it Yet viz. As lamentable and hopeless as thy Case appears at present through seeming difficulties or unlikely-hoods God and our Selves well understood deeply considered and skilfully urged and improved give Gracious Hearts the best Encouragements and Supports under the severest Accidents of Time And they will very strangely animate our Hopes in God under our soarest Troubles and Dejections David 1. Had Confidence in God And 2. Reasons for it 3. And Skill and an Heart to urge them When he reviewed himself he saw that his Soul was gracious and so he knew God valued it It was bent for praising God and so he knew that he should have an opportunity and cause to do it through some signal Favors from him He had an Interest in God and he would neither lose it nor neglect it and he had great experience of Gods former Mercies and he would not forget them And when he thinks on God then Praises must be thought on too and every thing relating to it and all the Divine Perfections within the Circumference of his Knowledg must have their fresh Remembrances and powerful Sense Revived upon his own Heart For he concludes that 1. God is Eminent and Infinite in all Perfection 2. That his Eminence shall be evident and conspicuous in the Salvation and Relief of now Dejected David 3. And that most suitably to all the Circumstances and Pressures of his Afflicted State And that 4. Rather much beyond than any way beneath his present Hope And hence he calls God the Health of his Countenance His Thoughts and Hopes are in their highest Flights and Vigor He looks upon God as his Saviour Hope and God and judges God resolved and propence to appear and act accordingly on his behalf He looks for such illustrious Signals of Gods Favor and Respects as shall 1. Embolden him undauntedly to face his Enemies without any marks of a dejected and disturbed Soul upon his Face 2. Such as shall shame his Enemies and humble their contemptuous and proud Looks and shame those Insolencies whereby they had upbraided him with his God and make them readily acknowledg that there is no Rock like Davids God and that his Hope and Refuge were not vainly fixed there 3. Such as should redeem his Holy Hopes and Courses from Contempt and Scorn and make his embittered Enemies to wish themselves even in Despised Davids Case for David here expects Salvation as something visible speedy and compleat even in the Land of the Living Well therefore might he say Hope thou in God thereby
and thereby hasten his judgments on them It is true Gods Children are commanded to pray for their Enemies and Persecutors Matth. 5.44 and there may be Mercy in store with God for them when what they do they do as Paul did before his conversion 1 Tim. 1.16 ignorantly in unbeleif Thus Stephen Prayed for those that stoned him Acts 7.6 Lord lay not this Sin to their charge and Christ for those that Crucified him Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do And yet Christ himself excludes the World out of his Prayer John 17.9 I pray not for the World i. e. not for the reprobate World or the World in opposition to those his Father had given him How often doth David pray against his Persecutors especially Psal 69. 109. though his Prayers are generally prophetical yet Prayers still they are and how often do we find him and other Saints Praying against Idolaters Psal 97.7 haters of Zion 129.5 obstinate and hardened Enemies of Gods Truth and Ways and People see Psal 74. 94. And though the Jews in Babylon were commanded to pray for the Peace of the City Jer. 29.7 yet that must be but a limited command they were to pray for the Peace of Babylon during its time and so long as it was to be the place of their abode but they were not to pray for its perpetual Peace and Welfare for that had been to pray against the declared mind of God in all those Prophesies which foretold its ruin and indeed against their own deliverance which was to follow upon the beginning of Babylons destruction in the dissolution of that Empire Nay do we not find them praying for Vengeance on it Jer. 51.35 The violence done to me and my Flesh be upon Babylon shall Zion say and my Blood upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Gods Children ought to pray for their own private Enemies nay for those that at present are Enemies to the publick Weal of Zion as not knowing who of them may come to be her Friends God may have a Seed among them all have not sinned the sin unto death though many may for whom they are expresly forbid to pray 1 John 5.16 and if they knew in particular who they were they ought no more to pray for them than for the Devil himself if Austin may be beleived But certain it is they must not cannot dare not pray for the implacable incorrigible Enemies of their Lord and Master Nay they cannot pray for the exaltation of Christs Kingdom but they at the same time pray for the downfal of such whenever they pray Gods Will may be done and his Kingdom come They pray for the confusion of those that obstinately oppose his Will and whose ruin must make way for the coming of his Kingdom and so all the Saints in the World are every Day Praying against the Malignant hardned Enemies and Persecutors of Christ and his People And is it not a Dreadful thing to have the Prayers of Saints of Thousands of Saints of all the Saints upon Earth against them Those Prayers which shall not be lost which will be heard and not one of them be in vain See Rev. 11. what power the Prayers of the Saints have Gods Witnesses even in their Sackcloth Vers 5 6. what is the Fire that proceeds out of their Mouths but the Judgments they Denounce and by Prayer bring down upon the Anti-Christian World No Army with Banners more Terrible than a Company of Praying Saints When Saints are full of Prayer Heaven is big with Vengeance and their Prayers cannot go up so fast but Judgments will soon come down as fast 2. They lose the help of the Saints God his Protection and whatever Favour he hath been wont to shew them for the sake of his Saints This follows upon the former and I shall meet with it again under the next use To conclude this therefore The Enemies would fain now as well as in former Ages extirpate Gods Seed from out of the Earth their Language is as the Jews was of Paul Acts 22.22 It is not fit that they should Live They would have the Name of Israel be no more in remembrance Psal 83.4 But what would they get by that were the Holy Seed the Plants of Gods Planting stub'd up how soon would the Vineyard be laid wast If the Green Trees were out of the way the Fire of Gods Wrath would quickly consume the Drie and what should hinder Who should Interpose with the Lord of the Vineyard Who should say Destroy it not when alas there were no Blessing in it I dare say had some Men their wish it would be the Blackest Day thâ—â— ever England saw and it may be Blacker to none than to them 〈◊〉 wish for it Use 2. EXHORTATION 1. To the truly Religious of all sorts and persuasions I mean â—et it appear that you are indeed the Substance and Strength of a Sinful Land Act like those that are so do what you can to help a poor sinking Nation stand in the Gap and make up the Hedg and Labour to convince your Enemies themselves that you are their Friends and the best they have too 1. Intercede witb God for the Land Improve all the Interest you have in Heaven to keep off approaching Destruction And to quicken you consider 1. You know not how far you may prevail with God for the prevention of National Judgments When other means fail yet Prayer may prevail Human Strength and Human Wisdom may be able to do little the Power and Policy of Enemies may be too hard for the Wisdom and Strength of the Godly but when you can do least your selves you may Engage God by Prayer to do most He is Wise in Heart and Mighty in Strength Job 9.4 If he take your part he can turn about the Hearts of Enemies disappoint their Devices befool their Politicks or if need be break their Power Enemies are commonly the Instruments of Evil brought upon a Land yet they are but Instruments God himself is the principal Agent Amos 3.6 they are the Rods in his Hand the Scourges which he useth or lays aside when he pleaseth You may be helpful in diverting the Evils which Enemies might do though you touch not themselves but Address to God and set him against them You may do in this Case as when you have to do with Men in Civil things if a Prince be offended with you and like to punish you though what he doth he doth by Ministers and Officers yet you do not fall a quarrelling with them but apply your self to the Prince if he be pacified toward you his Officers dare not meddle with you his Pardon is a Supersedeas to all their Actions Try what you can do with God if he side with you either Men shall not desire to touch you or not be able if they would to hurt you Think how many times have the Prayers of the Saints prevailed with God in the