to the King and we haue one in the Court to follow it wee hope wee shall not be forgotten especially if wee haue the Prince the Kings eldest sonne to make suite for vs. So seeing Christ Iesus doth deale for vs in heauen wee may bee assured that God will remember all prayers made according to his will in repentance and faith Therefore if wee haue done any thing all this while God will remember vs if wee haue done nothing then God must needes forget to blesse vs for there is nothing done for which he might remember vs. This should make vs forward in prayer and in all good things This should make al men feruent in prayer forward in all duties that so they might leaue thē as it were with God and they might bee before him night and day for a remembrance of them And that as we haue many sinnes for which hee may remember to punish vs so our repentance faith prayer seruice done to his Maiestie obedience to his word of conscience in al his commaundements and that in secret and all the good that we haue done to our brethren might also speak for vs and put him in remembrance of vs for our good That as it is written of Nehemiah that worthie seruant of God who often in the testimonie of a good conscience prayeth Nehem. 13.14 Remember me O my God and wipe not out my kindnes that I haue shewed on the house of God and on the officers thereof Vers 31. And againe Remember me O my God in goodnes So wee may pray for our selues and others in faith for vs that God would remember vs and them according to al the seruice wee haue done to him This I say should make all forward and zealous in Gods seruice both as they be Christians and in their seuerall callings that there might bee something for which they might pray themselues and others for them that God would remember them And whereas they pray for the King that God would remember all his prayers and seruices we see that we may not onely pray to God that hee would remember what wee haue done and that we now doe and what we haue done before the staying of this visitation and hope that he will remember all nay be assured of it Pray for them vnder the Plague that God would remember their former seruices though now they can doe none But pray also for all our brethren in al places that God would remember what they haue prayed and done and the fasts that haue beene in all places and are still and that all our prayers together may still speake for vs. Yea we may pray that God would heare them that are visited with his hand and not only that which they now pray but that that they haue done before when they were in health and though they cannot do as they would nay it may be for paine speake one word as hee requireth yet if they haue done any thing in truth before that he would now in this time of their neede remember that and them for it and so no doubt he will And this is a singular fruite of those that neglect not the time of prayer and of Gods seruice when they may that they shall bee remembred for it hereafter and for that which they haue done before when for the time present they shall be able to doe nothing as Dauid when he was fighting could not alwaies pray as he would and as his need required but hee desireth them to pray that God would remember that which hee had prayed before when he was able to doe it It followeth And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes The second part of this verse This is the second part of the verse where they pray that God would turne his burnt offerings into ashes that is that God would some waies declare that he had heard his prayer and receiued his seruices for where hee speaketh of sacrifices it was according to the manner of Gods seruice in those dayes where they did so offer but these were not without prayer as we see in the fourth verse in this Psalme By which prayer they sought to God that those sins for which they did offer sacrifices might be pardoned in the death of Christ whereof those sacrifices especially whole burnt offerings were a type and figure to shew that Christ should wholy offer vp himselfe to God for vs. Therfore it is said that the Priest when they brought their sacrifices Leuit. 4.20.26.31.35 should make an atonement for them that is pray to God for them to forgiue them So that though he nameth only sacrifices yet he meaneth prayer and other seruices done according to the word And when they pray that God would turne them into burnt ashes that is consume them with fire as it were sent from heauen God turned the sacrifices of Aaron into ashes he hath respect to that that God had done before thereby testifying that he did accept of their sacrifices and prayers For thus did he to Aaron when he was first consecrated to the office of the Priesthood That the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leuit. 9.23 and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the alter the burnt offering and the fat which when the people saw they gaue thankes and fell on their faces Thus when the sacrifice was laid vpon the altar fire came from the Lord and consumed it and so the people when they saw it gaue thanks for by this signe they did see that God did alow of the sacrifice of Aaron and of his Priesthood So they desire of God that he would some way shew that he had heard the prayer of the King And of Salomon So again when Salomon dedicated the temple had made a long and zealous prayer for all those that should pray in that house 2. Chron. 7.1 and had prepared a sacrifice to be offred Fire came from heauen and consumed the burnt offering and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that by this signe God did shew to them all that hee had heard the prayer of Salomon for the hallowing of that house to be the house of prayer for al nations And to conclude this poynt And of Elijah when the Prophet Elijah in the dayes of king Ahab in great zeale to call the people from their idolatry caused all the Priests of Baal to be gathered together 1. King 18.20 and they had two bullocks to be offered one for them and another for himselfe and there should be no fire put to the offerings but that God that should send fire from heauen vpō them should bee taken to bee the true God and worshipped of them The Priests of Baal because they were many began first and continued crying to him for fire vntill noone and could not bee heard Elijah at the time of the euening sacrifice prepared his and caused ditches
are aliants and strangers from it haue been of opinion that if any of the faithfull seruants of God in his Church would pray for them that God would be mercifull vnto them for their sakes then how much more they that are the true members of the Church of God may verely beleeue that God will heare their fellow brethren for them For as in a familie if strangers can hope that if some seruant of speciall account doe speake to the master for them hee will doe some thing at their request then they that are of the same house may bee assured much more that the intreatie of their fellow seruants shall doe them much good So in the house of God Ephe. 2.12 if they that are strangers from the couenant of promise and haue no hope and are without God in the world yet thinke that his seruants shall be heard for them then how much more may they that are of the household of faith themselues beleeue that God will heare their fellow seruants for them seeing that he hath not onely giuen them leaue but commanded them to speake and intreate one for another and themselues are such alreadie as hee meaneth to doe good vnto And this is that that we reade of in the person of Pharaoh King of Egypt Pharaoh often desired Moses and Aaron to pray for him who though he could not abide Moses and Aaron yet when the hand of God was heauie vpon him hee was many times compelled to seeke to them for their prayers and his owne conscience did tell him that the Lord might happely heare them for him though himselfe was vnworthie once to bee regarded of him As when himselfe and his land was punished with frogs hee called for them and said Pray yee vnto the Lord Exod. 8.8 that hee may take away the frogges from me and from my people and afterwards when they were punished with great swarmes of flyes so that the earth was corrupt with them he said I will let you goe Vers 28. that yee may sacrifice vnto the Lord your God in the wildernesse but goe not farre away pray for me and thirdly when the Lord sent thunder and haile and lightning so that the fire was mingled with the haile he sent and called for them and said vnto them Chap. 9.27 I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders and haile and I will let you goe and ye shall tarie no longer Where at the last hee confesseth himselfe and all his people to bee wicked and to haue deserued these plagues but he prayeth these his seruants to pray to God for them and they doe so and at their prayers the Lord remoueth these seuerall plagues Thus this wicked man when he was in the middest of his deserued punishments and had no heart in them to goe to God himselfe yet sought to others that he was well perswaded of and receiued great good often by their prayers Ieroboam desired the Prophet to pray for him when his hand was withered So did that wicked man Ieroboam King of Israel of whom it is often said to his shame that hee caused Israel to sinne when the man of God came out of Iudah at the commandement of the Lord vnto Bethâ—el where hee stood by his idolatrous altar to offer incense and reproued for his idolatrie and cried out against the altar he hearing it stretched out his hand and said Lay hold on him but his hand which he put out against him dried vp and he could not pull it in againe to him Then the King said vnto the man of God 1. King 13.6 I beseech thee pray vnto the Lord thy God and make intercession for me that mine hand may be restored vnto me And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was afore So though he could not pray himself and say I beseech thee my God with hope that God would heare him yet hee desireth the Prophet to pray to his God and thought that another might be heard for him and so he was Thus did Zedekiah King of Iudah though neither himselfe nor the Princes could abide Ieremy the Prophet Zedekiah desired the prayers of Ieremy neither did they reuerence him or the doctrine that he deliuered vnto them for they would not obey the words of the Lord which he spake vnto them yet when they were in great distresse Jerem. 37.3 because the Chaldeans did besiege the citie hee sent certaine men vnto him saying Pray now vnto the Lord our God for vs. Behold how the most vngodly are driuen to iustifie this holie ordinance of prayer in such wise that they are compelled to seeke to those sometimes for their prayers whom otherwise they doe not loue neither haue any good opinion of but rather hate them and account them their enemies Euen as those in our time who though they neuer cared for the ministerie of the word nor for the assemblies of Gods people nor for his seruants yet when they are in any great miserie or feare and lie at the point of death are inforced to send to them whom they neuer cared for in their life and to intreate them to pray for them whom they would neuer intreate for any thing before Lastly Simon Magus the Sorcerer heard Peter the Apostle iustlie denounce the fearefull iudgement of God against him for his sinne he fearing it Act. 8.24 desired Peter to pray for him saying Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye haue spoken may come vpon me This wicked man who of a long time had bewitched the Samaritanes with his sorceries And Simon Magus of Peter saying that himselfe was some great man hoped that al that euill which his sinnes had deserued and which God had threatned against him might by the prayers of his seruants be turned from him and so hee escape them Shall not wee then much more who haue a desire to please God and to walke in his waies hope that the prayers of others shall be auaileable to turne from vs al those euils which our own consciences tell vs we haue iust cause to feare if wee seeke vnto them for them Let vs then in the feare of God and as we loue our owne wealth determine to practise this Christian dutie much more than we haue done and let vs be heartely sorie that for want of it we haue neglected our own good too much What good we might haue gotten if we had sought to others for their prayers For many great things might wee haue obtained many fearefull troubles might wee soone haue been deliuered out of yea some grieuous things that haue befallen vs might haue bin by the grace of God wisely preuented if we had sought vnto others who might haue intreated the Lord for vs. In which
cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth or as the words are the things of a day in the day meaning that as euery mans neede was at all times and God knew it to bee so so hee would heare his praier and giue him accordingly So that he prayeth vnto God here for all those that should pray in or towards that Temple that whatsoeuer they should pray to God for according to his will in their seuerall needes hee that was the searcher of the hearts and knew them he would from time to time heare them continually And this prayer of his God did heare for all such For he did not onely in the sight of al the people giue an euident demonstration of it as it is said that when Salomon had made an end of praying fire came downe from heauen 2. Chron. 7.1 and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices and the glorie of the Lord filled the house but afterwards he did signifie the same priuately vnto Salomon in expresse words for it is written in the same place that the Lord appeared to Salomon by night and said to him I haue heard thy prayer Vers 12. and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice If I shut the heauen that there be no raine or if I command the grashopper to deuoure the land or if I send pestilence among my people if my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land Thus may wee pray continually for them that be absent for though new troubles of soule and body may befall them dayly which wee know not Thus may we pray continually for them that are absent or will not make their estate known and so wee cannot alwaies haue a fit prayer for euery change in them yet if they pray for themselues as charitie bindeth vs to hope that they doe this generall prayer of ours shall doe them good that we desire God to heare their prayers and say as Salomon doth what prayer and supplication soeuer shall be made of them heare them in heauen and defend their cause alwaies as the matter requireth So that whether some mens case be such that it is not meete that it should be knowne vnto many yet many may be desired to pray for them thus farre forth that God would heare their prayers or whether they bee loath themselues to make it knowne though it bee for their good yet may they thus farre desire the prayers of others that God would heare them And we againe our selues if for want of knowledge we cannot tell how to pray so particularly for men as wee would yet wee must not wholy neglect prayer for them for it shall be sufficient when we can do no more to pray thus that God would heare their prayers For when as many times wee knowe not our owne wants euery one of them Rom. 8.26 and yet generally commending them all vnto God knowne and vnknowne he supplieth them in particular aboue al that we named or could think of for he knoweth the meaning of his owne spirit in vs and giueth according to the same So then also though wee knowe not the particular necessities of our brethren and friends or of the whole Church yet praying for them God will giue according to the meaning of his spirit in our selues and them As for those that are v sited with the Plague There are many now that are in great sicknesse in diuers places vnder this heauy hand of Gods visitation and some in great feare of it because of the infection and some in great sorrowe for the losse of their friends we knowe not neither can we their speciall troubles or what paines they haue in their bodies what want of outward comfort what inward temptations of their minde yet let vs pray for them and desire God to heare their prayers so shall wee doe them good And thus may we pray to day and alwaies for the Church of God and for the seueral parts of it especially vpon the Lords day that he would heare the prayers of the Church in all places and that wee our selues might haue our part in them and they shall be auailable for them and for our selues It followeth in this verse The meaning of these words The name of the God of Iacob defend thee In these words the people continue their prayers for the King and therein come to this particular that God would defend him For by the name of God they meane God himselfe who hath by his name made himself knowne vnto vs and by Iacob they meane either that particular person and holy Patriarke to whom God had said that he would be his God and so had renued the couenant with him that was first made with Abraham and Isaac his father and grandfather and vpon whom he had bestowed many great benefits and deliuerances or by Iacob he meaneth the posteritie of Iacob that is the Israelites with whom also as with their seede hee had couenanted to be their God and that they should be his people and to whom he had made himselfe knowne to be so by his word Sacraments and works and vpon whom also he had bestowed many great deliuerances in Egypt in the red sea in the wildernesse and in their owne land or by it hee meaneth them both And so they pray that hee that was the God of Iacob and so their God and had giuen himselfe that name and by it had shewed how good and gracious he was and would still be vnto them would defend him from his enemies by his mightie power and great goodnesse So then as they had before generally prayed God to heare his prayers whatsoeuer they should be so here particularly because he was in trouble The doctrine of the same or like to come vnto it they pray for Gods defence in it that hee might not miscarrie but happily come out of the same and haue a blessed issue therein Therefore as we may and ought to pray generally for others when wee no otherwise know their estaâ—â— We must name in our prayers such things a◠〈…〉 neede so when we doe know it wee must accordingly direct our prayers and those not onely for ourselues but for others For though God need not to be put in minde of any thing that wee neede who knoweth all our necessities better than we doe our selues and therfore when we are ignorant of the estate of any Church we neede not feare that for want of naming things in our prayers God should forget them yet he would haue vs name hat wee desire and so make our requests knowne vnto him in â—â—pplication and prayer Phil. â— 6. as the Apostle speaketh and to powre out our whole desire before him Psa◠〈…〉 as the Psalmist saith that
it might appeare that we are not ignorant of our owne estate when we can name that that we lack and might also see how God blesseth vs not only generally but particularly that we might be thankfull for the same And therefore as a childe asketh not onely things needfull of his father but this and that and as Christ saith but to another end hee asketh him an egge or fish or bread so we must doe vnto the Lord. And sowe must particularly commend the estate of others vnto God And as wee must thus pray for our selues so for others also God would haue vs to take knowledge of their estate as much as we can and be touched with it that we might pray for this and that according to their neede in soule and bodie Thus must wee pray by this example for our King not onely that God would heare his prayers from time to time but seeing that wee heare that hee is subiect to many daungers and that his enemies doe hunt after his life and besides the common casualties of all men that he is with them subiect vnto his life is specially sought for therefore we must pray that God would defend him in these attempts by discouering them in time and bringing them to naught yea conuerting or confounding all his enemies And this is the best vse that wee can and should make of all the newes that wee heare of treasons breaking foorth that wee seeing the daungers might pray to God to defend him And as wee must doe thus for his Maiestie first and chiefly so for any others as when wee heare in what danger the Churches are beyond the seas as Geneua and others how they are assaulted by their enemies let vs pray to God to defend them And so likewise for our brethren here at home We heare how the pestilence raigneth in many places wee are not only to pray that God would heare them but more specially that God would defend them from it that are not in it and those that are that he would deliuer them out of it if it be his holy will And thus as we must pray one for another so wee see what wee should pray for So did the Martyrs one for another that God would giue them comfort in the prison and strength against the fire And thus it is written of Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury that when his fellow prisoners Doctor Ridley and Master Latimer were burnt at Oxford for the Gospell hee looking out of the prison where hee was cried The Lord Iesus strengthen you They had neede then of great patience and strength to beare such things and so hee prayed to God to giue them that which then they most needed So then if wee know any to be in any distresse of soule or bodie wee must pray for them according to their seuerall neede as if they bee tempted for sinne that God would comfort them with the forgiuenes of their sinne if they bee tempted vnto sin that God would strengthen them against the same and giue them the shield of faith Eph. 6.16 whereby they may quench all the firie darts of the diuell if they be fallen into sinne that God would raise them vp and giue them repentance if they bee poore and want meate drink or cloathing that God would giue them all things necessary for this life if they be in sicknes that God would giue them patience and health if they be oppressed with enemies that God would reuenge their cause if they be in any losse that God would recompence it vnto them And so it is not enough to say God be with them God helpe them or God blesse them but we must come further to this or that and pray God to giue it them according to their neede as here they pray for defence for their King in this daunger that hee was in And so wee see what wee haue to obserue out of these words generally The rest wee will prosecute the next day by the grace of God THE SIXT SERMON vpon the first verse The name of the God of Iacob defend thee All defence of all men commeth from God only DEfend thee We see from whence all defence and that of all men euen of Kings and of the greatest must come namely from God and so they professe also in the next verse when they pray Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen and so they testifie their faith in the sixt verse and say that they knew that God would helpe his annoynted and further they declare their faith in the words following when they oppose their confidence that they had in Gods defence to the vaine confidence that their enemies had in other things saying Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God Wee must then bee perswaded that no man can sufficiently defend himselfe in any danger by any wit policie or strength in himselfe neither can any others doe it for him no not Kings and Princes be they neuer so mightie And therefore the wise man must not trust in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength Jerem 9 23. nor the rich man in his riches And as we must alwaies thus beleeue so most of all when we pray that so we renouncing all worldly helpe might look vp only vnto God and pray to him from whom only we beleeue that all our helpe must come as it is said in the Psalme Psal 121.2 My helpe commeth from the Lord who hath made the heauen the earth God hath appointed means for our defence in all things Both in the common-wealth Psal 144.2 as munition against forraine enemies yet he saith that it was he that subdued the people vnder him and it is hee and not the watchmen that keepe the citie as he acknowledgeth in another Psalme Except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper watcheth in vaine Psal 127.1 Therefore wee for our part must ascribe this defence that we haue had from forraine inuasion not to the seas which doe compasse vs in or to our strength of men and munition at home but to God and so giue thankes to him for it and pray to him still that hee would defend vs and his Church in this land For the Israelites though they had preuailed against their enemies before yet when they sinned and broke the commaundement of God Iosh 7.5 in the excommunicate goods they were smitten and fled before them so if the Lord should for our sinnes forsake vs and be our defender no more wee see what should become of vs. We haue other meanes also to defend vs in our houses from theeues and robbers as gates and doores And in our houses locks and barres yet they doe not keep vs night and day but God for they may be broken open as sometimes they are or by negligence may bee left open or there may bee some false-hearted within the doores
euill but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand be on me and on my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction Then the plague ceased and God commanded the Angell to stay his hand saying It is enough let thine hand cease So no doubt if all men could come thus to confesse their sins vnto God accusing themselues and not laying them vpon others yea to iudge themselues for thē worthie of death as hee did and accordingly be humbled before God and especially if wee could come to haue that feeling of the miserie of our brethren and pray for them in compassion then this example might minister vnto vs some comfort when we should thus say O God that diddest thus spare thy people in the daies of Dauid when they confessed their sinnes vnto thee spare vs also and our brethren who desire to humble our selues before thee Then also might we further consider how when the Lord sent the Pestilence into Egypt vpon Pharoh and his people according to that which he had threatned before saying I will smite thee and thy people with the Pestilence and thou shalt perish from the earth Exod. 9.15 it was a very great plague for it was in euery house in the land but it was in great mercy for but one onely in a house dyed And of the Israelites when the plague was in Egypt euen the first borne then they marked the doore of the Israelites by the appoyntment of Moses with the blood of a Lambe which was a representation of the blood of Christ that the destroyer might not enter in And by this we might see that as sinne is the cause of al plagues so in the middest of them God will be mercifull to those that are his though they be mingled with the rest In which respect wee must confesse that it is no maruaile if this plague be so vniuersal in the land seeing that sin hath so long abounded in all places nay it is Gods mercy that it is not in all places and in euery house for all haue grieuously sinned against him For if wee rightly consider the sins of our time we must needs say that they are many great For how hath this long patience of fiue and fortie yeeres of the Gospell bin abused of all sorts How little fruite of it is there in many places what great ignorance is there of the will of God euery where and lesse practise of that that men know How is the worship of God prophaned being placed of many in ceremony rather than in truth Whether we consider the Egyptians that were punished for their sinnes iustly for they content themselues with this outward comming to Church but neglect the power of the meanes there vsed and thus the name of God is dishonoured by their carnall profession and wicked liues The Lords Sabbaths haue bin most grieuously polluted by keeping of Faires on them and by Interludes Bearebaitings Bulbaitings and by other disorders of football and such like and men would not bee spoken to in these cases if they were they were readie to stand in the defence of them so farre were they from amending thē how haue these daies I say which wee should consecrate as glorious to the Lord Jsai 58.13 and call them our delight how haue they been abused by not comming to Church not bringing their whole families with them by sleeping and talking here and not spending the rest of the day in the seruice of God What great contempt is there euery where of superiours How vnruly the seruants and children How is the aged despised and the gray haires brought into contempt What little care is there in the gouernours to amend these by any good order in their houses either of priuate prayer reading the Scriptures and such like Who almost hath the care of Dauid to reforme his house who said I will walke in the vprightnes of mine heart in the middest of mine house Psal 101.2 Vers 7. and there shall no deceitfull person dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight Who doth determine and say with Ioshuah I and my house will serue the Lord let all the world besides doe what they will Josh 24.15 Of how few can it bee truly said as the Lord saith of Abraham I know him Gen. 18.19 that he will commaund his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon him that he hath spoken vnto him How few also haue any good orders in their houses for praiers at morning euening or other times That it might be said of them Dan. 6.10 as it is of Daniel that it was his manner three times a day to fall vpon his knees to pray vnto God and to praise his God yea then when hee could not doe it without danger of his life That so it might be said of them all as it was of Cornelius Act. 10.2 that worthie Christian souldier and Captain That he feared God all his houshold when his familie must needs be very great being of that place that hee was as it appeareth by the storie that indeed it was But to proceed though I doe it with an heauie heart what hatred rankor and malice is there among many that they are readie to kill one another if it were possible with a word though it be said that to call thy brother Raca or thou foole deserueth hell fire Matth. 5.22 Oh how many thousand adulteries and fornications without number haue bin and are still committed for which there fel in one day among the people of God three and twentie thousand 1. Cor. 10.8 In which kind of sinne aboue all others as the Apostle saith they sinne against their owne bodies Chapt. 6.18 therefore God many waies punisheth them in their bodies and if there were no sinne among vs but this it were sufficient to prouoke this great plague and it may iustly raigne in the bodies of a great many vnto death and in others with noysom and painfull vlcers and sores And I haue heard it obserued if it be true that is reported that in London this pestilence hath been most hot in that part of the citie that hath been most polluted this way as in Shoreditch and in the suburbs and such out-places where it hath swept them away by whole families and streetes like a deuouring fire as the holy man Iob doth fitly compare the iudgement of God against this sinne vnto that saying This is fire that shall consume to destruction Job 31.12 not onely of the goods whereof he speaketh but euen of the bodie also But there are more sins among vs than these though these be too many and enough to prouoke the Lords wrath against vs as the great hard dealing and iniustice that is among men whereby they
to be made round about the altar and to be filled with water and then he prayed vnto God and the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones the dust and licked vp the water in the ditch and when the people saw it they fell on their faces and sayd the Lord is God the Lord is God Thus the Lord also in those daies by this token did apparantly shew that he had heard the prayer of his seruant the Prophet Hauing then respect vnto these things which were well knowne to them that were acquainted with the Scripture he teacheth them to pray that as in former dayes he did sufficiently declare that he had receiued the sacrifices and heard the prayers of his people when with fire from heauen he did turne the burnt offerings into ashes so hee would now or in his good time some way or other testifie that hee had heard the prayer of the King but the time will not suffer me to goe any further THE TENTH SERMON vpon the third verse And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of these words They pray that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and the reason of this kind of speech that they desire the Lord to turne his burnt offerings into ashes The thing that they pray for is this that God would some way shew that he had heard his prayers He did not then so pray as though hee cared not whether hee was heard or no resting in the bare worke of prayer but he was very desirous that God would heare him so that hee willeth them to pray that God would shew it to him and them that hee had heard them in deede It is not enough then for vs to pray vnto God and to beleeue that he doth heare vs but to waite vpon him for the performance thereof and to be desirous to see it so shall wee be comforted and God shall be praised Many come hether to the Church so carelesly to pray that when all is done they doe not so much as knowe what hath been prayed for so farre are they from this of desiring to see or marking how their praiers are heard and so either they receiue nothing or if they doe they see it not or if they see it they do not obserue and marke it to bee thankfull vnto God and to bee confirmed thereby in hope of his goodnes for the time to come Dauid prayeth in this faith that he doubted not but that God would heare him and so desireth them to pray that he would shew it to him sensibly and plainely as hee did to those whose sacrifices he consumed with fire and turned into ashes by causing it to come downe from heauen vpon them We must so pray that we be desirous to see that God hath heard our prayers So must we doe in all things that we pray for not only beleeue that God will heare vs according to his promises but also pray him that hee would some way in his good time euidently shew by the euent that he hath heard vs. When we put vp our suites vnto princes and great men if they say they shal be granted we neuer leaue vntill we haue the things that wee sue for or that there be some act done for vs that it may appeare that they haue heard vs in deed The Lord hath commanded vs to aske and hath made a promise that he will giue Matth. 7.7 saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Say then that wee haue asked of God and sought vnto him and that we beleeue also that we shall receiue from him according to our asking let vs then come againe vnto him the second time that either by granting the thing or some thing for it or supplying the want of it or some way or other as it shal please him that we might see that he hath heard vs. And namely that he hath heard the prayers of all for this plague As for example and this very time doth put vs in minde of it wee haue prayed long and often for the remouing of this grieuous visitation of the pestilence God no doubt hath heard so many all this time as haue called vpon him in truth haue departed from iniquitie and hee doth well remember what they haue said and done vnto him and hee will in time blesse them for it accordingly this is that that al of vs should beleeue But wee must now with new suites and supplications second these prayers of ours to this effect that God would shew vs that hee hath heard vs either by causing this contagion and mortalitie to cease or some way extending fauour vnto vs in it And wee must desire to bee partakers of the prayers of our brethren that by the benefit of their praiers we might see that God hath heard vs as Dauid here was desirous and willed the people to pray for him to that end And as they doe thus pray for the King that God would shew that hee had heard his prayers so we also are to pray for them that are in trouble and namely vnder this hand of God that he would shew to them that he hath heard their prayers They that pray for fashion and coldly cannot thus doe All they that pray coldly and for fashion and so care not whether they bee heard or no or marke not what they haue prayed for but vtter words of custome without desiring or feeling cannot with any comfort make this second prayer for any thing namely that God would shew them that he hath heard their prayers But al those that pray in the inward sense and feeling of their wants and in the faith of Gods promises and so not onely know what they pray but are desirous to haue their requests granted and look for the fulfilling of them when they haue prayed most earnestly they must come againe vnto God the second and third time and desire him that he would shew by effect that he hath heard their prayers Seeing then that God is the hearer of prayers as Dauid calleth him O thou that hearest the prayer Psalm 65.2 to thee shall all flesh come and hee hath made many promises to those that seeke vnto him in their need that they shall not returne away emptie let vs neuer cease calling vpon him both for the taking away of this great iudgement and for all things that we want vntill he shew that he hath heard our prayers so shall wee see it in the ende as this people did for in the next Psalme they giue thanks for that which here they pray for Now whereas hee teacheth them thus to pray That wee might see how God heareth our prayers we must markâ— what followeth vpon them that God would some way as it pleased him declare that hee had heard their prayers it was
by all meanes praise and magnifie the name of God as the onely authour of it So that here they shut vp all their petitions with a publike profession of the inward desire of their hearts The end of all our petitions should be the glory of God saying that they seeke and aske all these things of God for the glory of his name VVherein they were taught rightly to pray and so God did heare them as he will doe all those that thus pray for this should be the principall end of all our prayer and of all things that we aske in them That God may be praysed that is that his goodnesse mercy wisedome power iustice and truth might be knowne and so he haue the whole glory of all his workes and of all his gifts when hee is not onely acknowledged to be the authour of them but loued serued and praysed for them And this our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs in that forme of his that must be the paterne of all formes in all our prayers principally to respect the glory of Gods name when he willeth vs to begin thus Mat. 6.9 Hallowed be thy name and so after to desire all other things as they may stand with that And lastly to referre all vnto that when we say For thine is the kingdome Verse 13. the power and glory c. ascribing to him the prayse of all and in all desiring that his kingdome power and glory might more more be knowne and set foorth Thus haue the seruants of God prayed and haue obtained great things when they haue desired them for the glory of God As Hannah that godly woman when she had bene barren a long time prayed to God for a child So did Hannah pray for a child but she did it not as a natural woman in any carnall respect that she might leaue a posteritie behind her but for the glory of God and therefore she vowed a vow to God before hand 1. Sam. 1.11 That if it were a man child she would giue it to God all the dayes of his life and no razor should come vpon his head that is she would consecrate him to the seruice of God and make him a Nazarite to be seperated to God after a speciall manner And as she did this way sufficiently shew that she sought not her selfe in it but God so afterwards she did it much more in praysing God for it and in performing her vow when shee brought him to the house of the Lord in Shyloh Chap. 2.18 so soone as shee had weaned him and there left him with Hely the priest whereby it came to passe that he ministred before the Lord being a young child girded with a linnen Ephod Thus she was contented to depart from him so soone as she had him whereby shee declared that in her petition she respected Gods glory more than her selfe And thus if any desire children not so much to vphold their name as to inherite their lands and goods or to serue God in the Church and commonwealth and to be instruments of his glory and determine to bring them vp thereafter they might both bee blessed with children aboue the course of nature and in them aboue the common sort as this woman was in her sonne Samuel who proued a very rare man and singular prophet King Solomon when he prayed for wisedome 1. King 3.6 vseth the same reasons to persuade the Lord and to confirme his owne faith namely That whereas God had made him king in his father Dauids roume and that ouer a great people therefore it would please God to giue him wisedome And King Solomon for wisdome that he might be fit to serue him in that place whereunto he had called him by being able to iudge both good and euill Thus he propoundeth the glory of God in his calling before his eyes when he asked this and it so pleased God that he gaue him that and a great deale more So no doubt if men were desirous to glorifie God in their callings and did aske of him gifts meet for them to that end and in seeking for gifts of the mind did make the glory of God the principall end they might obtaine great things of God But for the most part men seeke wisedome and learning to set forth themselues and therein seeke their owne wealth and credit either wholly or more than the other and not the discharging of a good conscience in the right vse of them to the glory of God and so either misse of them or haue them not in that measure that others haue and as they might attaine vnto themselues The Prophet Elijah was wholly taken vp with the glorie of God when he contended with the priests of Baal and so by prayer obtained fire from heauen to consume his sacrifice And Elias both for fire from heauen for the contention was VVhether God or Baal were the true God 1. King 18.37 Therefore hee prayed thus Heare me O Lord and let the people know that thou art the Lord God And then his zeale appeared afterwards in killing all those false Prophets and priests of Baal that had a long time seduced the people and after in the same zeale he prayed for raine Vers 42. And for raine and did obtaine it after a great drought of three yeares and an halfe Thus we see what great things may be obtained of God by prayer when therein wee seeke his glory This example the Apostle setteth before our eyes when he willeth vs to pray for them that be sicke with hope of obtaining health and forgiuenesse of sinnes for them Iam. 5.17 For saith he The prayer of one righteous man auaileth much when it is feruent As Elias being a man like vs yet inflamed with Gods glorie did pray that there might be no raine that the people by that punishment might be brought to know God and after prayed that there might be raine that by his mercie they might know it much more and he obtained both And so if in our prayers we were thus touched with the glorie of God we might obtaine great things but for the most part men respect themselues in their prayers and not God and so obtaine little or nothing And the same Elijah when he prayed for fire to consume the captaines and their fiftie men when they came to fetch him to the king of Israel by force saying Thou man of God the king commaundeth thee to come to him as if they had said Thou saist that thou art a man of God well let vs see whether he can keepe thee from the king He answered them If I be a man of God 2. King 1.10 let fire come downe from heauen and consume thee and thy fiftie and so it did He did not thus pray in any priuat reuenge but that it might be known that he was a true Prophet and that that message was true that he sent vnto the king before namely that
proofe of it The great power of God in bringing hard things to passe For he is euery where called God Almighty and All sufficient and Lord of hoasts and Lord of lords King of kings maker of all things and preseruer of them in whom we and all things else liue mooue and haue our being c. And in a matter that seemed impossible to Sarah as that she should haue a child when she was so old and all naturall strength fayled her for it ceased to be with her after the manner of women the Lord sayd to Abraham Gen. 18.14 Shall any thing be hard to the Lord as if he had sayd Nothing at all is hard to him but he by his power is able to ouercome all difficulties be they neuer so many and so great And to Moses also in the lik case when he doubted how the Israelites should haue flesh ynough in the wildernesse according to their owne desire Num. 11.23 and as the Lord hath promised he sayd Is the Lords hand shortened Iob. 9.19 that is is his power so weake that he is not able to bring that to passe No. Therefore we may say of him and of his power as Iob doth if we speake of strength Behold he is strong and not onely confesse as the angell did to the virgin Marie when she inquired how she being a virgin should bring forth a child and know no man With God shall nothing be impossible Luke 1.37 Chap. 18.27 but with our Saujour Christ in the same Gospell The things that are impossible with men are possible with God And indeed the great power of God against his aduersaries and for the defence of his seruants might be shewed by infinit examples in the Scriptures as how Pharaoh and his great host was drowned in the red sea when his owne people had a passage through it on drie foot which we spake of euen now Ioshu 6.20 how he caused the walles of Iericho when the Israelites layd siege to it to fall flat downe without any batterie onely at the sound of trumpets how he ouerthrew in the hoast of proud Saneherib one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in one night and by many such like things But this is or should be well knowne vnto vs for this is the first article of our faith That wee beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is who by his mightie power hath made all things in heauen and in earth of nothing and therefore he can bring them all to nought againe and without him they can doe nothing How by the consideration of it we ought to strengthen our faith as hee without them and against them can doe all things Onely we had need to be put in mind to make that good vse of it in the time of our trouble that Dauid doth here namely that thereby we labour to strengthen our faith in the defence of God and that we beleeue that as he doth heare vs so he can and will helpe vs. And the more that any thing is against vs to weaken our faith the more must we by the meditation of the mightie power of God indeuour to strengthen the same knowing that his power shall be made perfect and more cleerely be seene in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 12.9 And thus did Abraham the father of all the faithfull when the Lord had promised vnto him that his wife Sarah should haue a sonne when they were both old and stricken in yeares and was past hope of any by the course of nature For the spirit of God beareth witnesse of him That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope Rom. 4.18 that he should be the father of many nations as it was said vnto him And hee did not by vnbeleefe reason against this by considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie being almost an hundred yeare old nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe but gaue glorie to God That he that had promised As the seruāts of God haue done was able to performe it Thus hee considered of the mightie helpe of Gods right hand and stayed his faith vpon that and so must we doe in all things that God hath promised Matth. 9 29. and then wee shall find That as Christ sayth in the Gospell it shall be vnto vs according to our faith But more fitly for this purpose may wee consider what great vse that good king Hezekiah made of the knowledge that hee had of Gods omnipotent power euen that it did maruellously strengthen his faith in prayer against the mightie power of the great hoast of Saneherib which was come vp against him and against all the desperat and blasphemous threats which he gaue out against him Jsai 37.16 as it is set downe by the Prophet Isaiah where hee thus prayeth O Lord of hostes thou are very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth Incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Saneherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God Truth it is O Lord that the kings of Asshur haue destroyed all lands and their countrey and haue cast the gods in the fire for they were no gods but the worke of mens hands euen wood and stone therefore they destroyed them Now therefore O Lord our God saue thou vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou onely art the Lord. Thus the serious consideration of Gods great power did make him not onely not to be daunted by the power of his aduersarie but caused him with great hope of preuailing to pray earnestly vnto God against it And vnto this may bee ioyned the example of that worthie king Asa one of his predecessours who in like case to vphold his faith against the feare of his mightie and many enemies did meditate vpon the omnipotent power of Gods right hand 2. Chron. 14 9. For when the king of Aethyopia came out against him with ten hundred thousand men besides chariots and horses he went out also against him and did meet with him and did set the battell in array and then cried vnto the Lord his God Considering Gods power not so much in himselfe as for their owne defence that is prayed earnestly and in faith saying Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy name are we come against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee VVhere we see how he doth not consider of the power of God as shut vp in himselfe but as that which was readie to be shewed in their defence against their enemies as Dauid doth here And indeed therein cōsisteth true faith in the power of God That we beleeue that he is almightie to helpe vs and therefore that we