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
when he was sicke and sent to Beelzebub the god of Esron to know whether he should recouer or no Vers 2. he sent him this message That because he had forsaken the true God and sent to them that were no gods he should not come from the bed on which he was but he should die there as also he did Now when the disciples of Christ desired that fire might come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritanes and their cities because they would not receiue him when he was going towards Ierusalem they obtained it not though they pretended the example of Elias saying Master Luc. 9.54 wilt thou that we commaund fire from heauen and destroy them as Elias did He said they had not that spirit did it not to that end that he did namely the glorie of God but in respect of themselues So then if we will obtaine any thing at the hand of God we must therein seeke his glorie and desire it to that end that thereby God may be glorified and praysed as the people doe here when they say That we may reioyce and set vp our banners in the name of our God when hee shall fulfill all thy petitions This was the ground of the prayer of Moses for the Israelits in the wildernesse whereby he often obtained great things for them As when the Lord would haue destroyed them for their idolatrie with the golden calfe Exod. 32.12 and haue made of Moses a mightie people he prayeth vnto God that he would not do so for then the Aegyptians would speake ill of God and say that he maliciously brought them out from thence to destroy them in the wildernesse and so he not seeking his owne glory but the glorie of God herein obtained that they were spared contrarie to their deserts And Moses that God would spare the Israelits for the glorie of his name And so afterwards when the spies that were sent to spie out the land of Canaan brought vp an ill report of that pleasant land of promise contrarie to all truth Num. 14.13 and by that means discouraged the people so that they all murmured against Moses and Aaron that they had brought them thether to fall by the sword of their enemies God said That he would destroy them with the pestilence but make of him a mightier nation than they Moses prayed for them and said That the Aegyptians would say that God was not able to bring them in and so to stop the mouths of the enemies and for the glorie of God he desireth that he would spare them and so he did Thus ought we to pray for our selues and for the Church of God that he would turne from vs all those euils that we haue most righteously desired euen for the glorie of his name and therein not respect our selues so much as Gods glorie that we professing his name it might not be ill spoken of for our punishments And truly this should be one principall reason to mooue vs to pray for the remoouing of this plague So ought we to pray for the remoouing of this plague that the Atheists and Papists and worldlings doe not speake ill of Gods name and of his people and his Gospell when he so greatly punisheth them that professe it And also that we our selues and others might by remoouing of it haue cause to praise his holy name And indeed if we did lesse respect our selues herein as for the most part men do wholly and be more carefull of Gods glorie as that by the staying of it he might be praised yea and iustice might be executed to the glorie of God the course of which now for a while hath beene stayed in many places because they could not so safely meet for feare of the infection and that good things might be established and ill remooued by a Parliament which it is like should haue beene long before if this pestilence had not beene so vniuersall and so mortall we might obtaine by our prayers a great deale more than we doe Psal 79 8. Therefore let vs pray as they did Remember not against vs the former iniquities but make hast and let thy tender mercies preuent vs for we are in great miserie Helpe vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name and deliuer vs and bee mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake Wherefore should the Heathen say where is their God Here we see they pray to God to forgiue them their sinnes to remooue that punishment that was iustly laid vpon them for the same euen for the glorie of his owne name and so must we doe at this time if we will be heard that it may be known that he is a God of mercie that he is the hearer of prayers that he will be found of thē that seek him euen in due time Psal 10.1 in affliction And if the glorie of God did more take vs vp then might we hope to obtaine more things at his hands And thus againe the people of God prayed in their miseries Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.1 but to thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake wherfore shall the Heathen say when is now their God Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer he will VVhere they pray God that he would doe that that might make most for his glorie not for their selues but for his mercie and truths sake that he might be praised So must we pray that God would so deale with vs in this visitation of his that he may be knowne to be our God and so honoured of vs and of all others so that whether he remooue it or it continue his glorie may be set forth by it and that done that may make most for it If we did pray in the zeale of Gods glory we might obtaine great things And assuredly if wee could come to these indifferent minds to haue or to forgoe health and other things as they might make most for the glorie of God then we should see how the Lord would deale with vs in this and all other things besides Therefore let vs be so inflamed with the zeale of Gods glorie that we may pray as the people doe here Giue me this and giue me that that we may sing of thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of the Lord our God when he shall fulfill all our petitions And we shall find by experience that the more we seeke the glorie of God in any thing the sooner shall we haue it and in greater measure for God though he should forget vs yet he cannot forget the glorie of his name nor those that be carefull of it So then whether we aske the forgiuenesse of our sinnes or the increase of faith or any other of the graces of God to lead an holy life we must respect the glorie of God in them and that we and others may praise him for them Or
whether wee aske life health wealth or any outward thing els we must doe it so farre and to that end that God may be glorified in vs by them as the Prophet doth Be beneficiall to thy seruant Psal 119.17 As Dauid and Hezekiah did that I may liue and keepe thy law where he desireth to liue so as by his godly life hee might glorifie God and hee did esteeme of that as of a great benefit So did Dauid pray when he was banished by Absalom he desireth God to spare him and to continue his life that hee might praise him for in death there was no remembrance of him Psal 30.9 saying What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to the pit Shall the dust giue thankes to thee or shall it declare thy truth And after the same manner did king Hezekiah when he was sicke vnto death also and had receiued the sentence of it against himselfe by the Prophet Isaiah he prayed That God would not take him away in the middest of his dayes for the glorie and praise of his name and this grieued him most that he should be cut off from partaking of Gods goodnesse and praysing him for it in the land of the liuing Isai 38.11 I said I shall not see the Lord euen the Lord in the land of the liuing and afterwards he addeth Vers 18. The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe to the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I doe this day So wee see to what end he desired life euen that he might haue occasion still to prayse God and the Lord heard these prayers of his and added fifteene yeares to his life Let vs then examine our selues to what end we desire all that we doe whether God may be glorified in vs by them or no if we doe then may we be assured that our prayers are according to Gods will he will heare vs so soone as it shall make for his glory As for example if we desire life principally to this end We must examine our hearts to what end we desire euery thing that we may still prayse God and glorifie his name both in our calling and as we be Christians as Dauid and Hezekiah did and whether we desire children that they might be instruments of Gods glory in this world to serue him in the Church or common wealth as Hannah did and whether we desire wealth and credit that we might be the more fit to do good vnto others and to set forth the prayse of God by our almes and good deeds as Iob Iob. 31.16 Act. 9.36 and Dorcas did and to be short all other gifts of bodie to this end especially as Solomon did aske wisedome for that cause and Queene Hester did put on her royall apparrell Hest. 5.1 and drest vp her selfe well that so in the presence of the king she might find fauour in dealing for the Church of God then may we be bould with great comfort to commend them to God for in them wee seeke not our selues but his glory which is most deare to himself also But for the most part men in all things seeke themselues onely or principally and so haue them not as they desire Therefore if we lacke any thing that we haue desired and prayed for consider whether we did seeke Gods glory in it or our owne benefit if we had respect to our selues then no maruaile if we did want it that we might learne to reforme our desires For though God giueth vnto men that seeke only themselues as he doth to the wicked yea vnto the bruit beasts because he is goodnesse it selfe and would hereby draw all men vnto him yet how much more would he doe it if men did seeke his glory therein For though a master will giue his seruant that which is for his owne profit onely yet he will graunt him that suit especially which shall make for the credit of his master and whereby he may doe him the better seruice most of all when he seeth that he seeketh for it in that respect principally so will the Lord deale with all his faithful seruants much more giue them I say that sometimes wherein they respect themselues onely but most of all that whereby they desire to be furthered in his seruice and to glorifie his name a great deale more That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. As he hath in these words noted what was the end of their desires beforehand so also what should be the fruit of them afterwards and what they would doe for them namely Reioyce in this great benefit bestowed vpon them and prayse his name for it And this should be the fruit of all Gods benefits vpon vs The fruit of all Gods benefits in vs should be the prayse of his name both publike and priuat that as he by them offereth vs occasion of praising him so wee should doe it for them as wee see in the next Psalme this people do according to that that they professe here And truely then doe we rightly profit by all Gods benefits when we giue him that prayse for them that is due vnto him and when we so vse them and speake of them as God the authour of them may be honoured For to this end God giueth all and this is all that we can doe for all To prayse him in heart word and life therefore if we doe not this all is lost vpon vs. And euery one as he receiueth more from God so is he bound to this the more to sing of them to God that is to praise his name for them And to set vp their banners in his name that is to set forth his glory So that the poorest that is is bound vnto it for their life health food and rayment c. other common benefits that they inioy for whē they haue least they haue more than they haue deserued But the rich are bound vnto it a great deale more by how much they goe beyond others in Gods benefits for he did owe them nothing and he might haue made them like others yea and he can so do when he will Daniel 4.30 as he dealt with Nebuchadnezzar whom of a proud king he made a vile beast And this is so proper vnto all the benefits of God that where he speaketh of many of them he beginneth and endeth the Psalme thus My soule prayse thou the Lord. And in another Psal 103. Psal 40 3. speaking of a new benefit that God had bestowed on him he saith Thou hast put a new song of prayse into my mouth shewing what we should doe when God blesseth vs for euery benefit giue him new praises And in another Psalme praying for the forgiuenesse of his sinne he saith Open thou my lips O Lord Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew foorth thy prayse as if he had sayd If God shall
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
haue it they begin to bethinke themselues how and which way to accomplish it and then taking counsell with themselues or others they deuise and determine to doe so and so as Dauid might doe in this case This counsell of his and purpose whatsoeuer it was he willeth them to pray to God for him that he would fulfill that so he might haue his desire and Gods prouidence might be serued thereby This word Purpose the most and the best doe translate Counsell And so the meaning of it is that whatsoeuer he should aduise himselfe to doe by good counsell for the effecting of his desire and whatsoeuer things he should put in practise vpon mature deliberation to that end that that counsell and those meanes God would blesse and giue a good successe vnto and so bring the thing to passe So that we see with what humilitie and distrustfulnesse of himselfe he speaketh acknowledging his owne insufficiencie to be so great that hee was so vnable of himselfe to bring to passe his owne desires though they were good and in a lawfull cause that when he had taken the best counsell for it yet that should be in vaine and altogether frustrate and doe him no good at all vnlesse God blesse it Therefore here he prayeth vnto God for his blessing vpon his consultations and good purposes and desireth them to help him with their prayers therin both that God would direct him to those meanes that might best serue his prouidence and that he would giue good successe vnto the same and that he might not fall into any vaine courses or as it were crooked wayes They aske of God good counsell and the successe of the same which the Lord did not purpose to worke by This then must pull down the high minds of those proud conceited men who thinke so highly of themselues and of their owne wit that they presume that for euery thing they are all sufficient of themselues for in all matters that shall befall them they can tell presently what to doe they can tell how to aduise themselues sufficiently they haue counsell ynough at home and so can bring all their matters to passe For though I graunt it to be true that it is a great blessing of God vpon any that in time of need they know what is to be done for many times for want of good counsell men are in doubfull matters greatly perplexed and almost at their wits end yet they must thus thinke that when they haue the best aduise that can be from thēselues or others yet the successe of it depends only vpon the blessing of God and so they must seeke vnto God for it as Dauid doth here though he was very wise of himselfe For it is sayd of him when he was but young 1. Sam. 18.30 That when the princes of the Philistims went foorth at their going forth to warre he behaued himselfe more wisely than all the seruants of Saul so that his name was much set by And for the repressing of this foolish presumption of our owne wisedome to be able to bring all matters to passe the Prophet Ieremie giueth a good lesson saying Thus saith the Lord Jere. 9.23 let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me For though a man haue wisedome to deuise God onely establisheth and ouerthroweth mens counsels strength and riches to bring to passe and where these three concurre there is likelihood of great matters yet euen then God onely bringeth the purpose to passe For either we shall not resolue vpon the best or take good counsell when it is giuen vs or if we doe God can destroy it This we see to be true in the counsell of Achitophell who was one of the wisest men of his time in so much that that which he counselled was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God 2. Sam. 16.23 when in the conspiracie of Absalom he gaue counsell one way and Hushay the Archite gaue counsell another way though the first counsell was best at that time yet it was not followed Chap. 17.14 but all of them sayd The counsell of Hushai is better than the counsell of Achitophell For the Lord had determined to destroy the good counsell of Achitophell that he might bring euill vpon Absalom Thus we may here learne that it is in God onely to ouerthrow or to establish the counsels of men euen of the wisest according as he is purposed to doe good vnto or bring euill vpon them So was it also in the dayes of King Rehoboam the sonne and heire of Solomon when in the beginning of his raigne the people came vnto him with this petition 2. Chron. 10.4 That he would make the grieuous yoake which his father had put vpon them lighter and they would serue him and he bad them depart for three dayes and then come againe for an answere and in the meane time he asked counsell of the wise auncient experienced men which had serued his father and they gaue him good counsell that he should yeeld to them in this request and he after conferred with the young men who had bene his pages and brought vp with him and they gaue him ill counsell as appeared by the sequell That he should take it vpon him like a king and speake roughly vnto them and so he did refusing the good counsell of the auncient men And thus though their counsel was good God did not fulfill it and though it was offered vnto him he did not take it because the Lord would bring that vpon Solomon which he had threatned by Ahiiah the Prophet That for their idolatrie 1. King 11.31 ten tribes should be rent away from his kingdome in the dayes of his sonne as also came to passe for when they heard the answere of the king ten tribes fell away to Ieroboam and could neuer be recouered So that whensoeuer we determine to doe any thing as we ought to take counsell and doe nothing rashly and vnaduisedly as many doe for then we shall thriue thereafter so we must also beleeue that God must bring all things to passe and so pray to him for it continually So that all men when they haue the best counsell in the world if it were as good as Achitophels they must seeke to God by prayer for his blessing vpon it if they will haue things to thriue prosper with them When we haue taken the best counsell we pray to God for the successe of it And this is true in all things as if we haue to deale with men that seeke to oppresse vs any wayes we must take the best counsell that we can to defend our selues and then pray to God that hee would bring things to passe otherwise our owne counsell and purpose shall doe vs no good against their
bestow this benefit vpon me then I will praise him for it As we should doe thus for all Gods benefits We should more specially praise God for those benefits which we haue asked of him so most of all for those which we haue asked of him as they say here When he shall fulfill all thy petitions they had prayed before that God would heare them and now they promise this That they will set vp their banners in his name And there is great reason of this for besides the benefits that we receiue which deserue prayse we haue thereby experience of the goodnesse of God in hearing our praiers Thus we read in the Gospell that when ten leapers were cleansed all of them hauing begged it of Christ before saying Iesus master haue mercie vpon vs Luke 17.17 but one returned to giue thankes and Christ asketh for the other nine and so sheweth what was their dutie also namely that as they had asked this benefit with him so they should haue returned with him to giue thankes And to this end is it sayd so often in the Psalme where he sheweth how in sundry afflictions men crie vnto God and he heareth them and deliuereth them Psal 107.8.15.21.31 Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men where he exhorteth all to praise God for those benefits which hee hath bestowed vpon them at their prayers But indeed this doctrine is so well knowne that it needeth no great proofe there is none so ignorant or so vnthankefull that will denie it onely we had need to examine our selues how we doe practise it whether we haue endeuoured to praise God for all his benefits and especially for those that we haue most desired when we haue had thē whether we haue ben any whit the more carefull to set forth the prayse of God for them than before Now if we find by this triall that the more that God hath giuē vs the more we haue glorified him then may we haue comfort and hope of the continuance of them but if in the abundance of all Gods benefits Let vs examin whether as Gods benefits encrease so we set foorth his glory the more we take our ease and set out our selues to the world and grow more proud and be lesse carefull to glorifie God as most commonly it falleth out then we prouoke God to take them away or to punish vs in them Therefore let euery one consider what good he doth with all that he hath and how by Gods blessings as wealth and such like not his owne name is aduaunced but what good he hath done since for the seruice and glory of God If he see they goe together the increase of Gods benefits vpon him and the increase of Gods glory in him it is well and he hath cause to reioyce but if the one increase greatly and the other decay or stand at a stay then it is the next way to loose all As we are taught in the parable of the Talents Matth. 25.24 he that hid that one that he had in a napkin and did no good with it nor vse it to his masters aduantage it was taken from him and he is called an euill and vnprofitable seruant So all are vnprofitable that in their seuerall callings vse not that which God giueth them to his glory and this shal be the end of them That all that they haue shall be taken from them and they shall haue their portion with the wicked That we may reioyce c. As they haue desired helpe of God for the glory of his name and promised to prayse him for it so more particularly they say that they shall reioyce in the saluation of the king They pray for this benefit that they might reioice namely if God would helpe him out of the hands of his enemies and giue him victorie ouer them For in the preseruation of the king was the good of the whole Church and common wealth therefore if he did well they should reioice and in his hurt and losse was the losse of them all and so they should haue cause to sorrow Therfore they vse this also as a reason to persuade the Lord to hear them That wheras now they were doubtfull or rather in great feare he by the victorie would giue them cause to reioice And though they shew whereunto their ioy should tend namely to the prayse of God singing vnto him of his saluation and setting vp their banners in his name yet they exclude not this but rather include it namely the common ioy of all the people and of the whole Church of God So that we may lawfully desire of God such things as we want to this end euen that we might reioyce and this one thing is sufficient to moue the Lord to giue them euen that thereby we might haue cause to reioyce as we must confesse that then we shal haue cause so to doe For besides the comfort of the thing that he giueth which may cleere vp the outward and inward man the inuisible things also of God are to be seene in his creatures and benefites as his wisedome power Rom. 1.20 goodnesse and mercie c. and so in the sight and feeling of the same we may reioyce much more especially when we haue prayed to God for them we may reioyce that God hath heard our prayers And so we may desire God to heare vs that so not onely for his benefits but for his goodnesse towards vs in them and especially in hearing our prayers for them we may reioyce God is willing to blesse his people that they might reioice Behold then I pray you the wonderfull goodnesse of our God who desireth our ioy and comfort and giueth vs things to that end that we might reioyce and would haue vs aske them of him to that end as this people doth here For as among men this often moueth them to heare vs that we professe to them and they see it also that if they shall doe so and so for vs we shall haue great case to reioyce and be glad and whereas now wee for the want of it are in heauinesse and sorrow this will cheere vp our hearts And this is sufficient to moue them that are of any good disposition that in doing for them that are in need we see that we shall make them and theirs right glad and the poore when they sue to them they vse this as a reason and it is accepted Then may we vrge this vnto the Lord much more and we may be assured that it will moue him As parents are willing to doe good to their children to that end For so good is the Lord to all that are his that he delighteth not in their sorow and griefe no more than parents doe in the griefe of their children nay a great deale lesse by how much his loue infinitely without all degree of comparison
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
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
to fulfill our desires And thus doth Dauid euen for this very thing confessing openly that God had satisfied his desires when he saith Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire Psal 21.2 and hast not denied him the request of his lips where hee speaketh of himselfe and made that Psalme as a forme of publicke thanksgiuing vnto God for giuing him his desire in the ouerthrow of his enemies VVe in our time haue desired many things in our hearts and we haue not been disappointed of our desires but haue we in all of them so considered God to be the author of them that we haue giuen thankes vnto him for the same If we doe rightly examine our selues But most men faile greatly in this praise and call to mind the time past we shall find that for many things for which we haue prayed O Lord giue me according to my heart we haue not returned with this thankfull confession O Lord thou hast giuen me my hearts desire and hast not denied me the request of my lips And this is that that our Sauiour Christ complaineth of in the Gospell Luke 17.12 That when ten lepers did meet him they stood a farre off and all of them lift vp their voices and said Iesus master haue mercie on vs and all of them were healed But one of them when he saw that he was healed turned backe and with a loud voice praised God and fell downe at his feet and gaue him thankes And Iesus said are there not ten clensed but where are the nine There is none found that returned to giue God praise saue this stranger Thus though all of them had a great desire to be cleansed of that foule disease and did crie out earnestly vnto Christ for it yet but one of them did testifie his faith that he had receiued this benefit of Christ And this is a common fault in the world that scarce one among ten when they haue their desires and that of God and when they haue asked the same of him that are mindfull to giue thanks vnto God that gaue them their desire Many in their wants come to Christ and say Miserere to haue their desires satisfied but few afterwards returne with Alleluia to giue praise vnto him for the same This is that then which the Psalmist not without iust cause so often so earnestly calleth vpon men for and all sorts of men That when they haue bene in great affliction some one way some another and so for their reliefe and comfort they haue desired this and that according to their seuerall estates that when God hath deliuered them and giuen them their desire they would as well by giuing thankes vnto him declare that they beleeue that he onely did satisfie their desire as they did before by praying vnto him For hee saith That some haue bene in captiuitie Psal 107.3 and scattered into the enemies land and there they haue wandered in the wildernesse and desert out of the way found no citie to dwell in both hungrie and thirstie and their soule hath fainted in them Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuered them from their distresse Let them therefore saith he confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men for he satisfied the thirstie soule and filled the hungrie soule with goodnesse VVhere he prouoketh them to be thankefull acknowledging of the goodnesse of God with prayse when they haue found by experience how he hath satisfied their desires and would haue them shew that they beleeued that God gaue them their desires by a thankfull acknowledging of the same And so afterwards in the same Psalme he speaketh of others whereof some are deliuered from sickenesse and from death and some from prison and yrons and some from extreme hunger and all these according to their owne desire for he saith of all them Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble Verse 13. and he deliuered them from their distresse and would haue all of them likewise confesse to the glory of God and the good of others That God had giuen them their desire when he saith thus Verse 21. Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men and let them offer sacrifices of prayse and declare his workes with reioycing Verse 23. and let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the Elders VVhere we see that though he confesseth that all of them in their seuerall troubles doe cry vnto God for helpe as beleeuing that he onely can giue them their desires yet he doth not say that all after their deliuerances doe declare their faith in Gods prouidence by giuing him thankes but this he exhorteth them vnto and wisheth that it might be so saying Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse or oh that they would thus doe So must we do when he shall giue vs our desires in taking away the plague Shewing that though it be mens duty yet many of them are so farre from it that it is rather to be wished and desired than to be looked for at their hands Therefore if it shall please the Lord to be mercifull vnto vs and this way to giue vs our desire by taking away this grieuous rod from our backes and causing this pestilence to cease which hath a long time walked in the darkenesse Psal 91.6 and destroyed at noone day and of which there hath fallen a thousand on the one side and ten thousand on the other we must remember to bee thankefull vnto him for it and let him haue as many prayses from vs for giuing vs our hearts desires as now he hath prayers for it and let vs remember it the rather because we are more prone to crie vnto God in our troubles as others haue done than we are afterwards to confesse his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men and to exalt him in the congregation of the people and to praise him in the assembly of the Elders as we haue heard euen now out of the Psalme And let vs be heartily sory that for so many desires of ours both for soule and body for our selues and ours we haue bene so vnthankefull which might iustly moue him to abridge vs now and to cut vs short of our desire in this thing which doth so greatly concerne the good of vs all and of many thousands of our brethren And this is that which we haue to obserue out of the first part of this verse Fulfill all thy purpose or counsell The second followeth after this manner And fulfill all thy purpose This latter part of the verse conteineth almost the very same petition that the former did sauing that here is somewhat more namely that whereas men when they haue a desire vnto a thing and would faine
carnall and worldly ioy euen thankesgiuing to God who hath bestowed them vpon vs and in them hath giuen vs so great cause of ioy All priuat benefits are causes of ioy And as all common benefits are causes of ioy euen as this people professe here That if God bestow this vpon them they shall reioyce in it so are also all priuat blessings so many causes of ioy to all those that enioy them whether they bee vpon their soules or bodies for this life or the life to come vpon themselues or any of theirs And as the things that they inioy are more and greater than others haue so they ought to confesse that God hath in this vale of miserie giuen them so much cause of ioy For who is he or she or where are they that being in neuer so meane an estate doe not inioy many great benefits from God as life and health libertie conuenient food lodging rayment for which they haue cause to reioyce In which respect the poorest hath great cause of ioy but especially if they haue faith and repentance and the peace of conscience and assurance of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and hope of saluation what cause haue they then to reioyce though they were in neuer so great want besides Therefore in their poore estates they must so cōsider of their wants as that they doe not forget Gods benefits which may make them to reioyce euen in their pouertie and in their affliction So that as the Prophet Elisha said to his seruant who was in great feare and cried out when he saw the great host of armed men which the king of Aram had sent 2. King 6.16 to take them at Dotham Feare not for there are more with vs than against vs for God had sent horses and chariots of fire to defend them So euerie one may say when his estate is at the hardest that there is more with him than is against him that is that he hath more benefits and so more causes of ioy than crosses and so in them causes of sorrow For if we doe but liue especially in these dayes to serue God and to saue our own soules it is better than the estate of many nobles and princes in other parts of the world that haue not these meanes of their saluation that we haue and may haue and in that measure and with that peace and freedome that we haue them in which respect the estate of the poorest is better if they doe see it and can so consider of it than not onely of many nobles but of the great Turke himselfe of the Emperor yea the Pope himselfe who taketh himselfe to be king prince of the whole world For that which Dauid saith of himself is true of all if they could so esteeme of it A day in thy courts Psal 84.10 is better than a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse for the Lord God is the sunne and shield vnto vs the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly Therefore when any of you shall be in such a case that you shall spend away the whole day in sorrow and then at night lie downe in heauinesse as wanting many things necessarie both for food and raiment for lodging and firing besides health countenance which others haue in great measure and yet little pitie those that haue not like vnto that rich glutton that in his great aboundance had no compassion of poore Lazarus then consider I pray you for the loue of Christ and for your owne consolation how many benefits you enioy And in the middest of their wants they must thinke of Gods benefits that they might reioice looke into your soule meditate vpon the graces of God in it if you haue any thinke vpon faith hope and charitie with the feare of God and such like which the Lord in mercie hath bestowed vpon you and reioyce in them Be not stil harping all of one string of your wants for that will giue you but one tune of sorrow But as Dauid sayth I will sing Mercie and Iudgement Psal 101.1 vnto thee O Lord will I sing So let vs haue two strings at the least to our harpe one of our wants and another of Gods benefits that is consider you as well of Gods benefits as of his crosses and more of them than of the other because you had need to find out matter of ioy the cause of sorrow will offer it selfe vnto you fast ynough And therefore if the string of your sorrow be somewhat too high let it downe lower and stretch vp the cord of your ioy one note higher that is thinke more of the causes of your ioy and lesse of the causes of your sorrow and thus your instrument shall well accord and make good musicke which was too dolefull and vntunable before And thus the more cunning you are and the more you can doe the better harmonie shall you make to your selfe and others that is the more you shall reioyce euen then when to the worldward you haue cause of nothing but sorrow Act. 16.23 Thus shall it come to passe That as Paule and Silas after extreame whipping being cast into prison and into a dungeon and had their feet made fast in the stockes did sing Psalmes vnto God at midnight so shall you reioyce in the middest of your affliction be it neuer so great For they at this present not only or not so much considered their imprisonment beating and stocking which did minister nothing to them but matter of griefe but rather other great benefits and fauours of God which with them they enioyed and so must you doe likewise consider the one as well as the other So shall not onely your selues haue comfort but God shall haue prayse and for want of this wise consideration of both neither haue you ioy in your selues nor God honour from you in that estate though he hath giuen you sufficient cause of both And as for the rich what great cause of ioy they haue in the multitude of so many great benefits as they enioy of whom it may be truly said as the Apostle saith of the Gentiles Act. 14.17 when he preached vnto them That God had filled their hearts with food and gladnesse themselues do best know I need say little or nothing to them So that in such an estate as many are in if they cannot reioyce but liue in heauinesse and discontentedly whereby they can neither serue God so cheerefully nor praise him so continually as they should they are altogether vnworthie of all I need not therefore say any thing to them their owne eyes and hands their backes and their bellies can tell them sufficiently what cause they haue to reioyce What cause the rich haue to liue ioyfully and comfortably their apparrell and their clothing
wherewith they are kept from cold when others goe halfe naked quake for cold their food in aboundance and of the best both for necessitie and delight when others are pinched with hunger haue but bread and drinke and not ynough of that who themselues and their children do eat by measure and by weight to draw out their food at length their soft and warme lodging when others lie hard and cold and scarcely can be warme all night These and many things els can put them in mind from day to night and from night to day what great cause they haue to reioyce aboue many others Let them then in the name of God so consider of them that they may reioyce for God hath giuen them to them to that end as Salomon saith in the booke of the Preacher Eccle. 2.24 That this is the fruit of all that a man can haue of all that he hath to eat and to drinke and to reioyce in the blessings of God and yet that also is the gift of God as he confesseth there Therefore they aboue all others must confesse that God hath giuen them great cause of ioy and nothing can so befall them vnlesse God take all away from them as hee did from Iob but they must needs acknowledge that still they haue cause to reioice So that it is not onely lawfull for them in and for these to reioice but it is necessarie that they should doe so and it is required at their hands insomuch that if they were so blind that they would not confesse that they had great cause of ioy all men would by the benefits which they enioy in great number witnesse against them and if they were so froward that they would not reioice all men would condemne them for it And thus we see that all sorts in respect of Gods benefits which he hath bestowed vpon them haue cause to reioice The prayse of God must be the fruit of our ioy But what is to be done in this ioy and for all these causes of ioy it followeth in the next words of the text on this wise And set vp our banners in the name of our God that is praise God for them for we see here how they are ioyned together That we may reioice in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of the Lord our God So they say that this should be the fruit of their ioy they would praise God in it for the cause of it And this ought to be the fruit of true ioy in all men and for all things For as all good and godly sorrow should driue vs vnto prayer that God might turne that away from vs or remooue it for which we doe sorrow so on the contrarie all true and godly ioy should driue vs to thankesgiuing for that which is the cause of our ioy And as herein godly and wordly sorrow differ that the one many times driueth to despaire or causeth sicknesse and so death in the end 2. Cor. 7.10 the other causeth repentance neuer to bee repented of and so prayer to God for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes which haue iustly brought vpon vs that cause of sorrow So on the other side herein godly ioy differeth from worldly ioy the one maketh a man secure and to forget God and to rest in himselfe and sometimes to be prophane and to keep no measure in things but to abuse that that he hath but the other inlargeth the heart to praise God and maketh him to goe out of the things themselues the causes of his ioy vnto God the author of them And thus doth the Apostle very excellently by these fruits note out vnto vs true sorrow Iam. 5.13 and true ioy when he saith Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merrie let him sing where hee maketh prayer the fruit of sorrow in affliction and thankesgiuing the fruit of ioy in Gods benefits And S. Paule doth shew vs at large the difference betweene the worldly ioy of the wicked and the godly ioy of the righteous when he sayth to the Ephesians Ephe. 5.18 Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be fulfilled with the spirit speaking vnto your selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts And therein true ioy differeth from all worldly ioy giuing thankes alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein one kind as in feasting which is lawfull and common to the good and bad and which is an honest means to make men merry and glad hee sheweth the diuersitie of the mirth of the one and of the other The men of this world they exceed and fall into the abuse of Gods creatures sometimes till they be drunken or haue surfeited and so also giue themselues vnto that mirth which is excessiue and immoderat and sometimes yea commonly ioyned with prophane scoffing or some wickednesse The children of God vsing his creatures soberly and in his presence euen at their feasts doe thereby prouoke one another to prayse God and make themselues merry in God and as in his sight VVee see then what should be the fruit of our ioy in Gods benefits namely the prayse of God and to what end also hee giueth to vs so many things wherein we may reioyce euen that he might haue the whole glorie and prayse of them So that whether we be poore or we be rich haue we more or haue we lesse to reioyce in this must be the fruit of all that we praise God for such things as make vs to reioyce And so as there is none in the world but hee hath some cause of ioy so the Lord looketh for continuall prayse at the hands of vs all but as many haue more cause to reioyce than others Thus all haue cause to praise God by reason of the manifold blessings which they enioy aboue them so he looketh for more prayse and thankes at their hands than of others as there is good cause For to whom much is giuen of them much shall be required VVhich if they doe not labour to performe and profit by Gods benefits and by their ioy in them to that end it may come to passe that the wicked may haue as much ioy in the things that they possesse as themselues yea the very vnreasonable creatures and the brute beasts in their kind for if our ioy end not in the prayse of God what are we better for it than they Therefore it is not ynough for a man to say I liue merrily and at my hearts ease I haue many causes of ioy I am void of sorrow and griefe I haue nothing that doth trouble me but am in continuall mirth it is not ynough I say to be in this estate and thus to boast and say but we must labour to be thankefull vnto God for it who is the cause of it let our ioy in these
how are mine aduersaries increased How many rise against mee Many say to my soule there is no helpe for him in God Afterwards he confirmeth his faith in the goodnesse of God by the consideration of his nature that he is a defence buckler to them that are vnarmed and without defence and he giueth glory to them that haue ignominie cast vpon them without a cause and he rayseth vp them that are falling Verse 3. saying But thou Lord art a buckler for me my glory and the lifter vp of my head And then he gathereth more strength of faith from former experience Verse 4. saying I did call vnto the Lord with my voyce and he heard me out of the holy mountaine and to this he addeth Shelah to shew how greatly it did affect him and what comfort he had in this to remember that God had heard his prayer in former times and then further addeth for the strengthening of his faith that the Lord in other great danger had defended him Verse 5. saying I laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me And thereupon inferreth this confident speech Verse 6. full of assurance I will not be afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about VVhere he doth glory by faith that though his enemies were neuer so many and himselfe in neuer so great danger of them hee would not bee too much afraid of them but was assured that the Lord would defend him in the middest of them And this assurance of Gods defence hee obtaineth now at the last by continuing in prayer and by those meditations which he had in prayer of the goodnesse and mercie of God towards all his and now specially towards himselfe which he hath set down in the former verses and part of his prayer So falleth it out with others that the spirit of God in them which is the spirit of prayer and of all assurance as it stirreth them vp to pray and when they cannot tell of themselues what or how to pray as they ought the same spirit helpeth their infirmities Rom. 8.26 and stirreth vp in them sighes and grones and desires of the hart which are acceptable and which God alloweth of because they are according to his will so the same also helpeth their infirmities in this point that whereas they began to pray in great weakenesse and much doubting because of their temptations by calling into their minds more freshly than before the promises of God made in his word and the often performance of the same to others to themselues it causeth them to grow in faith doth giue thē some greater assurance of Gods fauours and of being gratiously heard than they had in the beginning they know then more fully that he doth heare them and will helpe them And so the spirit of God in prayer helpeth the infirmities of the rest of his seruants Hebr. 12.1 And though this may seeme strange to such as are not acquainted with prayer who vse it very seldome or not at all and make it but a matter of forme and custome yet I doubt not but that we haue a great cloud of faithfull witnesses who vsing prayer often of conscience and in the feeling of their wantes and making it a dayly exercise and therein deale with the Lord in good earnest as those that would obtaine some thing at his hand and rest not in the bare action of prayer as in a worke wrought or a certaine taske performed and done who doe and are able to subscribe most willingly vnto the truth of this by their owne practise So that as Dauid making this prayer when his sonne Absolom with Achitophell and many others raysed vp a rebellon against him in which for the safegard of his life he was compelled to flie out of Ierusalem as appeareth by the title of the Psalme did by continuance in feruent prayer obtaine this assurance That the Lord would defend him and confound them all and therefore he would not be afraid of them if there were ten thousand of them and they all should beset him round about that is if he were brought into great straits as indeed he was and truely it came to passe in the end for Achitophell did hang himselfe and Absalom was hanged by the haire of the head As I say Dauid then had assurance of this before hand so also others of Gods seruants in their daungers and troubles praying to God feruently as he did haue in some good measure to their owne comfort and the comfort of others that haue prayed with them obtaitained of God by his spirit an assurance that the Lord did heare them and would be mercifull vnto them and they by faith haue professed the same to others beforehand Dauid againe by continuing in feruent prayer groweth in assurance of being heard And this growing and increasing in the assured hope That the Lord will heare vs whereof we now speak Dauid againe setteth downe by his owne experience in the sixt Psalme as indeed I must needs confesse that he was a man of wonderfull great experience both of his owne infirmitie and of Gods mercifull dealing towards him which Psalme was made when he was grieuously sicke and like to die and did not onely feele the hand of God heauie vpon himselfe this way as appeareth by his grieuous complaints and outcries but he was troubled in his mind for his sinne and in this estate he prayeth vnto God To remoue from him this great token of his wrath and displeasure that was vpon him and to take away this grieuous scourge that he was then afflicted with and to giue him both health of bodie and quietnesse of mind of both which at the last hee obtaineth so great assurance by faith through the inward working of Gods spirit that he doth openly glory of it against all his enemies that reioyced at his fall And for the vnderstanding of this it is requisit especially for the simpler sort to whose capacitie I haue especially framed my selfe requisit I say to set down in order the words of the whole Psalme for otherwise neither the great confidence and reioycing of his faith which in the end with much striuing he attained vnto nor the feruencie of his prayer which was a meanes whereby Gods spirit wrought it in him can be so fully perceiued or made plaine vnto you Thus therfore he beginneth his prayer O Lord Psal 6.1 rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am needie heale me for my bones are vexed My soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee I fainted in my mourning I cause my bed euery night to swim and water my couch with teares Mine eyes is dimmed
betweene saying Surely thou wilt heare mee O God because God gaue him then to beleeue it more fully VVhich full persuasion if he had had before in that measure that he had then we may be assured that he would sooner haue professed it to the glory of God and his owne comfort A fourth example of it in Dauid I will conclude this point with that which is in the eight and thirtie Psalme which Psalme was made when he was in some great distresse of sickenesse as some think or some other at the least And the whole Psalme is full of grieuous complaints as may appeare to them that will but read it when he beginneth thus O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 38.1 neither chastise me in thy wrath for thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lieth vpon me there is nothing found in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne and so forth for the whole Psalme is too long to be set down yet it is necessarie for thē to read it ouer who desire to see the truth of this that we speak to be in the Prophet He first complaineth of the heauie wrath of God that was vpon him and of his sinnes which he acknowledgeth to be the cause of his punishment of the infirmitie and great weakenesse that he found in himselfe both of soule and bodie and of this also that he was forsaken of his friends and left desolat of the mallice of his wicked enemies all which made him as hee saith to poure out his whole desire before the Lord so that his sighing was not hid from him Vers 9. And then at the last he commeth to haue some good assurance that the Lord would heare him and doth openly professe it in these words On thee O Lord doe I wait Vers 15. thou wilt heare me O Lord my God and so from this assurance hee endeth the Psalme somewhat more comfortably than he began it saying Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord Vers 22. my saluation Thus we see how by continuing in feruent prayer and striuing against all things within him and without him that might discourage him the spirit of God did so encrease in him that hee gat some small assurance at the least and more than he had before that the Lord would heare him and so endeth with a more peaceable and quiet mind than he began And though I am not ignorant that some of the learned doe read that fifteenth verse somewhat otherwise yet they agree with me in this point for which it is brought That in the same he professeth his faith that the Lord would heare him All these examples doe not onely shew vs the truth of this doctrine namely that the seruants of God praying vnto him in their seuerall troubles as this people did here haue by little and little growne in a further assurance to their owne comfort and the glorie of God By this experience in another we see what assurāce God may worke in vs if we vse the same meanes that he will heare them but they shew vs the same by great experience which is the best tracts and able to instruct the most simple for wee haue heard how Dauid oftentimes professeth it of himselfe which sheweth vs what we may looke for that the Lord should worke in vs also for there is no respect of persons with him if we pray in that feeling of our wants and that humilitie vnder the crosse and that feruencie vnder hope and that continuance by patience that he did Therefore let vs labour after it euen that we may find the spirit of God so working in our hearts by prayer that it may certainly and comfortably witnesse to our spirits that the Lord doth heare vs and that the same testimonie of the spirit may encrease in vs aswe encrease in praying And it may come to passe that as in the morning we see the Sunne arise higher and higher whereby we haue a greater feeling of the heat of it as the day encreaseth so we might see the sonne of righteousnesse so arising in our hearts Malach. 4.2 dispersing all the mysts of ignorance and vnbeleefe that we may haue the comfortable feeling of the fauour of God in our hearts encreasing more and more to cheere them vp with the light and heat of it as it were as we shall continue longer in prayer Let vs labor after it I say because that few doe know what it doth meane because they doe not so much as once seeke and inquire after it Obiect The best seruants of God complaine that they haue no assurance that God heareth their prayer Now if any doe seeke this and cannot find it and so they still complaine as many of the best seruants of God haue done that he heareth not their prayers neither haue they any assurance of it for when as in their troubles they pray vnto God this grieueth them much that they haue no persuasion that God heareth and will helpe them for if they had this they could bee contented to wait vpon him and to tarry his leisure but they pray and pray and can haue no assurance that hee doth heare them Ans And a reason of the same To satisfie all those and to strengthen them in this weaknesse of theirs we must consider That they that haue had the greatest assurance at any time that the Lord did heare them haue had it but in time and in measure and not alwaies alike but sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes not at all as the spirit of faith or their owne vnbeleefe hath preuailed in them For in these forenamed places we see that in some of the Psalmes hee professeth greater assurance than in other and so is it with all men Euen as with the eyes of our bodie we sometimes see a thing more clearely than at other times and our eyesight is not alwayes alike no more is our faith whereby wee behold Christ and in him the fauour of God it is not alwaies in the same brightnesse Besides as the ayre is not alwaies alike for our sight but sometimes more troublesome and souring yea darke which hindereth vs from the sight of that that we looke vnto when our eyes are at the best so we haue sometimes in our mind greater and more violent temptations than at other as it were thick mystes or rather darke clouds in the aire to hinder our faith from beholding the cheerefull countenance of the Lord as it were the light of the Sunne which shineth alwayes alike though we by reason of these cannot alwaies see it alike So the Lords loue is alwaies one and the same but we are not alwaies alike disposed in our selues to behold it in that brightnesse that it shineth in it owne nature Therefore we must not be dismaied if we haue not alwaies this assurance in our prayer after the same manner but see what
the searcher and the mouer of the hearts shall also moue them to doe the like for vs that this promise 〈◊〉 be verified vnto vs. Which if it be true very often of them that are not desired at all that by the secret operation of the spirit of God which quickeneth the whole bodie of Christ and euery part of it then much more of them that are desired and know the estate one of another Therefore if the King would haue his subiects to pray for him he must pray for them Therfore if we would haue others pray vs let vs pray for them if Noblemen would haue their Chaplens pray for them of conscience they must pray for them also if the Bishops would haue the Ministers remember theÌ„ in their prayers they must not forget them in theirs and so these great personages must not thinke that all should remember them and yet forget all and that it should be a great fault in their inferiours if at any time they should but once forget them in their publike prayers and yet it should bee no fault in themselues though they doe continually forget them So if the Minister would haue his people to pray for him as the Apostle often willeth the Church of God to pray for him then he must remember publikely and priuately to pray for them so must children doe for their parents if they would haue their blessing and the benefit of their prayers so must the husband do for the wife and one neighbour and friend for another For the more wee pray for them the more shall they pray for vs yea though they know not at all that we pray for them and if they should neglect it yet no doubt some or other shall doe it for this saying of him that is truth it selfe must needs be true Looke with what measure you mete vnto others Luk. 6.36 with the same it shall be mete vnto you euen heaped vp pressed downe and running ouer into your bosome Prou. 11.17 Therefore as he that is mercifull rewardeth his owne soule so hee that performeth this worke of mercie to pray for others in their neede rewardeth himselfe and shall haue others pray for him in his greatest need And as hee that soweth plentifully 2 Cor. 6.6 shall reape plentifully so he that soweth this dutie of prayers plentifully for others shall reape againe so many and more from others The knowledge of this should make vs willing to pray for others especially being desired thereunto fâ—â—â—ee shall lose nothing thereby but gaine greatly Therefore if not for the good of others yet for our owne let vs be willing to pray for others and herein let vs fulfill the saying of Christ Whatsoeuer you would haue men doe vnto you Matth. 7.12 euen so doe you vnto them If we doe not pray for others we shall the lesse reioyce in all blessings of God vpon them Thirdly seeing the end of our prayers for others is that we might thereby obtaine such things for them as they neede when God shall lbesse them in soule and body and euery way else according to their owne desire and in these things we shall haue prayed for them also we shall haue so much the more cause to reioyce with them and to be thankefull to God for them when we not onely see that God hath blessed them but blessed them at our prayers and so we haue our part in those benefits Whereas if we should neglect it God might heare them selues or others for them or both but we shall haue little comfort in those benefits because by neglecting to pray for them we haue had no hand in them Nay we shall be the more sory that so great things are befallen them and we haue not furthered them therein as we might and as we were desired Rom. 12.15 For as if our friend haue a suite to some noble man and we by some meanes haue furthered them therein and they haue obtained it as it were partly by our meanes wee then speake and thinke of it with the more ioy and comfort but if they preuailed therein by themselues or by others without vs it will grieue vs that we haue not yeelded them that helpe that we might so is it in the suites that men make in their prayers vnto the Lord. For if we should as the Apostle saith be so affectioned one to another that we should reioyce with them that reioyce and be heartily glad of any good that God bestoweth vpon others and be thankefull to him for it seeing we are brethren nay members one of another then most of all should we doe it when such benefits are bestowed vpon them partly by our meanes Therefore that we might continually reioyce in all the good that God bestoweth vpon others let vs be willing and carefull to pray to him for a supplie of all such wants as they shall make knowne vnto vs. In which respect euery one should be mindfull to pray for the Church of God in their time especially for that part of it wherein they liue and for the common-wealth and for our gouernours in both Therefore we should pray for the church and common-wealth in our time that so wee might reioyce with others and bee thankefull to God with them for all the common benefits of our time As for example if wee haue and doe pray for the life and honour of our most gracious King how glad may we be to heare of his miraculous deliuerance from most notable treasons as they professe verse 5 And if we doe pray for the staying of the Pestilence euery where how may wee reioyce to heare that the Lorde diminisheth his heauy hand in any place So if we pray for seasonable weather with others wee may haue the more comfort in it when the Lord shall send it And to conclude if we pray for the blessing of God vpon the ministerie of the word 2. Thessal 3.1 that it may haue free passage and bee glorified as the Apostle willeth and that the Lord would giue an increase to that that is planted and watered from time to time then how may it reioyce our hearts to see sinners conuerted vnto the Lord or any good to be done thereby Otherwise as Mordochey said to Hester If she did not helpe Hest. 4.14 God could send deliuerance to his Church from some other place so if wee refuse to pray for these things God may send helpe by the prayers of others but we shall haue so much the lesse comfort in them Fourthly and last of all We must beleeue that our prayers may doe much good to others that wee might bee the more willing to pray for others wee must bee perswaded that God will heare vs for them and that this way we shall be beneficiall vnto them for the Lord will bestowe such and such blessings vpon them and deliuer them from the miseries that they bee in both of soule and body at our prayers
so farre forth as may make for his glory and their good And so wee must not thinke alas our poore prayers can doe them no good as the diuell is ready to put this into our heads to discourage vs from prayer for the Lord who hath commaunded vs to aske one for another hath also promised to giue Therefore if we cannot otherwise profit our friends and those whom we wish well vnto yet this way by our prayers we may be beneficiall vnto them and this way alwaies euen the meanest of vs when we want opportunitie or abilitie to doe it otherwise And thus Dauid in this Psalme teacheth them to pray for him beleeuing that God would heare them for him Vers 6. when they say Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annoynted and wil heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mighty helpe of his right hand where he sets downe this part of the prayer in the singular number though many did vse it together to shew them that euery one particularly should beleeue that God would heare them for their King and would at their prayers defend him against his enemies and so they should not pray for him in vaine And the Apostle exhorteth men in their sicknesse to send for the Elders of the Church to pray for them and that both the one and the other might doe it in faith the one send for them and the other be willing to come he maketh a gracious promise in the name of the Lord vnto their prayers and saith that they shall thus obtaine for the sicke both health of body and forgiuenesse of sinne Is any sicke among you Jam. 5.15 Let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and annoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if hee hath committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him And in the next words he willeth vs all to confesse our sinnes one to another and pray one for another that so wee might receiue health for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much euery way when it is feruent And for whom Not only for himselfe but for another as he proueth by the example of Helias in whose dayes though that godly man Obadiah and the hundreth Prophets whom hee hid in caues from the persecution of Iezabel did pray for raine in that great drought as we must needs presume of them yet he only by his prayers obtained that benefit for himselfe and for them and for all the rest of the people of that time Helias saith he was a man subiect to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine Vers 17. and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite And here if vpon this occasion I should enter in this treatise What great benefits men haue gotten by the prayer of others to shew what great benefits men haue obtained by their prayers not for themselues but for others the time would not be sufficient the examples both in the old and new Testament are so many to declare it As how the Lord heard Abraham for his sonne Ishmael when he said Oh that Ishmael might liue in thy sight Gen. 7.18 so that he became a great man in the world and was multiplied exceedingly so that not onely twelue Princes came of him but a great nation And how Izhak prayed for his wife because shee was barren Chapt. 25.21 and the Lord was intreated of him and she conceiued and brought forth twinnes twentie yeeres after they had liued together in marriage before And what Moses obtained for the Israelites by his prayer at the red sea and oftentimes in the wildernes Exod. 14.15 And how Elias raised vp from dead by his prayers the sonne of the widow of Sarepta with whom he soiorned 1. King 17.28 And Elisha did the like for the good woman of Shunam who gaue intertainement vnto him as he passed that way 2. King 4.33 and many such things else might be shewed to haue been obtained by prayer All which are written for our instruction to teach vs that we should be willing to pray for others not doubting but that God will heare vs for them and this way we may doe them good if we can doe it no other waies As for example if in the loue and loyalty we owe to our soueraigne King hearing of the treasonable practises malitiously intended against his royall person and noble progeny we would be willing to doe him the best seruice for his defence that we could what shall we doe Counsell can we giue none neither are we in place to doe it we haue no strength to resist his enemies of our owne selues yet we may pray for him that Christ Iesus who ruleth in the middest of his enemies would bring things to light and confound them in their diuelish deuices and not doubt but that God will heare vs as they say confidently here Vers 6. I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie This should moue vs to pray for the Church of God vniuersally dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth This way euery one may be beneficiall to the Church of God and more particularly for that part of it wherein we liue and for all our gouernours in the same high and lowe and for others also not doubting but that the Lord will heare vs in all things for them agreeable vnto his holy will and so this way wee may in all callings bee profitable vnto them in our time So that no man can iustly complaine that God hath so disabled him that he can do no good vnto others for if we were as poore as Iob if as full of sores as Lazarus if we lay sicke in our beds and in great weakenes of body yet by our feruent and godly prayers we might doe much good vnto many And thus I remember a godly wise Father did comfort his weake brother who continuing a great while in a lingering sicknesse and weakenesse of body complained vnto him that there he spent away his time vnprofitably and was able to doe no good yes saith he very much for you may pray for the Church of God and that was true though he did not then see it For whatsoeuer wee aske in the name of Christ according to the will of God shall be graunted vnto vs which is true whether we aske for our selues or for others We may bee perswaded that God will heare vs for others by the largenes of his promises And the rather that wee might bee confirmed in this faith namely that the Lord of his bountifull goodnes will heare vs when we pray for others let vs first of all consider the promises that God hath
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
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