suffer not our labors to succeed yet he is our God himself still and all desireable good is eminently comprised in him who is a God All-sufficient to those that walk before him and are upright Though he answer me not in the particular wherein I waited upon him he ever answers Secundum cardinem desiderii in such a way as is better for me Though the issue be not secundum voluntatem according to my will yet it is ever ad utilitatem according to my profit and good Paul had not the thing he expresly prayed for to have the messenger of Satan depart from him but he had a sufficiency of grace to uphold him which was much better And as a Merchant is not angry with his Factor though he send him not the commodities he wrote for if he send him those which are ten times more beneficial no more is a believer displeased with the good providence of God when he receives in answer to his labors and prayers not what himself expected but what God knew much better for him III. A special interest in God as our God is a notable argument in Prayer for the obtaining of a gracious Reward unto our sincere Services for upon this ground doth this holy man thrice desire to be remembred of God And upon this ground did our Saviour teach his Disciples to build all their Petitions by calling God Our Father It is the Prayer of Faith the Prayer of a righteous man that is effectual Jam. 5. 15 16. For the Lord will not hear those that regard iniquity in their heart their Prayer is an abomination Psal. 66. 18. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous Prov. 15. 29. It is true he is pleased sometimes to take notice of the Cries and Prayers of Nature and to return some answer unto them that even wicked men may know that it is not in vain even for them to seek the Lord and therefore such as their Prayers are such returns he is pleased many times to make unto them So God heard the voice of Ishmael crying for Water and shewed Hagar a Well Gen. 21. 17 19. He took notice of the humiliation of Ahab and thereupon respited the judgment which he had threatned 1 King 21. 29. As Abraham though he gave the blessing and the inheritance unto Isaac yet he gave gifts to the rest of his children Gen. 25. 5 6. So the Lord though he reserve his great Reward for the heirs of promise yet he leaveth not himself without witness even amongst others giving such benefits unto them as they tender services unto him they give none but outward services desire none but outward benefits and according to the nature of their services and desires the Lord answereth them with meer outward good things But the Prayer of Faith pleading the great and precious promises of the new Covenant and calling upon God as a Father by the Spirit of his Son shed abroad into the hearts of those who are heirs of promise hath two great advantages above any other meer Natural prayer 1. It is sure to obtain pardon for what failings and miscarriages proceed from humane infirmity the Lord sparing his children as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. and Christ bearing the iniquity of our holy things 2. It is sure to obtain spiritual rewards for those holy and sincere performances which proceed from the grace and assistance of the Spirit of Christ the Lord being pleased first by his grace to work all our works for us Isai. 26. 12. And then by a second grace to reward them and to crown his own mercies in us For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal. 58. 11. Matth. 10. 41. And thus we receive grace for grace the grace of remuneration for the grace of obedience the grace of God enabling us to work and the grace of God rewarding us for working For though it be the work which is rewarded yet the reward is not of mans work but of Gods grace Rom. 4. 4. 11. 6. Both these graces did this holy Nehemiah beg in the confidence of his interest in God as his God Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy meroy Nehe. 13. 22. Remember me to spare me for my sinful infirmities remember me to reward me for my sincere performances and both these onely upon the accompt of thy great mercy Nothing but great mercy passeth by many sins nothing but great mercy rewardeth weak services I have done with the words and have from all but a word more to say unto you What the nature of that great undertaking is which God hath thus graciously moved your hearts to begin at the doors of his Sanctuary and to consecrate your selves unto by inquiring of him and seeking of him a right way is much better known to you then to me who have little inspection into such things But being a very weighty business and possibly full of variety and difficulty and all men being subject to errors and mistakes to impotency and infirmity to sinful failings and defects to difference of judgments and divided affections and all humane actions being obnoxious to misconstructions and various miscarriages And God having reserved events and successes in his proper power it is therefore your duty in all your addresses unto action to make your first applications unto God that he would lead you by his Spirit and cause you to make his Word your Counsellors that he would work all your works for you and shine upon your counsels and undertakings by his special blessing that he would preserve you from all mistakes and misunderstandings and pour out upon you a spirit of unity and agreement that he would forgive all your failings and teach you to approve your hearts and consciences unto him in well-doing that your labors may so be conversant about treasures here below as that your hearts and affections may be upon things above and you may with such sincerity courage zeal and holy affections go through the duties of your places and callings here as that you may be able to look backward with comfort upon a fruitful life and forward with Faith and Hope upon a glorious Reward and conclude your lives and your labors as Nehemiah doth his Book with a Remember me O my God for Good And we should all learn so to lead our lives with such an eye to Gods Word and Rule to his glory and honor to the service of his Church and our Generation to be so diligent careful prudent sincere trusty faithful in every service which lieth upon us as that when we come to die and give up our accompts to him we may be able to say Lord I have been faithful in that little service wherein thou hast employed me let me now enter into my Masters joy I have remembred thy Name to glorifie thee I have remembred thy
for the happy management of them For in the multitude of Counsellors is safety Prov. 11. 14. 5. His pious courage animating his Brethren bearing up himself against envious aspersions of the enemy and drawing in his Brethren into an unanimous society in great and honorable works and all upon grounds of Faith giving assurance of divine help Chap. 2. 17. 18 20. 3. per totum 4. 1 5 14. Faith is a foundation of courage no grace so valiant as that Heb. 11. 33 34. 1 Joh. 5. 4. and Courage a foundation of constancy 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. And therefore Faith and fortitude are necessary graces for those who will go with resolution through great and difficult undertakings And therein a special wisdom to work all in a sweet and amicable concurrence to draw one way and to joyn with special accord hearts and hands in the same work for differences and divisions will unjoynt the frame of great actions and as a breach in a Wall will minister unto adversaries an occasion of advantage 6. His wise discovery of adverse counsels and preparations Chap. 4. 8 9 15. There never was any great enterprise without special opposition Zorobabel met with mountainous obstructions in the great work which he went about Zach. 4. 7. onely these Obstructions are more secret and invisible then Mountains and therefore men that engage in great works must ever have their eyes running to and fro to discover dangers that they may prevent them Prov. 22. 3. 7. His special care upon all emergent occasions to call the people together for new and further counsels Chap. 4. 19 20. Great businesses being full of variety of incidental and circumstantial contingencies will frequently call for further resolutions and renewed consultations will like great Vessels many times spring a leak and require immediate application of remedies And therefore it is a part of necessary wisdom as in great Cities so in great actions to have Physitians always within call who may timely advise upon all needful expedients for safety Judg. 19. 30. 8. His indefatigable labor night and day being not onely a commander but an example of unwearied patience to all the people Verse 22 23. And all great actions will require this part of self-denial A man either of sensual or sluggish principles is very unfit for the management of any arduous and weighty affairs It was a great business but one would think a sad one for a man to sacrifice his beloved son and yet Abraham rose up early to go about it Gen. 22. 3. 9. His compassionate zeal mixed with wisdom impartiality and self-denial for the poor which were oppressed rebuking the oppressors and forbearing his own just allowances and preventing the injuries of servants and officers Chap. 5. 14 15. In great employments which pass through many mens hands it is neither impossible nor improbable for innocency many times to suffer and much wrong to be done and that reductivè even by good men themselves if their ears be too much open to misrepresentations as we see it was in the case of Ziba and Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 16. 1 4. Unless much care wisdom and courage be used to require all Officers to do the things belonging unto them with Justice and expedition And here give me leave to commend unto you the care of your poor Brethren a duty which Apostles themselves have put one another in minde of Gal. 2. 10. You cannot be without many objects of that kinde even amongst those who serve you in these Expeditions sick Mariners desolate Widows poor Children It would be a work of a sweet savor to God to have a steady stock going for the advantage of these as well as of the Merchants Their Prayers may be wind in your Sails and bring down a blessing on all your undertakings 10. His bounty to the work He bought no Land but spent himself upon the service and upon hospitality to the people Chap. 5. 16 17 18. Covetousness is not onely a bar and obstruction to all honorable undertakings but doth miserably corrupt and spoil them by a self-seeking management when men drive on and interweave domestical interests under the specious pretence of publick good And therefore all great works do require great and large hearts for the promoting of them It was a great work the building of the Sanctuary and the Lord gave greatness of heart to the people to contribute unto it Exod. 36. 5. It was a great work the building of the Temple and God gave an immense largeness of heart to David and his Princes in offering thereunto For the sums offered were so great as surpassed the treasures of any other Princes which we read of Sardanapalus onely excepted as the learned Breerwood and Sir Walter Raleigh have observed 1 Chro. 22. 14. 29. 14. See Isa. 60. 6 7. 11. His undiscouraged constancy notwithstanding all the threats slanders letters prophecies misreports and wicked artifices purposely used by the subtle enemies to weaken and dishearten his resolutions Chap. 6. None are fit for great actions who are not men of constant and undanted spirits who cannot go through evil report as well as good whom the integrity of their own Consciences cannot bear up above the reproaches of enemies 1 Cor. 4. 3. 2 Cor. 6. 8 9 10. 12. His wise and pious care to communicate part of the charge unto faithful coadjutors whom he advanced not barely for their relation unto him but for their fidelity to the service Chap. 7. 2 3. Since it is impossible for great actions to be managed without much concurrence singular care is to be used that good and faithful men by whose care and prudence and prayers they may be promoted be employed in the transaction of them that even near relations do not prevail with us to entrust great works in the hands of weak or wicked men Consanguinity hath a strong byass even with good men Barnabas did earnestly contend to take Mark along in his and Pauls expedition to visit the Churches which Paul opposed Acts 15. 37 38. The Apostle doth implicitely give us the reason of it in another place Col. 4. 10. where he telleth us that Mark was sisters son to Barnabas 13. His singular zeal for the purity of the people of God that they might be an Holy Seed and for the Offices of Gods house that they might not be polluted Chap. 7. His care of the Worship of God Preaching Praying Fasting renewing Covenant restoring intermitted Duties Chap. 8. 9 10. Of the Chambers of Gods house that they might not be defiled Chap. 13. 7 9. Of the Portions of the Priests and Levites that they might not be detained Vers 10 14. Of the Sabbath that it might be duly sanctified Vers 15 22. Of the courses and services of the Priests and Levites that they might be appointed Vers 30 31. Of the Holy Seed that that might not be by Heathenish marriages corrupted Vers 23 30. Of the Name of God that that might
20. The Church professeth That in the name of their God they would set up their Banners Psal. 20. 5. David went unarmed in the confidence of that name against Goliah because God was the God of the hosts of Israel 1 Sam. 17. 45. In all their marches and motions in the Wilderness this was their comfort That they had a God which went before them as their Captain who was able to scatter all their enemies Num. 10. 35 36. Psal. 68. 7 8. In this confidence Asa and Jehoshaphat applied themselves to God as their God and went on with courage and comfort against huge armies of enemies 2 Chron. 14. 11. 20. 6 7 11 12. By this faith Gideon Barak Sampson Jephthah David subdued Kingdoms obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight c. Heb. 11. 32 34. 1. Faith is an active and working grace Remembring your work of faith saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 1. 3. It will not let men be idle or unfruitful 2 Pet. 1. 8. It knows what a back and strength it hath in the truth and power of God through whom it can do all things Phil. 4. 13. And thereupon what it findeth to do it doth with its might 2. It is an Heroical grace as the Philosopher saith of Wisdom That it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the knowledge of the most honorable things so we may say of Faith That it undertaketh the most honorable things eyeth great objects pursueth great ends looketh upon all things as possible Mark 9. 23. and therefore is not dismayed at any What an Heroical Faith was that of Joshuah whereby he prevailed with God in Prayer to stop the course of the Sun and Moon while Israel was avenged on their enemies Josh. 10. 12. And though Ordinary Faith be not a Faith of miracles yet it hath a nobleness and a greatness in it whereby it can in the assurance of its interest in God set upon great actions which are conformable unto his Will 3. It is a valiant and victorious Grace is not afraid of Men or Devils when it hath made sure of God It quencheth the fiery darts of Satan it overcomes the world One David having God for his God was not afraid of Ten thousand of Armies of men Psal. 3. 6. 27. 3. By his God he can run through a Troop and leap over a Wall and break a Bow of Steel Psal. 18. 29. Nothing is invincible to Faith it can level Mountains Zach. 4. 7. It can more then conquer greatest difficulties Rom. 8. 35 37. As one man by an Engine may move Bodies which an hundred without it could not stir so by the Engine of Faith things are many times effected which to sense and reason do seem impossible 4. It is a Patient Grace it is not discouraged with every obstacle nor dismayed with every terriculament nor wearied with every encounter but like Box or Holly and such other Trees retains its verdure in the Winter and holds out amidst all difficulties unto the End knows how near the promised mercies are and doth chearfully press forward towards them says with those in the Prophet Isai. 25. 9. This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us Faith doth not suffer a man to draw back but patiently to continue in well-doing that he may after a little while receive the promises Heb. 10. 36 39. Rom. 2. 7. 5. It is a Praying Grace can in every exigent and distress call down invisible help from God And none go with more vigor about any enterprise then they who being backed with potent friends and having free-access unto great Treasures are able in any extremity to obtain the concurrent counsels and succors of others to further their designs The Apostle bids us by Faith to ask wisdom of God that thereby patience may go thorow and have her perfect work Jam. 1. 4 5 6. God hath honored Faith and Repentance in the Gospel above other graces because they have a peculiar vertue to carry us out of our selves in Prayer unto God And no graces do more promote great actions then self-denying graces when men have ends and aids above themselves Carnal ends domestical interests and private affections do usually obstruct noble undertakings because such men as soon as storms arise and difficulties shake them forsake the proper and internal merits of the business and hold or alter their resolutions according as their own personal hopes or fears do dictate unto them And therefore the best way to make strong and steady progress in any serious employment is to have God for our God that in every difficulty we may be able to have recourse unto him for counsel wisdom succor support and may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might II. As Faith is a special principle of action in great undertakings so it is a special ground of comfort in the reviewing of them when we can say In this action though full of many difficulties yet Faith in God as my God hath upheld me and carried me through it to the end I have undertaken it not in mine own strength nor in the confidence of mine own wisdom but in an holy fear and comfortable dependance upon God I have aimed at his glory and at publick interest I have not immixed nor interwoven in it any carnal counsels or sinful projects of mine own I have labored to keep a good conscience in doing of mine own duty and have cast my self upon his holy providence for the event In this case the Lord doth ordinarily return such an answer of peace to works that are done in the fear of his name by the rule of his Word in the comfort of his promises and with submission to his providence as that one way or other the heart shall be able to take comfort in it For Faith is a successful grace and hath a promise of prospering Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established beleeve his Prophets so shall you prosper 2 Chron. 20. 20. By Faith Israel passed through the Red Sea and saw the victory of their Faith in the ruine of their proud enemies Exod. 14. 30 31. If the Lord bless the undertaking it self with a desired success Faith hath this comfort That it is a blessing received from the hand of a Father an evidence of his love an accession unto the gift of his Son with whom he freely giveth all other things It is the portion which God hath graciously given unto his servant and though the thing given be good it self yet the favor and blessing of God which comes along with it is much more excellent as the Money in the Mouth of the Fish or the Pearl in the Body of the Oyster is more precious then that which was the vehiculum of it And on the other hand if the Lord