you complaine or have just cause to complaine you thrive not in any saving grace you are like Pharaohs kine though you live in never so good pasture yet are you still as ill favoured and leane as ever you were Gen. 41. 19. 21. 2. Many of you are extreamely ignorant and unsetled in your religion unstable soules as the Apostle speakes 2 Pet. 3. 16. 3. Many of you complaine you cannot overcome nor get power over any corruption you cry with the Apostle though not with that successe that hee did Rom. 7. 15. That which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. Learne to know the true cause of all this you were never yet rightly humbled for sinne If thou couldst be humbled and learne to mourne for thy sinne God would give thee more grace Thirdly The Lord hath promised his speciall protection assistance and mercy in the evill day the day of his wrath and judgements unto such as are rightly humbled and can mourne for their sinnes Psal. 18. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted people and 34. 18. He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Iob 22. 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say there is a lifting up he shall save the humble person And this promise God hath been wont to make good one of these three wayes 1. Either by turning away the judgment that he had threatned as 2 Chron. 32. 26. Hezechia humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both he and the inhabitants of Ierusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the dayes of Hezechia Yea to shew what sound humiliation is able to doe the very counterfait of it hath beene very effectuall this way for the turning away of judgements 2 Chron. 12. 12 When Rehoboam humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned from him so that he would not destroy him altogether and also in Iudah things went well The like we may see in the example of a worse man then hee 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes Or 2. by hiding his servants from the judgement and providing for their safety in the common calamity as he did Iust Lot that was vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7. This our God can doe verse 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tentations For to him belong the issues of death Psal. 68. 20. Or 3. if he see it not good to do either of the former by sealing them setting his mark upon them giving them by his spirit further assurance of his favour and strength of grace to indure the calamity for that is Gods seale and marke Ep. 1. 13. and so did the Lord with those humbled soules that went into captivity Ezek. 9. 4. Goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abhominations that be done in the midst thereof Consider well of this benefit I pray you 1. We live now in an evill time The plague hath devoured many thousands already and we all may see cause enough to feare it may come neerer to every one of us then yet it hath done 2. The Lord doth also threaten us with the sword You have heard of the intentions of our enemies abroad 3. All mens hearts are disquieted with feare few have any inward peace and security in their minds Learne therefore to know how wee might remedy this Certainly if we could learne to afflict our selves and mourne for our sinnes we need not feare either the plague or the papists God would be a refuge for us a refuge in times of trouble Psal. 9. 9. O that Gods people throughout the land could humble themselves more for sin for the sinnes of the land and for their owne sinnes O that we could doe it that are here now Remember what is said Prov. 14. 26. In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge Fourthly The Lord hath promised that the prayers of such shall prevaile mightily with him both for themselves and others You know what is said of Iacob Hos. 12. 4. He had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplications unto him And of Hezechiah Esa. 38. 5. I have heard thy prayers I have seene thy teares behold I will adde unto thy dayes 15. yeeres And what need we more examples when we have the Lords expresse Word and promise for this Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare Psal 34. 17. When the Prophet had said The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them he giveth this for the reason verse 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray then will I heare from Heaven Yea for others also God will heare them Iob 42. 8. My servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept 1. Wee all complaine and not without cause as Iob did Iob 30. 20. I cry unto thee and thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not 2. And we account it if we be as we should be the cheif priviledge and comfort we have in this life to have audience and respect with God in our prayers 1 Iohn 5. 14. This is the confidence that wee have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us 3. Take notice of a cheif cause thereof and as thou desirest God should have more respect to thy prayers labour thou to be more humbled for thy sinnes SERMON VI. Novemb. 9. 1625. FOlloweth now the third and last motive that this is the best way to prevent the Lord from afflicting and humbling our soules with his owne hand when we have learned to humble and afflict our owne soules For this is a certaine truth sinne will bring sorrow sooner or later that cannot bee avoided Sinne is therefore called sorrow because sorrow is an inevitable effect and consequent of it Eccl. 11. When he had said verse 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement he addes verse 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evill from thy flesh When sinne hath gone before sorrow even sorrow and affliction of soule for sinne will follow Prov. 29. 6. In the transgression of a wicked man there is a snare that is that that will fill their hearts with deadly sorrow and heavinesse
THE DOCTRINE OF FASTING AND PRAIER AND Humiliation for Sinne. DELIVERED In sundry Sermons at the Fast appointed by publique authority in the yeere 1625. By that Late Faithfull and Worthy Minister of Iesus Christ. ARTH. HILDERSAM LONDON Printed by George Miller for Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-doore of S. Pauls at the signe of the Bible 1633. THE CONTENTS OF these Sermons SERMON I. Doctrine GOds people ought to take to heart the miseries and calamities of others the judgements of God that are executed upon others Page 2 Reason In respect had â— 1. To them that are afflicted 3 2. To the Lord. 4 3. To our selves â— Vse 1. To exhort us to take to heart gods judgments upon our brethren visited with the pestilence 8 For. 1. It is a fearefull judgement and their case is lamentable 9 2. None of us can tell how farre it may goe how neere it may come to us 11 3. If this bee neglected by us it will prove but a forerunner of some more fearefull judgment 14 2. To exhort us to make right use of it 15 1. By examining our owne hearts whether those sinnes be in us that are the speciall causes of the Plague 21 2. By taking the right course speedily to make our peace with God 21 3. By increasing our care to reforme our families 23 4. By being more mercifull to them in distresse 25 SERMON II. Doctrine A chiefe duty we are to performe to them in misery is to pray for them Pag. 27. This duty is to be performed 1. Whereby we doe expresse our love to any and whereby wee may doe them good 27 2. For all that are in misery 27 3. Specially for Gods people 28 4. In an extraordinary manner when their misery is extraordinary 28 5. Publiquely and generally when the calamitie is common and generall 29 Reason 1. The Lord is he onely that both inflicteth the judgment and is able to remove it 30 2. He commandes desires and lookes for this duty of us in this case 31 3. There is great power and force in this to relieve our afflicted brethren 31 Vse 1. To teach us what account is to be made of such as are true Israelites indeed gracious and mighty with God in prayer 33 2. To reprove such as 1. Either cannot pray or 35 2. Dâ—e not use to pray or 36 3. Will not pray 37 3. To examine our prayers and inquire how they have proved and what the causes have beene why they have proved noe better and these are 5. principally 39 SERMON III. David did not onely pray for his enemies when they were in misery but he did it in an extraordinary manner For his help in this prayer he clothed himselfe with sackcloth This was used much then in this case yet not as a religious but civill ceremony which we now are not bound to 4â— 50 Doctrine In the dayes of humiliation besides fervent prayer and the afflicting of our soules certaine outward and bodily exercises are to be used by Gods people viz. Certaine things are to bee done and perfermed as 51 1. Reading and preaching of the Word 52 2. Singing of psalmes 53 3. Almesdeeds 53 4. Censuring and reforming of grosse sinnes 53 Certaine things also are to be forborne in the day of our humiliation for our better helpe in this duty 1. All manner of meate and drinke 55 2. All costlinesse and neatenesse in apparell 55 3. Delights of all sortes 56 4. All workes of our calling And in these 4. points this abstinence is to be used for a whole day 56 5. Yea some abatement there must bee also in our naturall rest and sleepe upon this day 57 Yet are there 3. Cautions to be observed touching this abstinence 1. Outward abstinence is not the chief part of a true fast not the chiefe helpe to our prayers in it 58 2. The outward signes and helpes to humiliation must bee increased according to the increase and urgency of the cause thereof 58 3. The Law of outward abstinence in the dayes of humiliation must give place to the necessity and conveniency of man 59 Reason This abstinence is necessary in the dayes of humiliation 61 1. To helpe forward the inward humiliation of the heart 61 2. To helpe forward the fervency of the heart in prayer 62 3. To professe and make outward protestation both of our submission to God and of our repentance and desire to bee reconciled unto him 62 Vse 1. To teach us how to keepe our Fasts in the right manner 64 2. To exhort us to conscience and care in all these particular outward and bodily duties yet not resting in them but referring them to the right ends 65 3. To reprove sundry abuses which are chiefe causes of the ill successe of our Fasts 66 SERMON IV. DAvid afflicted his soule in his fast And what the meaning of the phrase is 70 Doctrine The chiefe use of a religious fast is to humble and afflict the Soule with sorrow and griefe And the chiefe thing that makes 〈◊〉 prayers powerfull with God at our fasts or any other time when they proceed from humbled and afflicted soules Yet every sorrow in this case pleaseth not God 72 Reason Of that sorrow Gods people have expressed at their fasts c. And with which God hath beene so much pleased 75 1. The fellow feeling of the miseries of others 76 2. When the Lord either by his judgements or threatnings hath declared himselfe angry with them 77 3. When they have seene God dishonored by the sinnes of others 78 4 When themselves have offended and dishonoured God by their own sinnes 79 Reason Why the Lord so much desires and delights to see his people humble themselves with sorrow and afflict their soules 80 1. The cause and roote from whence this sorrow springs 80 2. The end and effect that it tendes unto For first It makes the soule more capable of every grace and fit to receive it 80 Secondly It workes repentance unto salvation 81â— Thirdly It makes the Word and Christ and all Gods mercies sweeter unto us 81 Fourthly It makes us pray more fervently 82 Fiftly It makes us fitter to converse and walke with God 82 SERMON V. 1. Vse of the former doctrine is to exhort us to strive for this grace of godly sorrow and to be able to afflict our owne soules as David did 85 Motives to provoke us unto this 1. The example of Gods best servants 86 2. The promises God hath made unto this grace 91 SERMON VI. 3. THis is the best way to prevent the Lord from humbling and afflicting of our soules with his hand 99 Meanes to attaine to this grace of godly sorrow where in we are To use the helpe of others 1. A conscionable frequenting of the ministery of the Word 102 2. A willingnesse to bee privately admonished and reproved by some faithfull friend 106 SERMON VII THe meanes to attaine to godly sorrow and tendernesse
of heart wherin we are to be principall agents our selves for we may do much in this worke our selves are these 110 1. We must make choise of a fit time to goe about this worke 111 2. We must separate our selves from company and make choise of a fit place to doe it 118 3. We must seriously and impartially examine our owne hearts 119 4. We must cry earnestly to God to helpe us in this worke to blesse our indeavours in it 128 SERMON VIII NEcessary to have notes and signes given us whereby sincere and saving sorrow for sinne may be discerned 130 1. He that is truly humbled mournes more for the evill of sinne then for the evill of punishment 133 2. He mournes for sinne not so much in respect to himselfe as unto God because he is offended and dishonoured by his sinne 137 And 3. notes to try whether a man doth so 141. 142 THE AVTHOVRS Prayer before his Lecture THy Word O Lord is holy and pure as is thine owne Majesty and being sincerely preached worketh either to the salvation or condemnation of the hearers And we all that are heere assembled before thee at this time are of uncircumcised hearts and eares utterly unworthy by reason of that sinne wherein we were conceived and borne and of those actuall transgressions that wee have multiplyed against thy Majesty in thought word and deed from our first being untill this present houre once to set foot into thy Temple or to heare thy Word at all Vtterly unfit and unable by reason of our custome in sinne and the hardnesse of our hearts to profit by it when as we heare it So that Lord we are at this time in danger to be unprofitable hearers of thy holy Word and by being unprofitable bearers of the same we are in danger of thy heavy displeasure Yet forasmuch as it hath pleased thee in mercy to command us this exercise to appoint it to be the onely ordinary meanes whereby thou wilt worke Faith and repentance in thy children and the principall meanes whereby thou wilt increase them to promise also graciously that thou wilt accompany the outward ministery of thy Word with the inward grace and blessing of thy Spirit in the hearts of them that shall be reverently and faithfully exercised in the same We therefore in humble obedience to this thy holy commandement and in full affiance and confidence in this thy gracious promise are bold to present our selves before thee at this time Beseeching thee in thy sonnes blood to wash away all our siâ—â—es so as they may never bee laid to our charge againe either in the world to come to our condemnation or at this time to bring a curse upon this our exercise Good Lord so sprinckle that blood of thy Sonne upon our consciences that we may be assured of thy love and favour towards us in him By it sanctify us at this time and thy word to our uses opening and enlightning our understanding so as we may be able to understand and conceave of thy word aright strenghtening our memories so as we may bee able to remember it softning our hard and stony hearts so as wee may be able to beleeve it to yeeld unto it to apply it to our owne soules to meditate and conferre thereupon to practise it in our lives and conversations to stirre up one another to the obedience thereof That this our exercise may tend to the increase of our knowledge and of our obedience of our Faith and of repentance the glory of thy blessed name and the everlasting comfort of our owne soules Heare us O Lord in these our requests in what else soever thou knowest good for us or any of thy Church for Iesus Christ his sake our Lord and only Saviour In whose name wee continue our prayers unto thee as he himselfe hath taught us Saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. SERMON I. AVGVST III. MDCXXV PSAL. 35. 13. But as for me when they were sicke my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my selfe with fasting and my prayer returned into mine owne bosome NOt to take up time in speaking of the former part of this Psalme these words have this coherence and dependance on that which went before David as a type of CHRIST having many mortall enemies doth in this Psalme by a Propheticall spirit pray against them or rather foretell what should befall them In this Verse and the former to shew what cause he had to do so he aggravateth their sin by their unthankfulnesse in dealing so badly with him that had deserved so well of them The parts of this Verse are two viz. a profession of 1. The kindnes he shewed to these men wherin observe the Time when he did it and the occasion he tooke to doe it When they were sicke Dutie wherby he expressed his love he prayed for them which is amplified by the extraordinary manner of it set forth by the Outward helpes he used in it Sackcloth Fasting Inward disposition of his mind in it he humbled or afflicted his soule 2. The successe and comfort he found in it Observe first Davids practise he was wont when these men were sicke to be affected with their misery which teacheth us that GODS people ought to take to heart the miseries and calamities of others the judgements of GOD that do befall others Seâ— for proofe of this both the examples of his servants and then GODS commandement also When Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar heard of Iobs misery they came to mourne with him Iob 2. 11. But he was a rare man for piety and authority also you will say see therefore another example of this duty performed towards them that were not so Did not I weepe for him that was in trouble saith Iob Chap. 30. 25. was not my soule grieved for the poore Yea see an example of this towards most wicked men Iudg. 21. 2. The people of Israel came to the house of GOD as we do now to professe their sorrow for the extreme misery that the wicked Benjamites were most justly fallen into Yea we are straityly charged by the LORD to do so to remember and thinke of them as if their case were our owne Remember them that are in bonds saith the Apostle Heb. 13. 3. as bound with them and them that are in adversity as being your selves also in the body Yea to do it with hearty commiseration Rom. 12. 15. Weepe with them that weepe Yea if the judgement be famous and exemplary we are commanded also to make publique and solemne profession as we do at this day that we are affected with their misery Levit. 10. 6. Let your brethren the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the LORD hath kindled Three speciall reasons and grounds there be for this Doctrine for we should take to heart the miseries and calamities of others First In respect had to them that are afflicted For admit they were not our fellow-members in CHRIST nor
l have sinned and have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done He knew well that not the sinnes of those that perished in that grievous plague but his owne sinnes had a chiefe hand in provoking GOD unto that judgement So that we see that there is no one man amongst us all that hath not just reason to be affected with GODS judgements upon the Land though himselfe be spared seeing that he is a cause of it as well as they that are smitten and it may be as great a cause as they nay it may be a greater cause than any of them were And this was that that made good Nehemiah cry thus in his prayer unto GOD Neh. 1. 6. Both I and my fathers house have sinned As if he had said that Ierusalem prospers no better I and my fathers house are as great a cause as any other We have heard the Doctrine which this example of David teacheth us delivered and confirmed in a generall manner let us now come to make use of it and to apply it to our owne case and to the occasion of our meeting at this time This Doctrine therefore serveth to exhort us unto two duties 1. That we would labour to take to heart and to be rightly affected with this judgement of GOD that is now upon London and sundry other parts of the Kingdome 2. That when we are rightly affected with it we would make right use of it to our selves For the first You will say it is a needlesse exhortation for who is not affected with this plague who is not affraid of it and wherefore come we hither els if we be not affected with it I answer That none of us I feare are sufficiently affected with it and that this is the fountaine and foundation of all good uses we can make of it either for their benefit that are visited with it or for our selves that we would labour to be affected with this judgement of GOD as we ought to be I will therefore shew you what just causes we have to be deeply affected with this judgement And they are principally three First In respect of the grievousnesse of the judgement it selfe For wee shall finde this called one of GODS sore judgements Ezek. 14. 21. And when the LORD threatens that Hee Himselfe would fight against Ierusalem with an out-stretched hand and a strong arme even in anger and in fury and in great wrath Ier. 21. 5. He tels them in the next Verse how He would do this He would smite the city with a great pestilence Certainly the LORD therefore now fights against our Land yea He fighteth against it in fury and in great wrath Observe foure things in this judgement 1. What a waster it is Psal. 91. 6. it is called the destruction that wasteth at noone-day In a short time even in three dayes it consumed seventy thousand in Israel 2 Sam. 24. 15. A grievous judgement it must needs be when GOD Himselfe matcheth a pestilence of three dayes continuance as a thing of equall force to afflict and destroy with a famine of seven yeares and with flying by the space of three moneths before their enemies that pursued them as we know He doth 2 Sam. 24. 13. And hath not the pestilence that GOD hath now sent into our Land proved a terrible waster when in one weeke in one City it hath swept away three thousand five hundred eighty two 2. Consider how suddenly it takes them away that have beene smitten with it many that were well in the morning have beene dead of it before night it is therefore called the LORDS arrow Psal. 91. 5. It strikes and pierceth men suddenly with a deadly wound and Vers. 6. it is said to walke in darknesse And certainly sudden death though it be not absolutely to be prayed against yet it is to be esteemed a temporall judgement and a signe of GODS anger Let destruction come upon him at unawares saith the Prophet here Vers. 8. It must needs add much to the bitternesse of death when it comes so suddenly that a man can neither commend himselfe to GOD nor set things in order for the world before he die 3. Consider it is such a judgement as oft makes men destroyers of them whom they most love and desire to keepe alive the father setting at unawares the infection upon the child the husband on the wife a man on his dearest friend A great cause of humbling it is for a man to have killed any other man at unawares as you may see by that law Numb 35. 28. and what is it then to have killed them that are dearest to them 4. It is such a sicknesse as doth usually debarre men of many comforts that other sicke persons do enjoy First many that are visited with this sicknesse do want convenient attendance and lodging dying in the streets and high-wayes of whom that may be said Esa. 51. 20. Thy sonnes have fainted they lie at the head of all streets the fury of the LORD the rebuke of thy GOD. Secondly their friends dare not visit them which as it is a worke of mercy so it is a great meanes of comfort to the afflicted and such as CHRIST hath enjoyned us Mat. 25. 36. 3. Whereas none have so much need of spirituall comfort as they because the very disease makes them more subject to terrors and feares than others and is therefore called the terrour by night Psal. 91. 5. they poore wretches can have none to comfort them but may in anguish of soule cry out Lam. 1. 16. The comforter that should relieve my soule is farre from me So that in respect of this first consideration the grievousnesse of the judgement it selfe they may cry to us all and to all GODS people throughout the Land as Lam. 1. 12. Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of His anger And will you not be affected with it Secondly if this will not serve come to a second cause we have to be deeply affected with it because none of us can tell how farre it may go how neare it may come to our owne dwellings In which respect though we may say as Namb. 16. 46. we are sure wrath is gone out from the LORD the plague is begun yet as the Psalmist saith Psal. 74. 9. There is not amongst us any that knoweth how long it will last or how farre it will spread Let no man say I am farre enough from London I dwell in a good ayre and we have taken good order to prevent all danger of this infectioâ—s disease no carriers shall come from thence to us no Londoners shall lodge amongst us These are good meanes I will not deny if they be used with that compassion that becomes Christians to shew unto them in misery and must not be neglected But all these cannot secure us from
the plague if we do not first make our peace with GOD all these are in vaine If we beare in our bosome the cause of the plague if we nourish and increase it daily I meane our sinnes we cannot be sure to keepe it from our townes and houses do what we can Know thou for a surety it is GOD that sends the pestilence as He saith 2 Chron. 7. 13. In this judgement above others we are said to fall into the LORDS hands as David speaketh 2 Sam. 24. 14. And as He sends it so He onely guides it whither it shall go and whither it shall not go whom it shall smite and whom it shall spare And though He do usually send it by outward and ordinary meanes yet alwayes He doth not so Some that live in the thickest of them that are infected and in a most corrupt aire do escape some that flie from the places infected into the purest aire are infected they know not how How many Physitians and Chyrurgions and nurses and keepers that have beene wont to visit the infected to sweat them to dresse their sores to wash their linnen yea how many that have daily conversed with them and lyen in bed with them also have beene knowne to have escaped the infection altogether Whereas many that have beene most carefull to keepe themselves from all that have been infected and to use all good preservatives against the contagion have beene taken by it No man may argue from hence as some foolishly have done that this disease is not in it owne nature more infectious than other diseases are No more than from this that the three noble Iewes that were cast into Nebuchadnezzars furnace received no hurt at all by it Dan. 3. 27. and that oft times one house in a street or roome in a house escape burning in the greatest fires that have beene heard of a man may conclude that fire is not in it selfe of a burning and consuming nature But in this as in the other the finger and power of GOD is to be acknowledged in restraining and setting bonds to this heavy judgement as pleaseth Him And this the LORD doubtlesse doth to hearten and encourage them that are whole to performe all necessary duties of mercy and love to them that are sicke And as the LORD can thus limit the plague of pestilence so can He if He please command it to go through our whole Land before it cease as He did through the land of Israel 2 Sam. 24. 15. from Dan to Beersheba Though we flie from it He can follow and pursue us with it as He hath done many and threatneth I will persecute and follow them with the pestilence saith He Ier. 29. 18. Though we shut our doores against it He can make it come in at our windowes as they complaine Ier. 9. 21. Death is come up to our windowes and is entred into our palaces Let no man thinke he can be sure to avoid this judgement by flying from it if he be not carefull to remove the cause of it and to make his peace with GOD. Do therefore before it come nearer to thee as the LORD Himselfe counselleth thee Amos 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy GOD. And because thou canst have no assurance in thy selfe that thou shalt be able to avoid the danger of the indignation of this King that comes against thee for ought thou knowest with so great a power learne that wisdome that our Saviour directeth thee unto Luke 14. 32. While He is yet a great way off send an ambassage and desire conditions of peacewith Him If thou wouldst be free from the feare of the plague feare GOD aright Be not afraid saith the Prophet Esa. 8. 12 13. sanctifie the LORD of hosts Himselfe and let Him be your feare and let Him be your dread If we could feare the LORD as we ought we should not need to feare any thing els in the world Be sure to make thy peace with Him which how thou mayest doe I will tell thee by and by Thirdly and lastly to cause us to take to heart and to be affected with this fearefull plague consider that if this judgement be neglected as great as it is it wil be but a fore-runner of some more fearefull judgement than this is And as our Saviour speaketh in another case Matth. 24. 8. this wil be but the beginning of our sorrowes There is a judgement that this nation hath hitherto beene preserved from to the astonishment and admiration of all the world that is greater than this for it useth to bring this and the famine also with it I meane warre The sword of our bloudy and mercilesse enemies is worse than the plague This is plaine by Davids choice 2 Sam. 24. 14. Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great and let me not fall into the handof man And surely we have cause to feare that if this will do us no good GOD cannot endure to have His judgements despised Heare what He saith Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this hearken unto Me then I will punish you seven times more for your sinnes And certainly I may say to all you that heare me this day if you regard not nor profit by this fearfull plague you heare of in London and in other parts of the Land GOD will either bring it home to you or a worse plague than it Luke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish The second duty that this Doctrine serveth to exhort us to is that we would make right use of this judgement of GOD that is upon the Land unto our selves And that standeth in foure points First seeing 1. GOD gives us in this judgement such cause of sorrow seeing He is angry and 2 not with the Londoners onely but with us with the whole Land and 3. it may be more with us than with them and 4. seeing we know not how soon this fire that burnes our neighbours house may light upon ours We must therfore examine every one of us our own wayes This direction is given us Lam. 3. 39. 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes As if the Church there should say why do men mourne and fret and take on so for this judgement of GOD that is justly fallen upon them Why do they not betake themselves to the right course for the pacifying of GODS wrath Which is this and this onely Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe to the LORD Every one of us should say thus within himselfe surely the LORD is very angry with the whole Land with every one of us and what have I done to anger the LORD thus to provoke Him to this wrath Ier. 8. 6 7. The LORD chargeth the Iewes that they did not know His judgement because no man said what have I done And so surely will He judge of us We know not the meaning of the
plague nor make right use of it unlesse every one of us enter into his owne heart aâ—d say what have I done To this end it wil be profitable for us to search the Scriptures and find out what were the speciall sinnes which either have brought the pestilence upon GODS people in former times or which the LORD hath threatned to punish in this manner and with this judgement For the first I find five great plagues of pestilence recorded in the holy Scriptures and the speciall sinnes that were the causes of them are also plainly set downe The first great plague we read of was that which is spoken of Numb 11. 33. The wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague And what was the cause of that plague Surely their murmuring and discontentment at their present condition their unthankfulnesse to the LORD who had brought them out of the land of Egypt Vers. 20. their loathing of Manna Verse 6. which the Prophet for the excellency thereof calleth Angles food Psal. 78. 25. and the corne and bread of heaven Psal. 78. 24. 105. 40. their lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt and longing to be there againe Numb 11. 45. Exod. 16. 3. Secondly Another we find mentioned Numb 14. where although the LORD was stayed by the prayer of Moses from smiting the whole congregation with the pestilence and from dis-inheriting them as He threatned to do Vers. 6. yet often of those men that were sent to search out the Land it is said Vers. 37. that they died of the plague before the LORD And the cause of this is said to be Verse 36 37. that they did bring up a slander and evil report upon the promised Land and thereby made all the congregation to murmure against Moses who had spoken so much good of it Thirdly Another great plague Moses hath set downe the story of Numb 16. 49. wherein there died foureteene thousand and seven hundred and yet then so soone as wrath was gone out from the LORD so soone as the plague was begun as we read Vers. 46 48. Aaron the true â—ype of our onely High Priest and effectuall Intercessour for us unto GOD went with his incense and stood betweene the dead and the living and made an attonement for the people and so the plague was stayed How fearefull a pestilence would that have beene if it had continued any time if it had not been presently stayed And the sin that provoked GOD to send this pestilence among His people we find to have been their murmuring and rebelling against Moses and Aaron the Ministers and servants of the LORD as it is plain by the 41 and 42 Verses of that Chapter Fourthly The fourth memorable pestilence that we read of is that which is recorded Num. 25. of which there fell in one day as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 8. three and twenty thousand Moses in setting down that story saith Numb 25. 9. those that died in the plague were twenty and foure thousand putting all together in that summe that perished at that time and for that sinne as well those whom himselfe and the judges had put to death according to the commandment of GOD Vers. 4 5. which may seeme to have beene in number about a thousand as those that perished by that plague which the LORD in His fierce anger as it is said Vers. 4. did send amongst them which were the three and twenty thousand that the Apostle speaketh of For that most of them that then perished died of an extraordinary pestilence and not all by the sword of the Magistrate as some learned men judge may appeare by that which the HOLY GHOST speaketh of it in other places as Numb 31. 16. There was a plague among the Congregation of the LORD and Iosh. 22. 17. where the very same words are used by Phinehas who had a chiefe hand in the staying of it and Psal. 106. 29 30. The plague brake in upon them then stood up Phinehas and executed judgement and so the plague was stayed And what was the cause of this strange and fearefull pestilence that consumed in one day three and twenty thousand Surely it was whoredome as both Moses Numb 25. 1 6. and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 8. do expresly teach us Fiftly the fift and last plague we read of in holy Scripture was in Davids time the story whereof is set downe 2 Sam. 24. 15. this went thorough all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba in three dayes and consumed in so short a time no lesse than seventy thousand men And the cause of this plague was the pride of Davids heart and the confidence he reposed in his owne strength and in the outward meanes he had to defend himselfe by and to provide for his owne safety And besides these five great plagues I find also mention made of another dangerous and strange sicknesse wherewithall the LORD in his just judgement did smite and afflict his people in the Church of Corinth which though I cannot certainly say it was the pestilence because the text doth not expresly say so yet I may boldly say it was an epidemicall disease and grievous mortality most likely to be it Many are weake and sicke among you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 30. and many sleepe that is die of it And the cause of this sicknesse and mortality the Apostle tels us was this that they came carelesly unreverently and without due preparation unto the holy Sacrament Thus you see what sinnes have brought the plague upon men in former times yea upon such as have beene GODS people by profession aswell as we And This happened unto them for ensample as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. 11. and all the seen samples are written and recorded in Scripture of purpose for our admonition And although we read of no plagues that are recorded in the holy Scriptures but those that I have mentioned and for those sinnes yet find we diverse other sinnes also which GOD hath threatned to punish this way GODS people were afraid that He would fall upon them and consume them with the pestilence as we read Exod. 5. 3. even for their negligence of His solemne worship and service though they were then in Egypt where they could not performe it without extreme danger And because Pharaoh had despised and hardened his heart against former and smaller judgements the LORD threatneth Exod. 9. 15. to smite him and his people with the pestilence To conclude the LORD did by His Prophet Ieremiah 21. 5 6. threaten in anger and fury and in great wrath to smite the inhabitants of Ierusalem both man and beast and that they should die of a very great pestilence because they stood out in rebellion against the King of Babylon and refused to yeeld unto him as GOD had commanded them whereby it appeareth that an obstinate refusing to obey the Word and commandment of GOD in any thing though it
be such as may be coloured with the best pretences will provoke Him to punish men this way So then to apply all this unto our selves seeing it is evident that we and our nation are guilty of all these sinnes for every one of which we find in the Word that GOD hath brought and threatned to bring this judgement upon His people in former times seeing we have beene 1. most unthankfull unto GOD for our deliverance out of that spirituall Egypt and house of bondage wherein our fore-fathers lived and have shewed too much desire to returne thither againe and have loathed so long the heavenly food of the Gospell of CHRIST more than ever they did that Manna and 2. have brought up and entertained a most slanderous and evill report of the promised Land and of that strait way that leads unto it speaking evill of and scorning the life and power of godlinesse and discouraging others from it murmuring against and hating to the death such of GODS servants as either by doctrine or example do presse and provoke us unto it and 3 are so ready upon every occasion to murmure and rebell against the servants and Ministers of the LORD content indeed to give them the hearing but apt to tell them if they shall deale particularly and roundly with us and require of us obedience to the truth and practise of that that we heare and professe that they take too much upon them seeing 4. whoredome doth every where so increase and abound in our Land and 5. we are every whit as proud of our owne strength and as apt to put trust in the arme of flesh as David was and 6. the holy Sacrament is in all places so commonly prophaned and those holy things given to and received without difference by such dogs and swine as have no care at all dâ—ly to prepare themselves thereunto seeing 7. the publique and solemne worship of GOD is every where so much neglected and 8 we have so hardened our hearts against and profited so little by many other judgements whereby the LORD hath witnessed His wrath from heaven against us and sought to bring us unto repentance and 9. we do continually with so great obstinacy refuse to yeeld obedience to many of the expresse commandements of GOD. Seeing I say we are guilty of all these sinnes that are the proper causes of this judgement let us therefore impute this fearefull plague whereby GOD â—ath smitten the chiefe City and many other parts of our Land unto these our sinnes and justifie the LORD in this judgement the causes whereof are so evidently to be found amongst us yea let us all feare that He will execute His fierce wrath upon us in the same manner except we repent us of and forsake these sinnes And this is the first way whereby we must make right use unto our selves of this heavy judgement of GOD that is upon the Land The second is this that seeing the LORD doth thus declare and proclaime that His anger and fury is kindled and inflamed against us all it behooves us without delay by all meanes to make our peace with GOD and to seeke reconciliation with Him Acquaint thy selfe now with Him saith Eliphaz to Iob. Chap. 22. 21. and make peace with Him thereby good shall come unto thee This and this onely is the way unto true safety and comfort And marke that he adviseth him to do it now Now is the time to do it if ever we will do it now that His hand is so stretched out against us And we are strangely hardned in our sins if howsoever we have wretchedly neglected it hitherto we will do it now If any shall aske me what must I doe and what course must I take to make my peace with GOD I answer briefly and plainly that there be three things thou must do if thou wouldest obtaine peace with GOD and if thou canst do these three things thou needest not doubt to obtaine it 1. Thou must freely and fully and particularly confesse thy sinnes unto GOD even those sinnes which I have shewed to be the chiefe causes of this judgement I said saith David Psal. 32. 5. I will confesse my transgressions unto the LORD and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne 2. Thou must unfainedly and fully resolve with thy selfe to cast off and forsake these and all other thy sinnes Prov. 28. 13. Who so confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall find mercy Though thou canst not quite leave them as who can do that in this life yet if thou canst unfainedly and without dissimulation desire and purpose and resolve with thy selfe to leave them all begging strength of GOD that thou mayst be made able to do it then hast thou forsaken them in GODS account and they shall not hinder thy peace and reconciliation with GOD. In this David tooke comfort I am purposed saith he Psal. 17. 3. that my mouth shall not transgresse and Psal. 39. 1. I said I fully resolved and determined with my selfe I will take heed to my wayes 3. And lastly Thou must strive by a lively faith to lay hold on GODS mercy in CHRIST and to get His bloud sprinkled upon thy heart CHRIST is our peace as the Apostle cals Him Eph. 2. 14. Neither can we with all that we are able to do make our peace with GOD but onely through faith in Him When the destroying Angell saw the bloud of the lambe sprinkled upon the lintell and side-posts of any doore he passed by that house and smote none in it Exod. 12. 23. The third way whereby we must make right use to our selves of this judgement that we see upon others is this it must increase our care to reforme not our selves onely but our families It is a vaine thing for any man to blesse himselfe or take comfort in his repentance without this care say not if I use all good meanes to make peace with GOD for my selfe I hope the faults of my family shall never be imputed unto me Search the Scriptures and you shall find there was never any man that was himselfe reconciled and at peace with GOD but his care was that his family might feare GOD and be in favour with Him as well as himselfe Cornelius though he were a Centurion and kept a great family and had souldiers to serve him yet feared God with all his house Acts 10. 2. So soone as Zacheus himselfe was become a sonne of Abraham a true believer salvation came unto his house too Luke 19. 9. Christ promised he should have a faithfull and a religious family So speaketh Eliphaz also to Iob Iob 22. 23. If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles No man that is himselfe truly returned unto the Almighty need to be discouraged in this if he do his endeavour God hath promised that he shall be able through His gracious assistance and blessing to reforme his family though not to
convert the heart of every one in it yet to keepe them from open and scandalous offences Certainly we do not make the right use we ought of this heavy scourge of God unlesse we be made thereby more carefull to reforme our families For this cause the Lord said He would not conceale from Abraham His purpose against the Sodomites because He knew that he would make this use of it For I know him saith the Lord Gen. 18. 19. that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him 1. Abraham upon the knowledge and observation of Gods wrath even upon the Sodomites would become more carefull to looke to his whole family and to reforme it 2. God would assist and blesse him in this his endeavour and he should see the fruit of it in his family 3. This care that Abraham had of his family should be a principall meanes to make good unto him all Gods promises to bring upon him and make sure unto him all the blessings and good things that God had promised unto him and without this he could have had no assurance of them O that we could once believe and take to heart these things Certainly one maine cause of this and all other judgements that are upon our Land is the want of care that is in them that professe themselves to be the people of God in reforming their families whether they of their family be drunkards or sober persons blasphemers or such as feare an oath uncleane or chast prophane or religious is all one to them The fourth and last way whereby we must make right use to our selves of this judgement is this it must make us more mercifull to them that are in distresse and more ready to relieve them Nothing will give us more assurance to be freed from the plague our selves or to find comfort and strength in it if God shall please to visit us by it than this When Gods heavy hand did hang over Nebuchadnezzar Daniel speakes thus unto him Dan. 4. 27. Wherefore O King let my counsell be acceptable unto the and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy vnto the poore if it may be a lengthning to thy tranquillity As if he should have said if any thing will lengthen thy tranquillity and keepe off the judgement threatned this is likely to do it Remember what ourblessed Saviour hath said of this Mat. 5. 7. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Nothing will give a man more assurance to find mercy with God in the time of his distresse than this will Remember also what His holy Apostle saith of this Iam. 2. 13. He shal have judgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy If either the plague or any other judgement seize upon that man that hath beene void of mercy it shal be upon him without all mixture of mercy he shall have no comfort of Gods mercy in it and mercy rejoyceth or boasteth against judgement The mercifull man shall not feare this or any other judgement before it come as other men do and if it do light upon him he shall rejoyce and find a comfortable sense of Gods mercy in it And remember this at this time especially now you have kept a day of humbling your selves before God know that there is nothing that will more grace our solemne services before God specially services of this kind nothing will make them more acceptable unto Him than when we shall therein manifest and declare our selves to be mercifull and bountifull unto the poore Is not this the fast that I have chosen saith the Lord Esa. 58. 6 7. to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye breake every yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thine house When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine own flesh SERMON II. Aug. 17. 1625. FOlloweth the duty whereby David expressed his love and compassion to these men he prayed for them For though this be not expressed in the first part of the verse where the duty is mentioned that he performed towards these men in their misery yet is it evident 1. By the expresse words of the last clause of the verse where he mentioneth the successe he had in the duty he performed for them and 2. by this also that he saith he fasted and humbled his soule for them for in all fasts and exercises of humiliation that Gods people have kept prayer was the chiefe duty they performed and all other things they did in those exercises they did onely to helpe and further themselves in prayer Esa. 58. 3. To make their voice to be heard on high and Ion. 3. 8. to make them cry more mightily unto God The Doctrine then that we are to learne from this example of David is this That a chiefe duty we are to performe to them that are in misery is to pray for them See the proofe of the point in five degrees 1. This is a chiefe duty whereby we do expresse the truth of our love unto any and whereby we may do them good When our Saviour had commanded us to love our enemies and to do good to them thâ—t hate us Mâ—t. 5. 44. He adds And prâ—y for them 2. This is duty that is to be performed by us â—owards all men 1 Tim. 2. 1. Yea even towards the wickedest men that live upon â—arth See how importunate Abraham was with God for the beastly Sodomites Gen. 18. 32. 3. This duty is to be performed specially for sâ—ch as are Gods people though it be but in outward profession This course Moses tooke to relieve Israel in a great extremity When God threatned He would destroy Israel Moses stâ—od before Him in the breach by maine force to keepe Him out to turne away His wrath Psal. 106. 23. How stood he in the breach How did he turne away Gods wrath from them By prayer Exâ—d 32. 11. Moses besought the Lord his God This course David tooke to relieve Gods people in the time of a fearefull pestiâ—ence that in a short time had consumed seventy thousand 2 Saâ— 24. 15. He was deeply affected with their misery as appeareth by the story but what course tooke he to helpe them he prayed for them 1 Chroâ— 21. 16 18. and so stayed the plague So did Moses in the very like case of the pestilence when â—râ—th was gâ—nâ— out froâ— the Lord and the plague was 〈◊〉 he chargeth Aarâ—n to tâ—ke his ceâ—ser and put fire therein from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put inceâ—se on it and go quickly to the coâ—gregâ—tioâ— tâ— make an attonement for them Nâ—â—b 16. 46. True it is that signified the intercession
till three whole weekes were fulfilled Now for the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine why such bodily exercises especially this abstinence must be used upon the dayes of our humiliation I need go no further than this that God hath ordained them in His Word as you have heard and therefore we may be assured 1. They are usefull and profitable for us For whatsoever He commands us to doe is for our good Deut. 10. 13. 2. That He will make them effectuall to His people unto those ends He hath ordained them for Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you saith our Saviour Mat. 28. 20. and loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world And those ends are three principally First to further and helpe forward the inward humiliation of the heart to make us the better to feele what sinne is and what it hath deserved at Gods hands For as the full feeding and pleasing of the body in these things is a meanes to increase corruption Ier. 5. 7 8. When I fed them to the full then they committed adultery c. they were as fed horses in the morning c. so the abridging of it in these things is effectuall to weaken and abate the strength of sinne 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keepe under my body and bring it into subjection By this we take revenge of our selves which is a great helpe unto true repentance as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 7. 11. Secondly To further and helpe forward the fervency of our hearts in prayer This is evident by that speech of Christ Mar. 9. 29. This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Thirdly To professe and make outward protestation of our repentance and submission unto God and humble desire to be reconciled unto Him And even this is highly pleasing unto God as we may see in the example of Ahab 1 King 21. 29. Because he humbleth himselfe before me therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes and of Rehoboam and his Princes They have humbled themselves saith the Lord 2 Chron. 12. 7. therefore I will not destroy them and Verse 12. When Rehoboam humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned from him and yet had these no truth of grace in them In which respect Though 1. No man can please God in his fast nor find sound comfort to his soule in it that is not in his heart troubled for his sinne doth not unfainedly repent that cannot pray that doth not believe We know saith the man that was borne blind Ioh. 9. 31. that God heareth not sinners And without faith it is impossible to please God saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. 2. Though no man be fit to keep a private and voluntary fast that is a novice in religion and hath not attained to some good measure of grace for feare of taking hurt and being made the worse by it according to that speech of our Saviour Luke 5. 36 37. The new piece will make the rent greater the new wine will burst the bottels Yet in publique and generall calamities they may be injoyned to keepe a fast that have no such measure of grace in them as we see Ioel 1. 14. Gather the Elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord 2 16. Gather the children and those that sucke the breasts Yea it hath gâ—eatly furthered the efficacy of the prayers of Gods owne people when in such a case all have come tag and rag as we say to joyne with them in this service as I noted to you the last day out of Iudg. 20. 26. If any man shall object God will not heare hypocrites and wicked men Iob 27. 9. Will God heare his cry and if I regard iniquity in my heart saith David Psal. 66. 18. the Lord will not heare me I answer It is true such can have no assurance that God will heare them or respect their prayers because they have no promise Godlinesse hath the promises saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. All Gods promises belong to the godly and to them onely But yet for temporall blessings God hath oft had respect to the cryes even of such as have had no truth of grace as is plaine Gen. 21. 17. God heard the voice of Ishmael and Psal. 78. 38. Many a time upon their prayers whom he had described Vers. 37. turned He His anger away For 1. in this they were thus farre no hypocrites because they were heartily sensible of Gods judgements and desired unfainedly to be eased of them Therefore it is said 2 Chron. 12. 6. The Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves 2. This taking to heart of Gods judgements and professing their humiliation and their yeelding to the commandement of authority in this case as in the dayes of the Iudges and Iehoshaphat we heard all the people did these I say were good things and remainders of Gods image in them In which respect the Holy Ghost saith 2 Chron 20. 12. In Iudah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the Princes by the Word of the Lord. And these remainders of His owne image God loves wheresoever He sees them Marke 10. 21. Iesus beholding him loved him The Use this Doctrine serveth unto is First For instruction to direct us how we should keepe our fasts Though this be a Doctrinall point and not so fit haply to worke upon our affections as some other might be and such as doth also concern but the outside of the true fast yet have I beene the larger in it because it may serve for a preparation to all the fasts we shall keepe hereafter and the fruit and successe of our fasts depends on our performing of them in that manner God hath appointed Many that are willing to obey God in this duty may through ignorance faile in the right manner of performing it and so not onely lose their labour but offend God further 1 Chron. 15. 13. The Lord our God said David made a breach upon us because we sought Him not in due order And though God have in our fasts a principall respect to our hearts 1 Sam. 16. 7. yet lookes He also for the service of our bodies specially in such exercises of publike and solemne profession 1 Cor. 6. 28. Glorifie God in your bodies saith the Apostle And though these you have heard be not the chief dutys to be performed at a fast yet are they duties commanded and hee that makes not conscience of the least Commandement of God can have no comfort in his estate Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments Secondly For exhortation to us all to make conscience of every one of these outward duties that have beene commanded to us that is 1. Of joyning with the congregation in hearing the Word even read aswell as preached See what
hee sent Shemajâ—h the Prophet unto them to declare unto them the true cause of that judgement and to bring them to an effectuall sight and sense of their sinne and then not before they humbled themselves and confessed that the Lord was righteous Gods judgements and corrections without the word vse not to worke savingly Indeed they serve 1. to prepare and make the heart fitter to receive and profite by the word 2. to stirre up those sparks and make them to burne which the word had before cast into the heart and were covered as with ashes but without the word they use not to worke savingly But the word even without affliction hath done mighty things this way Ier. 23. 29. Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Wouldst thou then have thy heart softned Bring it to this fire if it be as hard as iron it will soften it and make it plyable bring it to this anvile where the hammer smiteth and it wil breake it For first this is ordained and sanctified of God to bee a glasse that will cleerly and evidently discover to us all our spots and deformities as the Apostle teacheth us Iam. 1. 23. Secondly God hath promised to accompany this ordinance of his with the divine power and efficacy of his holy Spirit I will be with you saith our Saviour Mat. 28. 20. unto the end of the world And therefore it is no marvell though it be so mighty this way A likely matter will you say for where have you harder and profaner hearts then such as are daily beaten upon by this hammer I answer First That the hardned and reprobate heart is made the harder by the strokes of this haÌ„mer specially such hearts as once were softned and are growne hard againe even as the Smiths iron is To 〈◊〉 the word is a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 〈…〉 Secondly The true cause why so many heare us daily and their hearts are never a whit mollified by it is this in many of our hearers the Lord works not with us no alas in these dayes the Lord works with us but in few and if he be not with us if hee worke not with us we can doe nothing When God bad Moses take his rod and smite the rock in Horeb he told him he would stand before him on the rock and then when God stood upon the rock Moses smote the rock and water gushed out of it aboundantly Exod. 17. 5 6. If God had not beene there Moses smiting the rock would have done nothing so is it in this case Thirdly This I say that such as God hath in mercy ordained to give a soft heart unto shall feele their hearts mollified more by this then by any other meanes And if this will not soften thy heart I assure thee nothing will doe it This being so Oh that we who are Gods ministers would more diligently carefully apply our selves to this worke and stir up our selves in our ministry not onely to reprove sinne but to doe it feelingly and conscionably so as may be most effectuall to bring Gods people to sound humiliation for sinne If we would bring them to lament for sinne we must mourne to them our selves as our saviour speaketh Mat. 11. 17. and not by our Epicurisme and riotous lives proclaime unto them that we are far from having humbled soules in our selves for our owne sinnes And O that you that are Gods people would seek for and desire this helpe from us in our ministry to soften your hearts and further you in this worke of humiliation of foule for sinne Certainly you should desire and seek for all good helpes this way When God denounced against his people the heavy judgement of the Babilonish captivity and provokes them to humiliation and repentance for the preventing of it Consider yee saith he ler. 9. 17 18. and call for the mourning women that they may come and send for cunning women that they may come and let them make hast and take up a wailing for us that our eyes may runne down with teares and our eyelids gush out with waters He alludes to the custome they had in funerals and such occasions of mourning to hire certain women that by their skill in singing dolefull songs might increase their heavinesse and make them more apt to mourn But his meaning is to teach them that in such a time as that was wherein they had also just cause to mourne and humble themselves they should use all the best helps they could to provoke themselves unto sorrow And surely we should all learne to doe so in this case seeing humiliation for sinne is so necessary and the ministry of the word is a singular meanes to worke our hearts to it we should therefore desire so far as the good order that God hath established in his Church will permit to heare such as whose ministry is most powerfull and effectuall for the softning of a hard heart The second meane wherein we must use the help of others is the benefit of private admonition and reproofe They that would have their hearts softned to be able to mourne and weepe for sin must not bee unwilling to be admonished and reproved for sin in private by some faithfull friend either Minister or other but count it a great benefit and desire it rather First certainly God hath given authority and a straight charge to all his people to watch one over another and to call upon and admonish and reprove one another Heb. 10. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works 2 Thes. 3. 15. Yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him Secondly God hath sanctified and ordained this for a meanes to reclaime poore sinners to bring them to a saving sight and sense of their sinne and keepe them from hardning their hearts in it Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother shall trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother but if not then Verse 16. 17. take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to heare them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to heare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen man and a Publicane As if he had said count not his case desperate till this course have been taken with him Thirdly God hath oft blessed this course wonderfully Mel. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake oft one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought
upon his name This was the meane whereby Gods people were kept from the prophanenesse and security of those times and God was wonderfully pleased with it Yea many a heart hath been mollified this way which the publique Ministry could not soften Nathans private dealing with David prevailed more with him than all the publique meanes he had enjoyed in a whole yeare 2 Sam. 12. 7. 13. Fourthly Count it therefore a great blessing of God to thee to have such a friend or such a Minister as will watch over thee and deale thus privately and plainely with thee yea seeke for such friends It is said of Ionâ—than 1 Sam. 20. 8. that he had brought David into a covenant of the Lord with him We should labour to get such friends as we might make this covenant with Yea we should beg of God to give us such a friend Psal. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shal be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shal be an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head And we have all great need of it for selfeâ— love so blinds us as we cannot see that that is amisse in our selves In these last times especially men shal be lovers of themselves as the Apostle teacheth us 2 Tim. 3. 2. And what marvell then if there be now adayes so much security and hardnesse of heart among Christians No man holds himselfe bound to watch over his brother to admonish or reprove him but every man saith in his heart as Cain Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper The Papists shall rise up in judgement against us in this for they take all opportunities to gaine others to Antichrist They like the Scribes and Pharises of whom our Saviour speaketh Mat. 23. 15. do compasse sea and land to make one proselyte but we have no care at all to gaine any unto Christ. And on the other side all men are unwilling to be admonished and plainly dealt with in private even by the Minister of God but are apt to say to any that would admonish them as the Sodomites did to Lot Gen. 19. 9. Stand backe this fellow will needs be a Iudge But know for a certainty that thou that art so unwilling to heare of thy sinne and to be plainly dealt with about it art in love with thy sinne and hast no desire to bring thy heart to godly griefe and sorrow for it SERMON VII Decemb. 7. 1625. IT followeth now that we come to those meanes wherein we are to be principall agents our selves For though this to speake properly be the mighty work of God to humble and mollifie the heart of man and make it able to mourne for sinne according to that promise Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh yet may we after we are once regenerated do much to further this great worke of God in our selves Therefore we see David professeth here that he afflicted his owne soule and Psal. 69. 10. that he chastned his soule And of Iosiâ—h it is said that he did humble himselfe before God 2 Chron. 34. 27. and of Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 12. that he humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers Yea Gods people are commanded in the day of their fast Levit. 23. 27. to afflict their owne soules and Ioel 2. 13. to rent their hearts And Iâ—â— 4. 3 4. to breake up their fallow ground and to circumcise and take away the foreskin of their owne hearts By all which places it appeareth we may our selves do much in this worke yea that we must be doers in it our selves or els it will never be well done And certainly if we would do what we might our hearts would be much softer and better able to mourne for our sinnes than they are If any of you shall aske me Why what can we do or what should we do to worke our hearts to this godly sorrow I answer There are foure principall things that we may doe and that we must do if we would get broken and humbled hearts For 1. We must make choice of a fit time 2. Of a fit place 3. When we have so done we must examine our hearts seriously and imparâ—ially 4. We must pray to God for his assistance in this businesse First We must take a fit time to go about this worke For though this be but a matter of circumstance yet have Gods people found much helpe unto spirituall duties even in this Daniel for his private prayer made choice of the time that God had appointed for the evening sacrifice Dan. 9. 21. And so did Cornelius as will appeare if you compare Act. 10. 30. and 31. together Our blessed Saviour made choice of the evening for this purpose sometimes Mat. 14. 23. and sometimes of the morning early before day Mar. 1. 35. And as all our time is not to be spent in mourning so are there some times and seasons fitter for this purpose and such as will yeeld us more helpe in this worke than other-some will do Eccles. 3. 4. There is a time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to mourne and a time to dance And it is the wisdome of a Christian to discerne and take the fittest time for this purpose Eccles. 8. 5. A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgement saith Salomon Eph. 5. 15 16. Walke not as fooles but as wise men redeeming the time The wisdome of a man you see consisteth much in the husbanding of his time well and making choice of the fittest time fore every purpose and action that he takes in hand And what times are the fittest may you say for this purpose I answer it is profitable for a man every day to be doing somewhat in this worke by observing his owne wayes and calling himselfe to an account for them For First The Apostle tels us we are in danger to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne if we do not exhort or stirre up our selves daily Heb. 3. 13. Secondly The time of our death is very uncertaine and such servants we know as have great dealings for their master and looke to be called to a strict account they know not how soone will looke every day into their accounts and have them in areadinesse continually And surely this is our case we know not how soone our accounts will be called for Mar. 13. 35 36. Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the master of the house will come least comming suddenly he find you sleeping Thirdly This would helpe us greatly in our daily prayers unto God The more sense and sorrow for sinne we have when we pray the more acceptable certainly would our prayers be unto God Psal. 34. When David had said Vers. 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them he tels us Verse 18. what cries and prayers of the righteous they be that the Lord hath such respect unto The
and returned And Esa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them And we find by experience that at such a time a faithfull Minister may much better worke up on the hearts of men to bring them to remorse and repentance then at another time According to that speach of Elihu Iob 33. 22 24. When a mans soule draweth neere to the grave if there bee then a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse then he is gracious unto him And so speaketh Davidâ—lso â—lso Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest ô Lord and teachest him out of thy Law This is a singular favour of God when correction and instruction goe together And herein wee are bound to acknowledge the great mercy of God to our Land that in the time of so generall and grievous visitation as hath been upon it he hath put it into the Kings heart to command so much preaching that thereby the hearts of the people might bee effectually wrought upon now the Lord hath so by his judgement prepared them And certainly if in such a time the word doe not work upon mens hearts it will never doe them good Fiftly and lastly When wee feele a secret pensivenesse and sadnesse to come upon our hearts so as they even melt within us like ground that thaweth after a frost so as we could even weepe abundantly this is an excellent season and opportunity to bring our hearts unto godly sorrow in For 1. sadnesse and heavinesse maketh the heart more apt to bee wrought to goodnesse Eccle. 7. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better 2. This is the way to turne the streame and current of our sorrow the right way by making our sin our greatest sorrow as indeed it ought to bee because it is the onely just cause of all other our sorrowes Lam. 3. 39. 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord. And surely to conclude this first point in this we have all cause to acknowledge our owne folly and to bee humbled for it and to impute that want of grace and ability that is in us to mourne for our sins unto this that wee have neglected these times and seasons whereby we might have beene so much helped in this work We know the fittest seasons for the plowing and breaking up of our ground and we carefully observe them but we know not or care not to observe the fittest seasons for the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts which yet concerneth us much more then the other doth Breake up your fâ—llow ground saith the Prophet Ier. 4. 3. and sow not among thornes The second thing wee must doe to worke our hearts to godly sorrow is this after we have made choise of a fit time to goe about this work we must also make choise of a fit place for it even such as wherein we may be most free from all distractions For though this also be but a circumstance yet may it yeeld us some help in all exeâ—cises of devotioÌ„ Christ bids us make choise of a secret place for our private prayer Mat. 6. 6. And so did he himsâ—lfe Mar 1. 35. Hee went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Act. 10. 9. Peter went up to the top of the house to pray So though it be no shame for a man to weepe for his sinnes as we have heard Gods people have done abundantly in their solemne fasts yet is a solitary and secret place the fittest to worke our hearts unto godly sorrow Commune with your own hearts upon your beds in secret saith David Psal. 4. 4. and be still Hâ—Zechiah turned his face to the wall when he prayed and wept so sore Esa. 38. 2 3. And Ieremiah 13. 17. saith his soule should weepe in secret And Zâ—ch 12. 12. it is said they should mourne every family apart the husband apart and the wife apart And Ieremy describing the man that is humbled under Gods hand aright saith Lam. 3. 28. Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence Thirdly When wee have made choise of a fit time and a fit place also for this businesse then must we examine our hearts seriously and impartially And in this examination two things are to be performed by us 1. We must labour to find out and call to mind our sinnes for which wee should bee humbled 2. We must lay them to our hearts and so consider and weigh with our selves the hainousnesse of them and aggravate them against our selves that we may be affected with them For the first Hee that desires to have his heart humbled and to bee able to mourne for his sinnes must labour by diligent search and examination to finde out his sinnes and call them to mind and set them before his face Bring it againe to mind ô yee transgressours saith the Lord Esa. 46. 8. Let not man be affraid or unwilling to doe this To commit sinne is dangerous and hurtfull to thy soule but to call thy sinnes to remembrance hath no danger in it will doe thee no hurt at all to have an enemy or a mortall disease upon thee is dangerous and hurtfull but to be aware of them to know them when thou hast them may doe thee much good Iob knew this well and therefore prayeth earnestly to God to helpe him in this Iob 13. 23. Make mee to know my transgression and my sinne For 1. till then thou canst never truly mourne for thy sin and repent of it Ier. 8. 6. No man repented himselfe of his wickednesse saying what have I done To know in generall and in grosse that thou art a sinner wil never huÌ„ble thee aright thou must know thy sins in particular or thou canst never truely repent This was that that humbled Gods people so in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 19. Wee have added to allour other sinnes this evill to aske a King This was that that humbled those 3000. mentioned Act. 2. 36 37. and pricked them at the heart God made knowne to them their sinne in particular even that hainous sinne of crucifying the Lord of life 2. It is profitable for us in another respect For the more carefull we are to remember our sinnes and call them to mind the more ready will the Lord bee to forget them and cast them behind his back This is plaine by that prayer David maketh Psalm 51. 1 2 3. Have mercy upon me ô God wash me throughly from my iniquity for I know my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee But if thou strive to forget them never to thinke of them to cast them behind thy back bee thou sure God will remember them and never have them out of his eye Thou hast
Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Soe is it as certaine we never truly repented of our sinnes if wee have not unfeignedly sorrowed and mourned for them 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation Wee must be made though not equall yet conformable to Christ in his death and passion as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 3. 10. or we shall never reigne with him This is a faithfull saying saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 11. 12. if wee â—ee dead with him wee shall also live with him if we suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him And this was a cheif part of his passion wherein we must be conformable unto him When he suffred for our sinnes Mat. 26. 37. He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy insomuch as he could not containe but must needs acquaint his three Disciples with it verse 38. Then saith he unto them my soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death When he suffred for our sinnes hee wept abundantly as the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares We cannot sorrow and weepe in that measure as he did for our sinnes but we must sorrow in our measure as he did we must be made conformable to him in his passion as you have heard or wee shall never have part in him We must either mourne as Peter did with a saving sorrow Mat. 26. 75. or wee shall mourne as Iudas did with a desperate sorrow Mat. 27. 3 5. We must either now in this life mourn for our sinnâ—s as we have heard all Gods servants have done or we shall certainly herafter cry for sorrow of heart as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 65. 14. and houle for vexation of spirit in Hell where shall bee nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 13. 28. where their worme never dyeth and the fire never shall be quenched Mar. 9. 44. Secondly Because men are very apt to bee deceived in this point and to thinke they have beene rightly humbled and have rightly sorrowed for their sinnes when indeed they have not We read of the hypocrites expostulation with God Esa. 58. 3. They had afflicted their soules and God tooke no knowledge of it Zach. 7. 3 5. They had mourned and wept in their fasts and the Lord saith of them they had not done it unto him they had their owne ends in it Yea it is certaine many hypocrites doe indeed mourne and are exceedingly humbled sometimes You know the Lord giveth this testimony of Ahab himselfe that he was humbled 1 Kings 21. 29. And yet as good never a whit as never the better their sorrow and humiliation is to no purpose at all because it is not sound and sincere Thirdly Because many of Gods children that are indeed true mourners are apt to doubt of themselves and to complaine their hearts are so hard that they cannot mourne for their sinnes ô if they had soft and melting hearts that they could sorrow that they could weep for sinne they were in an happy case but alas they cannot Thus Gods Church and people complaine unto God Esâ— 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned our heart Seeing therefore it is as you see in these three respects a matter of so great necessity to have a sure direction given us out of Gods Word how to discerne that humiliation of soule and sorrow for sinne that is sincere and saving from that that is counterfait I will give you some principall notes of differences betweene them whereby they may be judged of And these are to bee referred to foure heads The first is from the object of our sorrow and humiliation the thing the matter that we are grieved and humbled for The second from the measure and degree of our sorrow The third from the cause that breedeth it in us and fountaine from whence it floweth The fourth and last from the effects and fruits that proceed from it For the first If we desire to know whether we were ever yet rightly humbled or whether we doe still remaine in the hardnesse and impenitency of our hearts we must examine what it is that hath troubled us and made us to mourne First He that is truly humbled mourneth for the evill of sinne rather then for the evill of punishment It is no ill signe to mourne and to be humbled under the judgements of God Nay it is our duty to be so and a passing ill signe it is of an ungratious heart not to be affected with the judgements of God not to be troubled when the Lord sheweth himselfe to be angry with us The Prophet complaineth of this as of a great sinne Ier. 5. 3. O Lord thou hast stricken them and they have not grieved It is said of Gods people Ezr. 10. 9. that they trembled because of the great raine And David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves greatly for the plague that God sent upon the land 2 Sam. 24. 17. And so did Iehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20. 3. When the state and government of the Kingdome of Israel in the dayes of Saul was so broken and out of order had so many breaches in it that it did even shake and totter as ready to fall and come to ruine as the Prophet complaineth Psal. 60. 2. Gods people were so troubled with the sensible token of Gods displeasure that they were euen astonished with it thou hast made us to drinke the wine of astonishment as the Prophet speaketh verse 3. And certainly this is a dangerous signe that our people generally are given up of God to a marvellous hardnesse of heart that the Lord having by all these tokens of his anger cald us to weeping and to mourning as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 22. 12. we have beene generally given to asmuch jollity in these times as ever we were Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts as it followeth there verse 14. Yet though it be a good thing to be humbled under Gods judgements this is not enough to prove our humiliation to bee sound and sincere Many an hypocrite hath gone so farre Thus farre Ahab went ô how he was humbled at the hearing of that fearefull judgement that God threatned by the Prophet to bring upon him and his house 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe Thus farre Iehoram his sonne and as bad a man almost as he went when a grievous famine was upon the land he greatly humbled himselfe for though he were a King he wore sackcloth not as his upper garment as the manner was to expresse their humiliation outwardly but secretly next his skin 2 King 6. 30. See how farre an hypocrite may goe in humbling himselfe under Gods judgements But the true repentant though he is humbled for and can mourne for Gods judgements yet that is neither the onely nor the chief cause of his sorrow his
sinnes that have provoked God to those judgements trouble him most I will declare mine iniquitie saith David Psal. 38. 18. and be sory for my sinne And Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountaines like the dâ—ves of the valleyes all of them mourning every man for 〈◊〉 iniquity Yea even wheÌ„ Gods judgements do presse and humble him most yet â—he is more troubled for his sinne then for the affliction that is upon him as wee shall see in that prayer of David Psal. 25. 18. Looke upon my affliction and my paine and forgive all my sinnes And so it is said of Gods people in Ezras time when the Lord by a judgement of immoderate raine had testified his displeasure against them Ezra 10. 9 They trembled because of this matter their sinne in marrying Idolaters and for the great raine Their sinne was the chief thing they trembled for Let us then examine our sorrow by this first note alas many blesse themselves in this that they have beene much given to sorrow and heavinesse 1. If sorrow be good saith many a one I have had enough of that Yea upon this they ground their hope that they shall escape the wrath to come because they have endured so much sorrow in this life I have had my punishment in this life saith he Alas poore wretch of all thy sorrowes that thou hast endured I may say as our Saviour doth in another case Mat. 24. 8. All these are but the beginning of sorrows worldly sorrowes are but the beginning of hellish sorrowes The Devils also beleeve and tremble after this sort as the Apostle speaketh Iam. 2. 19. They are troubled exceedingly more then ever thou couldst be with the apprehension and sense of the punishment which they undoubtedly bâ—leeve is prepared for them 2. Many of you are oft troubled with sadnesse and heavinesse of heart and can say as Iob 23. 16. God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me O that thou couldst turne the streame of thy sorrow the right way from sorrowing for thy affliction to sorrowing for thy sinne One houre spent in sorrowing for thy sin will yeeld thee more true comfort then a thousand spent in sorrowing for thy affliction will doe 3. And we all now assembled to professe our humiliation for the manifold tokens of Gods anger upon his Church and this land must examine the truth of our hearts in this whether we can aswell mourne for the sinnes of the land as for the judgements of God that are upon it and are threatned against it See a notable example of this in Nehemiah Chap. 1. when he heard of the great affliction and reproach Gods people were in at Ierusalem verse 3. How the wals of Ierusalem were broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire he sat downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven as he saith verse 4. But what is it that most humbled and troubled his heart in this his fast Surely not so much the judgement whereby God had shewed himselfe to be angry with them as their sinnes whereby they had made him angry as you shall see verse 6. 7. and surely the sinnes of the land ought to trouble us more then any of the judgements either persent or imminent though they bee very great and fearefull For 1. they give us cause to feare far heavier then these be and God hath said of England as hee said once of the Kingdome of Iuda Ezek. 21. 27. I will overturne everturne overturne it and it shall be no more 2. If it were not for the sinnes of the land these judgements would vanish or doe us no hurt at all 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne And of one sinne the sinne of Idolatry specially being openly committed and alas our land standeth guilty of that and of many more it is said Exod. 32. 25. Moses saw though every blind foole could not see it that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame before their enemies Alas the sinnes of the land make us naked to our enemies abroad and to our treacherous and bloudy Papists at home do what we can to defend and arme our selves till our sinnes be repented of till they be removed we shall be found to be a naked people We cannot stand before our enemies till the accursed thing till Achâ—n betaken away Iosh. 7. 13. and alas we have many Achans amongst us So many of you therefore as have hearts that can mourne that can be humbled mourne for the sinnes of the land and by the first note approve unto God and to your owne hearts the truth of your humiliation that you professe this day And so much for the first note Secondly He that is truly humbled mourneth for sinne not so much in respect to himselfe of the hurt and danger that his sinne bringeth upon himselfe as in respect to God because he is offended and dishonoured by his sinne Saving sorrow is therefore called 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow that respecteth God and is opposed to worldly sorrow that respecteth onely the crosses and miseries that sinne maketh us subject unto I graunt 1. It is not unlawfull to bee troubled for sinne even out of respect to the punishment and misery that it will bring upon us As a man may have respect to this in his feare that keepeth him from committing sinne so may he also in his sorrow for it after it is committed Iob giveth this for a reason why he durst not sinne For destruction from God saith he Iob 31. 23. was a terrour to me And so doth Paul 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we persuade men 2. Sound and saving humiliation for sinne useth to begin in this legall compunction and terror which hath respect onely to the misery that sinne bringeth us to And not one of an hundred doe ever come to mourne for sinne in respect to God till they have first learned to mourne for sinne in respect to themselves this prepareth maketh way for and draweth in the other as the prick of the needle doth the threed So it is said of those three thousand that were converted by Peter Act. 2. 37. that they were first pricked in their hearts that is with this legall sorrow and feare But though this bee a lawfull and good thing to mourne and be troubled for sinne even in respect of the misery it maketh us obnoxious unto yet is not this sufficient to prove our humiliation and sorrow for sinne to be sound and sincere for many an hypocrite hath gone so farre they have beene greatly humbled and troubled for their sinnes O how Pharaoh complained and cried out of his sinne Exod. 9. 27. He saith to Moses and Aaron I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked And so did Iudas Mat. 27. 3. 4. He repented himselfe cryed out saying
for our armies nor for our brethren visited with the plague the most of us have neglected it too long to seeke to God for them in this extraordinary manner Go quicâ—ly with thy censer the plagâ—e iâ— begâ—â— saith Mâ—seâ— to 〈◊〉 Nâ—â—b 16 46 so soon as the plague did begin we should without delay have importuned the Lord for ouâ— brethren Unto these I will say but two words 1. That God may justly impute to thee the bloud both of our soldiers that died so miserably and of the many thousands that have perished by the plague because thou hast not striven by thy prayers with God for them According to that rule of our Saviour Mar. 3. 4. He that useth not meanes to save life when it lieth in his power is a murtherer 2. That this neglecting of prayer is a dangerous signe that thou hast no feare of God in thee Thou castest off feare â—aith Eliphaz Iob 15. 4. and restrainest prayer before God It is a signe thou believest not Gods providence The foole hath said in his heart There is no God saith the Prophet Psal. 14. 1. and one argument to prove this he gives Vers. 4. They call not upon the Lord. Lastly this is a signe that thou hast no comfort at all in God no assurance of His favour Will the hypocrite saith Iob Chap. 27. 10. delight himselfe in the Almighty will he alwayes call upon God The cause why men keepe not a constant course in prayer is because they have no delight nor comfort in God O let us therefore make conscience of this duty to pray and to pray constantly praying alwayes as the Apostle requires Ephes. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 16. Prâ—y without ceasing not giving over so good and necessary a duty when we have once begun to take it up The third sort of them whom this Doctrine reproveth are such as through prophanenesse or worldlinesse will not pray Though the State have first enjoyned us to keepe these dayes of humiliation and 2. gone before us in it themselves and 3. published for our helpe a booke of prayers as ample holy effectuall and fit for the present occasion as ever were in any Liturgy that I have seene for all which we are greatly bound to praise the Lord yet will they not upon these dayes lend their help to their distressed brethren nor joyne with us in praier for them These men certainly are of the mind either of those prophane worldlings that say as Ioâ— 21. 15. What profit shal we have if we pray unto him Can we get in our harvest or provide for our families by comming to Church and joyning with you in prayer Or will our praying keepe away the plague from us Or els they are of the mind of those desperate Atheists that said Esâ— 22. 13. Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die This plague increaseth strangely and is like enough to reach unto us let us therefore while we live be merry and make as much of our selves as we can I grant every man is not fit to keepe a fast every weeke specially in this time of harvest neither did the State intend to enjoyne him to do it but not to joyne with Gods people sometimes in this duty specially on these solemne dayes of humiliation is First a great sinne against our distressed brethren for whom our prayers would the more prevaile the more generall they were and the more of us did joyne together in them as I have proved before out of 2 Chron. 20. 13. Secondly a matter of great danger to themselves as that which will provoke Gods displeasure against them Levit. 23. 29. Whatsoever soule it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day that the congregation kept their fast on he shall be cut off from among his people In which respect God commanded them to keepe it in all their dwellings Levit. 23. 3. And Zeth 1. 6. The Lord threatneth to stretch out His hand against and to cut off them that have not sought the Lord then much more such as refuse to doe it being thus called and provoked thereunto The third and last Use is for examination whether our prayers heretofore have beene or now be such so powerfull and effectuall as have been described in this Doctrine whether we be such Israelites as like Princes have prevailed with God in them Gods children should inquire after their prayers how they speed David prayeth oft for an answer Psal. 143 1. In thy faithfulnesse answer me and protesteth it would be a death to him to find God silent to his prayers Psal. 28. 1. And what answer hath God given to our prayers First we have prayed for the good successe of our armies against the enemies of the Gospell But the enemy hath still prevailed so that we may complaine as Psal. 44. 9 10 12. Thou hast cast off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our armies thou makest us turne backe from the enemy and they which hate us spoile for themselves thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price Secondly We have prayed for the good successe of our Parliament that the King and Nobles and Commons might agree together as one man for the setling of Gods Arke and Religion among us as they did in Solomons time 1 King 8. 1. But the Parliament for all our prayers hath received such an end as every good heart hath cause to lament Thirdly We have prayed unto God to stay His hand in the noysome pestilence When â—â—ron stood with his incense betweene the living and the dead the plague ceased Numb 16. 48. and Davids prayer stayed the plague 2 Chro. 21. 17 18. Our Dâ—vid and our Aarons and the whole Land have oft prayed against this judgement and ever since we began to pray the plague hath increased wonderfully So that we may complaine with the Church Laâ— 3. 8. When I cry and shout He shâ—tteth out my prayer And Psal. 80. 4. O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people What is the cause of this I answer surely though there may be other causes yet this is the chiefe Iam. 4. 3. We have asked and have not received because we have asked amisse And that we may the better discerne what hath been amisse in our prayers I will shew you how those prayers should be qualified that should prevaile with God First We must pray fervently and importunately as they that will receive no nay in their suits The effectuâ—ll fervent prayer of a righteous man saith the Apostle Iam. 5. 16. â—vailâ—th much The prayâ—r of the most righteous man that is cannot be effectuall nor availe much unlesse it be fervent And to such prayer onely is the promise made Ier. 29. 13. Ye shall seeke for me and find me wheâ— ye shall sâ—arch for me with all your heart The want of this fervency in prayer the Prophet complaineth of
as of the chiefe cause why God did hide His face from His people and consumed them with His judgements Esa. 64. 7. There is noâ—e that câ—lleth upâ—n Thy Name that stirreth â—p hâ—mself to take hâ—ld of Thee By prayer the faithfull may as it were take hold on God they may hold His hands from 〈◊〉 them as Moâ—â— did when God said to him Exâ—d 32. 10. Let Me â—lone But none doth thus effectually call upon God and take hold of Him that prayeth coldly and drowsily but he onely that stirreth up and rowâ—eth himselfe unto this duty that he may do it fervently And â—urely this mâ—y be one cause why God hath given no better answer to our prayers hitherto because he seeth how cold and drowsâ—e we have beene in them how little affected we have beene with the miseries of our brethren whom we have seemed to pray for When our blessed Saviour was in His agony and his soule was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death Mat. 26. 38. His Disciples Peter and Iames and Iohn whom He desired to watch with Him and to be some helpe to Him in that His distresse fell asleepe so little sense had they of His extreme misery Mat. 26. 40. And even so have we carried our selves towards our brethren the members of Christ we have pretended a willingnesse to yeeld them our helpe in the miseries they are in but alas in the prayers that we have seemed to make for them we have beene overtaken with drowsinesse and sleepinesse we have beene in them little or nothing at all touched with the sense of their distresse But as our Saviour said then unto those His Disciples Mat 26. 41. Watch and pray So say I unto you beloved you can never do your selves or your brethren good by your prayers unlesse when you pray you watch and looke well to your hearts to keepe them from drowsinesse and senslesnesse from wandring and roving that when you pray you may pray with fervency and feeling of your owne necessities and of the necessities of them that you do pray for Let us not thinke that because we see no better fruit of our prayers the Lord hath beene displeased with us for keeping these fasts and presuming to become sâ—itors to Him for our brethren But let us rather judge that He hath therefore delayed to answer us hitherto that He might cause us hereby to cry lowder and to be more importunate and fervent with Him in our prayers For so dealt He with the good woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 22 24. 26. He did not onely delay to helpe her but by His neglecting of her and the rough answers He gave her seemed angry with her and willing to discourage her not out of any dislike He had to her or her suit wherewith doubtlesse He was much pleased but onely to increase her fervency and importunity in prayer Secondly We must pray in faith and confidence to be heard Let him aske in faith saith the Apostle Iam. 1. 6 7. els let him not think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. And surely we have just cause to pray in faith and confidence that we shall prevaile with God in these prayers that we make for our distressed brethren Many good grounds of confidence we have 1. We have heard that it is the will and commandement of God that we should pray for them And this is the confidence that we have in Him saith the Apostle I Iâ—h 5. 14. that if we aske any thing according to His will He heareth us 2. These extraordinary prayers and fasts that we keepe are injoyned us by publique authority of our gracious Soveraigne and of the State And even that is a thing highly pleasing unto God and will much further the successe of our prayers Therefore also it is mentioned by the Holy Ghost as a matter of no small imporâ—ance in two of the most succesfull fasts that is in that of Iâ—dah 2 Chron. 20. 3. Iehoshaphat feared and set himself to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all ludah And in that of the Ninivites Ion. 3. 7. He caused it to be proclaimed and published through Niniveh by the decree of the King and his Nobles saying c. 3. These fasts are kept generally and every where throughout the Land and that is also a thing that God is much pleased with such prayers and dayes of humiliation that have beene so universall have beene wont much to prevaile with God as we have already heard out of Iudg. 20. 26. 2 Chron. 20. 3 13. Ion. 3. 5 7 8. 4. The nation and people that we pray for are Gods owne people and such as beare His Name Admit our Land be as sinfull as Sodom was yet remember that if there had beene but ten such in Soâ—om as we have many thousands of in our Land God had heard Abrahams prayer even for Sodom because of them Gen. 18. 32. Of our Land blessed be God we may yet say there is no nation in the world at this day that hath so many righteous persons in it or that hath the Gospell preached in it in that sincerity and power as we have Nay there is no City in the world where the Gospell is so plentifully and so faithfully preached nor wherein God is so purely worshipped as in that City that we meet together this day to pray for And what an encouragement that may be unto us in our prayers is plaine by that speech of the Prophet in his prayer unto God for Iudah Ier. 14. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not And this must be acknowledged for another cause why our prayers hitherto have sped no better we have not prayed in faith Many have joyned with us whose persons God never yet accepted or was well pleased with And till God have respect to Abel himselfe He will never have respect to any offâ—ing of his Gen. 4. 4. And such of us as are in the state of grace yet have we not stirred up our faith and confidence to speed in the prayers we have made Do it hereafter and thou shalt be sure to speed the better in thy prayers for it Say unto thy soule when thou preparest thy selfe to pray as David did Psal. 42. 11 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God Put thy confidence in God hope and expect to receive a gracious answer from Him when thou prayest unto Him and thou shalt find better successe in thy prayers than thou hast beene wont to do Thirdly We must pray in sense of our owne unworthinesse no man is fit to pray for Gods people but he that feeles the plague of his owne heart as Salomon speaketh I King 8. 38. But how can that be will you say if I have when I pray a deepe