are aliants and strangers from it haue been of opinion that if any of the faithfull seruants of God in his Church would pray for them that God would be mercifull vnto them for their sakes then how much more they that are the true members of the Church of God may verely beleeue that God will heare their fellow brethren for them For as in a familie if strangers can hope that if some seruant of speciall account doe speake to the master for them hee will doe some thing at their request then they that are of the same house may bee assured much more that the intreatie of their fellow seruants shall doe them much good So in the house of God Ephe. 2.12 if they that are strangers from the couenant of promise and haue no hope and are without God in the world yet thinke that his seruants shall be heard for them then how much more may they that are of the household of faith themselues beleeue that God will heare their fellow seruants for them seeing that he hath not onely giuen them leaue but commanded them to speake and intreate one for another and themselues are such alreadie as hee meaneth to doe good vnto And this is that that we reade of in the person of Pharaoh King of Egypt Pharaoh often desired Moses and Aaron to pray for him who though he could not abide Moses and Aaron yet when the hand of God was heauie vpon him hee was many times compelled to seeke to them for their prayers and his owne conscience did tell him that the Lord might happely heare them for him though himselfe was vnworthie once to bee regarded of him As when himselfe and his land was punished with frogs hee called for them and said Pray yee vnto the Lord Exod. 8.8 that hee may take away the frogges from me and from my people and afterwards when they were punished with great swarmes of flyes so that the earth was corrupt with them he said I will let you goe Vers 28. that yee may sacrifice vnto the Lord your God in the wildernesse but goe not farre away pray for me and thirdly when the Lord sent thunder and haile and lightning so that the fire was mingled with the haile he sent and called for them and said vnto them Chap. 9.27 I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders and haile and I will let you goe and ye shall tarie no longer Where at the last hee confesseth himselfe and all his people to bee wicked and to haue deserued these plagues but he prayeth these his seruants to pray to God for them and they doe so and at their prayers the Lord remoueth these seuerall plagues Thus this wicked man when he was in the middest of his deserued punishments and had no heart in them to goe to God himselfe yet sought to others that he was well perswaded of and receiued great good often by their prayers Ieroboam desired the Prophet to pray for him when his hand was withered So did that wicked man Ieroboam King of Israel of whom it is often said to his shame that hee caused Israel to sinne when the man of God came out of Iudah at the commandement of the Lord vnto Bethâ—el where hee stood by his idolatrous altar to offer incense and reproued for his idolatrie and cried out against the altar he hearing it stretched out his hand and said Lay hold on him but his hand which he put out against him dried vp and he could not pull it in againe to him Then the King said vnto the man of God 1. King 13.6 I beseech thee pray vnto the Lord thy God and make intercession for me that mine hand may be restored vnto me And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was afore So though he could not pray himself and say I beseech thee my God with hope that God would heare him yet hee desireth the Prophet to pray to his God and thought that another might be heard for him and so he was Thus did Zedekiah King of Iudah though neither himselfe nor the Princes could abide Ieremy the Prophet Zedekiah desired the prayers of Ieremy neither did they reuerence him or the doctrine that he deliuered vnto them for they would not obey the words of the Lord which he spake vnto them yet when they were in great distresse Jerem. 37.3 because the Chaldeans did besiege the citie hee sent certaine men vnto him saying Pray now vnto the Lord our God for vs. Behold how the most vngodly are driuen to iustifie this holie ordinance of prayer in such wise that they are compelled to seeke to those sometimes for their prayers whom otherwise they doe not loue neither haue any good opinion of but rather hate them and account them their enemies Euen as those in our time who though they neuer cared for the ministerie of the word nor for the assemblies of Gods people nor for his seruants yet when they are in any great miserie or feare and lie at the point of death are inforced to send to them whom they neuer cared for in their life and to intreate them to pray for them whom they would neuer intreate for any thing before Lastly Simon Magus the Sorcerer heard Peter the Apostle iustlie denounce the fearefull iudgement of God against him for his sinne he fearing it Act. 8.24 desired Peter to pray for him saying Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye haue spoken may come vpon me This wicked man who of a long time had bewitched the Samaritanes with his sorceries And Simon Magus of Peter saying that himselfe was some great man hoped that al that euill which his sinnes had deserued and which God had threatned against him might by the prayers of his seruants be turned from him and so hee escape them Shall not wee then much more who haue a desire to please God and to walke in his waies hope that the prayers of others shall be auaileable to turne from vs al those euils which our own consciences tell vs we haue iust cause to feare if wee seeke vnto them for them Let vs then in the feare of God and as we loue our owne wealth determine to practise this Christian dutie much more than we haue done and let vs be heartely sorie that for want of it we haue neglected our own good too much What good we might haue gotten if we had sought to others for their prayers For many great things might wee haue obtained many fearefull troubles might wee soone haue been deliuered out of yea some grieuous things that haue befallen vs might haue bin by the grace of God wisely preuented if we had sought vnto others who might haue intreated the Lord for vs. In which
out of hope that others may bee benefited by them besides those for whom they were first prepared so if they be J shall not repent me of this double labour the one in preaching of them and the other in publishing of them I haue intituled them Medicines for the Plague because they containe many meditations fit for that euill both to preuent it and to beare it patiently and to be recouered out of it and to die comfortably in it And I must needs confesse that I did not make choice of this text to intreat of that argument of purpose for then I might haue taken many other more fit in the Scripture and this to say the truth doth not properly concerne it one whit but hauing entred into this Psalme before there was any great rumor of the Plague vpon this occasion of the Kings Highnesse his first comming into these parts of his dominion and so in the beginning handling something of our dutie vnto our soueraigne prince according to the generall drift of the text when this new accident of the Plague fell out because the Psalme did still so farre agree with the time as it was a time of trouble I held on my course and made a vertue of necessitie and so did applie the Scripture vnto the time and all meditations of trouble arising out of it vnto this one kind of trouble of the Plague especially proper vnto that time so far as it was necessarie And so during the time of the publicke fasts commaunded by publicke authoritie and generally vsed for the most part euery where continuing in this text as the Plague encreased so in my whole course I did still aime at that more and more Whereupon it commeth to passe that the Medicines for the Plague so called are inserted somewhat after the beginning and so more towards the middest and in the end most of all according to the time Therefore though this one thing be not dispersed through the whole booke and in euery Sermon though it be in the most the whole booke not vnfitly hath his denomination thereof euen as some compound medicines are called not of all but of one principall ingredient and that also which in the artificiall confection is added to the rest in the middest or rather sometimes euen at the last And as the same Apothecaries though they haue more of that stuffe remaining put to no more than is fit at that time for the present receit so though there was more of this Psalme remaining vnhandled yet I left it off when the Lord in so great mercie did put an end almost to the Plague especially in the chiefe parts of this realme at what time also all men did discontinue their weekely fasting And though I meant nothing lesse at the first preaching of them than that they should thus be divulged yet seeing the Lord did afterwards put it into my mind as I am persuaded and gaue me good successe by his blessing in setting them downe in writing J doe not repent me of this labour And it shall not be vnprofitable for vs all by this meanes so long after both to remember in what case we were then to be still humbled by it and what we then prayed for that now wee may be thankefull and what wee then vowed that now we may performe it and that we may be prepared for the like againe And thus hoping of your Christian patience and charitable iudgement of these my indeuors and of my good meaning in them I commend them to your godly consideration with my prayers for you and for them vnto him who onely giueth encrease to the planting and watering of all men according to his heauenly wisdome 1. Cor. 3.6 and desire you also that you would further me with your prayers this way and euery way that so we may all of vs receiue as much as we giue according to the promise of our Sauiour Christ Luke 6.38 Looke vvith vvhat measure you mete vnto others vvith the same it shall be mete vnto you againe In hope whereof I rest and bid you heartely farewell in the Lord. Norton in Suffolke May. 1604. Yours in all Christian duties for the Lords sake Nicholas Bownd GODLIE SERMONS VPON PART OF THE TWENTITH PSALME full of instruction and comfort very fit generally for all times of affliction but more particularly applied to this late visitation of the Plague Preached at Norton in Suffolke THE FIRST SERMON VPON THE inscription or title of the Psalme To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THis Psalme as appeareth by the inscription was made by the Prophet Dauid The author of this Psalme and to whom it was committed as most of the Psalmes were and not as a priuate thing belonging to himselfe alone but for the benefit of the whole Church as the rest of the Scriptures also were written to that end and therefore it was deliuered or specially by him commended vnto him that excelleth namely in Musicke that is vnto one of the Leuites that was skilfull in Musicke to bee sung publikely in the Temple and therefore by him to bee set vnto some tune fit for it according to the manner of Gods worship in those daies and according to the diuision of the offices of the Leuites made by Dauid for all kinde of Musicke both with voyce and with diuers kinds of instruments 1. Chron. 25. as appeareth in the booke of the Chronicles And the whole Psalme thus made and directed is a prayer of the Church for Dauid their King The argument of this Psalme For in the beginning and end of the Psalme there are the words of supplication and prayer desiring some thing of the Lord in the middest they shew with what faith they do pray And it is euident that they pray not for themselues onely but for another for they say The Lord heare thee and defend thee c. and they meane their King whom in the sixt verse they call the Lords annointed it was made by Dauid as appeareth by the title He then teacheth the people to pray for himselfe desireth their prayers telleth them for what they should pray and giueth them a forme of it The occasion of it The time when he made this prayer for them and the occasion of it is not set downe in the title as it is in some other Psalmes but yet it is thought by diuers that it was when hee went to battell against the Ammonites Which thing as it is but coniecturall so we are sure of this out of the words of the text that it was in a time of great daunger not onely to his owne person as appeareth in the first and second verses but to the whole realm as is euident vers 7.8 and it was a time of war for they speake of chariots and horses as of meanes of defence vers 7. He then in a matter of great moment fleeth to God for succour as to his only defence he vseth all good meanes
it and as for prayer they know not how to pray one word aright So did hee also heare the man of God that prayed for Ieroboam the idolatrous king of Israel when his hand was dried vp as we haue seene euen now so that both these were deliuered from their seueral plagues that were vpon them by the prayers of others when they neither knew how to pray themselues neither had any desire to learne The like may be said of the prayers of Abraham which hee in great compassion made for the filthie wicked Sodomites Gen. 18.32 that the Lord did heare him sixe times praying for them though they were so beastly minded that they could haue no care to pray for themselues Therefore though they who in faith and loue to their brethren pray for others may hope to be heard for them that doe not neither can pray for themselues at all as the Israelites were willed to pray for the prosperitie of the King of Babylon in the time of their captiuitie Ierem. 29.7 and Paul willeth the Church to pray for the Romane Emperours 1. Tim. 2.1 who were Heathen and wee doe pray according to the will of God for the Iewes Turkes and all Infidels yet they that desire others to pray for them But wee can haue little comfort in the prayers of others if wee pray not for our selues and looke for some benefit by their prayers must be sure that they pray themselues for themselues otherwise they can haue little comfort in them For euen as when wee stand in neede of the helpe of some great man and hee not onely pitieth our estate but mindeth to doe vs good and therefore willeth vs to come to him and to make our estate knowne vnto him and yet we should neglect to doe that but goe and desire others to speake for vs and they also should doe so would not he say vnto them wherefore doth hee not come and speake for himselfe Will he set other men aworke and take no paines for himselfe And so many times their speech for vs when wee refuse to open our mouthes for our selues shall not onely not further our suites but rather hinder them where if wee did first intreate our selues and then they come after vs or with vs they might greatly further vs So when wee come vnto the Lord to make our requests knowne vnto him in supplication and prayer as hee calleth all men thereunto indifferently without respect of persons saying Iam. 1. ◠If any man lack wisedome let him aske it of God who giueth to all men liberally c and for all this in our great need we will not pray our selues or not as wee should but desire others to pray for vs and trust only to that it shal be said vnto vs by the Lord Why do you not pray your selues I haue commanded you to call vpon me in the time of your trouble Psal 50.15 and I wil heare you deliuer you whereas if we do pray earnestly our selues and others at our request doe second our prayers the prayers of many euē of two or three shal greatly preuaile further our prayers Thus wee see what intent and purpose we must haue whē we desire others to pray for vs namely not to neglect our owne prayers because of that Dauid desired the people to pray for him and did pray himselfe also We haue a notable example of this euen in this Psalm in the person of Dauid who desiring many men euen the whole church of God at Ierusalē to pray for him did not only himself in all his actions from day to day vse feruent prayer but openly professeth it vnto them before hand desiring them to further his prayers So did that good King Hezekiah when he was in feare of the hoste of Senacherib 2. King 19.1 hee went himselfe first into the house of the Lord to pray to him for his defence and then hee sent messengers to the Prophet Esay Vers 4. and desired him to pray for him and for the remnant of the people that were left and so he did So did Hezekiah when he desired the prayers of Isaiah and therefore it said that both of them did pray euen Hezekiah as well as Esay the King that sent vnto him as well as the Prophet whose prayers were desired and he rested not in this that hee had sent to the Prophet Esay a man of God who was well able and willing to pray for him and for all the rest for thus it is written that when the Captaine of the hoste of the King of Ashur had spued out his blasphemie against God and against Hezekiah in the eares of the people that Hezekiah the King 2. Chron. 32.20 and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amoz prayed against it and cried to heauen So did the Apostle Paul not neglect to pray himselfe for the obtaining of those benefits wherein he desired the help of the Romanes and of the Corinthians For he thus writeth of himselfe God is my witnes Rom. 1.9 whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwaies in my prayer And Paul when he craued the prayers of the Romanes and Corinthians Chap. 15.30 beseeching that by some meanes one time or other I might haue a prosperous iourney by the will of God to come vnto you And afterwards Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayers to God for mee that I may come vnto you with ioy by the will of God And to the Corinthians We trust in God that hereafter he will deliuer vs so that ye labour together in prayer for vs. 2. Cor. 1.10 So that in both these places he insinuateth thus much that as hee had often prayed for himselfe so he would do still willing them not onely to striue but to striue with him in their prayers for him For to shew it in that comparison which the Apostle vseth as if one should bee striuing to obtaine some great thing and then should desire others to put to their helping hand he would not giue it ouer himselfe and lay the whole burden vpon them but striue still with them so did S. Paul here and so must we doe But the example of Queene Hester is most fit for this purpose And Queene Hester when she desired the Iewes to fast and pray for her Hest. 4.16 who in that great and common calamitie of the Iewes which Hamans malice had brought vpon them shee was determined to make suite to the King for them she commanded that all of them should not only pray but fast for her and that three daies and three nights she did not purpose to take any libertie to her selfe thereby but said plainly that she her selfe and her maides would doe so likewise And thus when all prayed together God
denie but that this dutie of prayer for him is greatly neglected of many for how few doe vse to pray for him at home in their houses And bind themselues to it as a matter of dutie and at Church also they pray not for him as for themselues But the Apostle Paul chargeth Timothy a Minister of the Gospell to practise and to teach this I exhort saith he that supplications 1. Tim. 2.1 prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First of all pray for all sorts rich and poore bond and free next for those of whom there might bee some question then as for Kings and gouernours because they were enemies to the Church and people of God So then if we had the most wicked King and cruel tyrant set ouer vs as some haue in these daies and our forefathers haue had in the daies of superstition and Poperie yet wee ought all to pray for them for though they were nought themselues yet the gouernment is good and of the Lord much more then should we doe for those that are good What great reason there is of it as for our King he being a professor of the Gospel which is rare among Princes in these daies and after the purest manner and truly called the Defender of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith A great learned man also able to iudge of things himselfe and more learned than any Prince that we know of being brought vp of a childe in learning vnder most excellent schoolemasters and tutors his learned bookes also doe sufficiently testifie of his great learning both in the tongues the Artes and in the word of God He is one of great gouernment in himselfe both for apparell and for diet lowly minded and not ambitiously puft vp with the accesse of so great kingdomes and for his wisedome he hath been long exercised in gouernment and in gouerning of a troublesome kingdome A man of great courage for the warres and of policie for peace and in a word the mirrour of the world What cause then haue we to pray for him And that we might doe it What great benefits we enioy vnder the gouernment of our King let vs remember how the Apostle telleth vs of the benefits that wee receiue by our Kings and to what end their gouernment is appointed namely not for themselues but for their subiects that they by their meanes might liue peaceably honestly and godlily which are three great cōmodities and comforts of this life and without which our life were not life And first for peace nothing is more to bee desired than that for if we had all that we haue and a great deale more and yet were subiect to warres abroad or forren inuasions or to robbers and theeues at home it would doe vs little good And yet this peace without godlinesse is nothing worth as if wee had not the meanes of our saluation and might not thus come to the Church to serue God according to his word and to leade our liues thereafter And if we had these yet if there should bee no honestie among men nor any true dealing one with another so that one man might not trust another but there were lying deceiuing oppression and such like without controulment Now all these benefits of peace honestie and godlinesse we haue by the meanes of our King especially wee may looke for them vnder his gouernment 1. As to liue peaceably For as for forren enemies and inuasions which in former times wee haue been in feare of he is in league with all Christian Princes round about him so that we shall not need to feare them and as for tumultuous and disordred persons at home the lawes are still in force to suppresse them and it is like that new shal be made if there be any cause and though some doe breake out in hope of the Kings pardon yet for the time present the lawes will take hold of them and how farre his gracious pardon will extend they know not we may be sure that all such shall be exempted who doe euill before hand in hope of it 2. Godlily And we hope to liue godlily vnder him for we doubt not but that the Gospel shall be continued and wee hope that the estate of it shall be bettered and though the Papists seeke for a toleration of their superstition and comfort themselues with false promises that way yet we hope that their eyes shall fall out with looking for it in vaine for seeing that hee hath kept it out of Scotland all this while when he was of lesser power there is no likelihood that he should now yeeld vnto them when he is of greater power and more able to keepe vnder the whole route of them But the more obstinately that they seeke for it the more earnestly had we need to pray to God for the King to bee zealous against them 3. Honestly Lastly we hope to liue honestly vnder him for he seeketh alreadie the good of all his subiects as appeareth by his proclamations wherein he hath giuen all men that are any way oppressed to complaine of their griefes yea though it bee against them that are in authoritie with good hope of finding reliefe he hath also put downe the Monopolies and such like kinde of abuses because they stood not with the common profit of his people and this he hath done though his Maiestie was interressed in some of them and some vnder the colour and pretence of that hoped stil to retaine them Therefore when we haue and looke still to enioy such great benefits by his most gracious gouernment what great cause haue wee to pray for him What cause we haue to pray for the life of our King And the greater that these benefits be the more cause haue we to pray for his life by whom next vnder God we looke to haue them continued For if he should miscarrie which God of his great mercie keepe from vs then all these great blessings might goe away with him at once For though by the grace of God he hath issue of his owne bodie lawfully begotten in holy Matrimony who shal sit in the throne of the kingdome after him yet they are all yong and it is no great blessing but rather a punishment to haue children raigne ouer vs Jsai 3.4 as the Prophet saith For besides many great wants that would be found in them the Nobles and Peeres of the land and such great men could not so well bee kept in order some of them when there were none to complaine of them if they should offend a Lord Protector or Viceroy carieth not the maiestie of a King in the hearts of men The forraine enemies would be more bold against a childe than against a man both of wisedom and courage yea there would be more
sheweth what hee would then doe namely flee to God for succour pray to him and call vpon his name that he might heare him and defend him He would vse all good meanes fit for that purpose but he would not neglect this knowing that all they were nothing without this for they must haue their successe and blessing from God by prayer For he knew that though he had men and horses and munition fit for war yet as he saith in another Psalme I trust not in my bow Psal 44.6 33 16. neither can my sword saue me and againe The King is not saued by the multitude of an hoste neither is the mightie man deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength for as Salomon saith when the horse is prepared against the battell Prou. 21.31 yet then saluation is of the Lord who is truly and properly called the Lord of hostes because hee is aboue all and commandeth al and therefore as King Asa confesseth in his prayer it is nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power 2. Chron. 14.11 Therefore he was determined especially to pray to God in all his troubles that he might saue him and so he did as appeareth by Psalm 21. So did King Hezekiah when the hoste of the King of Ashur came vp to Ierusalem against him Jsai 37.16 So haue other good Kings done saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the heauē the earth incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see c. Saue thou vs out of the hands of Sanecherib that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. Thus also did good King Iehosaphat one of his predecessors when the Ammonites came to battell against him and did not onely seeke to the Lord by prayer but proclaimed a fast 2. Chron. 20.3 that he might pray the more feruently and the forme of his prayer is set downe there And in thus doing hee followeth the example of his good father King Asa Chap. 14.9 who when Zerah of Aethopia came out against him with an hoste of ten hundreth thousand chariots hee went out also before him and set the battell in aray but then hee cried vnto the Lord his God saying Helpe vs O Lord our God for wee rest on thee and in thy name are wee come foorth against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee So that it appeareth that this which Dauid did now hath been the common practise of all the godly Kings when they haue been in feare of their enemies and so it hath been a day of trouble with them as it was now with him So must all men seeke to God in all kinde of troubles Now that that is said of this kinde of trouble and of these kind of men is true of al other both sorts of trouble and degrees of men that whatsoeuer troubles or daungers not onely Kings but al others shall fall into at any time great or small if they will haue comfort in them or looke for any deliuerance out of them they must seeke for it at the hand of God by supplication and prayer who onely can giue it of whom alone commeth al the means of our deliuerance and the whole disposition and wise vsing of them and the whole successe and blessing vpon them from whom also may come that that we seeke for without all meanes and without whose aide all things will doe vs no good For as it is said man liueth not by bread onely Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and as Christ saith in the Gospel no mans life consisteth in the abundance of that that he possesseth Luk. 12.15 that is in all things it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon them that must doe vs good So that in all troubles wee must put that in practise which the Lord speaketh of Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are readie to seeke to this bodie and to that and to call vpon them for help but God saith Call vpon me and that we might doe it he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he will heare vs and deliuer vs. And this Dauid beleeued when he saith in the words following Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will heare c. And vnto this agreeth that which the Apostle Saint Iames setteth downe Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13 let him pray where he speaketh vnto all and in what kind of affliction soeuer they be Therefore as prayer is alwaies requisite and necessary according to the doctrine of the Apostle who saith 1. Thessal 5.17 Pray continually and in another place Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance so most of all in the time of trouble For as Peter when he walked on the water to go to Iesus and saw a mightie winde so that hee was afraide and began to sinke cried saying Master saue me Matth. 14.29 The time of trouble is the speciall time of prayer so all men the more euident and dangerous their trouble is the more earnestly should they pray vnto God for helpe For the lesse able that they are to helpe themselues or others to doe any thing for them the more should they seeke for help from God who is able sufficiently to affoord it And truly many times God doth of purpose bring vs into trouble that wee might call vpon him and so hee might heare vs in the day of our trouble So that no trouble should so dismay vs that it should hinder vs from prayer but rather quicken vs vp vnto it and to a greater feruency in it Psal 10.1 For when the Church saith Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction it sheweth that as that is the fittest time for the Lord to heare and helpe vs so for vs to pray vnto him and to seeke for helpe at his hands Therefore let vs not onely not thinke that trouble doth exempt vs from prayer or that it is so great that we cannot pray and if wee were out of it and so might haue our mindes quiet we would pray as that we beleeue rather that God at no time looketh for so much prayer at our hands as when hee laieth affliction and trouble vpon vs. Both publike and priuate So that if our troubles bee priuate wee must often and earnestly pray priuately and if they be publike wee must haue publike prayer thereafter that so God may heare vs euery way in the day of our troubles which he cannot doe
his name And this is the rather to bee marked because that the Lord when hee would make himselfe best knowne vnto Moses Exod. 34.6 and so did to that end proclaime his name as it is said speaketh thus The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious God is answerable to his good name though men be not so alwaies slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne c. See what a name the Lord giueth to himselfe that wee might be incouraged to come vnto him And hee not onely hath this name but he is answerable vnto it and is so indeeded and wee shall finde him to be so Many men haue better names than they deserue though some haue worse for they are said to be pitifull and gentle and courteous but when we come to deale with them wee finde it otherwise for men in iudging are oftentimes deceiued and some speake according to their owne opinion But the God of truth speaketh of himselfe as he is therefore as hee is called mercifull so he is and hath alwaies bin found to be so and shall be to the end of the world Therfore as among men to confirme vs in their good name wee consider how they haue often bin beneficiall vnto others to our selues how they haue oftentimes holpen others in their need so that we might know God to be so wholy agreeable vnto his name consider how he hath in former times bin good vnto men that haue prayed vnto him yea to our owne selues As how hee heard the crie of the Israelites in Egypt Exod. 3.8.9 when they were oppessed with his tyrannie and came downe to deliuer them and how he heard Moses for them at the red sea Exod. 14.15 and made a passage for them thorow it that they might escape their pursuers and how often he heard him for them in the wildernes both for water and for flesh Exod. 17.4 Numb 11.11 Gen. 28.10 32.9 and for deliuerances from many plagues how he heard Iacob when he fled from his brother Esau and when he met him again and deliuered him from him how he heard all the Iewes in the daies of Queene Hester and deliuered them from the mischieuous practise of Haman their enemie Hest 8.16.17 yea how he hath heard our selues praying to him publikely and priuately that so by experience we might know him to be according to his name so this name of his might incourage vs to prayer for he hath a good name most deseruedly But because of the time I must leaue this somewhat vnperfect I wil proceed in it by the grace of God the next day for I see that all things cannot be spoken at once THE SEVENTH SERMON vpon the first verse and part of the second The name of the God of Iacob defend thee COncerning the name of God spoken of here I am further to adde this That seeing neither we nor any other can pray vnto God but according to the knowledge that we haue of his name As Salomon saith in his prayer that the very stranger a farre off hearing of the name of God should be moued to come to the temple and pray there and desireth God to heare the prayers of such as well as of the Iewes 1. King 8.41 moreouer as touching the stranger that is not of thy people Israel who shall come out of a far countrie for thy Names sake when they shall heare of thy great Name and of thy mightie hand and of thy stretched out arme and shall come and pray in this house We are to pray that all nations might know the name of God that so they might seeke to him heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place and doe according to al that the stranger calleth for vnto thee that all the people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as do thy people Israel c where wee see what should moue them to come to the Temple and pray euen the knowledge of Gods name· seeing then I say without this men cannot call vpon God we are to pray that all the Nations in the world euen the Iewes and the Turkes and those that are a far off might know the great and glorious name of God that they might ioyne themselues vnto the visible Church and with them pray vnto God serue him For according to the name of God so is our feare of him and loue to him and faith in him and also prayer vnto him Especially we are to pray for our afflicted brethren at this time and those that are visited with the pestilence that God in the midst of their troubles would make knowne vnto them his name euen how mercifull he is to al that repent as our Sauiour Christ hath most comfortably shewed in the parable of the prodigall sonne who after hee had forsaken his fathers house and had wasted all his goods with riotous liuing at the last returned vnto his father Luc. 15.13 Especially they that are visited with the plague and said Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne Then his father did not only willingly receiue him and bad his seruants bring foorth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feete and kil the fat calfe and make a feast for his safe returne but when he was a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him And as he hath also shewed the same mercie of God in his manifold gracious promises most louingly calling vnto him all those that truly repent as Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burden is light And againe the Lord saith Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee And Psal 50 1◠Ioel. 2.32 Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued and such like that so according to the greatnes of his name they might be moued to come vnto him in this trouble of theirs that God might heare them and help them For it is to be feared that many whose case is to bee pitied for want of this sauing knowledge of the name of God That by it they may know his name and so pray vnto him Hos 7.14 roare and crie out for the extremitie of their paine but doe not vnfainedly and from the bottome of the heart with true repentance and a liuely faith pray vnto God as the Lord complaineth of the Iewes They haue not cried vnto me with their hearts when they howled vpon their beds They are so ignorant that they know not
euill but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand be on me and on my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction Then the plague ceased and God commanded the Angell to stay his hand saying It is enough let thine hand cease So no doubt if all men could come thus to confesse their sins vnto God accusing themselues and not laying them vpon others yea to iudge themselues for thē worthie of death as hee did and accordingly be humbled before God and especially if wee could come to haue that feeling of the miserie of our brethren and pray for them in compassion then this example might minister vnto vs some comfort when we should thus say O God that diddest thus spare thy people in the daies of Dauid when they confessed their sinnes vnto thee spare vs also and our brethren who desire to humble our selues before thee Then also might we further consider how when the Lord sent the Pestilence into Egypt vpon Pharoh and his people according to that which he had threatned before saying I will smite thee and thy people with the Pestilence and thou shalt perish from the earth Exod. 9.15 it was a very great plague for it was in euery house in the land but it was in great mercy for but one onely in a house dyed And of the Israelites when the plague was in Egypt euen the first borne then they marked the doore of the Israelites by the appoyntment of Moses with the blood of a Lambe which was a representation of the blood of Christ that the destroyer might not enter in And by this we might see that as sinne is the cause of al plagues so in the middest of them God will be mercifull to those that are his though they be mingled with the rest In which respect wee must confesse that it is no maruaile if this plague be so vniuersal in the land seeing that sin hath so long abounded in all places nay it is Gods mercy that it is not in all places and in euery house for all haue grieuously sinned against him For if wee rightly consider the sins of our time we must needs say that they are many great For how hath this long patience of fiue and fortie yeeres of the Gospell bin abused of all sorts How little fruite of it is there in many places what great ignorance is there of the will of God euery where and lesse practise of that that men know How is the worship of God prophaned being placed of many in ceremony rather than in truth Whether we consider the Egyptians that were punished for their sinnes iustly for they content themselues with this outward comming to Church but neglect the power of the meanes there vsed and thus the name of God is dishonoured by their carnall profession and wicked liues The Lords Sabbaths haue bin most grieuously polluted by keeping of Faires on them and by Interludes Bearebaitings Bulbaitings and by other disorders of football and such like and men would not bee spoken to in these cases if they were they were readie to stand in the defence of them so farre were they from amending thē how haue these daies I say which wee should consecrate as glorious to the Lord Jsai 58.13 and call them our delight how haue they been abused by not comming to Church not bringing their whole families with them by sleeping and talking here and not spending the rest of the day in the seruice of God What great contempt is there euery where of superiours How vnruly the seruants and children How is the aged despised and the gray haires brought into contempt What little care is there in the gouernours to amend these by any good order in their houses either of priuate prayer reading the Scriptures and such like Who almost hath the care of Dauid to reforme his house who said I will walke in the vprightnes of mine heart in the middest of mine house Psal 101.2 Vers 7. and there shall no deceitfull person dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight Who doth determine and say with Ioshuah I and my house will serue the Lord let all the world besides doe what they will Josh 24.15 Of how few can it bee truly said as the Lord saith of Abraham I know him Gen. 18.19 that he will commaund his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon him that he hath spoken vnto him How few also haue any good orders in their houses for praiers at morning euening or other times That it might be said of them Dan. 6.10 as it is of Daniel that it was his manner three times a day to fall vpon his knees to pray vnto God and to praise his God yea then when hee could not doe it without danger of his life That so it might be said of them all as it was of Cornelius Act. 10.2 that worthie Christian souldier and Captain That he feared God all his houshold when his familie must needs be very great being of that place that hee was as it appeareth by the storie that indeed it was But to proceed though I doe it with an heauie heart what hatred rankor and malice is there among many that they are readie to kill one another if it were possible with a word though it be said that to call thy brother Raca or thou foole deserueth hell fire Matth. 5.22 Oh how many thousand adulteries and fornications without number haue bin and are still committed for which there fel in one day among the people of God three and twentie thousand 1. Cor. 10.8 In which kind of sinne aboue all others as the Apostle saith they sinne against their owne bodies Chapt. 6.18 therefore God many waies punisheth them in their bodies and if there were no sinne among vs but this it were sufficient to prouoke this great plague and it may iustly raigne in the bodies of a great many vnto death and in others with noysom and painfull vlcers and sores And I haue heard it obserued if it be true that is reported that in London this pestilence hath been most hot in that part of the citie that hath been most polluted this way as in Shoreditch and in the suburbs and such out-places where it hath swept them away by whole families and streetes like a deuouring fire as the holy man Iob doth fitly compare the iudgement of God against this sinne vnto that saying This is fire that shall consume to destruction Job 31.12 not onely of the goods whereof he speaketh but euen of the bodie also But there are more sins among vs than these though these be too many and enough to prouoke the Lords wrath against vs as the great hard dealing and iniustice that is among men whereby they
oppresse the poore both in lending to them vpon vsurie and when a man is vnder foot to exact the forfeiture vpon them what is this but to grinde the faces of the poore Jsai 3.15 and otherwise in bargaining with them besides that vnmercifulnes that there is little giuing to the poore no not at this time which is a time to receiue mercie from God yet they that should receiue it will shew little or none vnto men when the verie day of fasting doth require at their hands that they should giue something yet they are hard hearted and shut vp their compassion And what should I say of them that vnder the colour of the law haue taken away from the poore euen from the fatherlesse and the widowes all that they haue had whereby it hath come to passe that not onely they haue cried vnto the Lord against thē out of the abundance of their griefe but euen the very stones in the walles and the beames in the houses of these oppressors haue made an eccho Hab. 2.11 and answered vnto the same If the Prophet Amos prophecying against many nations did say That for three transgressions and for foure Amos 1.3 God would not spare them then when among vs not seuen but many though by seuen hee there meaneth many haue raigned long among vs and doe still no marueile if God doe not spare vs. Which sins are so much the greater among vs because God hath borne with vs so long in thē and giuen vs his word which they had not and many meanes besides to call vs from them as benefits vpon benefits fauours vpon fauours without number Therefore let vs iustifie the Lord in his righteous proceeding against vs and confesse as Daniel doth We haue sinned haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea wee haue rebelled Dan. 9.5 and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruāts thy Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings and to our Princes and to our fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and to vs open shame as appeareth this day to euery man of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and far off because of their offences that they haue committed against thee Which if we can come vnto thē we see in this storie of Exodus from which vpon occasion we haue somthing digressed what did preserue the Iewes in that plague what must preserue vs and all men Or the Israelites whom God spared of his mercie euen that the bloud of the Lambe bee sprinkled vpon the posts of our doores to keepe out the destroyer that is the bloud of Iesus Christ that immaculate Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world be sprinkled vpon our consciences by faith and that we earnestly repent vs of all our sinnes Iona. 3.8 and turne from all our euill waies as the Niniuites did and from the wickednesse of our hands and crie mightily vnto God that for Christ Iesus his sake whose most precious bloud was shed for our sinnes vpon the crosse he would spare vs and say Thou Lord who of thy great mercie for Christs sake didst commaund the destroyer to passe ouer the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when there was an vniuersall plague ouer the whole land set a marke now at the last vpon all places of this our land and countrey that thy destroying Angell might passe ouer them Thus also in this case might wee set before our eyes the example of Aaron the high Priest And when the plague was among the Iewes in the wildernes who when there was a plague begun in the hoste of Israel for their sinnes euen for their murmuring at the death of Core and his companie who iustly perished by the hand of God tooke a Censer and fire therein of the altar and put therein incense whereby the sweetnes of prayer was represented and offered vp his prayers with this incense vnto God for them Numb 16.47 and so made an attonement and when he was come among them for the plague began in one end of the campe and so spread it selfe further and further in the hoste after the manner of a plague and stood between the dead and the liuing the plague was staied A great mercie of God for it was a great plague for of it in a short time died fourteene thousand and seuen hundred The cause of it as of al others was their sinne but by the prayer of Aaron it ceased if God did heare one for so many then much more may we hope that God will heare many in his good time for the rest Let vs then looke vpon this example also and say Thou Lord who at the prayer of Aaron wast intreated to stay the pestilēce among thy people when there had died of it before foureteene thousand and more heare many and all of vs or some one among all the rest that this plague now at the last of which haue died already twenty thousand and more may be staied and so some may stand betweene the quick and the dead that is cause that the dead infect not the quicke and so it proceede no further Thus if we search the Scripture we shall both in this and all other calamities by patience and comfort of them haue hope as was said before The God of Iacob If by Iacob they meane him and his posteritie with whom God made a couenant The God of Iacob as with Abraham and Isaac that he would be their God and the God of their seede then they looke vnto this that they are of the posteritie of Iacob and so of that couenant that God made with him and his And thus the whole posteritie of the Iewes is sometimes called by his name both of Israel and Iacob as in the Psalme Often times from my youth vp may Israel now say they haue afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuaile against me Psal 129.1 And in another place Let Israel waite on the Lord Psal 130.7 and he will redeeme Israel from all his iniquities And when Balaam the false prophet was sent for to curse the Israelites in the wildernes vpon the borders of Moab he often speaketh of them by the name of Iacob as The King of Moab hath brought me from Aram saying Come Numb 23.7 curse Iacob for my sake and a little after Who can tell the dust of Iacob and lastly There is no sorcerie in Iacob Vers 10. 23. According to this sense they haue respect vnto the couenant that God made with Iacob and his posteritie for the blessing came from Isaac to him his which couenant included not only the promises of the life to come but much more of this life also as Dauid expoundeth it in the Psalm where he hauing spoken before of many great outward blessings concludeth
request vnto them and haue not a present dispatch of our suites we are ready to think that they haue other waightier busines which haue put our matter out of their heads and so we and all our busines is forgotten So are we ready to iudge of God but it is not so But hee will shew in time that he hath remembred vs. Exod. 3.7 for he remembreth the prayers that al men make according to his will and all faithfull seruices done vnto him wil therfore blesse them in time to come Thus saith the Lord of himselfe I haue surely seene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crie because of their taske-masters and know their sorrowes therefore I am come down to deliuer them out of the hand of the Egyptians c. They had been a long time in great trouble and had cried often vnto God he did not only heare them but remember them and came downe to deliuer them And this was that which the Angel that came vnto Cornelius said vnto him Act. 10.4 Thy prayers and thine almes are come vp into remembrance before God now therefore send men to Ioppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter and he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do So al the seruice that he had done vnto God and duties of loue vnto men for Gods sake were not forgotten As he did to Cornelius but God did remember them and sent an Angell vnto him to tell him so and to reward him for them by sending Peter vnto him to instruct him and his family in the waies of their saluation and that I might vse the words of Peter himselfe to speake words vnto them Chapt. 11.14 whereby both hee and all his househoulde should be saued According to this doctrine Dauid teacheth them here to pray that God would remember what he had done The Lord remembreth whatsoeuer we haue done frō our birth good or euill and what seruice he had performed vnto him and that the very smell of it as it were might stil be before him From hence we may be assured that God remembreth what all of vs haue done from our birth vnto this day for he wil iudge vs al according to our workes and that that we haue done in this world and they are all written in his booke which at the last day shall be laid open be they good or bad If wee haue done euill and carelesly forgotten it and will not remember it to repent vs of it in due time God he doth and will remember it to punish vs for it in time If we haue done any thing well and haue prayed to him and serued him in a good conscience and done good to our brethren for his sake hee remembreth all those things also to blesse vs for them 2. Cor. 15.58 and we may be assured that our labours shall not be in vaine in the Lord. To come to this particular hand of God that is now very heauie vpō vs he doth sufficiently shew thereby to all that are not wilfully blind that hee remembreth all the sinnes wherewith a long time he hath been prouoked As the great ignorance and blindnes that is euery where in this cleere light of his glorious Gospell By this visitation of the plague hee sheweth that he remembreth all the sinnes of this land the little account that men make of it and care that is in them to profit by it How great the loue of the world and of themselues is in men and how little loue of God and of their owne saluation the intollerable pride voluptuousnes vncleannes drunkennes vnmercifulnes and such like hee remembreth all these things though men haue forgotten them And though by sparing them in them yea bestowing many blessings vpon them Rom. 2.4 he did lead them to repentance yet now wee see plainly that hee did not forget them And we must thus profit by this visitation of the Lord that as the widow of Sarepta where Elijah did soiorne in the famine when her sonne fell sick and died she said vnto him O thou man of God 1. King 17.18 art thou come to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my sonne and thus by this punishment she did acknowledge and confesse And we ought so to profit by it that God had remembred her sinnes So must we all thus profit by this grieuous sicknes among vs which is vnto death to see how God remembreth all those sins euery where which men haue committed and forgotten long agoe and they thought that God had forgotten them also And so no doubt there will come a time for all men in the world wherein it shall appeare vnto them that God hath remembred their sinnes either in this world to their amendment and saluation if they be his or in the world to come to their euerlasting shame and confusion if they be his enemies And he remēbreth those that haue liued well in this wicked age So on the contrarie and more fitly for our purpose they amongst vs that haue liued well serued him in feare prayed vnto him in faith and in these euill daies haue not onely kept themselues vnspotted in the world but haue grieued at the abuses in others which they could not helpe God knoweth them all by name very well and remembreth what they haue done and wil put a difference betweene them and others in the day of his visitation and they must be comforted against it before hand that they haue thus serued God in truth and he doth remember it And this is that which the Prophet Ezekiel speaketh of to whom the destruction of Ierusalem was shewed in a vision after this manner He saw sixe men with weapons in their hands and one among them was clothed with linen Ezek. 9.3 with a writers ynkhorne by his side and the glorie of God appeared and called to the man clothed with linen And will blesse them for it when others shall be punished which had the writers ynkhorne by his side and said vnto him Goe through the middest of the the citie of Ierusalem and set a marke vpon the foreheards of them that mourne and crie for all the abominations that are done in the middest thereof and to the other he said Goe after him through the citie and smite let your eye spare none neither haue pitie destroy vtterly the old and the yong and the children and the women but touch no man vpon whom is the marke Thus wee see how in this great and vniuersall destruction wherein all sorts old and yong children and women were slaine God remembred the sorrow and griefe of those that mourned for the abuses of their time and did spare them for it And this blessing shall be vpon all those that desire vnfainedly to serue God according to his word when all the world besides forsake it they shall finde by experience that God will remember them and
to the King and we haue one in the Court to follow it wee hope wee shall not be forgotten especially if wee haue the Prince the Kings eldest sonne to make suite for vs. So seeing Christ Iesus doth deale for vs in heauen wee may bee assured that God will remember all prayers made according to his will in repentance and faith Therefore if wee haue done any thing all this while God will remember vs if wee haue done nothing then God must needes forget to blesse vs for there is nothing done for which he might remember vs. This should make vs forward in prayer and in all good things This should make al men feruent in prayer forward in all duties that so they might leaue thē as it were with God and they might bee before him night and day for a remembrance of them And that as we haue many sinnes for which hee may remember to punish vs so our repentance faith prayer seruice done to his Maiestie obedience to his word of conscience in al his commaundements and that in secret and all the good that we haue done to our brethren might also speak for vs and put him in remembrance of vs for our good That as it is written of Nehemiah that worthie seruant of God who often in the testimonie of a good conscience prayeth Nehem. 13.14 Remember me O my God and wipe not out my kindnes that I haue shewed on the house of God and on the officers thereof Vers 31. And againe Remember me O my God in goodnes So wee may pray for our selues and others in faith for vs that God would remember vs and them according to al the seruice wee haue done to him This I say should make all forward and zealous in Gods seruice both as they be Christians and in their seuerall callings that there might bee something for which they might pray themselues and others for them that God would remember them And whereas they pray for the King that God would remember all his prayers and seruices we see that we may not onely pray to God that hee would remember what wee haue done and that we now doe and what we haue done before the staying of this visitation and hope that he will remember all nay be assured of it Pray for them vnder the Plague that God would remember their former seruices though now they can doe none But pray also for all our brethren in al places that God would remember what they haue prayed and done and the fasts that haue beene in all places and are still and that all our prayers together may still speake for vs. Yea we may pray that God would heare them that are visited with his hand and not only that which they now pray but that that they haue done before when they were in health and though they cannot do as they would nay it may be for paine speake one word as hee requireth yet if they haue done any thing in truth before that he would now in this time of their neede remember that and them for it and so no doubt he will And this is a singular fruite of those that neglect not the time of prayer and of Gods seruice when they may that they shall bee remembred for it hereafter and for that which they haue done before when for the time present they shall be able to doe nothing as Dauid when he was fighting could not alwaies pray as he would and as his need required but hee desireth them to pray that God would remember that which hee had prayed before when he was able to doe it It followeth And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes The second part of this verse This is the second part of the verse where they pray that God would turne his burnt offerings into ashes that is that God would some waies declare that he had heard his prayer and receiued his seruices for where hee speaketh of sacrifices it was according to the manner of Gods seruice in those dayes where they did so offer but these were not without prayer as we see in the fourth verse in this Psalme By which prayer they sought to God that those sins for which they did offer sacrifices might be pardoned in the death of Christ whereof those sacrifices especially whole burnt offerings were a type and figure to shew that Christ should wholy offer vp himselfe to God for vs. Therfore it is said that the Priest when they brought their sacrifices Leuit. 4.20.26.31.35 should make an atonement for them that is pray to God for them to forgiue them So that though he nameth only sacrifices yet he meaneth prayer and other seruices done according to the word And when they pray that God would turne them into burnt ashes that is consume them with fire as it were sent from heauen God turned the sacrifices of Aaron into ashes he hath respect to that that God had done before thereby testifying that he did accept of their sacrifices and prayers For thus did he to Aaron when he was first consecrated to the office of the Priesthood That the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leuit. 9.23 and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the alter the burnt offering and the fat which when the people saw they gaue thankes and fell on their faces Thus when the sacrifice was laid vpon the altar fire came from the Lord and consumed it and so the people when they saw it gaue thanks for by this signe they did see that God did alow of the sacrifice of Aaron and of his Priesthood So they desire of God that he would some way shew that he had heard the prayer of the King And of Salomon So again when Salomon dedicated the temple had made a long and zealous prayer for all those that should pray in that house 2. Chron. 7.1 and had prepared a sacrifice to be offred Fire came from heauen and consumed the burnt offering and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that by this signe God did shew to them all that hee had heard the prayer of Salomon for the hallowing of that house to be the house of prayer for al nations And to conclude this poynt And of Elijah when the Prophet Elijah in the dayes of king Ahab in great zeale to call the people from their idolatry caused all the Priests of Baal to be gathered together 1. King 18.20 and they had two bullocks to be offered one for them and another for himselfe and there should be no fire put to the offerings but that God that should send fire from heauen vpō them should bee taken to bee the true God and worshipped of them The Priests of Baal because they were many began first and continued crying to him for fire vntill noone and could not bee heard Elijah at the time of the euening sacrifice prepared his and caused ditches
meete and conuenient and this must necessarily be presumed that after prayers they should waite vpon God and marke the course of his prouidence and consider what should follow that so thereby they might beleeue that God had heard them in deed Els it might wel come to passe that God for his part should sufficiently shew that hee had heard him but they should not regarde it and so they should make this prayer in vaine that hee would shew that hee heard heard him for he hath done it already but they see it not For to make this poynt more plaine in that very comparison that is here vsed if when the sacrifice was offered and God did with fire from heauen burne it vp cleane and so turne it into ashes as he did it to Aaron to Salomon to Elijah as we haue seene before he that was there present being blind could not see it or if he turned himselfe from it another way So if we be wilfully or carelesly blind in the works of God do not mark what followeth vpon our prayers good or euill wee shall vse this prayer in vaine to pray that God would shew that he hath heard our prayers for he hath done it sufficiently but we doe not regard it Therfore it is meet for all men not only to know and to wey what they pray for and to marke it well and to thinke of it afterwards but to waite vpon God for the same and to consider what followeth that so they may see how God heareth them For as when a man putteth vp a supplication to the King he is not quiet then but his minde is running as wee say vpon it and he is very inquisitiue what is done in that matter and he marketh all things that follow to see whether they make with him or against him that so he might see whether it bee graciously receiued or no So ought wee to doe in our prayers vnto God haue our minds as it were lingering after the things prayed for and marke how euery thing that followeth may put vs in hope that God hath heard vs. And this is that that Dauid professeth of himselfe in his prayer Psalm 5.3 Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning will I direct mee vnto thee and I will waite where hee saith that hee would doe as sutors doe they put vp their suite and then giue their attendance for an answere so hee would pray to God speedely and carefully and then he would consider what followed that so he might see how God did heare him Thus should we doe when we pray at morning and at euening Psal 40.1 So must wee all doe when wee haue prayed to God for any thing we must waite vpon him and consider what followeth And Dauid confesseth that in so doing hee did see plainly that God had heard him For so hee saith I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie and so shall we doe if we continue to pray vnto him and waite vpon him So that when we pray to God in the morning we should consider how things fall out all the day after well or ill that wee might see how God in bestowing many blessings vpon vs hath heard our prayers Likewise at night when wee goe to bed and pray to God that hee would defend vs from daungers and giue vs quiet rest and we awake in the morning and haue our strength renewed for the workes of our calling and al things well within the doores and without these things though they be ordinarie we should wel marke that so we might see and confesse that God did heare our prayers and so be thankfull vnto him for the same And so in al iourneis that we take in hand or matters that we go about wherein we haue commended our waies vnto God as we should alwaies doe because vpon his blessing dependeth the successe of all things we should mark how they succeed and prosper with vs that so we might see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how hee heareth our prayers So likewise for this sicknes And in all the prayers that are and haue been made for this pestilēce that hath been a long time amongst vs wee haue prayed vnto God to be mercifull vnto vs in it and to shew vs some token of his fauour and wee are desirous also to see that hee hath heard our prayers now then let vs consider if the extremitie of it be staied from increasing any where or if it be kept out from many places where it was likely that it should come as out of this countrie and out of this towne that so we might confesse to the glorie of God and our owne comfort that God hath heard our prayers And this is one speciall vse of the newes that we heare weekly from London Norwich and other places infected how many died this weeke how many the last how many of the plague and how many of other diseases how many parishes infected and how many are cleere that so we might see from week to week and from day to day that the Lord heareth our prayers that so by experience wee might bee moued still to call vpon him for that that remaineth Or when wee pray in the Church for any that lie sicke So when wee haue prayed here in the Church for any particular person as we haue done for diuers and doe daily whereof some haue been at deaths doore and yet haue been recouered wee should haue kept a register of them and haue marked them a great deale better than we haue done and it had been happie for vs at this time if we had done so that so we might haue by great experience been confirmed in the truth of this that God doth heare our prayers And to be short if any of vs haue bin in pouertie or in any want and haue prayed to God to helpe vs then we must marke and consider how he stirreth vp some to haue a care of vs Or who haue been in pouertie or in any need Rom. 1.20 and how some do pitie vs or any way how wee be prouided for and thus wisely obserue all Gods dealing according to our prayers in euery estate of ours That as the inuisible things of God as his eternall wisedom and power and mercy and truth are to be seen in the gouernment of the world are in his creatures as it were written in great capitall letters for the most ignorant to see and reade to leaue them without excuse so wee might in the same wisely discerne and see them and be accordingly affected with the same to beleeue in him and to bee thankfull vnto him that thus from time to time sheweth that hee doth heare our prayers And truly if wee had thus done all the daies of our life and in euery thing that we haue praied for we might haue seene better than now wee doe or can
good things But for want of this because by the coldnesse of our desires it appeareth that wee doe not esteeme of them or but smally regard them therefore wee haue them not And this is that that the Apostle speaketh of to the Romanes I beseech you Rom. 15.30 that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me and to the Corinthians also saying So that yee labour together in prayer for vs 2. Cor. 1.11 where hee compareth prayer vnto labouring and striuing Therefore as when wee striue for any matter of moment wee will alwaies put to our strength that we may do our best that we can but yet sometimes we will put to all our strength As our Sauiour Christ did before he came to the crosse and straine our selues to the vttermost that we might preuaile so we in our prayers though wee must alwaies bee earnest yet in somethings wee must stretch out our affections vnto the full And so it is said of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ both before and when he was vpon the crosse as it is set downe in the Gospell He prayed Father if thou wilt take away this cuppe from me Luk. 22.42 Neuerthelesse not my will but thine bee done and being in an agonie hee prayed more earnestly and his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Where it is said that he was in an agonie that is in a great conflict of the minde with the wrath of God as appeared by the bloudie sweate that came from his precious b dy when he kneeled vpon the cold ground and so hee prayed the more earnestly He prayed alwaies in the spirit but in this distresse of bodie and minde he inlarged his affections as appeareth also by his words when three times hee prayed that if it were possible that cup might passe away from him Chap. 23.46 And after that manner he prayed vpon the crosse So afterwards when he was vpon the crosse he cried with a lowd voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when he had thus said he gaue vp the ghost Thus being at the last gaspe as we say he strained himselfe to the vttermost not onely in bodie but in minde and so earnestly prayed and declared his earnestnes with the lowd crie that hee made that with it hee spent all his strength in soule and bodie so that at the end of his prayer he gaue vp the ghost and died praying So must we alwaies watch in prayer as Paul speaketh that is watch ouer our affections Ephes 6.18 that as any thing seemeth more needfull so we more earnestly desire that As if we had many suites to a Nobleman and something did specially concerne vs and wherein consisted as we say our making or marring we would moue him most earnestly in that and as we would desire him to remember vs in all things so most of all and especially in such a thing So doth Dauid here he willeth the people to pray for him that God would send him helpe and strengthen him against his enemies yea that God would heare his prayers and declare by the euent that he had done so indeede and then he addeth Selah as if he had said Oh I pray you remember that especially and doe not forget aboue all other to pray that God would some waies declare that he hath heard our prayers So must wee doe in all things when we pray to God Thus must we pray for this Plague As now we haue many things to pray for but among them this is the chiefest that we thus weekly twice in one day meete for euen to pray to God that hee would forgiue vs our sins and be reconciled vnto vs through the bloud of his sonne and so stay in his blessed time this heauie hand that so long and in so many places to the losse and destruction of so many thousands hath lien grieuously and vncomfortably vpon vs Vnto these prayers of ours and when wee come to this one thing must be added Selah that is euery one must pray for this most earnestly For our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs by the parable of the wicked Iudge what importunitie of earnest prayer can do Luk. 18.7 euen that God will heare them that thus crie vnto him day and night though hee deferre for a time Therefore let vs stirre vp our affections and by how much the benefit of health is the longer a comming and we most vnworthie of it by so much let vs pray most earnestly and let vs doe as Christ Iesus did that is seeing wee are in distresse let vs pray more earnestly as Dauid saith also of himselfe when he was in great troubles and could not tell how to get out of them Psalm 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voyce So that as a man if hee were fallen into a great pit or well and could not tell how to get out hee would not onely call and crie for helpe but he would straine his voyce as much as hee could So let vs in this forlorne hope and desperate estate of ours not onely pray to God but straine all our desires to the vttermost Those that vse to sleepe at prayers or talke or haue their mindes otherwise occupied this doctrine and the practise of it cannot concerne them one whit but those that are deuout in prayer and the most deuout of all that they would learne this as occasion shall serue to shew their deuotion in prayer to the vttermost and not thinke that alwaies one kinde of deuotion is sufficient Secondarily when he teacheth them thus to pray that God would shew that he had fauourably accepted his prayers Wee must thinke it a very hard thing to doe any seruice so as God may accept of it offrings and all seruices that he had done to him and then addeth Selah This note of stirring vp the affection it was to shew how hee thought of this thing euen that it was a great thing to do any seruice or to offer vp any prayers that might be acceptable vnto God therefore that it might be so that is well pleasing in his eyes it was to bee commended vnto him againe and againe And truly thus must we thinke of the seruice of God and we shall finde that if we consider rightly the high maiestie of God and what is meete for him on the one side and then our owne vnworthines and insufficiencie to bring any thing at all vnto him on the other side we must needes confesse that it is a very hard thing to doe any thing after that manner that hee may vouchsafe once to regard it Euery thing is not meete for him it must bee agreeable vnto his word otherwise he refuseth our will-worship and saith Who hath required these things at your hands Isai 1.12 So then we must not obtrude vnto him our owne blind deuotions as they did in
the time of Poperie Besides wee must doe all things after that manner that hee hath prescribed in his word with pure consciences 1. Tim. 2.8 2. Tim. 2.19 and lift pure hands in all places as the Apostle saith and he that calleth vpon the name of the Lord let him depart from iniquitie for God heareth not sinners as the blind man in the Gospell said Iohn 9 31. but if any be a worshipper of him and doth his will him he heareth And for want of this he refused the very sacrifices and oblations of the Iewes yea their solemne fastings as wee may see in the Prophet and namely in the Prophet Esay Jsa 1.11 What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of rammes and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the bloud of bullocks bring no more oblations in vaine Incense is an abomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbaths nor solemne daies they are a burthen vnto me and I am wearie to beare them and so foorth as followeth in that place and after hee sheweth the cause of it that their liues were vngodly and so they offred them with an il conscience and therefore he addeth Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes cease to doe euill and so foorth So then we must be of this minde Therefore therein wee must vse all diligence and preparation that it is a very hard thing to serue God as we should and therefore in all parts of his worship wee must vse great diligence that they may bee done in that manner that he may fauourably accept them As now thus to come to the Church weekly as we doe to serue him in hearing of his word in prayer and fasting are things commanded of God but to doe them so as God may receiue them fauourably and blesse vs for them and to be assured of it this is a great thing and euery one must striue to doe them so as God may gratiously receiue them at their hands Wee must be farre then from that Prophets minde which is in some to thinke so basely of God and of his seruice that euery thing should be good enough for him and that he must needes accept all things at our hands and so care not how wee doe them as how we pray how we heare his word how wee receiue his Sacraments c. Doth not our Sauiour Christ say Take heede how you heare Luk. 8.18 to shew that all kinde of hearing is not sufficient vnlesse wee heare his word as wee should and He that hath eares to heare let him heare that is as hee should namely diligently and carefully and as the Apostle saith Let him be swift to heare Jam. 1.19 So that in nothing wee are to vse so much diligence and preparation as in the seruice of God that it may be accepted This lesson doth Salomon teach vs very well in the booke of the Preacher in these words Take heede to thy foote Eccles 4.17 when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they doe euill Where by the feete he meaneth the affections of the minde for as the one carrie the bodie so doe the other the minde and bodie Therefore saith he It is not sufficient to come to the church but wee must come prepared as wee ought 1. Sam. 15.22 thinke not enough to come to the Temple but consider with what mindes you come that is come religiously soberly deuoutly and as you should come and be readie to heare what God requireth of you and doe that and doe not rest in the outward sacrifices as though they were sufficient as many foolish men doe For obedience is better than all outward seruice of God and all sacrifices as was said to Saul That so wee may offer vp our selues vnto God that is our soules and bodies to bee readie to serue him with both as liuing sacrifices Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable vnto God as the Apostle saith which is our reasonable seruing of God For without this all is euill euen our cōming to Church and prayer to God though foolish men doe not consider of it as Salomon saith They know not that they do euil Prou. 15.8 For the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him So then it is not enough to come hither but euery man must consider with what minde he commeth that so God may accept of him of his comming and of his seruice And this wee had neede to bee put in minde of because men for the most part are more carefull about their owne busines Men vse greater diligence about their owne busines than about Gods seruice yea about other mens busines that all may be well done than about Gods In the sixe daies of the weeke how busie are men at home but vpon the seuenth day which is the Lords and so called in the Scripture how slowly doe they come how sleepely do they behaue themselues here as though it made no matter at all how they serued God Yea seruants are commonly more diligent about their masters busines at home more carefull to please and more loath to offend than they are in the Church about the Lords busines and so they shew by their deedes that though it be an hard thing to please their masters yet as they think it is an easie thing to please God Why doth Dauid then desire them so earnestly to pray that God would fauourably accept his seruices and to inforce them vnto it doth adde this word Selah if it were so easie a matter to serue God as they imagine and that hee were bound to take any thing at our hands We see then by this that few men in deed know rightly what it is to serue God when they come to it so hypocritically and so coldly But euery one as they are desirous to serue God in truth as Dauid was here so they finde it to be more hard to doe any thing in such manner But the best seruants of God haue thought so highly of his seruice that when they haue done the best they haue found fault with themselues that they haue done no better Act. 2.37 as may bee acceptable vnto him And this is that that the best seruants of God that haue been tender hearted haue found fault with themselues for and haue beene greatly troubled in their minds about not so much for any great sinnes that they haue committed which by the grace of God they haue been free from as that their prayers that they haue made haue not been in that faith and feeling in that power of the spirit and assurance of being heard that they should and so God might reiect them and that in other part of
things lead vs vnto him then shall it appeare in truth that our ioy is not so much carnall as spirituall not altogether worldly but heauenly Thus haue the seruants of God behaued themselues in time past in the midst of their ioy as that good king Iehoshaphat and his people when God gaue them victorie ouer their enemies according to their prayer euen ouer that great hoast of the Ammonites and the Moabites and those of mount Seir of whom it is thus written 2 Chron. 20 25. That they destroyed one another So that when Iudah came to Mizpeh in the wildernesse they looked vnto the multitude The godly haue ended their greatest ioy with thāksgiuing and behold the carkasses were fallen on the earth and none escaped and when Iehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoile of them they found among them in abundance both of substance and also of bodies laden with pretious iewels which they tooke for themselues till they could cary no longer for they were three dayes in gathering of the spoile for it was much Then euery man of Iudah and Ierusalem returned with Iehoshaphat their head to goe againe to Ierusalem with ioy for the Lord had made them to reioyce ouer their enemies Thus they reioyced greatly as they had cause both for the victory and for the spoile but what followed vpon that the praise of God for it is said in the verse going before That in the fourth day they assembled themselues in the valley of Berachah for there they blessed the Lord therefore they called the name of the place the valley of Berachah that is of blessing or praysing of God vnto this day So that as their ioy was great so was their thankesgiuing and praise to God great and famous so that the place had the name of it And they did not tarrie vntill they came home to Ierusalem to giue thankes there which yet it is most like that afterwards they did but euen in that place where God gaue them cause of ioy and whilest that lasted that they might doe it the better So we see that they practised that which is spoken of here they so reioyced in the saluation that God gaue to the king and to all the people that they did set vp their banners in his name when he had fulfilled their petitions which they had made vnto him before So must we also in all feares that we be in when God shall deliuer vs out of them as he did these and so giue vs cause to reioyce we must prayse his name for it as they did As for example when it shall please God to put an end euery where vnto this great mortalitie of the pestilence that hath a long time beene in many places of this land and is still then all shall haue cause to reioyce So must we do when God shall make vs glad by taking away this plague But as we meet now from weeke to weeke and from day to day to pray to God for it so must wee then meet againe in the valley of Berachah to prayse him for it that is we must publickely and often meet to giue thankes vnto him and to set vp our banners in his name that hath so gratiously fulfilled our petitions And in the meane season looke in how many feares we haue beene in either of that or of any other thing and haue escaped it and so now we are glad we must yeeld so many prayses vnto God for the same That vertuous woman Hannah when she had by prayer obtained the benefit of a sonne she greatly reioyced as she had cause and as she confesseth her selfe saying My soule reioyceth in the Lord my horne is exalted in the Lord 1. Sam. 2.1 c. Before that she was sad and wept and could not eat her meat nor hide her griefe because her barrennesse was reprochfull vnto her but now she reioyceth and in this ioy looketh vp to God and prayseth him saying Mine heart reioyceth in the Lord and she maketh a song of thankesgiuing vnto God as appeareth by the wordes following So must we doe in all the benefits that God bestoweth vpon vs I meane not only reioyce in them as naturall men but prayse God for them as spirituall that so our ioy might be such as it should Let vs then consider in the feare of God how many times we haue reioyced and that with exceeding great ioy when God hath had no praise nor thanks from vs at all know assuredly that that ioy hath not bin rightly ordered for God doth make vs reioice not for our selues alone but for himselfe also yea principally that he might be praysed for it Therefore we must be carefull that these two goe together alwayes namely our owne reioycing and the prayse of God As the blessed virgin Marie doth ioyne them together in her song Luke 1.56 My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour where she ioyneth her owne ioy with the praise of God and maketh the one the cause of the other So that whether wee ioy in the common benefits of our time wee must prayse God for them as Iehoshaphat and his people did or wee reioyce in our priuat benefits as Hannah and Marie did we must prayse God for them so shall our ioy be not onely comfortable to our selues Our ioy and Gods prayse should goe together but acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto others when as the more benefits that we haue the more we reioyce and the more we reioyce the more thankefull are we to God for the same VVe doe not therefore find fault with myrth we forbid not men to be merry be it farre from vs that we should be so Stoicall seuere nay we exhort all men to it and shew that they ought when God giueth them cause only that kind of myrth is condemned in the Scripture which tendeth to the dishonour of God or when they fall into excesse or they cannot be merry but they will be mad also as we say so that they throw firebrands and deadly things and say Prou. 26.19 They are but in sport as Solomon speaketh of them or that kind of myrth wherein God hath no prayse at all which is the best kind of myrth that the wicked and men of this world haue VVe allow of that wherein God is praysed and of that onely for though we be not bound in all our myrth to sing Psalmes neither indeed can we yet after all our myrth both for it and for all causes of it we should giue thankes vnto God But many are so farre from this that they reioyce in such things for which they cannot prayse God yea for such which it is shame once to name whom we leaue vnto God that he may giue them better minds others though they haue cause of honest and lawfull ioy yet they forget to be thankefull for it for whom let vs pray also and for our selues
pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him least he will come and smite me and the mother vpon the children For thou saidest I will surely doe thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbred for multitude So that when his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men and he remembring his former inueterat mallice feared that he would destroy them all both young and old mother and children he prayeth vnto God for deliuerance and that he might doe it with assurance of being heard he looketh to Gods promises who had said that he would doe him good So must we doe in like maner I meane when we come to prayer we must throughly consider of Gods most gracious and mercifull promises which to that end are so infinit in number for the good both of our soules and bodies and for this life and the life to come and for our selues and others that I need not name any Our sauiour Christ speaketh thus vnto vs in the Gospell Matth. 7.7 Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you seeke and you shall find knocke and it shall be opened And againe thus the Lord speaketh in his owne person by the Prophet Psal 50.16 Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me and many such like we haue in the word of God Now these promises we must remember are not made vnto vs for our owne selues as for our owne worthinesse but for Christ Iesus sake Which are made vnto vs and fulfilled in Christ who hath sayd Iohn 16.22 That whatsoeuer we aske the father in his name he will graunt it vnto vs. For as the Apostle saith All the promises of God in Christ are Yea 2. Cor. 1.20 and in him they are Amen vnto the glory of God that is in him and for his sake shall most certainely be performed Therefore for the verifying and fulfilling of them vnto vs and for our assured hope of them in our prayers we must not stay in the consideration of our selues to say It is true in deed that God hath promised to heare me what cause is there in me that he should doe so for in our selues we shall find nothing but vnworthinesse and all causes to the contrary but we must looke only to the merits and worthinesse of Christ Iesus for whose sake they were first made and for whose sake they shall be all of them fulfilled And thus we may perceiue that one cause for our doubting and little assurance of being heard is the ignorance or not sufficient meditating vpon the truth of Gods promises Therefore when we come to prayer let vs thinke of them that by them we might know that God will heare vs for he that is faithfull hath so promised We must meditate vpon those promises specially which doe concerne our present estate And as we must thus generally meditate vpon the promises of God so because he of his infinit goodnesse hath made many promises vnto vs according to euery need of ours that we might be assured not onely generally that God will heare vs but particularly for that very thing that we stand in need of and haue prayed for we must specially giue our selues to the meditation of such promises as doe most neerely conceiue that case of ours And thus we haue alreadie seene how Iaakob did when he was returning from Laban to his fathers house at the commaundement of God and by the way was in great daunger as he thought of Esau he prayeth vnto God and though the Lord had made many other promises vnto him yet at this time he specially thinketh of that that God had sayd vnto him concerning that matter Gen. 32.9 and so beginneth his prayer thus Lord which saydest vnto me returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good deliuer me out of the hand of my brother Esau and then he returneth vnto the promise of God againe in these wordes For thou saydest I will doe thee good And so must we doe for the obtaining of this assurance As for example if we pray for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the assurance of the same let vs seriously thinke vpon such promises as God in his word hath made to that end Ezek. 18.21 As at what time so euer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put out all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord by his Prophet and againe what our sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you where he calleth all without exception So that if we find the burden of our sinnes intollerable vnto vs as they are in themselues and we are weary of them as of an heauie burden able to presse vs downe vnto the bottome of hell and there to hold vs for euer and doe vnfainedly repent vs of them and haue a full purpose to leaue them then praying to God for the forgiuenesse of them we may know assuredly that God will heare vs for here we haue his promise for it And so must wee doe for any thing else that we need and pray for as for this visitation of the plague As this state of ours in this visitation of the plague if we would pray for our brethren that are vnder it in some good assurance that God in his good time will of his vnspeakeable mercy and louing kindnesse remooue it or mittigate it let vs meditate vpon that which God hath promised to such kind of prayers as when the Apostle S. Iames saith Is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Jam. 5.14 and let them pray for him and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinne it shall be forgiuen him thefore he willeth them to acknowledge their sinnes one to another that they might be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent VVhere we see what is promised to some few of the Church praying for them that are visited with sicknesse and that iustly also for their sinnes and for their offences that such prayers shall not be in vaine but most auaileable through Gods goodnesse for the pardoning of their sinnes and for the remoouing of the punishment of the same if so be that they that pray be righteous and holy men and pray feruently Then from hence may we be assured in the like case that if an whole Church and Congregation of Gods people yea many Churches in diuers places doe pray feruently for them and they that are sicke and vnder Gods hand will confesse their sinnes vnto him and repent them of them and by this plague of God iudge themselues for them
or any of ours if we had from time to time marked and remembred in all these how God hath answered vs gratiously we might now when we meet to pray for the remouing of this visitation haue had greater hope of being heard than we haue and greater assurance of Gods goodnesse towards vs. But seeing we haue beene so vnprofitable in times past to our owne hinderance let vs make the best vse of the time present that we can And therefore now seeing in this mortalitie of the plague we see so great fruit of our prayers at the last And namely how God hath lessened the plague at our prayers that as in other places it is greatly diminished so in the chiefest citie of this land it is fallen from three thousand and foure hundreth a weeke to lesse than two hundred for the which Gods name be praysed let vs profit by this experience to know what hee will doe for vs at all times when we pray And thus much out of these wordes both for the assurance of faith in which we should pray and for the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it The nineteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. I Shall not need to call into your remembrance the doctrine of the last day gathered out of this verse Now know I. concerning the assurance of being heard that we should pray in which is so necessarie that without it we cannot pray acceptably to God comfortably to our selues nor profitably to others I am now to proceed and here to consider of these words where hee saith Now I know for seeing this faith that God will heare vs is so requisit in prayer it may be demaunded VVhy he did not begin with it at the first and to say in the beginning I know that God will heare but that he commeth to it so slowly and as it were at the last to say I know VVhat did he the author of the Psalme euen Dauid did he not know it vntill now that he sayth Now I know did he not know it before this time VVas all the former part of the prayer with doubting or without knowledge of this Or would he haue the people whom he taught thus to pray and left this forme for them not to haue this knowledge or not to labour for it till they come to this Yes vndoubtedly both himselfe did know in the beginning that the Lord did and would heare him els to what end did he pray and he would haue them euen at the first and before they began or spake one word to beleeue that God would heare them otherwise they could not pray in faith and so neither please God therein nor looke for any thing at the hand of the Lord for him VVhy then doth he himselfe say and teach thē also to say not onely VVe know but Now I know that God will helpe Surely to this end to shew that as he hath faith in the goodnesse of God that hee would heare him indeed so he had it in measure and it encreased in him by degrees By continuing in prayer our assurance of being heard encreaseth as it doth in all other men Therefore as hee was directed to make this prayer by the spirit of God so when he came to this part of it it did specially shew forth it selfe in the assurance of faith which hee had thereby and so caused him to breake out into these wordes Now know I because that by continuance in prayer he attained vnto a greater measure of faith and assurance than he had at the first And this great affection of the mind in prayer he was willing to commend vnto them to that end that they might both labour for it and looke to come vnto it euery one in their measure namely that the longer and the more earnestly they prayed for him the greater assurance they should haue by the spirit of God that the Lord did and would heare them And therefore though they did know at the first that God would heare them according to his will as hee had promised which promises they were not ignorant of yet by continuing in prayer or after their prayer they might looke to be further assured of it from God by his holy spirit that was in them For the Lord God vseth thus to worke by his spirit in those that be his that when their hearts are prepared aright to serue him As in all the parts of Gods seruice the longer wee continue in thē the more doth his spirit by them work in vs. the longer that they continue vnder the meanes of their saluation the more effectuall is the operation of his holy spirit in them thereby As for example in the hearing of the word of God they are more affected in the middest than they were at the beginning and many times most of all in the ending if they be diligent and attentiue hearers and not drowsie and carelesse and labour to stirre vp the spirit of God in themselues So is it in praying also when they come to it with due preparation of the heart the children of God doe often find that though they had some good measure of faith in Gods promises and feeling of his loue in the beginning yet by continuance in prayer the same was greatly enlarged and encreased in them so that it was more at the middest than at the first in so much that then they could say with greater freedome of the spirit and assurance of faith Now know I indeed that the Lord will helpe me and doth heare me from heauen and in the end they haue had more assurance and sometimes after they haue done praying most of all Thus their faith knowledge and assurance that the Lord did hear them it hath growne by degrees and encreased till it came to the full when they haue prayed feruently And hereupon it commeth to passe that we find in the Psalmes that very often they breake out into some sudden passion of ioy or glorying in the Lord and as it were boasting of the goodnesse of God towards them as though they had then euen alreadie obtained their desire because they felt and found that the Lord did giue them some good assurance of it As wee see how besides that which they professe here in the end of the Psalme they vtter these words of great confidence as though the victorie were alreadie gotten which if it had been it had beene in vaine to pray for defence against enemies they speake I say thus confidently They are brought downe and fallen but wee are risen and stand vpright And this is that which wee may obserue and most clearely see first of all in the third Psalme where hee beginneth his prayer very vncomfortably Thus Dauid beginning his prayer somewhat doubtfully endeth with great assurance Psal 3.1 and greatly complaineth of the multitude of his aduersaries that rebelliously were risen vp against him saying Lord
how are mine aduersaries increased How many rise against mee Many say to my soule there is no helpe for him in God Afterwards he confirmeth his faith in the goodnesse of God by the consideration of his nature that he is a defence buckler to them that are vnarmed and without defence and he giueth glory to them that haue ignominie cast vpon them without a cause and he rayseth vp them that are falling Verse 3. saying But thou Lord art a buckler for me my glory and the lifter vp of my head And then he gathereth more strength of faith from former experience Verse 4. saying I did call vnto the Lord with my voyce and he heard me out of the holy mountaine and to this he addeth Shelah to shew how greatly it did affect him and what comfort he had in this to remember that God had heard his prayer in former times and then further addeth for the strengthening of his faith that the Lord in other great danger had defended him Verse 5. saying I laid me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me And thereupon inferreth this confident speech Verse 6. full of assurance I will not be afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about VVhere he doth glory by faith that though his enemies were neuer so many and himselfe in neuer so great danger of them hee would not bee too much afraid of them but was assured that the Lord would defend him in the middest of them And this assurance of Gods defence hee obtaineth now at the last by continuing in prayer and by those meditations which he had in prayer of the goodnesse and mercie of God towards all his and now specially towards himselfe which he hath set down in the former verses and part of his prayer So falleth it out with others that the spirit of God in them which is the spirit of prayer and of all assurance as it stirreth them vp to pray and when they cannot tell of themselues what or how to pray as they ought the same spirit helpeth their infirmities Rom. 8.26 and stirreth vp in them sighes and grones and desires of the hart which are acceptable and which God alloweth of because they are according to his will so the same also helpeth their infirmities in this point that whereas they began to pray in great weakenesse and much doubting because of their temptations by calling into their minds more freshly than before the promises of God made in his word and the often performance of the same to others to themselues it causeth them to grow in faith doth giue thē some greater assurance of Gods fauours and of being gratiously heard than they had in the beginning they know then more fully that he doth heare them and will helpe them And so the spirit of God in prayer helpeth the infirmities of the rest of his seruants Hebr. 12.1 And though this may seeme strange to such as are not acquainted with prayer who vse it very seldome or not at all and make it but a matter of forme and custome yet I doubt not but that we haue a great cloud of faithfull witnesses who vsing prayer often of conscience and in the feeling of their wantes and making it a dayly exercise and therein deale with the Lord in good earnest as those that would obtaine some thing at his hand and rest not in the bare action of prayer as in a worke wrought or a certaine taske performed and done who doe and are able to subscribe most willingly vnto the truth of this by their owne practise So that as Dauid making this prayer when his sonne Absolom with Achitophell and many others raysed vp a rebellon against him in which for the safegard of his life he was compelled to flie out of Ierusalem as appeareth by the title of the Psalme did by continuance in feruent prayer obtaine this assurance That the Lord would defend him and confound them all and therefore he would not be afraid of them if there were ten thousand of them and they all should beset him round about that is if he were brought into great straits as indeed he was and truely it came to passe in the end for Achitophell did hang himselfe and Absalom was hanged by the haire of the head As I say Dauid then had assurance of this before hand so also others of Gods seruants in their daungers and troubles praying to God feruently as he did haue in some good measure to their owne comfort and the comfort of others that haue prayed with them obtaitained of God by his spirit an assurance that the Lord did heare them and would be mercifull vnto them and they by faith haue professed the same to others beforehand Dauid againe by continuing in feruent prayer groweth in assurance of being heard And this growing and increasing in the assured hope That the Lord will heare vs whereof we now speak Dauid againe setteth downe by his owne experience in the sixt Psalme as indeed I must needs confesse that he was a man of wonderfull great experience both of his owne infirmitie and of Gods mercifull dealing towards him which Psalme was made when he was grieuously sicke and like to die and did not onely feele the hand of God heauie vpon himselfe this way as appeareth by his grieuous complaints and outcries but he was troubled in his mind for his sinne and in this estate he prayeth vnto God To remoue from him this great token of his wrath and displeasure that was vpon him and to take away this grieuous scourge that he was then afflicted with and to giue him both health of bodie and quietnesse of mind of both which at the last hee obtaineth so great assurance by faith through the inward working of Gods spirit that he doth openly glory of it against all his enemies that reioyced at his fall And for the vnderstanding of this it is requisit especially for the simpler sort to whose capacitie I haue especially framed my selfe requisit I say to set down in order the words of the whole Psalme for otherwise neither the great confidence and reioycing of his faith which in the end with much striuing he attained vnto nor the feruencie of his prayer which was a meanes whereby Gods spirit wrought it in him can be so fully perceiued or made plaine vnto you Thus therfore he beginneth his prayer O Lord Psal 6.1 rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am needie heale me for my bones are vexed My soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee I fainted in my mourning I cause my bed euery night to swim and water my couch with teares Mine eyes is dimmed
Vers 22. to slay and destroy them when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir euery one helped to destroy another Here we see also in this common danger and feare when many prayed together there was one man at the least to whom God gaue this assurance to the great comfort of all the rest that he did openly say Now I know that the Lord will heare his anointed and helpe him from heauen by the mightie power of his right hand And though others in that companie could not say so yet God gaue it to him for all the rest who if he had beene wanting the rest might still haue languished in their feare vnlesse God had raised vp the spirit of some other In this respect we ought to make of the companie and presence of the godly And so wee see what a blessed thing it was to haue such a faithfull and zealous man in their companie to pray for them Therefore let vs make much of the company of the godly especially let vs be desirous to be partakers of their prayers that when as we be weake our selues and discomforted in our selues yet we may be strengthened and vpheld by them For as when one lyeth very sicke and like to die and all about him are in feare of it there may be a skilfull Phisition or some of great experience who may see great tokens of life in him more than all the rest so comfort them in hope of it when they are all discouraged So when many are in trouble and looke for no way but one as we say the Lord may so open the eyes of the mind of one who by faith after earnest prayer may see into that helpe that God hath promised in his word and comfort them with the hope of it And for want of this we are many times more dismayed in trouble than otherwise we might be Therefore in all affliction if wee desire comfort from God let vs desire those that are faithfull and godly to pray with vs and for vs. It followeth in the words of the text His annointed that is Dauid why so called that The Lord will helpe his annointed This is then further to be considered that Dauid prayeth himselfe and teacheth the people also so to doe That God would helpe his annointed by which word he meaneth himselfe and they meane Dauid their king VVho is so called because he was annointed with holy oyle to be king according to the custome of that time by which as by an outward visible ceremonie they that were made kings were seperated and put apart from the rest of the people and inuested into that office and high calling VVherby also they were taught to labour for those gifts of the holy ghost which were needfull for that function and to beleeue that if they did so God would bestow them vpon them in that measure that was most conuenient for them Now that Dauid was thus annointed to that office it is most euident in his storie where it is said that when Saule by disobeying of Gods commaundement in not killing the Amalekites was cast off from the right of the kingdome and Samuel was willed to goe tell him so 1. Sam. 15. Chap. 16.1 he still continued mourning for him vntill the Lord did reprooue him for it and bad him fill his horne with oyle and he would send him to Ishai the Bethleemite for hee had prouided a king among his sonnes and he did so and caused all his sonnes to come before him from the eldest to the youngest and when Dauid came the Lord said vnto him Arise and annoint him for this is he Vers 8. then Samuel tooke the horne of oyle and annointed him in the middest of his brethren and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that day forward euen as it departed from Saule being cast off of God and an euill spirit was sent of the Lord to vex him Thus Dauid was annointed that is made king And because this was not onely ouer the people of God but specially by the commaundement of God therefore hee is called his annointed that is one appointed to be king ouer Gods people by the Lord himselfe euen as Dauid doth oftentimes call Saule in respect of his first annointing and calling The Lords annointed As when hee had Saule in a caue and his men persuaded him to kill him he said The Lord keepe me from doing that thing vnto my master 1. Sam. 24.7 The Lords annointed to lay mine hands vpon him for hee is the annointed of the Lord Chap 26.9 and at another time hee said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hands on the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse In this part of the prayer then hee doth assure himselfe that because hee had not intruded himselfe into that roome He confirmeth his faith in Gods defence by the lawfulnesse of his calling but was lawfully called thereunto by the Lord that therefore God would defend him in the same against his enemies and teacheth them to pray in that faith also That seeing God had set him ouer them to be their king and he was no tyrant or vsurper that therefore God would preserue him in that place whereunto he had called him and so from the lawfulnesse of his calling hee doth comfort himselfe and them that God would heare them for him and defend him And truly there was great reason of that for if an earthly king when he appointeth any to be iudges ouer his people doth also protect them in that office by his lawes and by all his subiects so that in their whole circuit they haue the Sherife of the Shire and all his men with the rest of the chiefe knights and gentlemen and other inferiour officers to attend vpon them because they represent the kings person and the Iudge he comforteth himselfe in all his lawfull affaires against all the desperat attempts of theeues witches murtherers and all malefactors that seeke to hurt him That the king who hath called him to that place will defend him in it and not suffer him to sustaine any dammage for the executing of his office then the Lord the king of kings appointing Dauid in this place and making him to be his vicegerent vpon earth ouer that people much more would defend him in it against his enemies And as this was true so he did beleeue it and taught them so to do and to pray in that faith that God would send helpe vnto him because he was his annointed And this that Dauid sayth here So may al lawfull princes is true not onely of his owne person but of all other kings and princes that are the Lords annointed that is who are come to their kingdomes lawfully either by free election or lineall discent and so are put in by God it is true I say that the Lord will defend them in all their lawfull attempts which they take in hand
by vertue of their office so farre as may make for his glorie and the good of his Church And in that respect all people that haue such set ouer them to raigne may with great freedome and comfort pray for them That the Lord would defend them in all dangers euen as hee hath set them ouer them at the first Therfore seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed vs this mercie to giue vs such a worthie king to raigne ouer vs who is his annointed that is one that commeth to the crowne not by vsurpation by murthering the right heires as some haue done not by tyrannicall inuasion and conquest but by inheritance lineally descending from his auntient progenitors the noble kings of this realme therefore I say we may with great assurance pray to God for him In this respect we may with great hope pray for the life of our king Prouerb 28.2 that as hee hath hetherto ouerthrowne the plots of traytors in his owne countrey of Scotland and in this kingdom also of England both of them his iust inheritance so it would please him to doe still and so he will doe if our sinnes doe not deserue the contrarie For many times because of the sinnes of the people a land often changeth her princes as the VViseman saith and as we see in the kingdome of Israel falling vnto idolatrie 1. King 16.8 that in the space of one yeare they had three or foure kings successiuely to raigne ouer them Therefore seeing it is our bounden dutie to pray for him 1. Tim. 2.1 according to the doctrine of the Apostle who willeth That supplications and prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men and namely for kings and all that are in authoritie let vs be willing to doe it the rather because he is the Lords annointed that is come to the crowne by all lawfull and peaceable meanes approoued in the law of God that so wee may say from thence I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed So that though we could haue no comfort from our selues that we should be found worthie of such a prince yet seeing it hath pleased the Lord in the riches of his mercie to set him ouer vs for the good of this land wee may hope that he will haue respect vnto his annointed and not to suffer men to put downe him whom he himselfe hath set vp Euen as we had great experience of this in the dayes of our late Soueraigne the Queene how the Lord did miraculously preserue her out of the hands of the Papists her enemies when she was cast into prison and as she then said of her selfe Tanquam eius as a sheepe euery houre readie to be carried to the slaughter and at the last brought her to the kingdome so in the same he did as wonderfully preserue her in many dangers and conspiracies because shee was his annointed Dauid in many troubles prayeth in hope of Gods defence because he was his annointed And thus Dauid doth often comfort himselfe in his prayers when hee was in great trouble and in feare of the losse sometimes both of his kingdome and life and that both before he came to the crowne and after he comforteth himselfe with this That he was the Lords annointed that is that Samuel did annoint him to bee king by the commaundement of God and that that was not done vnto him in vaine but that the Lord who had called him vnto it would both bring him to it in time and defend him in it to the end As when hee was kept from the publicke assemblies by Saule and his great crueltie who neuer left seeking after his life but hunted after him continually 1. Sam. 26.20 as a man would after a Partridge as he sayth of himselfe whereupon he was driuen sometimes to hide himselfe and sometimes to flie out of the land and very seldome durst be seene openly he prayeth thus O Lord God of hostes heare my prayer Psal 84.8 hearken O God of Iaakob behold O God our shield and looke vpon the face of thine annointed that is not onely and principally vpon thy sonne Iesus Christ the Messiah who is appointed to be king and sauiour of the Church and for his sake doe it but looke vpon me whom thou hast appointed to be king and as thou knowest I haue not thrust in my selfe for then I might well thinke that all this were iustly come vpon mee And thus may all lawfull kings comfort themselues in all their lawfull proceedings against all the malitious attempts of their desperat enemies That God will defend them because of their calling and place that they be in and people that he hath set them ouer and say Looke vpon the face of thine annointed that is consider good Lord the place that I am in And so doth Dauid againe in the second Psalme where he doth with great admiration complaine of the multitude and maliciousnesse of his enemies saying Psal 2.1 Why doe the Heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine the kings of the earth band themselues and the princes are assembled together against the Lord against his Christ or annointed saying Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. VVhere because he was a figure of Christ therefore he speaketh of himselfe vnder that name calling himselfe the Lords Christ or the Lords annointed as wee see how afterwards it was verified in the person of Christ himselfe Act. 4.27 as the Apostles expound it in their prayer and say Doubtlesse against thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou haddest annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together But afterwards Dauid comforteth himselfe in the same Psalme with hope of Gods defence Psal 2.5 because of his calling and bringeth in the Lord speaking thus of him Then he shall speake vnto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure saying Euen I haue set my king vpon Sion mine holy mountaine as if hee had said he is my king and I haue set him vp therefore I will defend him VVhereas if he had set vp himselfe he could not haue had this comfort But I see that I cannot finish this doctrine at this present but must leaue it vnperfect vntill the next day The one and twentieth Sermon vpon the sixt verse The Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mightie helpe of his right hand Euery man may comfort himselfe in the lawfulnesse of his calling COncerning the doctrine of faith in Gods prouidence and defence that we ought to haue from the lawfulnesse of our callings which out of these words we began to entreat of the last day it is further to be obserued that it is true not onely of kings and princes of whom it is here directly spoken but of all inferiour callings in the Church and commonwealth That whosoeuer is in any such place which is
lawful and is lawfully called thereunto as hauing gifts sit for it and comming vnto it by all ordinarie good meanes that God will maintaine them in the same and they should be assured of it in themselues because they are the Lords annointed that is placed in those roomes by him And thus did all the Apostles and the Prophets also before them comfort themselues in those callings of the Church which were full of labor and trouble that they were persuaded that the Lord had set them aworke and they did not come before they were sent otherwise they might haue fainted many times vnder their great burdens And namely thus did the Prophet Ieremie comfort himselfe before the Lord And so did the Prophet Jeremie against the mocks and taunts of his enemies who said that destruction should not come to Ierusalem as he had prophecied because it was still deferred Ierem. 17.15 and so derided the threatnings of God in his mouth saying Where is the word of the Lord let it come now But hee answereth them thus first That the Lord had called him vnto that office of being a Prophet and that he had not thrust in himselfe and then That he had faithfully executed the same therfore prayed God to defend him in the next words Vers 16. But I haue not thrust in my selfe a Pastour after thee neither haue I desired the day of miserie thou knowest that which came out of my lips was right before thee Be not terrible vnto me c. And God heard his prayer for when the citie was destroyed hee was saued and had libertie to goe whether hee would and during the siege God kept him out of the hands of the princes who sought to kill him and though he was once cast into a dungeon yet he was taken out of it againe And thus also when God appeared vnto Moses in the wildernesse in a bush when he was keeping sheep and sent him to deliuer the children of Israel out of their grieuous bondage he doing his message vnto Pharoah the king doth not onely not let them goe but oppresseth them a great deale more whereupon the officers of the children of Israel meeting with Moses and Aaron Exod. 4.20 as they came from the king like men in a great passion brake out into bitter and vnseemely words against them and prayed God to looke vpon them and iudge them for they had made their sauour stinke before Pharoah and before his seruants And Moses the man of God VVhereupon Moses prayeth vnto God and somewhat comforteth himselfe in this trouble with hope of some good successe from his calling that he was the Lords annointed and that hee had sent him to doe that that he did For it is said That hee returned vnto the Lord Verse 22. and said Lord why hast thou afflicted this people Wherefore hast thou sent me for since I came to Pharoah to speake in thy name he hath vexed this people and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people VVhere the ground of his prayer both for himselfe and for the people is this That the Lord had sent him to doe that that he did and therefore he desireth to see some better successe And so may all faithfull ministers of the word of God who are assured that they are called vnto that office place where they are So may all faithfull ministers of Gods word called I say by God and not by men only and so doe deliuer the message of God faithfully vnto them out of his word if all things fall not out with them at the first and they see not that successe of their labours that they desire yea if things seeme to be a great deale worse than they were before they came and themselues are vniustly blamed for it as Moses was here they may with a good conscience goe vnto God in their prayers and seeke redresse saying That he hath sent them to do that they doe and therefore desire the Lord that hee would assist them and blesse them with better successe and then they shall see that the Lord will not forsake them but stand by them and defend them in their calling as it is said here in this Psalme I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed And as he then gaue this answere vnto Moses That it should appeare that he had not called him to that office in vaine but would defend him in it Exod. 6.1 and giue good successe vnto his labours For in the next chapter it is thus written The Lord said vnto Moses Now thou shalt see what I will doe vnto Pharoah for by a strong hand hee shall let them goe and euen bee constrained to driue them out of his land that is he shall feele the Lords hand so heauie vpon him that he should not onely be willing to let them goe though he obstinatly refused it but should by force driue them out as indeed afterwardes hee did as appeareth in the rest of that story Exod. 12.33 And this assurance of our calling must not onely a little comfort vs at the first but in the whole course and ministerie of the same and in all things that shall befall vs in the execution of it that we may with a good conscience pray vnto God that as wee haue not intruded our selues neither haue had our calling onely from men but from him so he would heare vs and helpe vs in all things that we doe according to the same And as no doubt there is great comfort in this that a man is thus assured of his calling and without this he may often be dismaid so in that respect it is requisit It is requisit therefore that euery one should be fully persuaded of the lawfulnesse of his calling that not onely they but all others in their seuerall places should be assured that they haue their callings of God that so they may in faith pray for his defence For this cause we see how immediatly from God the Prophets had their callings to whom God spake and appeared in visions as to Moses to Ezekiel and to Ieremie and the rest how the Iudges were raysed vp extraordinarily that in their great attempts they might be assured that God had called them to that place Iudg. 6.37 and especially how carefull Gedeon was of it by making triall twise in a fleece of woll And how Paule and all the rest of the Apostles were called immediatly by Christ that when they should meet with so many incomberances as they did they might not doubt of their calling and so of Gods protection And so againe what order was set downe by God both for the succession of the Priests and Leuits and for their seuerall offices and places and what for the succession of the kings and what in the new Testament is for the choise of ministers and what in the scripture for magistrates that so all might thereby be assured that they haue their callings from
God when they are so qualited for them as he hath required in his word and when they came to them by such lawfull choise as he hath appointed That so euery one doing that which God requireth of them in the same they might as any trouble shall come vpon them or any difficultie shall befall them they might I say with comfort and in faith pray that God would heare and helpe them they being his anointed that is come to those places by his appointment Euen vnto the meanest calling as of being a seruant And this as it is requisit in euery calling or state of life that one is in euen vnto the meanest to be persuaded That they are placed in them by God so there is great comfort therein whatsoeuer shall befall them in the same As the Apostle speaketh of the calling of a seruant 1. Cor. 7.17 and of being called vnto the estate of marriage and saith of them and of all others generally That as God hath distributed to euery man and as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke and so ordaine I in all Churches VVhere he warneth euery man generally to liue with a contented mind in the Lord what state or condition of life so euer he be in and therfore he telleth him that it is that trade of life which God hath distributed vnto them which he hath called them vnto So that a seruant must be persuaded Ephe. 6.6 that God hath called him to that place and therefore as he must make conscience of doing faithfull seruice not to the eye as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will seruing the Lord and not men as he writeth to the Ephesians So also from this persuasion of his calling hee may pray vnto God to defend him against all wrongs Vers 8. and to assist him in all things euen as Saint Paule in the same place biddeth to that end know That whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same shall he receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free So that seruants being persuaded of the lawfulnesse of their calling and of their owne fidelitie in the same may pray to God to reward them for their good seruice and to defend them in a good cause against any abuses that their master shall offer vnto them And so for the other estate of life And of being called to the state of marriage that he speaketh of there if any be called vnto mariage they must not onely be persuaded of the lawfulnesse of it and that God hath called them vnto it but also that he hath ioyned them together this man to this woman as Eue in paradise was ioyned to Adam by the immediat hand of God and so that they came not together by fortune or chance or by the will and consent of their friends or by their own choice only but by God that their marriage was first made in heauen before it was solemnised vpon earth and therfore that they are in that place that God hath called them vnto Then may they with comfort pray for all such gifts as are needfull for those places as in doing of their duties that the Lord would preserue them from all crosses that might befall them and assist them in them and generally that he would heare their prayers and send them helpe from heauen as the people doe here And to conclude this point In all actions of our life we ought to be persuaded that God hath called vs vnto them we must all of vs be persuaded in the whole course of our liues that whatso-we doe we haue a calling to it from God and so therein we are his anointed that is appointed of God for it VVhich we shall ordinarily know by this that the thing it selfe is good in it owne nature and agreeable to the word of God and commanded there and then that by vertue of our places that we be in God requireth them of vs and that that time and place doth also require them for all things are not required of all men alike nor at all times and in all places Then hauing this persuasion from the word of God though they be dangerous and full of trouble and such as might discourage vs we may confidently pray vnto God to assist vs and defend vs therein and to helpe vs in all affliction that shall befall vs for the same And thus Dauid here being a king was to defend his subiects and therefore their enemies comming against them to battell he goeth forth and aduentureth himselfe to the warre and thus prayeth vnto God and willeth the people to pray for him in this good action whereunto he was lawfully called and God did heare their prayers and gaue them good successe In like manner that famous and worthy Queene Hester after that Mordecai had sent vnto her the copie of the kings letter that was sent abroad by postes for the rooting out of the Iewes in one day and willed her to goe in to the king and make request for the life of her people at the first she like a fearefull woman drew backe and excused her selfe saying All the kings seruants and all the people of the prouinces know Hester 4.11 that whosoeuer man or woman Then may we haue bouldnesse in them though they be neuer so dangerous that commeth to the king into the inner court which is not called there is a law of his that he shall die except to him whom the king holdeth out the golden rod that he may liue now I haue not beene called to come to the king these thirtie dayes Then Mordecai sent her word againe that she must not thinke to escape in the kings house more than all the Iewes but if she did hould her peace at this time deliuerance should appeare to the Iewes out of another place but she and her fathers house should perish and who knew whether she was come to the kingdome for such a time Thus when he had persuaded her by good reason that God did require it at her hands and that she was raysed vp out of a meane place to such an high dignitie by the Lord for such a purpose and that God would require it at her hands if she failed in it shee aduentureth her selfe though it was very dangerous with this resolution that seeing God had called her vnto it he would defend her in it but howsoeuer it should fall out shee would commit her selfe in this cause to his blessed prouidence contented to be ordered by his will I will goe in to the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish But in the meane season hauing this faith in this action she prayeth to God to assist her to guide her to direct her and to blesse her and willeth all the people to doe so likewise saying Goe Verse 16. and assemble all the Iewes that
The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee The meaning of the words THe thing that he wils them to pray for in his behalfe is that God would heare his prayers that he should make in the time of his trouble and accordingly defend him by sending helpe to him from heauen and giuing him strength and courage against his enemies from the place and meanes of his worship and seruice as it is in the second verse The Lord heare thee c. These words import thus much that Dauid was already in or likely to fal into some great trouble that he did pray beforehand or would pray in the time of his trouble and that he desired the people of God to pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers that he should make in the time of his trouble First then though he was a good King Dauid in his lawfull calling was not free from trouble and had a good cause in hand yet he did not promise to himselfe to bee altogether free from trouble he was to goe to warre against the Ammonites in the defence of his people and kingdome hee was not ignorant of the manifold dangers and troubles of warre for he had been a long experienced Souldier and Captaine and so thought that some of them might befall him and that he might be driuen to some great straites Therefore as he was determined to pray to God for succour in such cases so he desired them to further his praiers that God might defend him in his troubles and deliuer him out of them By outward things wee must not iudge of the lawfulnes of Kings titles We are not then rashly to iudge of the lawfulnesse of Princes titles and of the goodnes of their gouernment and of any thing that they attempt by the outward peace and quietnesse that they haue at home and abroad or on the cōtrary by the troubles dangers that they fall into of the vnlawfulnesse of the same to say this is a good King in deede and taketh none but good causes in hand for hee hath no troubles at all or otherwise to say this is a cruell Tyrant in deede and taketh ill matters in hand for see how many enemies doe rise vp against him and seeke his life for we see it otherwise here in the first words of the Psalme And besides Dauid after that he was annoynted to be King by Samuel the Prophet at the expresse commandement of God how many troubles did he fall into both before he came to the kingdome by Saul and after he came to it by Adonijah Absolom the rest Neither must good and godly Kings in their lawfull proceedings against malefactors or otherwise preiudice themselues and their owne causes through some weakenes by occasion of any trouble that shall befall them to thinke thus with themselues surely I haue not taken a good course because such euill hath befallen me This is true indeed We ought as any crosses do befall vs to examine our waies that vpon such accidents of trouble euery man should examine his owne heart and his waies whether hee bee in the waies of God or no and this is a great fault in many that they doe not as in Balaam the sorcerer who when he was sent for by Balak the King of Moab to curse the people of Israel out of his land and in hope of great reward went though in that vnhappy voyage of his vndertaken with an ill mind he was often crossed by the Angell of God with a drawne sworde Numb 22.23 so that his Asse that he rode on turned out of the way and afterwards in a straite shee thrust her selfe so neere the wall that she dasht his foote against it and at the last the Asse fell down vnder him yet he did not by all these troubles that befell him in the way examine himselfe and say Good Lord what doe I heere Whether am I going and where about But when men haue good ground and warrant for their doings then they are confidently to goe on whatsoeuer may betide them with prayer vnto God commending themselues and all their waies vnto him The blessed Lady Queene Elizabeth how iust was her title and how godly and lawfull were all her proceedings Not only with her owne subiects at home but with her forraine enemies abroad yet she fell into many troubles both of professed enemies and secret traytors So this our Lord and King Iames who is in a right line descended from her progenitors as heyre apparant to the crowne and since his first entring into this land hath sought to reforme many abuses and to doe much good euen to continue the Gospell and to keepe out Popery see how many troubles in this short time he is fallen into besides all those which in his former kingdome of Scotland hee suffered All good men must looke for trouble in the best actions And this is not onely the portion of good Princes Kings and Queenes but of all good men in their best actions they must looke to finde many dayes of trouble in them For as the Kingdome of Christ was most subiect to all kinde of wrongs in the head as Dauid prophetically complaineth Psalm 2.1 2. Why doe the heathen rage and the people murmur in vaine the kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ so euery member of the same as hee most seeketh to aduance his kingdome by doing good and opposing himselfe to euill so many more troubles shall he sustaine of the enemies of the same then others For besides that the men of this world are against good men and their godly actions and therefore this way the more that they shew thēselues forward the more trouble shall they haue the Lord also by sparing them somtimes in the deserued punishment of their sinnes and causing them to finde troubles and to suffer for righteousnesse sake and for well doing Therefore we must not iudg of things by the euent doth this way like a mercifull father trie their faith and their obedience Therefore let no man be discouraged in any good action for any trouble that shall befall him in it neither let vs iudge of things by the euent but be sure that our cause bee good and agreeable vnto Gods word and then if trouble come let vs beare it patiently nay let vs looke for it that wee may beare it and for want of this meditation many break off and giue ouer in their best actions And this is that that wee haue to obserue from hence that speaking of the things that belonged to his calling he maketh mention of the troubles that were like to befall him The second thing ariseth from these words The Lord heare thee In which as hee confessed before Dauid prayed to God in his trouble that he looked for troubles so in these he