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
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
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
but reposeth his whole confidence in Gods defence therefore hee prayeth to him before he beginneth any thing and determineth further in the whole course of his proceeding stil to pray vnto God for direction and aide And not onely to doe it a little at the first as may appeare out of the verse Dauid did desire the people to pray for him 1.3.4 but because it concerned not himselfe alone but all the people and finding his owne insufficiencie in prayer and beleeuing the promises of God made vnto the prayer of other especially of the Church he desireth them to pray for him and namely to pray that God would heare his prayers which what they were or should be in particular they knew not but generally they might presume that they were good and such as did concerne that action and so whatsoeuer they were he would haue them pray to God that he would heare them as appeareth vers 4. The people doe according to this direction and commaundement of his The Prophet did vse this forme of prayer for him for they vsed this forme of prayer which hee had prescribed and so did pray earnestly for him that God would both heare his prayer and defend his person and to that end send him helpe from heauen and declare by the euent that hee had heard his and their prayers in giuing them victorie ouer their enemies and God heareth them all and saueth the king confoundeth their enemies causeth them to returne home with victorie and great triumph as appeareth by the next Psalme wherein he and they together giue thanks vnto God for the victorie attributing it onely to God and not to their owne strength or any power of man as in this Psalme they had professed that they did not trust in chariots and horses and such warlike defence as men vse to doe and namely their enemies did but only in the protection and defence of God which by calling vpon his name they sought for And so this is the generall argument and summe of this Psalme both in respect of Dauid who made this prayer and of the people who did vse it for him By the inscription then it appeareth that Dauid making this prayer for the people to vse in his behalfe was desirous that they should pray for him and did as it were seek it at their hands If he in so good a cause did not rest in the confidence of his own prayers but desired others to pray for him and if he did it then when he had so many means to accomplish his desire because he knew God to be aboue them and so as without him they could doe nothing and hee was able to hinder and to frustrate all and if hee that was so well able to pray for himselfe and others yet did desire the prayer of others of those that were inferiour vnto him Kings ought to take order that the people should publikly pray for them Then no King Prince or Potentate is exempted from this to stand in neede of the prayer of others and therefore they ought to take order in their seuerall realmes and dominions that the people may vsually pray for them in their publike places and assemblies and more seriouslie and particularly to doe it as there shall bee any speciall occasion as here was in the time of Dauid Therefore this order that is among vs established by lawe that in all Churches the Minister and people are willed to pray continually for the Kings most excellent Maiestie both in common prayer and in preaching and that as warre or other thing shall fall out so some speciall formes of prayer are set out by publike authoritie to bee vsed in such cases is according to Gods word and to the example of godly Princes I speake not now of our duties to pray for them but of theirs that they should thinke that they neede it and so require it of the people Al men ought to desire others to pray for them according to their seuerall neede And if Kings are bound thus to doe then Noblemen and other inferiour persons much more who haue not so many meanes to accomplish their owne desires or it may be are not so well able to pray for themselues at leastwise as Dauid was And so generally all men for this as well as the rest of the Scripture is written for our learning are bound as at all other times to desire others to pray for them so also as they shall haue any speciall cause to desire them to doe it a great deale more and not only to pray themselues for themselues continually because prayer in all things is our speciall refuge and succour but to desire others to pray God that he would from time to time heare their prayers And as Dauid doth it here in this speciall neede of his as being in danger and feare of his enemies so if we be in sicknes and feare of death we should in the feeling of our own weaknes and in the faith of the prayers of others desire thē to pray for vs and not only to pray our selues And this is the aduice and commandement of the Apostle Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13.14 let him pray is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Now seeing sicknes is but one kind of crosse and the Lord hath many waies else to afflict vs in any of them we ought to do the like yea and not only when affliction is vpon vs that it might be remoued and taken away but when wee haue iust cause to feare it that it might be preuented and so we escape it And not onely in outward affliction but all inward much more by how much they are more dangerous and grieuous as if wee shall be distressed in minde being tempted by Sathan either vnto sinne or for sinne for if they be auailable in other cases then in these And so to conclude this one point in a word in euery matter that is of any importance either for our selues or for any of ours wee ought so to commend the same and the whole successe of them vnto God in prayer who must onely bring them to passe as that we rest not therein but desire also the prayers of others to helpe vs in the same This ordinance of his By this God would haue vs vnited in loue one to another the Lord in much wisedome and mercie hath left to vnite vs in brotherly loue one to another that when we shall see by experience how much we are or may be beholding one to another in that by their prayers wee haue been holpen in so great distresses wee might from the bottome of our harts vnfainedly loue one another Thus the greatest Monarch may be beholding to all his subiects as Dauid was here to his people and the rich this way may thinke that they faire the better for the poore and the Minister for the meanest
of his flocke And it were well that this way wee were all of vs a great deale more beholding one to another than we are in that we would in brotherly loue acquaint others with our estate and desire their prayers and then they would pray for vs according to the counsell and aduice of the Apostle Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Vers 16. that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent If we should for our owne benefit and good acquaint other with some speciall sins that haue been the cause and so consequently that may bee the cause of some great crosse that they vpon the knowledge of it might in greater feeling and faith pray for vs that they might bee forgiuen and wee deliuered from the punishment of them then should wee make them acquainted with other of our necessities to that end much more As in other things wee need the help one of another so in prayer and therefore should desire the same And that wee might bee perswaded vnto this duty of crauing the prayers of others in the feeling of the great need that we haue of them let vs first of all consider how the Lord hath so made vs all that he would haue vs helpe one another and know that we neede the help one of another both for soule and bodie and euery way else and therefore that we should seeke for it one of another as in the naturall bodie all parts doe need the mutuall helpe one of another as the eyes of the feete and the belly of the hands and doe in a sort seeke vnto them for it and by a naturall instinct as it were begge and craue it And all experience teacheth vs that in all other things none of vs is sufficient of our selues and therefore we craue the help of others as in counsell in labour and in all worldly affaires why then should it not be so in praier also Yet such is our corruption that we rather seeke helpe in any thing as distrusting our selues sauing in this wherein wee most neede it But we haue found the other true by our owne experience and so doe vse it if we did beleeue this and would doe thereafter wee might finde the fruite of it as sensible We desire men to sue for vs to Princes so should wee do vnto God Secondly when we haue suites vnto Princes or great men we desire those that are in fauour with them to further our suites and those especially that are most gracious with them and wee rest not in our selues though we be well knowne vnto them especially if the matter that wee sue for bee of any moment why should wee not then much more speak vnto others that they would pray to God for vs and commend our suites vnto his high Maiestie For though Gods loue be not partiall as mans is Matth. 18.20 but his promise is to all alike yet experience sheweth that some are more acquainted with prayer then other and so haue more accesse vnto God as it were and come oftner into his presence and neerer vnto him and so there is more hope that they should bee sooner heard Especiallie when God hath made a speciall promise that when two or three bee gathered together in the name of his sonne hee will be in the middest of them and therefore when diuers or the whole Church pray for vs there is more hope of being heard than when wee pray our selues alone The Papists pray to the Saints that are dead that they would pray to God for them that hee would heare their prayers for which there is no warrant in the Scripture but the whole word of God is rather against them but here is an example to desire the prayers of the Saints on earth that are liuing with hope of great fruite and few do follow it Thirdly when we pray When wee wrastle with men we desire help so should wee when wee striue in prayer with God Gen. 32.24 we doe as it were striue with God to obtaine some thing as was shewed to Iacob in the vision of an Angell wrastling with him all night long to teach vs that when we pray we must not come coldly or sleepely vnto it but with all earnestnes of desire and not giue ouer vntill the Lord blesse vs as Iacob would not let the Angell goe vntill he blessed him and then the Lord will assuredly blesse vs if we perseuere as he did Iacob and as Christ hath shewed in the parable of the wicked Iudge who was ouercome by the importunitie of the widow Therefore as when we wrastle or striue with a man Luk. 18.2 we knowing his great strength and our owne weakenes and so how hard it is to ouercome we would gladly haue others to helpe and to striue with vs against him and so we may more easily do that by the helpe of others which alone hardly or not at all we could do So when we striue with the Lord God in prayer being priuie to the weakenes of our owne faith and how many sinnes there are to hinder vs and what an hard thing it is to obtaine any thing in respect of our great vnworthinesse we should desire others to helpe vs with their prayers and therein as it were to striue with vs. And in this respect it is a singular great blessing if it were rightly esteemed and accordingly vsed to haue many in a familie or in the Church to pray with vs and for vs. Thus speaketh the Apostle and thus did hee practise when hee so earnestly intreated the Romanes to pray for him Rom. 15.30 32. saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me that I may come to you with ioy by the will of God and may with you bee refreshed He had often and of a long time purposed to come to them Chap. 1.10 as he professeth in the first chapter and prayed that by some meanes one time or other he might haue prosperous iourney by the will of God to come vnto them Paul desired the Church to striue with him in prayer now at the last he desireth them also not only to pray but to pray earnestly and to striue with him in their prayers that he may come with ioy and doth beseech them that they would doe so euen for the loue of Christ and of the spirit If hee then after so many and earnest prayers did desire them to striue with him how had we need much more to doe it who pray seldomer and more coldly And truly as great things may be done when many striue together which none of them could seuerally doe so by the prayers of many great things are obtained which by the prayers of one alone are not so easily gottē So the same Apostle writeth to the Corinthians that
God had deliuered him from great dangers and would doe so still 2. Cor. 1.8 so that they would pray earnestly for him Brethren saith he we would not haue you ignorant of our affliction which came vnto vs in Asia how we were pressed out of measure passing strength so that we altogether doubted euen of life Yea we receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead Who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. Thus he beleeued that hee might get great good by the earnest prayers of others and therefore doth desire them Great things may be obtained when many pray together euen to bee deliuered by the power of them from many great dangers And it may bee if wee haue marked the experience of our selues and others that we may well remember what great deliuerances haue been graunted when others haue laboured in prayers for vs or wee for them if not wee may see it by the grace of God in time to come But very few account prayer such a labour or striuing as it is and so go to it coldly and trust to their own strength and so obtaine nothing Pauls hope was in this that others should striue with him in prayer so we might haue greater hope if wee sought for helpe at the prayers of others and did not trust to our owne too much If thus in all matters of moment we desire the prayers of others according to our neede it will come to passe What comfort we may haue when we haue desired the prayers of others that wee should not want the fruite of them seeing the Lord hath promised to heare them but howsoeuer things fall out with vs we shal haue this comfort of a good conscience that we haue neglected no means that God hath appointed for our good But if wee bee carelesse of the prayers of others and so doe not seeke for them besides that it may come to passe that wee shall faile of our purpose through our owne default as when one striueth alone he cannot ouercome because he hath none to ioyne with him or at least hee shall not obtaine it so soone as otherwise hee might as when one is about a thing alone hee is the longer a doing it we shall haue the lesse comfort or more griefe because we neglected some meanes that might haue done vs good We must then be perswaded that the prayers of others may doe vs good and that wee neede them and so accordingly desire them In the daies of ignorance and superstition men gaue much to haue a continuall Masse for them that is In Poperie they maintained others to pray for them to pray for their soules and there were Beadmen also as they called them appointed for that purpose to pray for the liuing and for the dead and were maintained by the goods of the Church to that end which prayers of theirs because they were in an vnknowne tongue and so without vnderstanding and also not according to the word of God and so without faith could doe them no good yet this truth they aimed at though in darknes and as blind men that the prayers of others were so auaileable for them that euen in that respect onely they gaue much yeerely vnto those that should pray for them And truly if they had prayed aright they might by their prayers haue giuen more than they receiued for they might haue obtained great things of the Lord for them But here was another great abuse of that time in these prayers also that they hauing others thus to pray for them they rested in that and so neglected their owne prayers the more and thought that they might doe it with the lesse danger for they had others that prayed for them continually and so that that was wanting in themselues was supplied by others Dauid was of another minde for heere by his practise we haue an example of one that so desireth the prayers of others as that hee purposeth not to neglect prayer himselfe or to vse it any whit the lesse for that but to vse it rather the more willing them to pray God to heare his prayers so that if he did not pray himselfe their prayers should do him no good but it should be al one with him as if one should desire a man to set his hand to a blank and so he should preferre that as a supplication for him to the Prince So we are to desire others to pray for vs but in the meane season we must not neglect to pray for our selues Obiection But it may seeme superfluous and more then needed that Dauid should thus desire the prayers of the people for they were his subiects and therefore as in that respect they did owe other duties vnto him so this of praier most of all according to the exhortation of the Apostle who willeth 1. Tim. 2.1.2 that supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men and namely for Kings and for all that are in authoritie therfore it is like that they would not neglect it though he had not admonished them of it Besides it was a publike cause that hee dealt in euen against the open enemies of the whole realme against whom he went to warre and so it concerned them as well as himselfe for the enemies came not against his person onely but against them all and so they could not forget him their King vnlesse they forgat themselues Answere Yet because he knew that men naturally are forgetfull and so if they were not put in minde of it they might either wholy neglect it or not doe it so throughly as they should hee put them in minde to pray for himselfe and giueth them a forme of it and so telleth them what they should say This should moue vs to put our dearest friends in minde of vs and call vpon them to pray for vs Our dearest friends had neede to be put in mind to pray for vs. yea when they know our estate best and what great neede wee haue of the prayers of others for they may forget vs sometimes though they wish vs well And as through forgetfulnes they may neglect other duties which yet they are willing generally to performe as not to visite vs to send to vs to write to vs as often as they should and wee looke for at their hands so much more not to pray for vs for many times they that doe the former in great measure neglect this wholy or in a great part Wee finde by experience that many times yea when wee are spoken to of our friends wee remember not all but forget many things why should we not think then that others may forget vs if they be not put in minde Parents are bound to pray for their children and they should
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
so farre forth as may make for his glory and their good And so wee must not thinke alas our poore prayers can doe them no good as the diuell is ready to put this into our heads to discourage vs from prayer for the Lord who hath commaunded vs to aske one for another hath also promised to giue Therefore if we cannot otherwise profit our friends and those whom we wish well vnto yet this way by our prayers we may be beneficiall vnto them and this way alwaies euen the meanest of vs when we want opportunitie or abilitie to doe it otherwise And thus Dauid in this Psalme teacheth them to pray for him beleeuing that God would heare them for him Vers 6. when they say Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annoynted and wil heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mighty helpe of his right hand where he sets downe this part of the prayer in the singular number though many did vse it together to shew them that euery one particularly should beleeue that God would heare them for their King and would at their prayers defend him against his enemies and so they should not pray for him in vaine And the Apostle exhorteth men in their sicknesse to send for the Elders of the Church to pray for them and that both the one and the other might doe it in faith the one send for them and the other be willing to come he maketh a gracious promise in the name of the Lord vnto their prayers and saith that they shall thus obtaine for the sicke both health of body and forgiuenesse of sinne Is any sicke among you Jam. 5.15 Let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and annoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if hee hath committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him And in the next words he willeth vs all to confesse our sinnes one to another and pray one for another that so wee might receiue health for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much euery way when it is feruent And for whom Not only for himselfe but for another as he proueth by the example of Helias in whose dayes though that godly man Obadiah and the hundreth Prophets whom hee hid in caues from the persecution of Iezabel did pray for raine in that great drought as we must needs presume of them yet he only by his prayers obtained that benefit for himselfe and for them and for all the rest of the people of that time Helias saith he was a man subiect to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine Vers 17. and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite And here if vpon this occasion I should enter in this treatise What great benefits men haue gotten by the prayer of others to shew what great benefits men haue obtained by their prayers not for themselues but for others the time would not be sufficient the examples both in the old and new Testament are so many to declare it As how the Lord heard Abraham for his sonne Ishmael when he said Oh that Ishmael might liue in thy sight Gen. 7.18 so that he became a great man in the world and was multiplied exceedingly so that not onely twelue Princes came of him but a great nation And how Izhak prayed for his wife because shee was barren Chapt. 25.21 and the Lord was intreated of him and she conceiued and brought forth twinnes twentie yeeres after they had liued together in marriage before And what Moses obtained for the Israelites by his prayer at the red sea and oftentimes in the wildernes Exod. 14.15 And how Elias raised vp from dead by his prayers the sonne of the widow of Sarepta with whom he soiorned 1. King 17.28 And Elisha did the like for the good woman of Shunam who gaue intertainement vnto him as he passed that way 2. King 4.33 and many such things else might be shewed to haue been obtained by prayer All which are written for our instruction to teach vs that we should be willing to pray for others not doubting but that God will heare vs for them and this way we may doe them good if we can doe it no other waies As for example if in the loue and loyalty we owe to our soueraigne King hearing of the treasonable practises malitiously intended against his royall person and noble progeny we would be willing to doe him the best seruice for his defence that we could what shall we doe Counsell can we giue none neither are we in place to doe it we haue no strength to resist his enemies of our owne selues yet we may pray for him that Christ Iesus who ruleth in the middest of his enemies would bring things to light and confound them in their diuelish deuices and not doubt but that God will heare vs as they say confidently here Vers 6. I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie This should moue vs to pray for the Church of God vniuersally dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth This way euery one may be beneficiall to the Church of God and more particularly for that part of it wherein we liue and for all our gouernours in the same high and lowe and for others also not doubting but that the Lord will heare vs in all things for them agreeable vnto his holy will and so this way wee may in all callings bee profitable vnto them in our time So that no man can iustly complaine that God hath so disabled him that he can do no good vnto others for if we were as poore as Iob if as full of sores as Lazarus if we lay sicke in our beds and in great weakenes of body yet by our feruent and godly prayers we might doe much good vnto many And thus I remember a godly wise Father did comfort his weake brother who continuing a great while in a lingering sicknesse and weakenesse of body complained vnto him that there he spent away his time vnprofitably and was able to doe no good yes saith he very much for you may pray for the Church of God and that was true though he did not then see it For whatsoeuer wee aske in the name of Christ according to the will of God shall be graunted vnto vs which is true whether we aske for our selues or for others We may bee perswaded that God will heare vs for others by the largenes of his promises And the rather that wee might bee confirmed in this faith namely that the Lord of his bountifull goodnes will heare vs when we pray for others let vs first of all consider the promises that God hath
made vnto prayer which are infinit in number and vnmeasurable in greatnesse but take one for an example Christ saith in the Gospell Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Matth. 7.7 which hee deliuereth without limitation that we might know that it is not to be restrained to our selues but if wee aske for others wee shall receiue for them Then let vs set before our eyes the manifold and happie experience of the truth of these promises in all the seruants of God And by the experience of them in others who by their prayers haue obtained great things for others as we haue heard alreadie that when wee shall finde this way Gods word and all his promises pure and most certainly to be trusted vnto as siluer that is tried in a fornace of earth Psal 12.6 and fined seuen fold we might relie vpon them and so be willing to pray for others knowing that we shall not lose our labor Thirdly to these wee must adde the consideration of our owne experience But most of in our selues and remember for whom wee haue prayed and how often and what hath been the successe of our prayers As how wee haue prayed heretofore for the life and preseruation of our gouernours and namely of our late Soueraigne Ladie of famous memorie Queen Elizabeth and how God hath often deliuered her from many great treasons intended against her by the Iesuites and other Papists how we haue prayed for others as for the life health and prosperitie of our parents husbands wiues children neighbours and friends in their seuerall griefes of minde and infirmities of bodie and other distresses and what hath followed thereupon as how they haue been recouered and comforted and otherwise holpen and relieued how here in the Church we haue sometimes prayed for those that haue been very sicke euen at deaths doore who haue receiued the sentence of death in themselues and yet they haue recouered and some of them are aliue still that so as Dauid said vpon his former triall The Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lion 1. Sam. 17.37 and out of the paw of the beare hee will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim so wee might vpon our former experience boldly say God that of his mercie and goodnes hath vouchsafed to heare me for such and such wil heare me also at this time for these To this end also wee must wisely obserue and diligently marke for our owne comfort and the good of others what hath followed vpon our prayers and what God hath wrought or done for them Yea all they that desire the prayers of others for any speciall cause whether of the Church generally or of priuate men particularly should signifie vnto them afterwards which few or none doe and it is a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God and man not to doe it what blessings they haue found vpō themselues by such prayers not onely that they might bee thankfull to God for them as they prayed for them before but that being confirmed by such experience they might the more willingly and boldly pray for them and for others at some other time as there shall be neede and for want of this they cannot doe it so cheerefully and so confidently as otherwise they might doe To conclude the summe of all that hath been said in one word How greatly men faile in neglecting to pray for others we see what is here required of vs euen that we bee mindfull to pray for others and what good reason there is for it both in respect of our owne comfort and of their good let vs examine our selues to see whether wee haue been so carefull to performe this dutie vnto them as we should How often haue wee and doe we pray for the good estate of the Church of God in other countries as in France the Netherlands Geneua and such like that God would defend them from their enemies and inlarge the kingdome of Christ among them Nay how often doe wee pray for the Church of God in this land and in the kingdomes vnited How often for the Kings Maiestie the right honourable Councellors Iudges and Magistrates not onely of this land but more specially of our owne countrey How often for our neighbours yea particularly and by name for them of our owne family as for al our children and seruants Yea let vs call into our minds how often wee haue prayed seriously and in good earnest for those that haue desired our prayers and haue as it were made a couenant of prayer with vs by promising that they would pray for vs if we would remember thē whether we haue carefully kept this promise and couenant or no and when we shall finde that wee haue greatly failed this way let vs be sorie that wee haue not done that good this way that we might and that hath been looked for at our hands and therefore that wee cannot haue that comfort in the common blessings of God in church and common wealth and vpon priuate men that others haue And let vs determine for the time to come to be more mindful of others in our prayers and let vs be so indeede especially of all the Church of God and of all those that we haue made this promise vnto and so haue bound our selues to it by a couenant in the Lord that so the Lord may also reward vs with the prayers of others and with the fruit of the same in our greatest neede when wee shall haue carefully performed this dutie vnto them before Especially let vs remember to pray for the King and for all our gouernours as wee are bound thereunto both by the word of God and the lawes of the realme as if wee had made a certaine promise to them for it THE FOVRTH SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble THus the people doe speake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they pray for him The people pray for king Dauid that God would heare him and defend him This practise of theirs must be our imitation for it is the dutie of all subiects likewise to pray for their Princes and gouernours and as wee doe owe vnto them tribute custome feare and honour as the Apostle saith Rom. 13.7 so this dutie of prayer also and most of all and therefore it is a great fault in any to neglect it let vs therefore doe it So should we all doe for our King and that of conscience publikely and priuately Men for the most part are addicted to themselues or to their friends in prayer the King they think is a great way off and so the prouerbe with them is too true Out of sight out of minde or they thinke he is well enough and hath all things at will therfore he needeth not so greatly to be prayed for especially of vs. Surely we cannot
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
our gouernours that for certaine causes best knowne vnto themselues which it is not meete for vs to inquire into it was not lawfull for any of the common sort to haue discourses of the heire apparant and so few of them thought of him that we haue now or of any other But this is most of all to be wondred at And for his peaceable entrance that he came to the kingdome so peaceably and with so great approbation of all sorts of men and trauelled through the length of the whole land almost euen at the first for meaner men haue not come to their inheritances and taken vp the possession of them so quietly For truly by the grace of God to his praise bee it spoken there is no more alteration in the land in any estate or in priuate mens condition for the most part than if the Queene were still aliue And this benefit is the greater because we feared the contrarie and none could haue looked for after her death such times as we haue now And if there be any change at all And that in this short time since his comming things are bettered it is from worse to better so that since his comming many things are better in the Church commonwealth For by the gracious proclamations of his Maiestie many abuses of Playes and Interludes with Bearebaitings and Bulbaitings vpon the Sabbath day are put downe with Monopolies and ingrossings of wares into the hands of a few men many worthy men are aduanced to greater honour and worship the Papists in lesse hope of any toleration for their Popish idolatrie than before And vnto all these benefits this is none of the least And all things very cheape that God hath added this plentie of all things euen at this time whereby victuals and other things are resonable cheape least by scarcitie there might be occasion of dislike Therefore in respect of them all let vs be thankfull vnto God and yet againe let vs consider that all these come not without some punishment as this plague which is so scattered in many parts of this land especially the chief cities wherein wee must also acknowledge the great mercie of God But we are fallen into Gods hand by reason of the plague that wee haue escaped that which wee had deserued and had most cause to feare euen to fall into the hands of our enemies that they might make a pray of vs and of al that wee haue which Dauid accounted a great mercie and chose it when both of them were offered vnto him saying Let vs fall now into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hands of men 2. Sam. 24 14. therfore let vs be thankfull vnto God for this mercie also and so ioyning thanksgiuing vnto prayer for these causes that wee haue heard let vs pray vnto God for the preseruation and honour of our Lord and King Iames whom the Lord at this time with so many great benefits hath sent vnto vs and let vs take these words of the Psalme into our mouthes from which I haue a little vpon this occasion that you haue heard of digressed and say The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble c. The Lord heare thee These are the words of the prayer of the people for Dauid their King but as Ioab taught the woman of Tekoah what she should say to the King Chap. 14.19 and did put those words into her mouth which she spake before him so Dauid made this prayer for them and taught them what they should say vnto God in his owne behalfe and did as it were put these words into their mouthes when they should come before him And so hee not onely as a King taught his subiects what dutie they did owe vnto him but as a Prophet also speaking by the inspiration of the spirit of God 2. Pet. 1.21 as other holy men that wrote the Scriptures informeth the Church of God what duties they owe to him and to their superiours Dauid teacheth the people their dutie to himselfe So that he doth not in teaching them this duty of prayer for him ambitiously seeke himselfe and stand vpon his own prerogatiue to say Oh I am your King you ought to pray for me and to doe so and so but he knew it to bee his owne dutie to informe them that were committed vnto his charge in all duties to God and men euen to himselfe and therefore doth thus discharge it knowing also that in his owne safetie did consist their welfare and therefore in praying for him which hee taught them to doe they should benefit themselues So may and ought all superiours do to their inferiours So that by his example it is lawfull for all publike persons in the Church and commonwealth to teach those that are vnder them what duties they should doe to them and to require them at their hands without all suspition of ambition vainglorie or any waies seeking themselues Yea they ought to doe it and no man to finde fault with them for it not only because all superiours must teach their inferiours but also and especially because the inferiours in doing such duties vnto them shall greatly profit themselues Thus may and ought all the Ministers of Gods word in wisedome teach the people and flocke that is committed vnto them As the Minister to their people and flocke what duties they owe not onely to God and other men but euen to themselues and in so doing not to be thought of any ambitious proud c or their doctrine any waies disliked or suspected and to shew vnto them whether for reuerence of their persons to haue thē in singular estimation for their workes sake or for obedience of their doctrine 1. Thess 5.13 Heb. 13.17 to obey it that they may goe on with cheerefulnes or for maintenance or recompence of their labours in worldly things 1. Tim. 5.17 to giue them double honour or in any thing els what they should do vnto them Not only because they be faithfull in Gods house as Moses was Heb. 3.2 and so deliuer vnto them the whole counsell of God Act. 20.27 as Paul did and so teach them all-things and therefore of necessitie there must bee a time for them but also because the people in doing these duties to them they benefit themselues For in preseruing the authoritie of the ministery of the word inuiolable in their consciences and in the consciences of others consisteth the peoples welfare So that as this people was not to except against this prayer when it came to them from Dauid for it came not by the way of intreatie as an indifferent thing but by a princely iniunction or propheticall instruction and so as a necessarie dutie of theirs and therefore they were to thinke that they were bound vnto it and that hee did necessarily require it at their hands and not to make
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
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
it might appeare that we are not ignorant of our owne estate when we can name that that we lack and might also see how God blesseth vs not only generally but particularly that we might be thankfull for the same And therefore as a childe asketh not onely things needfull of his father but this and that and as Christ saith but to another end hee asketh him an egge or fish or bread so we must doe vnto the Lord. And sowe must particularly commend the estate of others vnto God And as wee must thus pray for our selues so for others also God would haue vs to take knowledge of their estate as much as we can and be touched with it that we might pray for this and that according to their neede in soule and bodie Thus must wee pray by this example for our King not onely that God would heare his prayers from time to time but seeing that wee heare that hee is subiect to many daungers and that his enemies doe hunt after his life and besides the common casualties of all men that he is with them subiect vnto his life is specially sought for therefore we must pray that God would defend him in these attempts by discouering them in time and bringing them to naught yea conuerting or confounding all his enemies And this is the best vse that wee can and should make of all the newes that wee heare of treasons breaking foorth that wee seeing the daungers might pray to God to defend him And as wee must doe thus for his Maiestie first and chiefly so for any others as when wee heare in what danger the Churches are beyond the seas as Geneua and others how they are assaulted by their enemies let vs pray to God to defend them And so likewise for our brethren here at home We heare how the pestilence raigneth in many places wee are not only to pray that God would heare them but more specially that God would defend them from it that are not in it and those that are that he would deliuer them out of it if it be his holy will And thus as we must pray one for another so wee see what wee should pray for So did the Martyrs one for another that God would giue them comfort in the prison and strength against the fire And thus it is written of Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury that when his fellow prisoners Doctor Ridley and Master Latimer were burnt at Oxford for the Gospell hee looking out of the prison where hee was cried The Lord Iesus strengthen you They had neede then of great patience and strength to beare such things and so hee prayed to God to giue them that which then they most needed So then if wee know any to be in any distresse of soule or bodie wee must pray for them according to their seuerall neede as if they bee tempted for sinne that God would comfort them with the forgiuenes of their sinne if they bee tempted vnto sin that God would strengthen them against the same and giue them the shield of faith Eph. 6.16 whereby they may quench all the firie darts of the diuell if they be fallen into sinne that God would raise them vp and giue them repentance if they bee poore and want meate drink or cloathing that God would giue them all things necessary for this life if they be in sicknes that God would giue them patience and health if they be oppressed with enemies that God would reuenge their cause if they be in any losse that God would recompence it vnto them And so it is not enough to say God be with them God helpe them or God blesse them but we must come further to this or that and pray God to giue it them according to their neede as here they pray for defence for their King in this daunger that hee was in And so wee see what wee haue to obserue out of these words generally The rest wee will prosecute the next day by the grace of God THE SIXT SERMON vpon the first verse The name of the God of Iacob defend thee All defence of all men commeth from God only DEfend thee We see from whence all defence and that of all men euen of Kings and of the greatest must come namely from God and so they professe also in the next verse when they pray Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen and so they testifie their faith in the sixt verse and say that they knew that God would helpe his annoynted and further they declare their faith in the words following when they oppose their confidence that they had in Gods defence to the vaine confidence that their enemies had in other things saying Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God Wee must then bee perswaded that no man can sufficiently defend himselfe in any danger by any wit policie or strength in himselfe neither can any others doe it for him no not Kings and Princes be they neuer so mightie And therefore the wise man must not trust in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength Jerem 9 23. nor the rich man in his riches And as we must alwaies thus beleeue so most of all when we pray that so we renouncing all worldly helpe might look vp only vnto God and pray to him from whom only we beleeue that all our helpe must come as it is said in the Psalme Psal 121.2 My helpe commeth from the Lord who hath made the heauen the earth God hath appointed means for our defence in all things Both in the common-wealth Psal 144.2 as munition against forraine enemies yet he saith that it was he that subdued the people vnder him and it is hee and not the watchmen that keepe the citie as he acknowledgeth in another Psalme Except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper watcheth in vaine Psal 127.1 Therefore wee for our part must ascribe this defence that we haue had from forraine inuasion not to the seas which doe compasse vs in or to our strength of men and munition at home but to God and so giue thankes to him for it and pray to him still that hee would defend vs and his Church in this land For the Israelites though they had preuailed against their enemies before yet when they sinned and broke the commaundement of God Iosh 7.5 in the excommunicate goods they were smitten and fled before them so if the Lord should for our sinnes forsake vs and be our defender no more wee see what should become of vs. We haue other meanes also to defend vs in our houses from theeues and robbers as gates and doores And in our houses locks and barres yet they doe not keep vs night and day but God for they may be broken open as sometimes they are or by negligence may bee left open or there may bee some false-hearted within the doores
therefore we must commend the care of al vnto God who saith Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it And Psal 127.1 It is in vaine for a man to rise early and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow but he will giue rest to his beloued Therefore wee must say and doe as Dauid did And 16.5.8 Thou wilt maintaine my lot And againe I haue set the Lord alwaies before me for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Where wee see how he commended the care of himselfe and of all that he had vnto the Lords protection whereupon it came to passe that he not only was defended but had a quiet minde and bodie as he saith also in another place I will lay me down And 4.8 and also sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safetie And so wee must ascribe all our defence for the time past to him The defence of our King is only of God and trust only to him for the time to come And now for the present state of our time we must beleeue that all the defence of our King from all daungers is and must come onely from God for though he be wise himselfe and hath a wise honourable Councel and there are many that watch and care for him besides yet if God did not defend him the diuel by his subtiltie might make his enemie wiser than all of them Therefore as Dauid saith of himselfe Psal 140.7 It was God that did couer his head in the day of battell that is though hee had an helmet and such like defence yet if God had not couered his head all that had been nothing so we must say it is God that hath couered not onely his head but his whole bodie from the strokes of his enemies yea wee must say as Paul saith of himselfe 2 Cor. 1.10 God hath deliuered him from so great a death and doth deliuer him daily in whom wee trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer him Therefore when wee heare of any daunger towards his person or towards the State we must not make small account of it and say Tush I but there are these and these meanes to defend vs the King and his Counsell are wise enough to preuent all but wee must say That good God and merciful father who of his infinit mercie hath defended him and vs hitherto will do so still and pray to him thereafter that it may bee so as this people doth here The name of the God of Iacob defend thee So is it in all sicknesse and namely in this great mortalitie of our time He onely can defend vs from the pestilence 1. Cor. 11.30 wherein many are sicke and many are weake and many fall asleepe none can defend vs in it but onely God and he is able to doe it In the Law God hath threatned great and incurable diseases to the disobedient for it is said The Lord will smite thee in the knees and in the thighes Deut. 28.35 with a sore botch that thou canst not bee hâ—â—led euen â—rom the sole of thy foote vnto the top of thine head And a little after in the same place The Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull Vers 59. and the plagues of thy seed euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore diseases and of long durance I will bring vpon thee all the diseases of Egypt whereof thou wast afraide and they shall cleaue vnto thee and euery sicknes and euery plague which is not written in the booke of this law will the Lord heape vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed And from them that walke in his waies he hath promised to keepe these diseases farre away If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God Exod. 15.26 and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commaundements and keepe all his ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee These threatnings and promises he only is able to verifie and doth who hath said to that end He will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence Psal 91.3 he will couer thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be sure vnder his fethers his truth shall be thy shield and buckler thou shalt not be afraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flieth by day nor of the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor of the plague that destroyeth at noone day a thousand shall fall at thy side and tenne thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neere thee There shall none euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Thus it is the Lord only that keepeth vs from plagues and diseases by the inuisible ministerie of his holie Angels which he vseth for the defence of his seruants and the punishment of the wicked For as when the Lord did send his Angell into the hoste of proud blasphemous Sanecherib he smote in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand 2. King 19.35 so that when they rose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses And as in the time of Dauid 2. Sam. 24.15 the Lord by an Angel did destroy with the pestilence seuentie thousand men in three daies So in the middest of all pestilent diseases if the Lord bid his Angell cease punishing as hee did then when hee stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem to destroy it hee said Vers 16. It is sufficient hold now thine hand or if he will them to keepe vs in the middest of it it shall bee so and then shall that be verified vpon vs Psalm 91.13 which is written Thou shalt walke vpon the lion and aspe the yong lion and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete that is his Angels shall preserue vs in the middest of great dangers harmelesse He onely defendeth in these cases therefore let vs trust in him and in him alone As he did recouer Hezekiah froÌ„ death He healed King Hezekiah when he was sicke of a most deadly disease euen when he lay sicke of a pestilent feuer and had a Carbunckle or Plague sore broken out in his body and before that had receiued the sentence of death in himselfe Isai 38.1 For the Prophet had said vnto him Thus saith the Lord put thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not liue that is this sicknesse of thine is deadly in it owne nature Then he turned his face vnto the wal
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
vs no good and so deceiue vs but if wee trust in God and in his helpe whether we haue meanes or haue them not that will be an anchor that shall not confound vs for we trust in him and in his defence from whom onely commeth all help Now if we say we haue this faith it must appeare by the fruites and namely that if we haue all good meanes as Dauid had here we be not secure and trust in them but pray earnestly vnto God as though wee had them not much more when we haue them not in deed Prayer then is a special token in all things that we goe about that we look for our help from God and therefore if we beleeue that it is God that must stay this mortality and sicknes and that he must defend others and our selues in it we must pray earnestly and continually for our selues and them but if we let prayer alone or vse it seldome whatsoeuer we say with our mouth we do not so beleeue it in hart as we should For faith must appeare by the fruits of it els it is a dead faith and as a body without a soule which hath no actions of life and prayer is one principall fruit as the Apostle saith How shal they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 2 Cor. 4.13 shewing that as there can be no prayer without faith so faith doth necessarily bring forth prayer Therefore let vs stir vp our selues vnto prayer and neuer cease calling vpon God euen as we do beleeue that all our helpe must come from him And here by the way we see the nature of true faith Faith seeth helpe in heauen when there is none in earth that it causeth vs to see help in heauen so to pray for it when there is none to be seene in the earth And this is the difference between faith vnbeleefe that the very vnbeleeuers can by reason conceiue of help so long as they haue any meanes to help them but if they fayle they can see none at all so they are like vnto those that are pore-blind who can see nothing but neere at hand But faith seeth a farre off euen into heauen so that it is the euidence of things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 for it looketh vnto the power of God who hath all meanes in his hand or can worke without them who made all of nothing and calleth the things that bee not as though they were So that as the holy Martyr S. Stephen Rom. 4.17 Act. 7.54 when his enemies were ready to burst for anger and gnash at him with their teeth looked stedfastly into heauen and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to defend him so faith in the promises of the word doth see help in heauen ready for vs when there are no meanes in earth For as Abraham did not cōsider his own body Rom. 4.19 nor the deadnes of Sarahs womb but considered what God had promised and what he was able to doe so if we look to the promises of Gods word which are many and most true wee shall see helpe from heauen if no where else Let vs labour then for that faith which may comfort vs from heauen for it may be in the extremity of this sicknesse wee shall see none in earth so when others are dumbe or not knowing what to say our mouthes shal be opened to speake vnto God and say Send vs helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen Strength from Sion It thus followeth And strengthen thee out of Sion Before they prayed for helpe from heauen now they pray for strength out of Sion where by Sion they meane that part of Ierusalem called mount Sion where afterwards the tēple was built where now the Arke the visible signe of Gods presence was where they worshippe God in the word sacrifice and prayer and by strength thee meaneth not the strength of men and munition meet for war for help which was prayed for before but inward strength of the mind courage which was meet for the enemy that he might trust in the defence of God might not be dismayed by any power of the aduersary but that he might beare his estate as was conuenient And this was very requisit for if he had had neuer so many meanes Courage of mind is needfull in all troubles and had had no heart he should not haue vsed them or vsed them to no purpose and how should he haue strength of heart vnles God gaue it and how should God giue it vnles he asked it of him Therefore he taught them to pray for that also This sheweth that as in war so in all other afflictions which cause feare there is requisite an inward courage of the mind to vphold a man for if he haue a good hart he shall beare many things and if he haue no hart the least thing will dismay him Prou. 18.14 Therefore Salomon saith The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it 2. King 7.5 6. The Aramites on the suddaine heard a great noyse when they besieged Samaria and they all fled away for feare and left their tents and all things standingf as they were and so the Israelites came and spoyled them they had men enough but they wanted courage So is it said of all the Kings of Canaan which were many and mighty that their hearts fainted and so they could not stand before Ioshua Iosh 2.12 5.1 So is it in all other afflictions that we be subiect vnto we had need of strength according to the measure of it to beare it for if we haue no faith or confidence in God what shall become of vs Iob in al his great afflictions because he had a good hart and trusted in God bore them al paciently and said Iob. 13.15 Especially in this mortality of the plague If the Lord kill me I will trust in him At this time especially in respect of this great sicknes it is most needful to haue strength of faith to beleeue Gods gracious prouidence that things come not by chance but by his fatherly disposition and to beleeue that he hath a care of vs and that nothing commeth by fortune for if a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without his wil Matt. 10.29.30 then much lesse do men dye especially seeing the very heyres of our head are numbred that so we may cōmend our selues vnto him and take all things as from him and be contented with it I say as this faith is alwaies requisite because we know not what may befall vs on the suddain so most of all at this dangerous time And this is necessary not only for our selues but for our brethren also that accoridng to the measure of the sicknesse and paine and temptations of their minde so they might haue strength to beare al. For the very want of this strength
hath bin the cause that many euen for feare haue been ouercome much more when the thing hath bin vpon them haue they fallen into great impatiency and many lamentable outcries Euery one of vs is well acquainted with our owne weaknes this way and do find by experience how smal things we can beare and how the least thing doth ouercome vs yea the very feare of it many times therefore we had need to labour for strength And by that weakenes that is in our selues we may easily iudge what is in others and so see how requisit it is for them also that God should strengthen them Further it is to be considered God onely strengtheneth and weakneth the heart of man that as we haue seene how requisite it is for vs to haue strength according to the measure of our crosses temptations so of whom we shal haue it namely of God for they pray to him for it and say The Lord strengthen thee out of Sion he hath the hearts of all in his hands to order at his pleasure and if he giue strength then shall we be strong and if he withdraw his hand from vs and cast feare vpon vs if we were as stout as Lions before we shall be as weake as water And this truly as it is a great punishment to bee too feareful so God hath threatned to cast it vpoÌ„ them that breake his law and contrary to be of a good courage as it is a singular fruit of a good conscience so God hath promised to giue it to those that keepe his law Leuit. 26.7 For it is thus written If yee walke in mine ordinances and keepe my commandements to doe them fiue of you shall chase an hundreth Vers 36. and an hundreth of you shall put ten thousand to flight But if they will not obey me nor do all these commandements I will send a faintnes into their hearts in the land of their enemies and the sound of a leafe shaken shall chase them and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword and they shall fall no man pursuing them they shall also fall one vpon another as before a sword though none pursue them and ye shal not be able to stand before your enemies Deut. 28.66 And thy life shal hang before thee thou shalt feare both night and day and shalt haue none assurance of thy life in the morning thou shalt say would God it were euening and in the euening thou shalt say would God it were morning for the feare of thine hart which thou shalt feare for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Thus strength courage in all troubles is the gift of God as fearefulnes is a punishment sent of God Iâ—sh 2.11 for it is said that the Lord cast a feare vpon the Cananites so that they durst not stirre Thus we see who is the giuer of al strength in al trials and temptations and that we haue it not of our selues Therefore no man must thus presumptuously think of himself that if trouble come he hopes he shal beare it out wel enough for he hath sufficient strength and courage for if he were of as great courage and valour as Dauid who slew a Lyon and a Beare yea Goliah himselfe yet when he commeth to a new trial he shal find himselfe altogether insufficient but as the Lord shall make a new supply of strength The Apostle S. Peter thought himself to be a stouter man a great deale then he was and that he would not shrinke for a little when he said if all men forsake thee yet will not I Matth. 26.33 but at the length God leauing him to himself for his triall he had no strength to stand but did both deny forsweare his Maister three times Thus wee must ascribe all our former strength vnto God he only it is that must strengthen vs still In troubles we must pray to God to strengthen vs. Iam. 1.5 Seeing it is so we must pray to him for it as Dauid doth here prayer is the meanes to obtaine all things from God therefore not only if we lack wisedome as the Apostle saith let vs aske it of God but if we lack any thing els as if we be faint-harted if we be weake in faith if wee lack patience if wee feare that wee shall not be able to beare things Therefore as in trouble wee must pray for other things according to our estate as for deliuerance or mitigation so especially for strength to beare whatsoeuer shall be laid vpon vs and wee may doe it in the greater faith because God hath promised it 1. Cor. 10.13 euen that hee will lay no more vpon vs than we shall be able to beare So then in all affliction let this be one part of our prayer for if God strengthen vs we shall be able to beare any thing And whereas they pray thus for Dauid it is our bound duty so to pray one for another as if we heare of any to be vnder any crosse pray vnto God for them that God would strengthen them And so strengthen those that are vnder the plague So did the Martyrs in persecution one for another and so must we do now for those that are or shal be visited with this pestilence that God would strengthen them with faith in his good prouidence with patience to beare all things with perseuerance vnto the end And as he looked for good by their prayers so God that hath commanded vs to pray one for another will not suffer vs to pray for them in vaine And thus though we cannot come one to an other by reason of the infection to minister any other comfort yet wee may pray vnto God to strengthen them and though wee cannot ease them of their paine yet God may strengthen them by our prayers to beare it patiently Out of Sion As before he had taught them to aske strength for him so here he doth shew from whence he did looke for it Out of Sion the place of Gods worship and from whence hee would haue them pray that it might come namely from Sion which was the place of Gods worship vnto which hee had respect in naming the place which there and there onely was to bee had without which that place did not differ from any other Whereas then these are the things that doe strengthen vs in trouble that we haue saith in the forgiuenes of our sinnes and in Gods prouidence hope that God will be with vs and defend vs and lay no more vpon vs than we shall be able to beare and patience that we may be quiet All these are wrought and increased in vs by the word Sacraments and prayer which 〈…〉 Sionâ— that is in the place appointed for Gods worship 〈…〉 willeth them to pray for him that God would so blesse these meanes that he had vsed there before and which now were and should be vsed for him that by them hee
might be strengthened and haue a good heart in Gods defence and so hee might not faint in his troubles First then he sheweth that he beleeued that all his confidence in trouble and courage in danger should come from the meanes of Gods worship and without theÌ„ he should be as faint-hearted as might be but by them hee might bee made confident and bold to behaue himselfe in the midst of trouble Commeth all strength of faith as he should doe And this is most true and that which all of vs must beleeue and shall finde to be true by experience that into what trouble or danger so euer we shall come we shal haue no more heart to beare any thing than as we haue profited by the word and Sacraments and prayer to beleeue the promises that God hath made vnto vs in his word For as Dauid confesseth of himselfe I had perished in my trouble if my hope had not bin in thy word Psal 119.92 so thereby we see what did vphold him and this must vphold all men As from the word of God the hope that they haue of Gods protection deliuerance as it is promised in the word So that take away the word and there can be no hope without hope we haue no strength to beare any thing and so we must needes perish in any trouble And hereunto agreeth the Prophet when he saith Psal 130.5 My soule hath waited on the Lord and I haue trusted in his word he was in great trouble and prayed vnto God confessing his sinne beleeuing the mercie of God and so waiting vpon him for it but how trusting in the word so al his hope was from that And indeede what hope can we haue but from it For if God had promised vs nothing or we knew it not how could we haue any hope and without hope there is nothing but impatiencie and so no strength to beare any thing So that al our strength is from the word and in that respect from Sion that is the place where it is publikely taught vs that we might beleeue it and so be strengthened by it Few beleeue that all their strength to beare things is from Gods word Thus though it be most true yet few beleeue it that when trouble comes all their strength to beare it must come from the knowledge and faith which they haue gotten from the word But without this they imagine that they shall beare things well enough for they haue good hearts and stout and are not fearfull as they say they will not be daunted for a little they haue such and such meanes to trust vnto and they will be merrie and haue good companie and passe away things lightly and they shal not come neere their hearts greatly to trouble them and so they will beare them out well enough And therfore wee see that when trouble comes few giue themselues to thinke of that which God hath promised in his word or doe determine to come more diligently vnto the word than before as though they beleeued that all their strength must come from thence But whatsoeuer men imagine of their owne strength this will be found true at the last that all our courage is from the meanes of our saluation and that all other confidence that men haue from any thing els sauing from them wil deceiue them For though they may stoutly beare out things for a time yet in the end they will fall into great impatiencie and despaire or els into hardnes of heart and blockishnes but as they shal be strengthened by the free promises of God made in his word Ephes 6.16 For it is onely faith that will quench all the firie darts of the diuell as the Apostle saith whether he tempteth vs for our sinne in the time of our trouble as the tempter will do for he is not so called without a cause or he tempteth vs vnto sinne in all these temptations only by faith we stand and that shall be as a shield wholy to defend vs 2. Cor. 1.24 and to quench the firie darts of the wicked that is euen those grieuous temptations which otherwise are able to set soule and bodie on fire But what faith can we haue but from the word and the free promises therein contained therfore all our strength is from thence and from the rest of Gods worship in Sion The want of this faith hath pulled downe the hearts of the stoutest as al the Canaanites seuen great and mightie nations The want of saith in Gods word hath pulled downe the hearts of the sâ—outest their hearts fainted them for feare of Ioshua they had no means from Gods word to strengthen them in his defence And Saul the King of Israel though he was a goodly man of stature and of great courage yet when by the meanes of a witch he heard what should become of him he died away for feare 1. Sam. 28 20. and there was no strength in him This made Achitophel and Iudas 2 Sam. 17.23 Matth. 27.5 both of them traytors to their masters to destroy themselues when in their wicked proceedings the feare of Gods wrath was vpon them they could haue no strength from God by meanes of his word Gen. 4.14 This also made Cain to become a vagabond and a runnagate so that his conscience would not let him be quiet in any place because he had committed a most horrible sinne and did not repent him and so could looke for no fauour or protection from God in that case And this causeth many of the wicked to tremble and shake as a leafe Dan. 5.6 as the King of Babylon did when he was in the middest of his prophane cups drinking and swilling Act. 24.26 and Felix also in all his great pompe and brauerie because they were void of faith wheÌ„ the one saw the iudgmeÌ„ts of God against him and the other heard of them and so they could haue no strength from his word which they did neither beleeue And is the cause of all weaknes and feare in Gods children nor know And this want of the knowledge and faith in the word of God is the cause of all the weaknesses and impatiencie that hath appeared in Gods children and of all their feares euen that they haue not been sufficiently perswaded of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and of Gods fauour and that hee hath a care of them and will diminish their griefe and paine in his good time and giue them patience and lay no more vpon them than they shall be able to beare and that he will turne all vnto their good in the end and so they haue not bin sufficiently strengthened by the word For when they haue come to this by hearing and reading and meditating vpon Gods word and by praier then haue they felt themselues strengthened to beare all things and not before and then onely in that measure that they haue attained vnto this perswasion and
haue been thus strengthened by the meanes of Gods worship in Sion As appeareth in Iob. We may see both these in the example of Iob who is a patterne both of great weaknes of great strength in the weaknes of his faith and before that he was sufficiently strengthened by the word he fell into great impatiencie and cursed the time that euer he was borne saying Let the day perish wherein I was borne Job 3.2 and the night wherein it was said there is a manchilde borne and so goeth on and saith much to that effect See whether a mans weaknes will carrie him if he haue no strength frō the word yea though hee be a very good man as Iob was But when hee was sufficiently strengthened by the word of God and had the feeling of it in his heart hee was able to beare all things as not only when he said The Lord hath giuen Chap. 2.21 and the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord but when in greater affliction hee said If the Lord kill me Chapt. 13.25 Chapt. 19.25 yet I will put my trus in him And also I am sure that my redeemer liueth and I shall see him and mine eyes behold him and none other for me See againe what we shall be able to beare when wee haue gotten sufficient strength of faith and patience from the word though wee were neuer so weake before Seeing it is so wee may well know in this visitation of the plague if it should come among vs from whence wee must haue strength to beare it yea and any other triall also that now or hereafter God shall lay vpon vs euen from his word and from that faith and hope that wee haue gotten from thence and so much strength assuredly shall we haue as we haue true faith and without that wee can haue none the weaknes of our faith is the cause of little strength This should make all of vs diligent to come to the Church Therefore in this time of the plague all should labour to get strēgth from the word and to see that we haue cause to doe as wee now doe not onely to come and pray that God would turne away his heauie hand but to heare his word carefully that by it wee might grow in faith and hope and so receiue strength to beare whatsoeuer God shall lay vpon vs. In so much that if a man had no care before now he had neede to begin and hee that was diligent before must be more diligent now for he hath need of greater strength and to prouoke all his family to come that they also might be strengthened with him against the day of trouble els if affliction doe come among them their weaknes and impatiencie may trouble him whereas if he haue gottē any strength of faith he shall haue it not for himselfe alone but his strength shall doe them much good and all of them being strong in faith one shall comfort and vphold another For in all companies the more strength that euery one of them hath the better shall it be for them all And let not men deferre vntil Gods hand be vpon them and thinke that they will get strength then And doe not deferre it vntil Gods hand be vpon them Ephes 6.12 for when they haue done all that they can they shall finde that they haue strength little enough to wrastle with the paines of their bodie and temptations of their minde euen with the prince of the darknes of the world with spiritual wickednesses and that in the matter of our saluation so that when wee haue the whole and complet armour of Christians vpon vs euen our loynes girt about with the girdle of truth and the breastplate of righteousnes and our feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace and the shield of faith and the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit yet we shall haue much adoe to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things to stand fast Besides it is not wisedom for a man to defer to seek for any thing then when he should need it in worldly matters we would be glad to haue them before-hand let vs bee as carefull for our soules and so I pray you for the loue of Christ and of your owne soules not only to come still but to profit by your comming as much as you can to get strength against trouble from Sion euen from this place of Gods seruice where it is to bee had Otherwise it will come to passe that besides many great weaknesses that you must needes fall into this shall be a grieuous accusation to your consciences to think to complaine somewhat too late Oh how might I haue strengthened my self against these euill daies if I had made more account of the word if I had come to it more diligently profited by it more effectually but alas now what great weaknes of faith is in me how full of distrust and of impatiencie am I how am I out of all hope because I haue neglected the meanes of my strength Let euery one therefore examine his owne strength and according to the great weaknes that he findeth in himself so let him make more account of comming to the word and let them now whilest they haue time giue themselues plentifully to the reading and meditating of the sweet and comfortable promises of the same at home in their houses that they and theirs may get as much strength therby as they may against the time of neede And as this is our strength so it must be the strength of all our brethren and therfore as Dauid willeth them here to pray for him In this respect what we shuld pray for those that are vnder the plague both for the preachers and for the hearers that God would strengthen him out of Sion that is by the word which he had heard there that now God would call it into his remembrance and confirme his faith by it So wee must pray for them that with this visitaion of the plague they may still haue his word among them and that it may be diligently preached and to that end that the Lord would watch ouer and preserue his faithfull Ministers the preachers of his word as the chiefe captaines that should incourage strengthen the rest and that the people may reuerently esteeme of the word and of them for the words sake so be careful of thē and of their liues And that all would willingly come to the word that may and they that are sicke or shut vp and cannot that God would forgive them their negligent hearing of his word in time past whereby they might haue gotten more strength and that hee would blesse that that they heard heretofore that by it they may be strengthened and by it be assured of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and may haue hope of eternal life and so patiently abide whatsoeuer God
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
their doings as he promised by the Prophet Malachi where it is thus written hee first complaining of the wicked in the name of the Lord Your words haue been stout against mee yet yee say Malach. 3.13 What haue we spokē against thee Ye haue said It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandements and that wee haue walked humbly before the Lord of hostes therefore we count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednes are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered Then spake they that feared the Lord euery one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and they shall be to me saith the Lord of hostes in that day that I shall doe this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Thus we see that when the Prophet preached and some made a mock of it and those that feared God conferd among themselues to comfort themselues in the waies of the Lord hee did see them both and did remember them and in the day of his visitation would put a difference betweene them and so wee see how God will remember vs for our faithfull seruice and blesse vs for it and to that end according to our capacitie it is said that there was a booke of remembrance written for them before the Lord. That is as among men they that do any faithfull seruice to the Prince it is recorded in writing and put into the Chronicles whereby it commeth to passe that the memory of it is kept as wee see in the booke of Hester when the King could not sleepe Hest. 6.1 hee commaunded to bring the booke of the Chronicles and they were read before him where it was found written that Mordecas had told of Bigtana and Teresh two of the Kings Eunuches keepers of the doore who sought to lay hands on the King And hee said What honour and dignitie hath bin done to him for this And they said There is nothing done for him Then he commaunded Haman to doe him that great honour that is there set down Thus we see how the good seruice that he had done to the King was written and so he was remembred rewarded for it So the Lord doth keepe a more faithfull record of all the good seruices that any of vs haue done vnto him and hee will reward vs for them in his good time and this is that which they pray for in the behalfe of their King When the Lord sent his Angels to destroy Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities thereabout for their horrible wickednes he made it knowne vnto Abraham Gen. 18.17 saying Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will go down now see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me God remembred the prayers of Abraham which he made for Lot if not that I may know Then Abraham began to pray for them said Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked be it farre from thee from doing this thing to slay the righteous with the wicked and the Lord said he would not and so he went on sixe times praying for them and was heard Therfore it is said in the next chapter that whē God destroyed all the wicked he remembred righteous Lot according to the prayer of Abraham and deliuered him For when God destroyed the cities of the plaine Chapt. 19.29 God thought vpon Abraham and sent Lot out from the middest of the destruction when hee ouerthrew the cities wherein Lot dwelled By this example wee see that God remembreth the prayers that wee haue made not onely for our selues but for others yea when they know not of it as hee did the prayers of Abraham for Lot Therefore when wee pray to God wee must not thinke that our words are vanished in the ayre or that they are for the time present only but for the time to come euen for all the daies of our life So that as it is said that the bloud of Abel did speake to God for him when hee was dead and did crie out alowd and was heard Chapt. 4.10 so our prayers that we haue made and seruices that we haue done shall speak to God for vs when wee sleepe and when wee hold our peace and God will remember vs for them euen then when hee punisheth all the wicked round about vs as he did here heare Abraham and deliuered Lot when hee ouerthrew the cities of the plaine wherein Lot dwelled We haue prayed often for this visitation God remembreth the prayers of all men for this plague that God would be mercifull vnto vs in it we must not thinke that because we see not a present end or lessening of it that we haue lost our labour and so grow wearie and giue ouer But let vs assure our selues that so many as haue with true repentance and vnfained purpose of leauing all sinnes that they know and not wittingly please themselues in any that God remembreth their prayers and knoweth what is in them and what they haue done to him as he also knoweth the hard-heartednes and hypocrisie of the rest And as hee doth remember them so hee will in his good time make it knowne to them more and more as hee did to Cornelius when he sent an Angel vnto him and as he did to Abraham when he saw that Lot was deliuered from the destruction of Sodom Hee did remember them before though hee made it knowne vnto them when it pleased him And in time will shew it vnto them As it is written also of Daniel the Prophet who fasted and prayed for the desolation of Ierusalem whilest he was speaking in prayer Gabriel came flying and foretold him Dan. 9.21 about the euening sacrifice and said O Daniel I am now come foorth to giue thee knowledge and vnderstanding at the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee So though there the commaundement came out at the first yet God did shew it him at the last euen when it pleased him God must needs remember vs for Christ putteth him in minde of vs. So will he doe with vs but in the meane season we must beleeue that he doth remember vs and take comfort in it And truly it must needs be so that God should remember the prayers of his seruants and all their seruices Rom. 8.34 for they haue a Mediatour and Aduocate in heauen euen Iesus Christ at the right hand of God who maketh continuall request for vs for hee is faithfull to doe it and he is in fauour with God and therfore he will remember vs for his sake For if wee haue put vp any supplication
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
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
Gen. 28.20 So doth Iacob in that prayer that hee made when hee went towards Laban as may appeare by his words If God will be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I go and will giue me bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that I come againe vnto my fathers house in safetie and if thou wilt be my God then this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shall bee Gods house and of all that thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth vnto thee And truly it must needes be so So must we doe if we consider our great wants if we doe but consider our great neede of euery thing and what wee are if God doe not supplie them As if a poore creature that hath neither bread nor meate nor cloath nor money to helpe himselfe should come and aske almes and receiue must not he needes thinke how am I beholding to him that hath thus refreshed me and what should haue become of mee poore soule if hee had not had compassion on me As Iob saith of himselfe that he did feede the hungrie and clothe the naked so that the very bellies of them that were fed with his meat Job 31.20 and the loynes of them that were cloathed with the fleece of his sheepe did blesse him So then when wee see that if God doe not thus and thus for vs we are readie to perish must we not thinke that if hee doe and when hee doth bestow it wee shall haue great cause to praise him for it We must not then pray as though we cared not for it but in the great feeling of our need so shall wee esteeme of all things when God shall heare our prayers as we ought Especially if we well way our great vnworthines Moreouer concerning this one point if wee consider our owne vnworthines euen of the least benefit and fauour nay how we haue deserued the cleane contrary then much more must wee thinke when wee pray for any thing that wee shal be greatly beholding to God for it And for our vnworthines remember that wee not onely haue no goodnes that can commend vs vnto God for wee haue not in all things done our dutie as we should but because wee haue been vnthankfull for that that we haue haue abused many things wee are worthie to haue all taken from vs yea when wee remember other of our sinnes we must thinke that we haue deserued his punishments in steed of his blessings When then we aske any thing and shall see so many things to hinder vs from receiuing if it shall please God in the multitude of his mercie to passe by them all and to giue vs our desires must wee not needes thinke our selues greatly beholding to him for it And though it may be wee haue in some sort repented vs of our sinnes yet when we are priuie to our owne hearts that our repentance is so small and when wee finde our faith so weake and that wee aske that that we doe with so much doubting if God giue vs any thing when wee come to him after such a manner must not wee needes confesse that wee shall bee wholy beholding to his Maiestie for the same So that euery way we see that when we pray we must do it with this affection that wee thinke it a great mercie of God and for which wee shall be greatly bound vnto him all the daies of our life if he giue vs any thing And truly if we could come to pray thus If we did thus pray we shuld see how God would heare vs. not onely in the feeling of our great wants but also in the conscience of our great vnworthines and so acknowledge in respect of both how much wee should be beholding to God for any thing then we should see a great deale more than we doe how hee would heare our prayers For as a man when he is sued vnto if he heareth vs confesse that if hee will grant vs our request we and all ours shall be beholding to him as long as we liue this is a thing that will greatly mooue him So the Lord when he seeth that we esteeme the hearing of our prayers to be so great a benefit as it is then is he readie to heare vs for hee will haue vs see how much wee are beholding to him for that that we receiue We pray now that God would stay this heauie hand of the pestilence and that he would proceed no further in iudgement against vs but to our prayers we must adde Selah that is wee must stirre vp our affections so to desire it as that wee professe it to bee an inestimable benefit And namely for the remouing of this mortal plague if this way he shall shew that hee hath heard our prayers And indeede this we must needes doe if we consider how vnable we are to helpe our selues in it vnlesse God helpe and how vnworthie we be of his helpe and so let vs determine when we pray to be thankfull vnto him for it Thus must wee doe also for all other things that we pray for if we will be heard So that if we aske the forgiuenes of our sinnes the increase of faith the assurance of Gods fauour and the feeling of his loue we must doe it as Dauid did Psal 4.6 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart than they haue had when their wheate and their wine did abound as if he had said If the Lord shall giue me this thing I shall be more beholding to him for it than if I had had all the wealth in the world giuen me When that godly woman Hannah prayed for a man-child she doth it so earnestly as may appeare by her words and with such protestation that she did cleerely shew how she did esteeme this that God would heare her in this thing For she saith O Lord of hostes if thou wilt looke on the troubles of thine handmaide 1. Sam. 1.11 and remember me and not forget thine handmaide but giue vnto thine handmaide a man child then will I giue him vnto the Lord all the daies of his life Where we see out of the abundance of her feeling how many words she vseth as if thou wilt looke vpon me and remember and not forget me c and what she promiseth for it and God heard her prayers and she did according to her vow and made a song of thanksgiuing for it Few mē haue these affections in prayer or in desiring others to pray for them Rom. 9.1 We haue prayed vnto God for many things but haue wee done it with that acknowledging that we should be so greatly beholding to God if he heare vs Haue we added Selah that is haue wee thus stirred vp our affections and did wee then determine to be thankful to God for such a mercie and since haue we remembred to be thankful I speake the
the more may we be assured of it Dauid here in this Psalme being priuie to the goodnes of his owne heart that in sinceritie and truth hee desired to please God was bold to commend his desires vnto the people that they might commend them to God And such we may commend vnto men that he would grant them If then we would haue our prayers heard and also haue any comfort in the prayers of others for vs let vs haue no wicked or vngodly desires nothing contrarie to the will of God For such desires wee can neither our selues commend vnto God nor any other for vs neither will he fulfill them if wee should And here that wee might not wander and goe astray in our desires to our owne hearts our Sauiour Christ hath directed vs in that forme of prayer which hee taught his Disciples In which wee are taught first to pray for such things as concerne the glorie of God To this end we must follow that forme that Christ hath taught vs. the aduancement of the kingdome of Christ here vpon the earth and then for all outward things appertaining vnto this life and for life it selfe so farre foorth as they may stand with these and afterwards for the forgiuenes of our sins and for power against our temptations that wee be not ouercome If then wee pray after this manner God will heare vs as it is said in another place Seeke yee first the kingdom of God Matth. 6.33 And seeke for the direction of his spirit to teach vs to pray and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you Therefore it is agreeable vnto Gods will to pray first for heauenly things and then for earthly and such prayers God will heare And yet though wee haue this forme as a direction to guide vs in our prayers many times we may be so distracted especially in some temptation that we shall not know what to aske aright Rom. 8.26 as the Apostle saith then Gods spirit in those that be his helpeth their infirmitie herein and stirreth vp in them at the least sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed which being of the spirit of God and so also according to Gods will hee heareth and granteth the meaning of them Therefore for our further direction we must pray to God for the assistance of his holy spirit in prayer that it may moderate all our desires and teach vs thus to pray according to the will of God that so hee may grant according to our heart and fulfill all our purposes as it is said here Thus did our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe pray who when hee was in such great agonies that hee said Matth. 26.38 My soule is very heauie euen vnto the death he prayed vnto God and said O father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and this hee did three times but in the end hee said Vers 42. O my father if this cup cannot passe away from mee but that I mu t drinke it thy will be done and so God heard him as the Apostle saith Heb. 5.7 That in the daies of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which hee feared Luk. 22.43 Christ in prayer submitting his will to Gods will was heard For there appeared an Angell vnto him from heauen comforting him Thus his hearts desire as at all other times so in this distresse of his being according to the will of God he did grant it So look to al the prayers of Gods seruants in the old and new Testament and we shall see that when they haue submitted their wils to Gods will then he hath granted their desires Now the will of God is that we should absolutely first of all desire those things that might make for his glorie the saluation of our selues and of our brethren but al outward things so farre foorth as they may stand with these and further them and so farre will God graunt them Iacob when hee went to Laban maketh his prayer in the way after this manner Gen. 28.20 The will of God is that we preferre heauenly things before earthly Desiring God that he would be with him and keepe him in that iourney which he went and giue him bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that hee might come againe to his fathers house in safetie and in a word That he would be his God for so doe the best interpreters reade this text So that this he desired principally though it be last named That God would be his good God and continue his couenant of fauour with him to forgiue him his sinnes to increase in him all graces needfull for his saluation c and to shew his fauour this way in protecting him in his iourney though it were but in giuing him things necessarie as meate and drinke and cloathing Now because his prayer was thus agreeable to the will of God that he first desired the continuance of his fauour and then all things needfull for this life so farre as it might stand with that God heard him and hee confesseth it afterwards in his returne that the blessing of God had been greatly vpon him when he saith Chap. 32.10 And he hath heard his seruants that haue thus prayed I am vnworthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordan and now haue I gotten two bandes The like may bee said of the prayer of King Salomon That when in Gibeon the Lord appeared vnto him in a dreame by night 1. King 3.5 and sayd Aske what I shall giue thee and hee prayed thus Giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and euill So that hee asked wisdome that hee might bee fit to serue God in his calling This did so please the Lord that he gaue him this answere Verse 11. Because thou hast asked this thnig and hast not asked for thy selfe long life nor riches nor the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement Beholde I haue done according to thy words loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath been none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy dayes This must teach vs all to knowe the will of God that it might direct vs in all things euen in our prayers that wee doe not rashly hand ouer head aske wee cannot tell what Let vs aske that that may further vs in our saluation as the forgiuenes of our sinnes Thus must we
woman that hath good desires and so farre God will fulfill them Therefore that we might pray in faith vnto God for all our desires we must liue righteously and looke that all our desires be only good For though he doth sometime giue the wicked their vngodly desire and that in many things as we haue seene it in Ahab and Iesabell and might haue seene it in many more yea they haue more than their hearts desire yet it is no blessing at all but a punishment of God vpon them to be giuen vp to their owne lusts to desire euill things and then to haue their desires though I say he dealeth thus often with the wicked yet no man can pray for any such thing in faith neither can he looke for it at Gods hands and if it should come vnto him vnlooked for he cannot take it as a blessing from God VVe are rather to pray that in all our wicked and vngodly desires he would crosse vs and neuer suffer vs to thriue in any of our vnlawfull desires and that shall be a great blessing of his vpon vs to haue our vngodly desires denied vnto vs. But we shall find it to be true by all experience that when we haue liued in the best course and haue had most godly desires then the Lord hath most often and soonest fulfilled them so this must teach vs to liue well and to desire good things of God that he may still fulfill them And the rather that we might beleeue God can hinder men of their greatest desires that God only can and doth fulfill the desire of all men we must consider that he can also and doth many time hinder them from their desires that though they haue had neuer so great a desire to a thing yet they could neuer obtaine it And this is threatned to the vngodly as a punishment from God that they shall not haue their desire He shall gnash with his teeth and consume away Psal 112.10 the desire of the wicked shall perish And all experience doth shew that many times he hath frustrated the desires of the wicked Hester 3.6 2 Sam 17.2 1. King 19.2 Exod. 5.7 8. As the desire that Haman had to root out the Iewes that Achitophell had to ouerthrow Dauid that Iesabel had to take away the life of the Prophet Eliah that Pharao had to oppresse the Israelits with cruell bondage and to keepe them still in his land Act. 12.6 that king Herod had to kill Peter how was he disappointed of his purpose when he thought all was sure for Peter was in prison the night before that he thought to haue brought him out to the people he slept between two souldiors bound with two chaines and the keepers before the dore kept the prison so that it seemed all was sure ynough but God sent an Angell Verse 11. and deliuered him out of the hand of Herod and from all the waiting for of the people of the Iewes and so disappointed them all of their vngodly desires And all the enemies of Dauid that sought to keepe him from his kingdome wherof he complaineth Why did the Heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine c. Psal 2.1 God did laugh them all to scorne and would not suffer them to haue their desire of him but said I haue set my king vpon Sion m ne holy mountaine as if he had said hee shall be king in despight of you all How were all the great and mightie tyrants and cruell persecuting emperours disappointed of their diuellish desires to destroy the poore Christians So that though they were many and their persecutions extream and very long enduring certaine hundred yeares yet therein they so little preuailed that the number of them still encreased whereupon arose that prouerbe That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church that is the more that they did put to death the more did rise vp in their stead So that the two last cruell persecutors being tyred with the slaughter of the Christians and fretting at this that they could not haue their desires of them in great discontentment gaue vp their empire and led a priuate life VVhat should I speake of the Papists and of their holy league who were not yet able to satisfie their desire against the professors of the Gospell in that wicked practise which began at the bloodie massacre in Fraunce And how were all that crue of Papists disappointed of their wicked desires in the end here in England by the death of Queene Marie And what should I say of some of those bloodie blasphemous persecutors who so greedily desired the death of Gods Saints that they openly threatened that they would see them burnt but themselues by a sudden death of the hand of God were taken away before their blessed martyrdome So that all the wicked be they neuer so many and mightie they cannot haue their desires alwaies but God can hinder them as it pleaseth him that onely must giue to all men their desires Therefore when men threaten that they will haue their wils of men and they will doe so and so 1. King 19.2 Gen. 4 23. as Lamech did saying I will slay a man in my wound and a young man in my hurt that is if any man touch me I will doe so and so vnto him we see that they must first aske God leaue or els they shall neuer haue their desires Nay Dauid hath taught vs to pray in faith against all the vngodly desires of wicked men Let not the wicked haue his desire Psal 140.8 O Lord performe not his wicked thought least they bee too proud Selah The fourteenth Sermon vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose THat which should haue beene added the last day concerning the former part of this verse is this That wheras we haue heard alreadie how we ought to shew our faith in this point that we beleeue that God can and doth giue to euery one their hearts desire by praying vnto him beforehand for euery thing that we doe desire Now it remaineth further to consider That if we do beleeue indeed that God only doth giue to all men their desires Wee must praise God for all our desires that haue ben fulfilled and that without him they cannot haue them then we must declare this faith of ours after that we haue our desires by acknowledging that for all things which we haue desired in the whole course of our life and haue had them that we are wholly beholding to the goodnesse of God for them and so praise his holy name for the same For if we desire any thing of a mortall man and he bestow it vpon vs we are bound to confesse so much and to be thankefull vnto him for the same then much more vnto God who mooued the heart of that man towards vs and made him an instrument of his goodnesse vnto vs
by all meanes praise and magnifie the name of God as the onely authour of it So that here they shut vp all their petitions with a publike profession of the inward desire of their hearts The end of all our petitions should be the glory of God saying that they seeke and aske all these things of God for the glory of his name VVherein they were taught rightly to pray and so God did heare them as he will doe all those that thus pray for this should be the principall end of all our prayer and of all things that we aske in them That God may be praysed that is that his goodnesse mercy wisedome power iustice and truth might be knowne and so he haue the whole glory of all his workes and of all his gifts when hee is not onely acknowledged to be the authour of them but loued serued and praysed for them And this our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs in that forme of his that must be the paterne of all formes in all our prayers principally to respect the glory of Gods name when he willeth vs to begin thus Mat. 6.9 Hallowed be thy name and so after to desire all other things as they may stand with that And lastly to referre all vnto that when we say For thine is the kingdome Verse 13. the power and glory c. ascribing to him the prayse of all and in all desiring that his kingdome power and glory might more more be knowne and set foorth Thus haue the seruants of God prayed and haue obtained great things when they haue desired them for the glory of God As Hannah that godly woman when she had bene barren a long time prayed to God for a child So did Hannah pray for a child but she did it not as a natural woman in any carnall respect that she might leaue a posteritie behind her but for the glory of God and therefore she vowed a vow to God before hand 1. Sam. 1.11 That if it were a man child she would giue it to God all the dayes of his life and no razor should come vpon his head that is she would consecrate him to the seruice of God and make him a Nazarite to be seperated to God after a speciall manner And as she did this way sufficiently shew that she sought not her selfe in it but God so afterwards she did it much more in praysing God for it and in performing her vow when shee brought him to the house of the Lord in Shyloh Chap. 2.18 so soone as shee had weaned him and there left him with Hely the priest whereby it came to passe that he ministred before the Lord being a young child girded with a linnen Ephod Thus she was contented to depart from him so soone as she had him whereby shee declared that in her petition she respected Gods glory more than her selfe And thus if any desire children not so much to vphold their name as to inherite their lands and goods or to serue God in the Church and commonwealth and to be instruments of his glory and determine to bring them vp thereafter they might both bee blessed with children aboue the course of nature and in them aboue the common sort as this woman was in her sonne Samuel who proued a very rare man and singular prophet King Solomon when he prayed for wisedome 1. King 3.6 vseth the same reasons to persuade the Lord and to confirme his owne faith namely That whereas God had made him king in his father Dauids roume and that ouer a great people therefore it would please God to giue him wisedome And King Solomon for wisdome that he might be fit to serue him in that place whereunto he had called him by being able to iudge both good and euill Thus he propoundeth the glory of God in his calling before his eyes when he asked this and it so pleased God that he gaue him that and a great deale more So no doubt if men were desirous to glorifie God in their callings and did aske of him gifts meet for them to that end and in seeking for gifts of the mind did make the glory of God the principall end they might obtaine great things of God But for the most part men seeke wisedome and learning to set forth themselues and therein seeke their owne wealth and credit either wholly or more than the other and not the discharging of a good conscience in the right vse of them to the glory of God and so either misse of them or haue them not in that measure that others haue and as they might attaine vnto themselues The Prophet Elijah was wholly taken vp with the glorie of God when he contended with the priests of Baal and so by prayer obtained fire from heauen to consume his sacrifice And Elias both for fire from heauen for the contention was VVhether God or Baal were the true God 1. King 18.37 Therefore hee prayed thus Heare me O Lord and let the people know that thou art the Lord God And then his zeale appeared afterwards in killing all those false Prophets and priests of Baal that had a long time seduced the people and after in the same zeale he prayed for raine Vers 42. And for raine and did obtaine it after a great drought of three yeares and an halfe Thus we see what great things may be obtained of God by prayer when therein wee seeke his glory This example the Apostle setteth before our eyes when he willeth vs to pray for them that be sicke with hope of obtaining health and forgiuenesse of sinnes for them Iam. 5.17 For saith he The prayer of one righteous man auaileth much when it is feruent As Elias being a man like vs yet inflamed with Gods glorie did pray that there might be no raine that the people by that punishment might be brought to know God and after prayed that there might be raine that by his mercie they might know it much more and he obtained both And so if in our prayers we were thus touched with the glorie of God we might obtaine great things but for the most part men respect themselues in their prayers and not God and so obtaine little or nothing And the same Elijah when he prayed for fire to consume the captaines and their fiftie men when they came to fetch him to the king of Israel by force saying Thou man of God the king commaundeth thee to come to him as if they had said Thou saist that thou art a man of God well let vs see whether he can keepe thee from the king He answered them If I be a man of God 2. King 1.10 let fire come downe from heauen and consume thee and thy fiftie and so it did He did not thus pray in any priuat reuenge but that it might be known that he was a true Prophet and that that message was true that he sent vnto the king before namely that
when he was sicke and sent to Beelzebub the god of Esron to know whether he should recouer or no Vers 2. he sent him this message That because he had forsaken the true God and sent to them that were no gods he should not come from the bed on which he was but he should die there as also he did Now when the disciples of Christ desired that fire might come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritanes and their cities because they would not receiue him when he was going towards Ierusalem they obtained it not though they pretended the example of Elias saying Master Luc. 9.54 wilt thou that we commaund fire from heauen and destroy them as Elias did He said they had not that spirit did it not to that end that he did namely the glorie of God but in respect of themselues So then if we will obtaine any thing at the hand of God we must therein seeke his glorie and desire it to that end that thereby God may be glorified and praysed as the people doe here when they say That we may reioyce and set vp our banners in the name of our God when hee shall fulfill all thy petitions This was the ground of the prayer of Moses for the Israelits in the wildernesse whereby he often obtained great things for them As when the Lord would haue destroyed them for their idolatrie with the golden calfe Exod. 32.12 and haue made of Moses a mightie people he prayeth vnto God that he would not do so for then the Aegyptians would speake ill of God and say that he maliciously brought them out from thence to destroy them in the wildernesse and so he not seeking his owne glory but the glorie of God herein obtained that they were spared contrarie to their deserts And Moses that God would spare the Israelits for the glorie of his name And so afterwards when the spies that were sent to spie out the land of Canaan brought vp an ill report of that pleasant land of promise contrarie to all truth Num. 14.13 and by that means discouraged the people so that they all murmured against Moses and Aaron that they had brought them thether to fall by the sword of their enemies God said That he would destroy them with the pestilence but make of him a mightier nation than they Moses prayed for them and said That the Aegyptians would say that God was not able to bring them in and so to stop the mouths of the enemies and for the glorie of God he desireth that he would spare them and so he did Thus ought we to pray for our selues and for the Church of God that he would turne from vs all those euils that we haue most righteously desired euen for the glorie of his name and therein not respect our selues so much as Gods glorie that we professing his name it might not be ill spoken of for our punishments And truly this should be one principall reason to mooue vs to pray for the remoouing of this plague So ought we to pray for the remoouing of this plague that the Atheists and Papists and worldlings doe not speake ill of Gods name and of his people and his Gospell when he so greatly punisheth them that professe it And also that we our selues and others might by remoouing of it haue cause to praise his holy name And indeed if we did lesse respect our selues herein as for the most part men do wholly and be more carefull of Gods glorie as that by the staying of it he might be praised yea and iustice might be executed to the glorie of God the course of which now for a while hath beene stayed in many places because they could not so safely meet for feare of the infection and that good things might be established and ill remooued by a Parliament which it is like should haue beene long before if this pestilence had not beene so vniuersall and so mortall we might obtaine by our prayers a great deale more than we doe Psal 79 8. Therefore let vs pray as they did Remember not against vs the former iniquities but make hast and let thy tender mercies preuent vs for we are in great miserie Helpe vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name and deliuer vs and bee mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake Wherefore should the Heathen say where is their God Here we see they pray to God to forgiue them their sinnes to remooue that punishment that was iustly laid vpon them for the same euen for the glorie of his owne name and so must we doe at this time if we will be heard that it may be known that he is a God of mercie that he is the hearer of prayers that he will be found of thē that seek him euen in due time Psal 10.1 in affliction And if the glorie of God did more take vs vp then might we hope to obtaine more things at his hands And thus againe the people of God prayed in their miseries Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.1 but to thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercie and for thy truths sake wherfore shall the Heathen say when is now their God Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer he will VVhere they pray God that he would doe that that might make most for his glorie not for their selues but for his mercie and truths sake that he might be praised So must we pray that God would so deale with vs in this visitation of his that he may be knowne to be our God and so honoured of vs and of all others so that whether he remooue it or it continue his glorie may be set forth by it and that done that may make most for it If we did pray in the zeale of Gods glory we might obtaine great things And assuredly if wee could come to these indifferent minds to haue or to forgoe health and other things as they might make most for the glorie of God then we should see how the Lord would deale with vs in this and all other things besides Therefore let vs be so inflamed with the zeale of Gods glorie that we may pray as the people doe here Giue me this and giue me that that we may sing of thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of the Lord our God when he shall fulfill all our petitions And we shall find by experience that the more we seeke the glorie of God in any thing the sooner shall we haue it and in greater measure for God though he should forget vs yet he cannot forget the glorie of his name nor those that be carefull of it So then whether we aske the forgiuenesse of our sinnes or the increase of faith or any other of the graces of God to lead an holy life we must respect the glorie of God in them and that we and others may praise him for them Or
whether wee aske life health wealth or any outward thing els we must doe it so farre and to that end that God may be glorified in vs by them as the Prophet doth Be beneficiall to thy seruant Psal 119.17 As Dauid and Hezekiah did that I may liue and keepe thy law where he desireth to liue so as by his godly life hee might glorifie God and hee did esteeme of that as of a great benefit So did Dauid pray when he was banished by Absalom he desireth God to spare him and to continue his life that hee might praise him for in death there was no remembrance of him Psal 30.9 saying What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to the pit Shall the dust giue thankes to thee or shall it declare thy truth And after the same manner did king Hezekiah when he was sicke vnto death also and had receiued the sentence of it against himselfe by the Prophet Isaiah he prayed That God would not take him away in the middest of his dayes for the glorie and praise of his name and this grieued him most that he should be cut off from partaking of Gods goodnesse and praysing him for it in the land of the liuing Isai 38.11 I said I shall not see the Lord euen the Lord in the land of the liuing and afterwards he addeth Vers 18. The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe to the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I doe this day So wee see to what end he desired life euen that he might haue occasion still to prayse God and the Lord heard these prayers of his and added fifteene yeares to his life Let vs then examine our selues to what end we desire all that we doe whether God may be glorified in vs by them or no if we doe then may we be assured that our prayers are according to Gods will he will heare vs so soone as it shall make for his glory As for example if we desire life principally to this end We must examine our hearts to what end we desire euery thing that we may still prayse God and glorifie his name both in our calling and as we be Christians as Dauid and Hezekiah did and whether we desire children that they might be instruments of Gods glory in this world to serue him in the Church or common wealth as Hannah did and whether we desire wealth and credit that we might be the more fit to do good vnto others and to set forth the prayse of God by our almes and good deeds as Iob Iob. 31.16 Act. 9.36 and Dorcas did and to be short all other gifts of bodie to this end especially as Solomon did aske wisedome for that cause and Queene Hester did put on her royall apparrell Hest. 5.1 and drest vp her selfe well that so in the presence of the king she might find fauour in dealing for the Church of God then may we be bould with great comfort to commend them to God for in them wee seeke not our selues but his glory which is most deare to himself also But for the most part men in all things seeke themselues onely or principally and so haue them not as they desire Therefore if we lacke any thing that we haue desired and prayed for consider whether we did seeke Gods glory in it or our owne benefit if we had respect to our selues then no maruaile if we did want it that we might learne to reforme our desires For though God giueth vnto men that seeke only themselues as he doth to the wicked yea vnto the bruit beasts because he is goodnesse it selfe and would hereby draw all men vnto him yet how much more would he doe it if men did seeke his glory therein For though a master will giue his seruant that which is for his owne profit onely yet he will graunt him that suit especially which shall make for the credit of his master and whereby he may doe him the better seruice most of all when he seeth that he seeketh for it in that respect principally so will the Lord deale with all his faithful seruants much more giue them I say that sometimes wherein they respect themselues onely but most of all that whereby they desire to be furthered in his seruice and to glorifie his name a great deale more That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. As he hath in these words noted what was the end of their desires beforehand so also what should be the fruit of them afterwards and what they would doe for them namely Reioyce in this great benefit bestowed vpon them and prayse his name for it And this should be the fruit of all Gods benefits vpon vs The fruit of all Gods benefits in vs should be the prayse of his name both publike and priuat that as he by them offereth vs occasion of praising him so wee should doe it for them as wee see in the next Psalme this people do according to that that they professe here And truely then doe we rightly profit by all Gods benefits when we giue him that prayse for them that is due vnto him and when we so vse them and speake of them as God the authour of them may be honoured For to this end God giueth all and this is all that we can doe for all To prayse him in heart word and life therefore if we doe not this all is lost vpon vs. And euery one as he receiueth more from God so is he bound to this the more to sing of them to God that is to praise his name for them And to set vp their banners in his name that is to set forth his glory So that the poorest that is is bound vnto it for their life health food and rayment c. other common benefits that they inioy for whē they haue least they haue more than they haue deserued But the rich are bound vnto it a great deale more by how much they goe beyond others in Gods benefits for he did owe them nothing and he might haue made them like others yea and he can so do when he will Daniel 4.30 as he dealt with Nebuchadnezzar whom of a proud king he made a vile beast And this is so proper vnto all the benefits of God that where he speaketh of many of them he beginneth and endeth the Psalme thus My soule prayse thou the Lord. And in another Psal 103. Psal 40 3. speaking of a new benefit that God had bestowed on him he saith Thou hast put a new song of prayse into my mouth shewing what we should doe when God blesseth vs for euery benefit giue him new praises And in another Psalme praying for the forgiuenesse of his sinne he saith Open thou my lips O Lord Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew foorth thy prayse as if he had sayd If God shall
bestow this benefit vpon me then I will praise him for it As we should doe thus for all Gods benefits We should more specially praise God for those benefits which we haue asked of him so most of all for those which we haue asked of him as they say here When he shall fulfill all thy petitions they had prayed before that God would heare them and now they promise this That they will set vp their banners in his name And there is great reason of this for besides the benefits that we receiue which deserue prayse we haue thereby experience of the goodnesse of God in hearing our praiers Thus we read in the Gospell that when ten leapers were cleansed all of them hauing begged it of Christ before saying Iesus master haue mercie vpon vs Luke 17.17 but one returned to giue thankes and Christ asketh for the other nine and so sheweth what was their dutie also namely that as they had asked this benefit with him so they should haue returned with him to giue thankes And to this end is it sayd so often in the Psalme where he sheweth how in sundry afflictions men crie vnto God and he heareth them and deliuereth them Psal 107.8.15.21.31 Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men where he exhorteth all to praise God for those benefits which hee hath bestowed vpon them at their prayers But indeed this doctrine is so well knowne that it needeth no great proofe there is none so ignorant or so vnthankefull that will denie it onely we had need to examine our selues how we doe practise it whether we haue endeuoured to praise God for all his benefits and especially for those that we haue most desired when we haue had thē whether we haue ben any whit the more carefull to set forth the prayse of God for them than before Now if we find by this triall that the more that God hath giuē vs the more we haue glorified him then may we haue comfort and hope of the continuance of them but if in the abundance of all Gods benefits Let vs examin whether as Gods benefits encrease so we set foorth his glory the more we take our ease and set out our selues to the world and grow more proud and be lesse carefull to glorifie God as most commonly it falleth out then we prouoke God to take them away or to punish vs in them Therefore let euery one consider what good he doth with all that he hath and how by Gods blessings as wealth and such like not his owne name is aduaunced but what good he hath done since for the seruice and glory of God If he see they goe together the increase of Gods benefits vpon him and the increase of Gods glory in him it is well and he hath cause to reioyce but if the one increase greatly and the other decay or stand at a stay then it is the next way to loose all As we are taught in the parable of the Talents Matth. 25.24 he that hid that one that he had in a napkin and did no good with it nor vse it to his masters aduantage it was taken from him and he is called an euill and vnprofitable seruant So all are vnprofitable that in their seuerall callings vse not that which God giueth them to his glory and this shal be the end of them That all that they haue shall be taken from them and they shall haue their portion with the wicked That we may reioyce c. As they haue desired helpe of God for the glory of his name and promised to prayse him for it so more particularly they say that they shall reioyce in the saluation of the king They pray for this benefit that they might reioice namely if God would helpe him out of the hands of his enemies and giue him victorie ouer them For in the preseruation of the king was the good of the whole Church and common wealth therefore if he did well they should reioice and in his hurt and losse was the losse of them all and so they should haue cause to sorrow Therfore they vse this also as a reason to persuade the Lord to hear them That wheras now they were doubtfull or rather in great feare he by the victorie would giue them cause to reioice And though they shew whereunto their ioy should tend namely to the prayse of God singing vnto him of his saluation and setting vp their banners in his name yet they exclude not this but rather include it namely the common ioy of all the people and of the whole Church of God So that we may lawfully desire of God such things as we want to this end euen that we might reioyce and this one thing is sufficient to moue the Lord to giue them euen that thereby we might haue cause to reioyce as we must confesse that then we shal haue cause so to doe For besides the comfort of the thing that he giueth which may cleere vp the outward and inward man the inuisible things also of God are to be seene in his creatures and benefites as his wisedome power Rom. 1.20 goodnesse and mercie c. and so in the sight and feeling of the same we may reioyce much more especially when we haue prayed to God for them we may reioyce that God hath heard our prayers And so we may desire God to heare vs that so not onely for his benefits but for his goodnesse towards vs in them and especially in hearing our prayers for them we may reioyce God is willing to blesse his people that they might reioice Behold then I pray you the wonderfull goodnesse of our God who desireth our ioy and comfort and giueth vs things to that end that we might reioyce and would haue vs aske them of him to that end as this people doth here For as among men this often moueth them to heare vs that we professe to them and they see it also that if they shall doe so and so for vs we shall haue great case to reioyce and be glad and whereas now wee for the want of it are in heauinesse and sorrow this will cheere vp our hearts And this is sufficient to moue them that are of any good disposition that in doing for them that are in need we see that we shall make them and theirs right glad and the poore when they sue to them they vse this as a reason and it is accepted Then may we vrge this vnto the Lord much more and we may be assured that it will moue him As parents are willing to doe good to their children to that end For so good is the Lord to all that are his that he delighteth not in their sorow and griefe no more than parents doe in the griefe of their children nay a great deale lesse by how much his loue infinitely without all degree of comparison
exceedeth the naturall loue of the most tender parents Therefore as they are willing to doe any thing for them when they see their children sad and heauie to cheere them vp and the very bowels of the mother yearneth vpon them to bring them out of their heauinesse so doth the Lord God of his infit compassion in whom that is sea-full whereof we haue but one drop And we may desire of him our comfort and the meanes of our comfort and therefore pray that he would giue vs this and that according to our particular need euen that we might reioyce whereas now and and without them we are full of griefe Therefore if a man be in feare of some trouble as these were of enemies which maketh him sad at the least he cannot reioyce as he would he may pray to God as these doe and say O Lord heare mee and helpe me And we may pray God to helpe vs to that end Iohn 16.21 that I may reioyce now I am heauie and haue no ioy bat if I were out of this feare then should I reioyce O Lord make me to reioyce A woman in trauaile as Christ saith in the Gospel when her paines are on her is in great heauinesse but soone after all is forgotten for ioy that a manchild is borne And he compareth the afflictions of the Church generally of euery one particularly vnto them Heb. 12.11 Now because as the Apostle saith no affliction for the time present is ioyous but grieuous but after the fruit of it is ioyous to them that are exercised therein and their deliuerance also Therfore as a woman in her trauaile may pray to God Lord make an end of my paines and deliuer me that I may reioyce so may all those that are in any distresse pray for deliuerance out of their aduersitie that they might reioyce and God in his good time will giue them cause of ioy For as the prophet saith ioy is sowen for the righteous Psal 97.11 and gladnesse for them that are vpright in heart and therefore if they tarie the time they shall reape it Psal 126.5 for they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy as it is said of the Israelites when they were caried captiues into Babylon They went weeping and caried pretious seed but they did returne with ioy and brought their sheaues with thm Besides if any be in sorrow and griefe for their sinne As when we are grieued for our sinnes that by the forgiuenesse of them he mould make vs glad 22. 1 2. Psal 32.3.4 Psal 6.6.7 or for the want of the feeling of Gods fauour they may pray to God to giue them their hearts desire that they may reioyce and say now there is nothing but heauinesse in me but if God would assure me of his fauour how should I reioyce As Dauid complaineth that he roared out night and day the hand of God was so heauie vpon him and that his handes were wringing wet with the teares of his eyes that he watered his couch with teares and that he mingled his drinke with his teares and that his eyes were sunke into his head with griefe yea that his eyesight fayled him and many such grieuous complaints he vttereth but if God would forgiue him his sinne and assure him of his fauour then he should reioyce exceedingly As he saith Psal 4.6 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me and I shall haue more ioy than if I had all the goods in the world So in another place when he was troubled for his sinne he prayeth to God to forgiue him that he might reioyce Haue mercie vpon me O God Psal 51.1 according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities wash me throughly c. VVhere we see how vncomfortably he beginneth and how hee confesseth his sinnes with great griefe and prayeth earnestly for the forgiuenesse of them and what reason vseth hee to him this one euen that he might reioyce Vers 8. For he saith Make me to haue ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce that is that I may reioyce who am now wounded in my mind with the conscience of my sinnes and for fear of those iudgements which thou by thy seruant hast denounced against me Vers 12. And a little after Restore me to the ioyes of thy saluation where he desireth that he might haue that ioy in his saluation that he had before Thus in all griefe of mind especially for our sinnes or for any iudgement of God vpon vs or like to befall vs wee may pray That God would be mercifull vnto vs To this end we may pray that God would remoue this plague that we might reioyce As now this great mortality euery where hath been the cause of much sorrow to some for the great losse of their friends and to others for feare of that that might befall them and theirs and none can reioyce any where in this time of heauinesse as before Now we may pray to God that he would make an happie and a speedie end of it not onely for the glory of his name but for the ioy of his seruants that they who a long time haue ben in heauinesse might now at the last be comforted reioice And no doubt as this wold be a matter of exceeding great ioy to the greatest part of this land so in that respect let vs not cease praying vnto God that we might reioyce in his saluation that is in that health that he should bestow vpon vs and the rest of his people And let vs doe it the rather Psa 30.5 because he hath promised That though heauinesse bee in the euening yet ioy shall come in his morning that is in his most blessed time which let vs wait vpon him for For it is said of the people of God in Aegypt That God did certainely see their trouble Exod. 3.7 and knew their sorrowes and heard their crie and so was come to deliuer them shewing that he would haue them in sorrow no longer and so it appeared in the end that they went out with great ioy That our brethren in all places might reioyce loaden with the spoyle of the Aegyptians So we may be sure that he is not ignorant of the trouble and sorrow that many in this land a long time haue been in and he hath heard the cries that they haue beene driuen to make let vs beseech him for them that it would please him in his good time to deliuer them from it and from the cause of it especially seeing he is so mercifull that it is truly said of him Psal 103.9 He will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer And as in the dayes of Hester it is written Hest 3.15 Chap. 4.3 That not only the chiefe citie Shushan was in great perplexitie but in euery place whether the kings commission came
there was great sorrow among the Iewes and fasting and weeping and mourning and many lay in sackcloth and ashes but they all prayed vnto God and he deliuered them and saued them from their enemies Chap. 9.17 and turned the dayes of famine into the daies of feasting and ioy So let vs giue our selues vnto continuall prayer that the Lord may be entreated of vs at the last and so in his appointed time it may come to passe that whereas many of the chiefe cities and townes amongst vs haue beene a long time in great perplexitie by reason of this grieuous pestilence and contagious mortalititie and in all places of this realme besides whither tidings of their estate hath and doth weekely come they haue been in sorrow and great heauinesse and in weeping and mourning and fasting now there may be cause of reioysing and praysing God and these dayes of sorrow and fasting may bee turned into the dayes of great ioy and feasting That so we may as this people wish for themselues here reioyce when he shall fulfill all our petitions VVhich the Lord of his infinit mercie graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen The sixteenth Sermon vpon the fifth verse That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. AS they bring this for a reason in their prayer to mooue the Lord to bestow vpon them this benefit so here they professe that if hee will vouchsafe so to doe they would reioyce indeed and bee glad and as they should haue cause From whence wee may learne how we ought to be affected with the common benefits of our time We ought to reioyce in the common benefits of our time as here they speake of publicke blessing namely victorie ouer their enemies and so of common peace and tranquilitie that should follow namely that we should take them from God as matter of great ioy And as when there is any common affliction and plague in the land of what kind soeuer wee should be affected with it and be sorrowfull for it and not haue that stoninesse and hardnesse of heart that is in too many whereby it should come to passe that wee should make light of such things and not be mooued with them as we ought So we should be touched with the consideration of the common benefits to reioice in them because we haue our part in them and the greater that those benefits be the more should we reioyce in them and the more should be our ioy for them or else we cannot be so thankefull vnto God for them as we ought VVee should not then be so carelesse that we should not marke the common benefits of our time nor so blockish and hard hearted that in marking of them we should not reioyce in them For we see that the seruants of God in their seuerall ages and times haue not onely greatly reioyced in the common benefits of the Church and Commonwealth wherein they haue had their part with the rest of their brethren but they haue openly professed it to the glorie of God and the good example of others As when they returned from the captiuitie of Babylon where they had beene long not onely in a strange countrey but vnder idolaters now when they come home and haue the freedome of their conscience in Gods seruice and that in their own countrey they were not onely filled with ioy but they speak of it among themselues to their mutuall comfort and as when they went out they wept and were touched with the common miserie of that time and put away all tokens of ioy from them Psal 137.2 For by the waters of Babylon they hanged their harpes vpon the willowes and said that they would not sing the Lords song in a strange land so in their returne they speake otherwise of themselues for as the benefit was so great and so vnlooked for of many Psal 126.1 That when the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion they were like them that dreame so their ioy was so great that they say Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy and they say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce The Lord hath vouchsafed vs and our forefathers the like mercie in deliuering vs long ago from the tyrannie of the Pope As that we are deliuered frō poperie and of his idolatrie and giuen vs this freedome of the gospell in our owne countrey we must so consider of it That as those holy men that wanted it so prayed for it that they might reioyce as this people doth here for another benefit so now we that haue it might reioyce in it indeed and not to be so sencelesse and void of feeling as many are not at all or very little to be mooued with so great cause of ioy The like may be said of all other common benefits whatsoeuer as when Salomon was appointed to be king in his father Dauids roome and this was done with the common consent of all the nobles and chiefe men of the realme it is said they gaue thankes vnto God and were exceedingly glad 1. Chron. 29.20 For Dauid said vnto them Now blesse the Lord your God and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the king And they did eat and drinke before the Lord the same day with great ioy and they made Salomon the sonne of Dauid king the second time So this great benefit to haue one good prince to succeed another peaceably And then wee haue one good prince to succeed another was vnto them matters of great ioy In which respect we haue no lesse cause to reioyce than they that after the death of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie by whom we did enioy many great benefits who did restore religion and tooke order for the seruice seruants of the Lord as Dauid did we haue one in Gods great mercie to succeed that maintaineth the Gospell and that he is peaceably come to the Crowne as Salomon was then so that neither we are fallen into the hands of our enemies nor giuen vp vnto Popish idolatrie as both of them were greatly feared But as this benefit was greatly desired of many before and they thought that then they would reioice and otherwise they could not so we that enioy it must reioyce in it and so consider of the greatnesse of it that our hearts may be made glad with it and that wee may eat and drinke before the Lord and vse other of his benefits as in his presence with great ioy So is it said afterwards in the dayes of this Salomon when he had builded and made an end of the temple of the Lord and had with solemne prayers and sacrifices dedicated it vnto his seruice all the people of the land that came vp to Ierusalem to the dedication of that house when all things were finished The king sent away into their tents
ioyous and with glad hearts 2. Chron. 7.10 because of the goodnesse that the Lord had done for Dauid and for Salomon and for Israel his people Thus they reioyced againe in this great blessing that God had set vp the place to his worship among them so that all knew whether to resort vnto it In regard whereof we haue as great cause to reioyce at this time as they had then for God hath giuen vs his holy word and Gospell and we haue publike places appointed euery where And that the Gospell is planted euery where whether we all the people may resort with the freedome of our consciences to serue God and we are not by the grace of God vnprouided for this way let vs doe as this people did here consider of it as a matter of great ioy And truly so it is if we doe rightly weigh and esteeme of it for what I pray you would our forefathers haue giuen to inioy these great benefits that we doe and how comfortable would they haue thought their times to haue bene in respect of that they were then if they might haue had them as wee haue I meane this libertie and freedome from persecution this good gouernment and peaceable inioying of all that we haue especially the puritie of the Gospell and the peace of the Church And if any one of them seuerally be sufficient cause of ioy then all of them together a great deale more let vs then seeing we haue them not loose the comfort of them but so esteeme of them and so consider of them as causes of great ioy as in their owne nature they are And as we ought to doe thus at all times so especially and most of all we had need to doe it in the time of any sorrow or griefe that thereby we might beare the same so much the more easely when in so many great benefits we shall see what great ioy we haue In the time of sorrow most of al we ought to reioice in Gods benefits And truly if we could come to this as we ought we should find that though many times for this and that and such things as doe befall vs we haue cause to sorrow yet for these and such like we haue againe cause of ioy and so it might happily come to passe that we setting the one against the other we might easily ouercome at the least the extremity of griefe and find fault with our selues for being grieued too much Psal 42.11 and say as Dauid did to himselfe Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me wait on God for I will yet giue him thankes he is my present helpe and my God So we might say to our selues why am I thus grieued haue I not these and these causes of ioy And so though all griefe be not taken cleane away from vs yet at the least it should by this be so moderated and mitigated as the furious spirit of Saul was with the pleasant musicke of Dauid that it might be tollerably and in some good sort borne So shall our sorrow be the more easily borne VVhen as it should be with vs as it was with them that built the second Temple at Ierusalem where some wept and some reioyced and so among the people there was ioy and sorrow mingled together Many of the Priests and of the Leuites Esra 3.12 and of the chiefe fathers auncient men which had seene the first house when the foundation of this house was layd before their eyes wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud for ioy So that the people could not discerne the sound of the shout for ioy from the noise of the weeping of the people for the people shouted with a loud cry and the noyse was heard far off Some here wept because they had no more and some reioyced because they had so much and they could not tell which of them was the greatest the noyse of them that mourned or the noyse of them that reioyced So it might come to passe that in the middest of our sorrow there might be some ioy and our ioy might be as great as our griefe and so much the greater by how much the cause of the one is greater than the other and thus when we began to be sorowfull we might also begin to reioyce For it is said in a song of one of the confessors of the Church who desired to haue bene a Martyr Some men for sudden ioy doe weepe and some in sorrow sing c. Betwixt them both saith he will I begin c. meaning that he would so sorrow for his sinnes that he would reioyce in Christ in whom he saw more cause to reioyce than he could see of sorrow in himselfe and so he would begin betweene both and that did make a very good meane So must wee doe think as well what cause we haue of ioy as we do of our sorrow so neither reioyce without sorrow when there is cause nor sorrow without ioy when there is cause of both but as he said begin betweene both And let vs be willing to do thus the rather because few haue any care at all to doe it as they ought whereby it commeth to passe that they loose the fruits and comfort of these benefits Few do truly reioyce in Gods benefits and though they haue them yet they are not so comfortable vnto them as they might be For these things that we haue spoken of namely the common benefit of peace and good gouernment and the Gospell are common to all in our time as well as to our selues but how few doe truely reioyce before the Lord in them or in the causes of their ioy doe at any time thinke or consider of them or when they would make themselues merry do enter into the serious consideration of these causes of ioy but what is the cause of it Surely they neither haue prayed vnto God for them as this people did here for this that they speake of neither haue they esteemed of them as of great befits as they did of this that they prayed for and so they cannot reioyce in them as they should and by that meanes also it commeth to passe that they cannot be so thankfull to God for them as they ought and as others are For these two goe together and cannot be seuered To reioyce in Gods benefits and to be thankefull for them so that the more we reioyce the more thankefull should we be and the want of ioy in Gods benefits is the cause of vnthankefulnesse for them As wee see here also that in this verse they are ioyned together when they say That we might reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of our God as we shall hereafter see by the grace of God out of these words VVhat should be the fruit of all true ioy in Gods benefits wherby this ioy of the holy Ghost differeth from all
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
God king of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland defendor of the true auntient Catholicke and Apostolicke faith and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill and ouer all persons within these his realmes and dominions next and immediatly vnder Christ Iesus supreme gouernour and iugde we are to pray for his life and for the life of the Queene the Prince and all their noble and worthy ofspring and for his maiesties person that God would saue him from his enemies as we see that he hath not wanted some in this short time of his raigne that we might still reioyce And we must be thus persuaded that his saluation shall be still our ioy as this people doth thus here thinke of Dauid their king Therefore as we desire the continuance of our ioy and comfort so let vs still pray for the preseruation of his most excellent maiestie the meanes and cause of it For that which is sayd of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon is true of all good kings and namely of our soueraigne Lord King Iames most of all Dan. 4.9 What benefits we inioy vnder his Maiesties gouernment He was like a goodly great tree whose bowes were faire and the fruit thereof much and it was meat for all it made a shadow vnder it for the beasts of the field and the foules of the heauen dwelt in the branches thereof and all flesh fed of it So doe we vnder his gratious gouernment inioy defence and protection from all enemies iniuries and wrongs and it is as a shadow to vs against the scorching heat of the sunne and by his meanes we peaceably inioy the vse of all that we haue both for meat and drinke and all things needfull for the preseruation of this life and so we as it were feed of his fruit Therefore we had need still to pray for his preseruation not onely that all these great benefits might be continued but that we might still reioyce in them as now we doe and let vs be persuaded that as long as God shall preserue him out of the handes of his enemies and prolong his life so long shall we haue cause to reioyce VVhat shall we thinke then of them that haue sought not the preseruation but the vtter ruine and finall ouerthrow of their naturall princes kings and Queenes as wee haue had too great experience of it in this land both in the dayes of our late good Queene Elizabeth especially and also in this short time of our now worthy king Iames we must needs iudge of them not onely as traitours to their persons but as common enemies to all the people of this land in that they haue sought to bereaue vs and them of the chiefest cause of our ioy Traytors are enemies to the common ioy and so to cast vs into vntimely sorrow For as there was great lamentation among the Iewes and not without cause 2 Chron. 35.24 25. at the death of that good and godly king Iosiah so that Ieremie the Prophet trembled also and seemed to be the chiefe mourner so had we no lesse cause to lament at the death of our noble vertuous Queene and the ministers of the Gospell most of all and all the vnfained professors of the same and should haue had a great deale more if she had beene traitorously taken away before the full number of her dayes were expired to the great disturbance of the whole Realme according to the desperat and continual attempts of her enemies And so should we now still haue if any such thing should be offered vnto his maiesties person Therefore we must iudge of them as of our greatest enemies who seeke to bring vpon vs a common sorrow before the time But let vs lift vp though not our hands yet our voice against them pray vnto God still to disappoint them of their treasonable deuises and diuellish practises and to preserue our king and all his that so we may still reioyce in their saluation euen for Christ Iesus his sake In thy saluation c. As all subiects principally should by this example learne to pray for their kings and all chiefe gouernours vnder them That God would preserue and blesse them that they might thēselues reioyce because they be worthy instruments of Gods goodnesse vnto them which is the thing that hath bin handled alreadie so all inferiours may here see as in a glasse what minds they should carry to all their superiours those that God hath placed in any roume of what kind so euer they be that they should bee persuaded that in their preseruation and welfare consisteth their owne ioy and comfort All inferiors should count the welfare of their superiors their own ioy and that they cannot miscarrie or any ill befall them but themselues must needs be sorrowfull and in that respect pray for them continually be they neuer so meane As with this mind persuasion the people should pray for their minister's and teachers who watch for their soules Heb. 13.17 and for the saluation of them as the holy Apostle saith For it is true that Christ saith of them and was found most true in his owne person That when the shepheard is smitten Matth. 26.31 the sheepe will be scattered that is when God taketh them away who are their guiders the people are in daunger to fall into all kind of error heresie and sinne and to be distracted scattered among themselues not onely in iudgement but in affection besides they may want the comfort of Gods word and of their praiers So should all children be affected to their naturall parents fathers mothers and also seruants to their masters and gouernours That seeing God hath placed them ouer them for their good and they inioy so many great benefis in their houses and by their meanes and so haue so many causes of reioycing from them by them they should pray for their liues health and welfare that they may reioyce there still for they shall haue their part in it and it shall bee the better for them And they must thinke before hand that whē God takes them away they shall haue great cause of sorrow And their death or hurt their sorrow as we see how greatly Ioseph lamented for his fathers death who when he gaue vp the ghost Gen. 50.1 Vers 11. His sonne fell vpon his fathers face wept so he cōtinued mourning for him a long time at his buriall there was such great mourning for him that the place had the name of it And Esau the sonne of Izack though he was a wicked disobedient child as appeareth in his storie Heb 12.16 yea a prophane person as the holy Ghost calleth him yet he had so much grace in him as we say that hee thinketh of his fathers death before hand as of a time of sorrow and mourning and so speaketh of it Gene. 27.41 saying The dayes of mourning for my father will come shortly
the ease and release of the affliction of our brethren that we may reioyce Here then we haue another reason to persuade vs to pray for those that are and haue beene a long time visited with the pestilence and the grieuous hand of God Wee should pray that the plague might cease from our brethren that we might reioyce for which they are in great heauinesse and feare night and day entreating the Lord that when it hath wrought his good worke in the hearts of all for which it is sent to commaund it to cease and to take it cleane away not onely that their sorrowfull hearts might be cheered vp and comforted after this long sorrow and so some light might arise vnto them after this darknesse but that all we our selues and the rest of our brethren in all parts of this land might reioyce in their saluation That so we might take into our mouths the words of the Psalme which were vttered after a great deliuerance Others said of them Psal 126.2 The Lord hath done great things for them but they said The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce So we should not count our selues strangers from our brethren and from their good and speake of them as it were aloofe off when we should heare how the plague is stayed in such and such a place The Lord hath done great things for them but as though it were our owne case say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce and so we to reioyce in their saluation we accounting the good that is done to them as done to our selues And truly if all men did thus it were to be hoped that God would soon heare vs. This affection was in Paule when he wrote vnto Philemon and entreated him for his seruant Onesimus who had stollen something from him and was come away and cast into prison for it and Paule had conuerted him and then desireth him to pardon him and to receiue him againe not onely that his poore seruant might bee comforted who was now greatly troubled for his sinne but that Paule himselfe might reioyce in this great blessing bestowed vpon him when he sayth thus yea brother let me obtaine this pleasure of thee in the Lord Phile. 20. comfort my bowels in the Lord where he entreateth him that in pardoning and receiuing his seruant againe he would bestow that great benefit vpon himselfe comfort him in the Lord for so he would account of it and thus he preuailed for it and so might we with God much more for our brethren VVhether then we looke to this visitation of the pestilence or to any other calamitie that our neighbors shall be in we in their preseruation or deliuerance must thinke our selues greatly comforted in the Lord and therefore in all things pray for their good that wee might reioyce so God may heare vs if not for their sakes yet for our owne And this is that which we haue to obserue out of the fifth verse it followeth in the next The interpretation of the sixt verse Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his sanctuarie by the mightie power of his right hand In this verse Dauid professeth beforehand that he did beleeue that God would heare him and would defend him from his enemies according to his prayers for hee was the authour and penner of this Psalme And in teaching the people thus to pray for him he would haue them also beleeue that God would heare them concerning these requests which they made in his behalfe that so they likewise might pray in the same faith And this faith of them all is expressed and declared not onely when they say that they did know that God would heare and send helpe but especially and most significantly in changing the number For whereas in the former verse they spake as a multitude euen the whole Church together saying That wee may reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of our God where three times they speake in the person of many Here as though there were but one that prayed they say I know and this they doe according to the nature of true faith which is to applie Gods promises and his merciful deliuerances particularly to euery man and woman and so say as it is in our Creed I beleeue in God and not we beleeue that is I am persuaded that hee is the God not onely of others but of me And so here though many did vse this praier together yet euery one was to haue this faith in themselues that they did know that God would heare them And what doe they or should they beleeue That God will helpe his annointed that is their king Dauid so called because he was by the commaundement of God annointed by Samuel the Prophet vnto that office 1. Sam. 16.13 and that he would heare his prayers and graunt his requests from his sanctuarie that is from heauen And thus they beleeue that God would doe by or with his right hand that is by his great power that he hath in himselfe whereby hee is able to doe all things and by the mightie helpe thereof that is that great helpe which he shall and will giue which none is able to resist And thus for the further strengthening of their faith they set before their eyes the great power of God whereby hee is able to defend all those that put their trust in him in all dangers whatsoeuer as also in the verse following they doe by comparison of the confidence of their enemies more fully expresse it saying Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God that is whereas others did trust in outward meanes as chariots and such like they did trust onely in the power and grace of Almightie God This teacheth vs to come so prepared vnto prayer that wee beleeue beforehand that God will heare our prayers We must pray in faith beleeuing that God will heare vs. and that we shall not pray in vaine but he will giue vs the thing that we aske And this faith is so requisit and necessarie that without it neither are our prayers acceptable vnto God neither can wee looke to receiue any thing at his hand Heb. 11.6 For without faith it is impossible to please God as in no other duties that we doe so not in prayer And faith is requisit in all those that aske any thing of God euen as all they that came vnto Christ in the dayes of his flesh to receiue any thing of him hee required of thē this first That they should beleeue For as it is said of them of his owne countrey when he was among them Matth. 13.58 Marc. 6.5 He could not doe many great workes there for their vnbeleefe sake he could haue done ynough his diuine power was sufficient but they had not faith to
that he will put an happie end to it in time though most righteously deserued and pardon their sinnes that haue beene the cause of it that so wee might say before hand Now I know that God will heare vs as indeed by his grace at this present we doe and may see most cleerely that by diminishing of it in the chiefe cities and places of this Realme where it is and that also by lessening of it in so great measure He hath heard our prayers and graunted our requests That so hereafter by this blessed experience that we haue in one thing we might be moued to come vnto him in great assurance not doubting but that he will heare vs then also And thus alwayes from time to time Hebr. 4.16 as the Apostle sayth Come boldly into the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need and therefore we must take this blessing vpon our brethren as a fruit of our daily prayer and marke it well to that end Experience of former times increaseth our assurance of being heard in prayer And this is that that should be spoken of also concerning that assurance that we should haue in prayer of being heard That by dayly experience of Gods goodnesse and mercifull dealing with vs we shall dayly grow therein and therefore that we might come vnto it it is requisit that wee should greatly acquaint our selues with prayer and pray often and marke the sequell and what followeth after our prayers For concerning this one point it must needs be a very good reason when we doe pray to make vs know that God will heare vs when we know already by experience that he hath often heard vs before For seeing the same promises still remaine and God is the same that made them to performe them and there is no change in him for as the Apostle where he speaketh of prayer and to incourage vs to aske saith That he giueth liberally and reprocheth no man and after saith Iames 1.5.17 that there is no variablenesse with him nor shadow by turning that is though the sunne by turning from the East to the VVest Reasons of the same maketh great alterations so that it is sometime light and sometime darke and besides the shadow is now here and now there and so is not alwayes alike yet it is not so with God but he is alwayes like himselfe Therfore as he hath giuen in former times so will he do still if we pray to him as we haue done for he is no niggard but giueth liberally to all that aske reprocheth no man with that that he hath giuen nei is he any changeling but constant in all his wayes And besides Iesus Christ the mediatour of the promises Hee is the same to day that he was yesterday and will be euer Hebr. 13.8 and 7.24 and he at the right hand of God maketh request for vs continually and is not wearie of his office neither is his loue diminished one whit towards vs. Therefore we may wel build our hope for the time to come vpon our former experience as vpon a sure rocke that shall not bee remooued And so we may pray as Dauid did Psal 119 149. O Lord quicken me according to thy custome as if he had sayd Thou hast often heretofore quickened and reuiued me by thy word and by thy spirit therefore doe so now also in this great sorrow and deadnesse of mind for I stand in as much need of it as euer I did and thou art as well able to doe it as thou hast beene Thus from the custome of Gods former dealing he hopeth that he will doe so now And indeed there is great reason of it for if we haue had often recourse to any man for help in the time of our trouble we haue seene how he hath bin most willing to do it from time to time we will not doubt of him but that he will doe so still and that we shall find him a faithfull friend vnto vs as hetherto he hath bin the oftner that we haue made triall of him and haue found that he neuer deceiued vs the bolder we are to come vnto him and do assure our selues of help from him aboue all other in the world so that if all should faile we would make account of him And we see that the beggers that goe vp and downe from doore to doore will be most bold of releefe there where they haue had often almes and if they should find it otherwise at any time they would greatly maruaile at it and thinke that there were some strange alteration in them and they would say to them You had wont to be a good master and mistris vnto me and to do so and so for me and that made me the bolder to come vnto you now thus would they plead for themselues So we then much more vpon former experience of our prayers heard and of the reliefe that wee haue found at Gods hand seeing there is no change in him nor in his promises must learne to know that if there be no change in vs but we be the same that we haue been and seeke to him and serue him as we haue done he will heare vs and helpe vs as he hath done before That we might haue this experience we must vse prayers not seldome but often To this end it is requisit that we pray often for experience ariseth not of one action nor of some few but of many and the best experience is gotten by the obseruation of many things in a long time and therefore they that liue long and practise much haue the greatest and best experience So that if we will haue experience of Gods goodnesse in hearing our prayers that thereby we might know that he will heare vs still we must pray often and be well acquainted with this holy ordinance of prayer For as among men it is not the comming once or twice to a man and that a long time one after another yea though he speedeth that can giue him any great encouragement to presume of his helpe in the time of great need but that hee hath beene long acquainted with him and made often triall of him So is it with God it is not the praying now and then to him that can by experience giue vs any great assurance that he will heare vs and helpe vs in time of our trouble but that we haue vsed it often and vsed it a long time and haue found that we haue neuer beene sent away emptie For the Lord sometimes heareth the wicked and now and then giueth them something that they aske but as they pray seldome so oftentimes they aske and receiue not Iam. 4.3 Isai 1.15 as the Apostle saith yea they crie and the Lord heareth them not but as they haue stopped their ears at the word of God so he stoppeth his eares at their prayers so they can haue no assurance
by experience though God haue giuen them something Mich. 3.4 Zach. 7.13 for a man may once or twice do for his enemie and for him whom he neuer meaneth to gratifie any more Another cause then why wee haue so little knowledge in the time of our need that God will heare vs is that we haue so little acquainted our selues with prayer and that we haue not done as the Apostle willeth vs namely Phil. 4.6 in all things made our requests knowne vnto God in supplication and prayer that is we haue not so often prayed vnto him as wee haue need and so we haue not that experience that we might haue had Seeing then that this is a great blessing of God which is or should be desired of all namely to know when we pray that God will heare vs let vs come often vnto him in prayer and that I may vse the words of S. Paule In all places and vpon all occasions lift vp pure hands vnto God that we may haue often talk with God and be as it were well acquainted with him and so by experience know what account we may make of his helpe And that our experience herein might be such as it ought we must not onely pray often as hath beene said before but especially we must well see and diligently marke how God graunteth our requests and alwayes consider what hath followed vpon our prayers And then wee must marke what followeth vpon our prayers And this is that that Dauid sayth of himselfe Psal 5.4 Heare my voice in the morning O Lord for earely in the morning I will direct my prayer vnto thee and I will wait where he saith That when he had prayed vnto God he would tarrie Gods leisure and consider what followed vpon his prayers For all good experience ariseth not so much of the often practise of a thing as of the wise and diligent obseruation of the euent of it insomuch that some shall vse a thing very often and yet make little or no vse of it at all to themselues as we see some neuer marke what meat or drinke doth hurt them But the skilfull physition that hath often prescribed a medicine against such a disease and hath marked in his patient how it hath wrought and how he hath been cured by it thereby gathereth a certaine knowledge that this medicine is good for the cure of such a disease for saith he I haue not only often giuen it but haue found that many haue been cured by it and thus all rules of that art as of all other arise of experience that is of marking what was the effect of such a cause So then when a man hath not onely often prayed vnto God but hath also marked how he hath obtained his requests at the hand of God then specially from the promises of God and secondly from his owne experience of the truth of them hee gathereth a certaine knowledge that God will heare him for he considereth how according to that goodnesse that is in him and the truth of his promises he hath oftentimes heard him before Otherwise it may come to passe that though the Lord hath often heard vs For want of this we haue not that assurance from experience that we might and that in many things if we either through negligence haue not regarded it or through carelesnesse haue forgotten it we can haue little knowledge in the time of our need that he will heare vs. And thus the Lord many times in iustice punisheth the vnthankefulnesse of men who marke not his fatherly dealing towards themselues for their owne comfort and the praise of his name that though he hath often holpen them and all the world hath seene it yet in their greatest need they are in as much doubt of his goodnesse and pray with as great distrust as though he had neuer done any thing for them before As on the other side he thus in mercy and fauour plentifully rewardeth the thankfulnesse of those that often pray and call vpon him in the time of their trouble and also carefully marke and diligently remember what hee hath done for them to prayse his holy name for the same that by this good experience they know what he will doe for them for the time to come And thus it falleth out when we haue any dealing with men Thus is it when we haue any dealing with men as when in any distresse we shall be in such case that we know not whom to seeke to for helpe and we complaining of it one should say to vs Goe to such a man and then we should say nay for I know not what he will doe for me he neuer did any thing for me yet and therefore I haue no great cause to presume of his helpe Then the other shall say to vs againe yea that is not so for I remember my selfe how at such a time in such a need you had great succour and comfort from him then we being not able to denie it should say It is true indeed as you say but my memorie is so ill that I had cleane forgotten it Are we not here iustly punished for our vnthankefulnesse to doubt of a mans good will there where there was no cause So is it when by forgetting Gods mercifull dealing towards vs we doubt of his goodnesse in the greatest time of our need without any iust cause But otherwise he that well beareth in mind what benefits from time to time hee receiueth of men to be thankefull vnto them for the same he can in any distresse presently tell what to doe and say to his owne comfort as namely I will goe to such a man for I remember how often he hath done for me heretofore So fareth it with all them that marke what God hath done for them In this respect therefore it is requisit that we keepe a register of all Gods benefits We must therfore keepe a register of Gods benefits Psal 103.1 and say to our selues as Dauid doth Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Especially we must marke diligently what things he hath done at our prayers the same Dauid also saith of himselfe This poore man cried Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all troubles And as hee in some cases did make speciall Psalmes which beare the titile of remembrance and they were made specially that by them he might keepe a thankefull memorie of Gods benefits Psal 38. so ought we to doe some thing to helpe our memorie this way especially when we see how forgetfull we are of them that so vpon long experience we might say I know that God will heare and helpe me Therefore when we haue prayed for any common benefit or for any deliuerance as feare of enemies and such like when we haue prayed in the Church here for any that haue beene sicke when for others in other cases priuatly when for our selues at home
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
for dispight and sunke in because of all mine enemies Here we see that in these seuen first verses he complaineth most grieuously of his owne estate prayeth most feruently vnto God for deliuerance and no man can say more either to expresse the griefe of his mind or his feruent desire to haue releefe and comfort See then I pray you in the words following what a great alteration there is made in him of the sudden and what a wonderfull great change he findeth in himselfe when he sayth thus Away from me all ye workers of iniquitie Vers 8. for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayers All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddenly VVhere he sheweth what gteat comfort the Lord gaue him at the last in this trouble of his euen that he should be deliuered out of it when his enemies looked that he should perish and be swallowed vp in it and he attaineth vnto so great assurance of this that he is not able to containe himselfe but againe and againe professeth that the Lord had heard his prayers and the voyce of his weeping And not onely that is to be marked but especially this that he commeth vnto this assurance not vntill the end of many long and feruent prayers and that in the beginning either he had it not at al or nothing in that measure that there he professeth it for then no doubt he would haue done it sooner and not so long haue fed himselfe with such grieuous complaints and lamentable outcries as there hee doth And so may we do for God giueth it by ordinarie meanes So is it possible for vs in what trouble soeuer we shall be in if we pray vnto God in all humilitie and sorrow for our sinnes as he did euen with great aboundance of teares for he saith That he watered his couch and made his bed to swim with them by which hyperbolicall kind of speech he meaneth That he wept very much not only in the day but euen in the night also and if we did pray with that feruencie that he did not fainting nor giuing ouer but stretching out our affections and desires according to our present need it is possible I say for vs to attaine by degrees vnto that measure of persuasion of Gods goodnesse towards vs that may suffice vs. And though wee come not to that great measure that was in this holy man because we pray not in that feruencie and zeale and tendernesse of heart that hee did yet in some acceptable measure and more than we had in the beginning For I am not of that opinion that this was inspired into him as he was a Prophet who had many things extraordinarie neither that any man can come to haue any assurance or full persuasion either of their saluation or that God heareth their prayers or of any other fauour from him without some reuelation and so it should be thought presumption in a man to say he is assured of such things but that God giueth this assurance and increaseth it by ordinarie meanes and namely and especially by prayer For seeing prayer is very fitly compared vnto wrastling or striuing as we haue seene heretofore by which we labour with all the power of our soules and bodies A comparison to shew the truth of it to obtaine some thing of the Lord as by bodily striuing men seeke to obtaine some masterie among men and thus the Apostle speaketh of it to the Romanes Rom. 15.30 Desiring them to striue with him by prayers to God for him as in striuing a mans strength is not alwayes greatest at the first neither can himselfe or others perceiue so well whether he shall ouercome but sometimes yea most vsually when after some paines taken his bodie is well heat he increaseth in strength of bodie and agilitie of lims whereby it commeth to passe that he findeth that in himselfe which giueth him greater hope of preuailing against his aduersarie than he had before So is it when we pray to God and as it were striue with him that though wee put all our strength vnto it at the first that is pray with all the desire of our hearts yet when by continuance in praier the spirit of God in vs is well heat as I may say and the heat of it increased we shall find that both our desires are greatly increased also our assurance from thence of being heard is inlarged So that in the middest or ending of our prayers we shall perceiue our minds more pacified and quiet and our selues more readie to submit our wils to the will of God and to rest in the hope of his defence and deliuerance than before VVhereof if we were asked though we could giue no great reason from outward things for all things are still with vs as they were before yet we find it to be true by experience and must account it a fruit of our prayer in that the Lord hath giuen vs greater assurance than wee had before and so we are contented to wait vpon him The like may bee shewed in many other Psalmes Another example of this in the person of Dauid as indeed that one booke as it is full of godly prayers so of notable examples of this kind of the working of the spirit of God in his children and seruants but for breuitie sake I will content my selfe with one or two now In the seuenteeth Psalme he prayeth vnto God to be preserued from his enemies either Saul or some other for indeed he had many and saith thus Heare the right Psal 17.1 O Lord that is my righteous cause consider my crie hearken vnto my prayer of lips vnfained Let my sentence come forth from thy presence and let thine eyes behold equitie Thou hast proued and visited mine heart in the night thou hast tried me and foundest nothing for I was purposed that my mouth should not offend Concerning the workes of men by the words of thy lips I kept me from the paths of the cruell man Stay my steps in thy path that my foot doe not slide Then he breaketh out into these wordes of comfort Vers 6. I haue called vpon thee surely thou wilt heare me O God incline thine eare to me and hearken vnto my wordes VVhere after many prayers and reasons to mooue the Lord to heare him as the goodnesse of his cause the vprightnesse of his mind the feruencie of his prayer and such like he saith that he did then assure himselfe that God would heare him and so doth continue his prayer vnto him in that assurance of faith But it is to be noted for this purpose that we haue in hand for which this is alledged that though in the beginning he prayed and then againe returneth to his prayer vnto the Lord that hee would heare him yet he putteth this in
betweene saying Surely thou wilt heare mee O God because God gaue him then to beleeue it more fully VVhich full persuasion if he had had before in that measure that he had then we may be assured that he would sooner haue professed it to the glory of God and his owne comfort A fourth example of it in Dauid I will conclude this point with that which is in the eight and thirtie Psalme which Psalme was made when he was in some great distresse of sickenesse as some think or some other at the least And the whole Psalme is full of grieuous complaints as may appeare to them that will but read it when he beginneth thus O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 38.1 neither chastise me in thy wrath for thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lieth vpon me there is nothing found in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne and so forth for the whole Psalme is too long to be set down yet it is necessarie for thē to read it ouer who desire to see the truth of this that we speak to be in the Prophet He first complaineth of the heauie wrath of God that was vpon him and of his sinnes which he acknowledgeth to be the cause of his punishment of the infirmitie and great weakenesse that he found in himselfe both of soule and bodie and of this also that he was forsaken of his friends and left desolat of the mallice of his wicked enemies all which made him as hee saith to poure out his whole desire before the Lord so that his sighing was not hid from him Vers 9. And then at the last he commeth to haue some good assurance that the Lord would heare him and doth openly professe it in these words On thee O Lord doe I wait Vers 15. thou wilt heare me O Lord my God and so from this assurance hee endeth the Psalme somewhat more comfortably than he began it saying Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord Vers 22. my saluation Thus we see how by continuing in feruent prayer and striuing against all things within him and without him that might discourage him the spirit of God did so encrease in him that hee gat some small assurance at the least and more than he had before that the Lord would heare him and so endeth with a more peaceable and quiet mind than he began And though I am not ignorant that some of the learned doe read that fifteenth verse somewhat otherwise yet they agree with me in this point for which it is brought That in the same he professeth his faith that the Lord would heare him All these examples doe not onely shew vs the truth of this doctrine namely that the seruants of God praying vnto him in their seuerall troubles as this people did here haue by little and little growne in a further assurance to their owne comfort and the glorie of God By this experience in another we see what assurāce God may worke in vs if we vse the same meanes that he will heare them but they shew vs the same by great experience which is the best tracts and able to instruct the most simple for wee haue heard how Dauid oftentimes professeth it of himselfe which sheweth vs what we may looke for that the Lord should worke in vs also for there is no respect of persons with him if we pray in that feeling of our wants and that humilitie vnder the crosse and that feruencie vnder hope and that continuance by patience that he did Therefore let vs labour after it euen that we may find the spirit of God so working in our hearts by prayer that it may certainly and comfortably witnesse to our spirits that the Lord doth heare vs and that the same testimonie of the spirit may encrease in vs aswe encrease in praying And it may come to passe that as in the morning we see the Sunne arise higher and higher whereby we haue a greater feeling of the heat of it as the day encreaseth so we might see the sonne of righteousnesse so arising in our hearts Malach. 4.2 dispersing all the mysts of ignorance and vnbeleefe that we may haue the comfortable feeling of the fauour of God in our hearts encreasing more and more to cheere them vp with the light and heat of it as it were as we shall continue longer in prayer Let vs labor after it I say because that few doe know what it doth meane because they doe not so much as once seeke and inquire after it Obiect The best seruants of God complaine that they haue no assurance that God heareth their prayer Now if any doe seeke this and cannot find it and so they still complaine as many of the best seruants of God haue done that he heareth not their prayers neither haue they any assurance of it for when as in their troubles they pray vnto God this grieueth them much that they haue no persuasion that God heareth and will helpe them for if they had this they could bee contented to wait vpon him and to tarry his leisure but they pray and pray and can haue no assurance that hee doth heare them Ans And a reason of the same To satisfie all those and to strengthen them in this weaknesse of theirs we must consider That they that haue had the greatest assurance at any time that the Lord did heare them haue had it but in time and in measure and not alwaies alike but sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes not at all as the spirit of faith or their owne vnbeleefe hath preuailed in them For in these forenamed places we see that in some of the Psalmes hee professeth greater assurance than in other and so is it with all men Euen as with the eyes of our bodie we sometimes see a thing more clearely than at other times and our eyesight is not alwayes alike no more is our faith whereby wee behold Christ and in him the fauour of God it is not alwaies in the same brightnesse Besides as the ayre is not alwaies alike for our sight but sometimes more troublesome and souring yea darke which hindereth vs from the sight of that that we looke vnto when our eyes are at the best so we haue sometimes in our mind greater and more violent temptations than at other as it were thick mystes or rather darke clouds in the aire to hinder our faith from beholding the cheerefull countenance of the Lord as it were the light of the Sunne which shineth alwayes alike though we by reason of these cannot alwaies see it alike So the Lords loue is alwaies one and the same but we are not alwaies alike disposed in our selues to behold it in that brightnesse that it shineth in it owne nature Therefore we must not be dismaied if we haue not alwaies this assurance in our prayer after the same manner but see what
authour of this Psalme professeth that he had this assurance in himselfe so he commending it vnto them to vse doubted not but that all of them praying together some of them at the least should haue it also and so might say in their owne persons I know that God will helpe his anointed and so should pray in that faith whereby he might verely beleeue that God would heare him and so he might obtaine helpe and assurance of it for all the rest and by that assurance that God should giue him he might comfort the rest In so much that though euery man and woman then present through the weakenesse of their faith could not come vnto this assurance which yet they should labour after as hath beene said before yet some one or other among thē more or fewer might haue it in great measure and so the Lord might assure them of it for the rest that God would heare them And so this should be the benefit of the common prayer of the Church when many were met together and that to euery one that ioyned with them That though all of them could not come to that measure of assurance in their prayers that they desired that the Lord would heare them When many pray together one may haue assurance for all the rest that God doth heare them yet some one or other should haue it for them and so when it was a common benefit that they prayed for they should not onely obtaine it together for the Lord would heare them but some should more specially know it beforehand to their owne comfort and the comfort of others And this no doubt is a singular great comfort in any trouble that when many are together and in great heauinesse by reason of some calamitie or feare that is vpon them and none among them is able to comfort themselues much lesse are they able to comfort others that are feeble minded among them though they desire to doe it and though they seeke to God for comfort and pray for it most earnestly yet they cannot find it in themselues at the last God shall so stirre vp the spirit of some one or other among them and shall so assure him that God will be mercifull vnto them that he shall constantly and openly professe it vnto them to their comfort also comfort I say though not in themselues yet from him For though he euen but one hath it properly in himselfe yet he hath it not for himselfe alone but for others that are with him and in the same danger and feare who need to be comforted and they shall fare the better by it For as the Apostle saith of himselfe 2. Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of mercie and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by that comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God he saith that that comfort which God gaue him in his affliction was not for himselfe alone but for the benefit of others so others also that which this way God bestoweth vpon them they haue it And so the feeble minded among them haue beene comforted not for themselues but for others And indeed all experience doth shew the truth of this that some that haue beene very faint hearted in themselues yet being in some common trouble with others haue bene greatly comforted and stayed by them from those extremities that they might haue fallen into in that measure that the Lord hath comforted some for all the rest who if they had not beene present with them the other could not haue attained vnto that comfort in any measure which they did And this comfort is to be found of them that haue it in themselues for others by prayer and by walking in a good course that so the Lord may not forsake them in the midst of their trouble In this respect it is a great benefit to resort to the common praiers of the Church And in this respect we see that it is a great benefit and that that shall make much for our comfort to resort to the common prayers of the Church where wee shall haue many good men and women pray with vs for the common benefits which concerne vs and them that so if not to our selues yet to some of them God may giue assurance that he will heare vs and so we may be comforted by our mutuall faith ours and theirs Rom. 1.12 as the Apostle speaketh And what a great mercie of God it is also priuatly in any need of ours to be directed to send for righteous and faithfull men and women to pray for vs according to the direction of S. Iames who faith Jam 5.14 Is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church And in our need to haue good mē pray with vs. and let them pray for him and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him and afterwards addeth That the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent VVhere he sheweth what good we may receiue by the faith and feruent prayers of others namely that so it may come to passe that if not our selues yet others praying for vs God might giue them some assurance for vs that he would heare vs and helpe vs both in soule and bodie in pardoning our sinnes vpon our true repentance and raising vs from sicknesse which for our sinnes God had laid vpon vs as here the Prophet doth say And alwaies most of all in any danger to be in the companie of the godly That some one of the companie might haue this assurance for the rest and for the king that God would heare him Moreouer from hence we may see generally what a blessed thing it is alwaies to keepe companie with the godly and those that walke in his wayes for if any trouble doe befall them they may pray together and God may assure one or other for the rest that he is among them and will be good vnto them And thus was it with the Apostle Paule and all his companie when they were in that long dangerous nauigation towards Rome in which all of them were in feare of their liues as it is set downe at large in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 27.20 when they were so tossed by the wind and by the sea that they were compelled to cast all things out of the ship to ease her of her burden and the weather was so foule that by the space of many daies they saw neither Sunne nor stars to guide them or comfort them so that all hope that they should be saued was taken from them and their feare was so great and so continuall that for fourteene daies together they fasted and could not take their ordinary
food and there were in the ship at that time two hundred threescore and seuenteene soules among whom was Paule a prisoner and some other Christians with him At which time we may be assured that he and the rest that feared God prayed earnestly vnto him that they might be saued and God did not onely heare them but gaue vnto Paule assurance thereof by a vision of an Angell that appeared vnto him in the night and said vnto him That for his sake all should be saued onely the ship should be lost and this as hee did beleeue so hee most confidently auoucheth it vnto them and exhorteth them earnestly to eat their meat Verse 36. and to be comforted and doubt not but the Lord would saue them all Then it is said that all of them began to pull vp their hearts and to be of good courage and also to take their meat So that here we see how in a common calamitie that was vpon a multitude God gaue assurance of deliuerance but vnto one who could say as he did I know that God will helpe but all the rest had the benefit of it for thereby their hearts that so failed before that they could not eat their meat now began to bee of good courage Moses at the red sea by prayer was assured for all the rest that God would helpe them So was it with the children of Israel when they came out of Aegypt and were now in the wildernesse and Pharoah and his hoast so pursued them that he had them at this disaduantage that the great mountaines were on both sides of them the terrible red sea was before them to hinder all passage and he and his great armie marched after them to destroy them Exod. 14.10 as it is set downe in the booke of Exodus whereupon they were all sore afraid when they saw them and cried vnto the Lord but yet they had no assurance that he did heare them and would deliuer them but rather they looked to be destroyed and so through impatience and vnbeleefe did murmure against Moses that he had brought them out of Aegypt Moses also he crieth vnto the Lord for helpe and he receiueth assurance of it for them all that God would saue them and destroy their enemies For the Lord spake vnto him and told him how he should diuide the sea and goe through it and so escape and the Aegyptians should follow them and be drowned and thereupon he speaketh comfortably vnto them Feare yee not stand still Verse 13. and behold the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew to you this day for the Aegiptians whom yee haue seene this day yee shall neuer see them againe the Lord shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace and so it came to passe as appeareth in the same chapter Thus in this great multitude of many thousands when all were partakers of all common danger and feare and so prayed all together for one thing God gaue to one of them for the rest euen to Moses for all the people this assurance of faith that he could and did say I know that God doth heare vs and will helpe vs and the rest though they could not attaine vnto it themselues yet they were partakers of the fruit of his prayers not onely in that they were deliuered as well as himselfe but they had some assurance of it before-hand from him otherwise they could not haue done as they did so confidently to aduenture through the sea So may it come to passe with vs if we be in any common danger with others and haue some excellent men among vs to pray with vs God may giue them that assurance of deliuerance according to the greatnesse of their faith which we in our weakenesse cannot attaine vnto and yet such is the fruit of the communion of Saints that we shall inioy the benefit of it and be comforted by it whereas if we were without them we could not haue it at all as the Israelites could not haue had any comfort here in their distresse if they had bene some few of them or many together for the Lord reuealed it onely to Moses though it were for their sakes also Elias by prayer obtained assurance of rain for all the rest in his time And here againe for this purpose we may very fitly remember the example of the Prophet Eliah how in the daies of king Ahab when there was such a great drought in the land of Israel by the space of three yeares and an halfe that there was neither water nor grasse almost to be found in all the countrey either for man or beast at that time there was this Elijah and a godly widow of Sarepta with whom he did soiourne and diuers others godly men and women For Obadiah one of the kings seruants had hid from the persecution of Iezabell one hundred of the Lords Prophets All these we may be assured at this time did earnestly desire raine and often prayed vnto God for it yet onely the Prophet Elijah obtained it by his prayer for himselfe and for the rest And though euery one of the other might do somewhat in their measure to further it yet the Apostle ascribeth this benefit onely to his prayers Iam. 5.18 saying Elias prayed and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit So that here a multitude praying together for one thing one receiued it for all the other and not onely so but he had an assurance of it before it came for the comfort of the rest the glory of God which by feruent prayer he obtained For when hee had prayed in the top of mount Carmel seuen times for raine he knew assuredly at the last that it was comming and therefore did not onely tell Ahab 1. King 18.41 that there was a sound of much raine but afterwards sent his seruant vnto him and bad him make readie his chariot apace and goe downe quickly least the raine should stay him and in the meane while the heauen was blacke with clouds and wind and there was a great raine Thus we see what great benefit all they in those dayes had by the prayer of Elias praying with them The like may we attaine vnto in our measure and for them both for the obtaining of raine and for the assurance of it beforehand The like benefit may we haue in measure by others that shall pray with vs in such cases if they pray in the spirit and faith and continue as he did For the Apostle in speaking of him least we should thinke that this example of his did not appertaine vnto vs one whit for as he was a Prophet and a rare man not one such more to be found in the world saith thus Iam. 5.17 Helias was a man subiect to the like passions that we are and he prayed c. giuing vs to vnderstand that as he preuailed for others so may we doe also for he bringeth it in
to encourage men to desire others to pray for them in the time of their need Therefore when many striue together of vnequal strength about one thing as to remooue a great stone or some peece of timber if there be among them young men or women and children and sicke folke and such as can doe little or nothing and but one strong man in their company like vnto the great gyant Goliah or vnto Samson though all of them may helpe some thing yet this one by his great strength shall doe so much that all that the other doe shall not be discerned and so all shall be ascribed vnto him and he alone shall be said to doe it because all of them could not haue done it without him and they all did nothing in comparison of him And besides he may be of that great wisedome and so know the measure of his strength and what is fit for such a purpose that he may say whiles they are about it or before they begin Now I know that the thing is ouercome or as good as done when others shall feare that they shall doe no great matter or are like neuer to preuaile and so they shall not onely obtaine their purpose by his meanes but by his wordes be encouraged in the doing of it yea comforted before they begin So is it when many of vnequall faith pray together Therefore as it is well for them that shall haue such strong men in their company to labour with them so shall it be much more happy for those that shall haue them that are now weake in faith to pray for them The like may be sayd of that that befell the Iewes in the dayes of king Hezekiah as it is set downe in the second booke of the Chronicles 2. Chro. 32.1 where first it is said that Saneherib king of Ashur when he came vp against Ierusalem with a great host they were all afraid of his greatnesse but at last this good king getteth by prayer more assurance of faith then the rest and so bad his nobles and people not feare him Verse 7. Hezekiah had assurance of Gods helpe for the comfort of all his people saying Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the king of Asshur neither for all the multitude that is with him for there bee more with vs than bee with him with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs and to fight our battels and then it is said that the people were comforted by his words insinuating that they were wauering and doubtfull before Now that he came to this assurance by prayer there is no doubt though there be no mention of it in these words for besides that the Lord doth thus vnusually giue it as hath beene seene before this good king in this distresse we may be assured did not neglect it especially when afterwards in the same chapter there is mention made of his prayer Thus the king for himselfe and for the rest had this assured vnto him that he knew that God would helpe them so was not only comforted himselfe but comforted others in this great feare Afterwards it fell out that when the daunger increased and his faith somewhat fayled he receiued this benefit of comfort in his feare from another euen for the Prophet Isaijah For it is said And afterwards the Prophet had it for the comfort of the king Verse 20. that after this the king of Asshur sent his captaine Rabsakeh who with great threatning and rayling wordes sought to terrifie the people who to that end cried out vnto them vpon the wall in the Iewish language Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the Prophet prayed against this and cryed to heauen but it seemeth that the king for all this had yet no great assurance in himselfe that God would deliuer him but Isaiah that prayed with him had it for him and for the rest and did comfort him For it is thus written of Hezehiah that he went into the house of the Lord to pray and sent messengers to the Prophet to desire him 2. King 19.1 that he would do so to and so he did and thereupon sent him this message which assurance God gaue him by prayer for the rest That he should not feare his words Verse 10. for he would send a blast vpon him and he should heare a noyse and should returne into his owne land and there he should die by the sword as it also came to passe And here though hee was a Prophet to whom God shewed many things extraordinarily yet he prepared him for that worke of his spirit and prayer being one speciall meanes to make vs fit to receiue any grace of the spirit here it is said that he prayed and had this assurance And so here in this distresse many praying together the Prophet Isaiah onely for all the rest sayth Now know I that the Lord will heare and helpe vs. But before this I should haue placed the example of that good king Iehoshaphat which is set downe also in the same booke of the Chronicles both because it was before this in order of time and especially because it is most fit for this purpose 2. Chron. 20 2. Iehoshaphat praying for helpe against his enemies one of the cōpany had assurance of it for all the rest For in his dayes a great hoast of the Ammonites and Moabites and out of mount Seir came vp against Ierusalem which did so terrifie him and all the rest of his people that he set himselfe to feare the Lord and proclaimed a fast through all Iudah and they all gathered themselues together to aske counsell of the Lord and they came vp out of all cities of Iudah to inquire of the Lord and Iehoshaphat was in this congregation in the house of the Lord and there in the midst of them made a feruent prayer vnto God for helpe against them saying O Lord God of our fathers c. Verse 14. as it is set downe at large there And it is further added that there was one Iahaziel a Leuit and vpon him after or in the time of this prayer came the spirit of the Lord in the middest of the Congregation and hee said Hearken ye all Iudah and you inhabitants of Ierusalem and thou king Iehoshaphat Thus sayth the Lord vnto you feare not neither be afraid of this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods to morrow go you down and meet with them in such a place ye shall not need to fight in this battell stand still moue not and behold the saluation of the Lord towards you again very confidently he biddeth them not feare but go out against them the Lord would be with them and so it came to passe as appeareth in the same chapter for the Lord layd ambushments against them so that the children of Amon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir
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
are found in Shushan and fast yee for me and eate not nor drinke in three dayes day nor night I also and my maids will fast likewise And so they did and God heard their prayer and did not forsake her in this thing whereunto he had called her Thus in a matter of great moment which was full also of great difficultie and wherein she did hazard her life being persuaded that God had called her vnto it she prayeth for her selfe and others also for her that God would helpe her and heare her in heauen and he did so Thus did Iaakob cōfort himselfe in a dangerous voyage whereunto God had called him VVhich is written for our instruction and comfort to shew vs what wee should doe and in doing what we may looke for from God in the like case And from hence also did Iaakob comfort himselfe in the like danger and this was the ground of his prayer who in his retunrne from Laban did heare that his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men then he remembring his former threats was greatly afraid and sore troubled and after other things that he did for the defence and safegard of his companie he prayeth vnto God after this manner O God of my father Abraham Gen 32.9 and God of my father Izaack Lord which saydest vnto me returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother c. VVhere we see that as it appeareth in the former part of this story as he did not vndertake this iourney to Laban at the first of his owne head neither did voluntarily forsake his fathers house without cause like some roiotous children who cannot tell when they are well and as the prodigall sonne did but went away with his fathers liking and leaue and with his blessing for Izaack blessed Iaakob and sayd Get thee to Padan Aram to the house of Bethuel Gen. 28.1 thy mothers father and thence take thee a wife of the daughters of Laban thy mothers brother c. So hee returned from thence Chap. 31.3 not of his owne priuat motion but by the commaundement of God who said vnto him Turne againe into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will bee with thee And therefore when this great danger did befall him in the way hee remembreth that hee had a calling from God to this voyage and so prayeth to God that hee that had called him would defend him and as he had commaunded him to goe and hee did it at his commaundement so he would not forsake him in it or suffer him to perish in the mid way by the crueltie of his brother Esau saying Lord which saidest vnto me Returne into thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother c. And so the Lord did not onely heare his prayer and defend him but assure him of it beforehand by a vision of an Angell that wrestled with him all night Chap. 32.24 and could not preuaile against him and by the change of his name from Iaakob to Israel to teach him that which was then said vnto him For God hath promised to defend vs in all our lawfull wayes Psal 91.10 Because thou hast had power with God thou shalt also preuaile with men And this is that which is generally promised to all those that in their callings follow the wayes of God namely that he will defend them in all dangers that may befall them in the same when as it is said There shall none euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and Aspe the yong lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder feet that is Gods Angels shall keepe vs in all those wayes that are most dangerous when we keepe our selues within the compasse of our callings And thus much for these words It followeth in the text By the mightie helpe of his right hand As in the former words hee did strengthen his owne faith and the faith of the people by the consideration of his calling that he was the annointed of the Lord The mightie helpe of Gods right hand so in these words he doth the same by the meditation of the omnipotent power of God who was able to giue great helpe aboue all power of man For in a figuratiue speech by the right hand of God is meant the strength and power of God because that as man commonly hath most strength in his right hand so to our capacitie and vnderstanding though the Lord be a spirit and hath no bodie and so consequently no hand yet the Scripture attributeth vnto him an arme an hand and a right hand as when it is said in the Psalme Psal 44.3 They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou fauouredst them And thus Moses with the rest of the people in their song of thankesgiuing for the destruction of Pharoah and his hoast in the red sea doe speake of the power of God Exod. 15.6 Thy right hand O Lord is glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath brused the enemie that is as men by the strength of their right hand doe bruse a thing in pieces so the Lord by his great power had vtterly destroyed and brought to nought Pharoah and his great hoast which like enemies pursued them euen into the sea They confirm their faith by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power Now this great power of his they set before their eyes to this end that though their enemies were manie and mightie yet the Lord was greater than all and stronger than they and had power aboue them and so as they had prayed to him for his defence so they beleeue that he would heare them and helpe them according to the same power of his As Elisha said vnto his seruant who when he saw the chariots and horses and great hoast which the king of Aram had sent to Dotham to take them cried out for feare 2. King 6.15 Alas master how shall we doe Feare not sayd he they that be with vs are moe than they that be with them hee meaneth that God was with them whose power to defend them was greater than all the power of their aduersaries to hurt them And that the power of God in all things is so infinit that he is alwayes able to defend his seruants against all the power of their enemies be it neuer so great is most euident both in the Scripture and by daily experence so that there need not any great
proofe of it The great power of God in bringing hard things to passe For he is euery where called God Almighty and All sufficient and Lord of hoasts and Lord of lords King of kings maker of all things and preseruer of them in whom we and all things else liue mooue and haue our being c. And in a matter that seemed impossible to Sarah as that she should haue a child when she was so old and all naturall strength fayled her for it ceased to be with her after the manner of women the Lord sayd to Abraham Gen. 18.14 Shall any thing be hard to the Lord as if he had sayd Nothing at all is hard to him but he by his power is able to ouercome all difficulties be they neuer so many and so great And to Moses also in the lik case when he doubted how the Israelites should haue flesh ynough in the wildernesse according to their owne desire Num. 11.23 and as the Lord hath promised he sayd Is the Lords hand shortened Iob. 9.19 that is is his power so weake that he is not able to bring that to passe No. Therefore we may say of him and of his power as Iob doth if we speake of strength Behold he is strong and not onely confesse as the angell did to the virgin Marie when she inquired how she being a virgin should bring forth a child and know no man With God shall nothing be impossible Luke 1.37 Chap. 18.27 but with our Saujour Christ in the same Gospell The things that are impossible with men are possible with God And indeed the great power of God against his aduersaries and for the defence of his seruants might be shewed by infinit examples in the Scriptures as how Pharaoh and his great host was drowned in the red sea when his owne people had a passage through it on drie foot which we spake of euen now Ioshu 6.20 how he caused the walles of Iericho when the Israelites layd siege to it to fall flat downe without any batterie onely at the sound of trumpets how he ouerthrew in the hoast of proud Saneherib one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in one night and by many such like things But this is or should be well knowne vnto vs for this is the first article of our faith That wee beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is who by his mightie power hath made all things in heauen and in earth of nothing and therefore he can bring them all to nought againe and without him they can doe nothing How by the consideration of it we ought to strengthen our faith as hee without them and against them can doe all things Onely we had need to be put in mind to make that good vse of it in the time of our trouble that Dauid doth here namely that thereby we labour to strengthen our faith in the defence of God and that we beleeue that as he doth heare vs so he can and will helpe vs. And the more that any thing is against vs to weaken our faith the more must we by the meditation of the mightie power of God indeuour to strengthen the same knowing that his power shall be made perfect and more cleerely be seene in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 12.9 And thus did Abraham the father of all the faithfull when the Lord had promised vnto him that his wife Sarah should haue a sonne when they were both old and stricken in yeares and was past hope of any by the course of nature For the spirit of God beareth witnesse of him That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope Rom. 4.18 that he should be the father of many nations as it was said vnto him And hee did not by vnbeleefe reason against this by considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie being almost an hundred yeare old nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe but gaue glorie to God That he that had promised As the seruāts of God haue done was able to performe it Thus hee considered of the mightie helpe of Gods right hand and stayed his faith vpon that and so must we doe in all things that God hath promised Matth. 9 29. and then wee shall find That as Christ sayth in the Gospell it shall be vnto vs according to our faith But more fitly for this purpose may wee consider what great vse that good king Hezekiah made of the knowledge that hee had of Gods omnipotent power euen that it did maruellously strengthen his faith in prayer against the mightie power of the great hoast of Saneherib which was come vp against him and against all the desperat and blasphemous threats which he gaue out against him Jsai 37.16 as it is set downe by the Prophet Isaiah where hee thus prayeth O Lord of hostes thou are very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth Incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Saneherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God Truth it is O Lord that the kings of Asshur haue destroyed all lands and their countrey and haue cast the gods in the fire for they were no gods but the worke of mens hands euen wood and stone therefore they destroyed them Now therefore O Lord our God saue thou vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou onely art the Lord. Thus the serious consideration of Gods great power did make him not onely not to be daunted by the power of his aduersarie but caused him with great hope of preuailing to pray earnestly vnto God against it And vnto this may bee ioyned the example of that worthie king Asa one of his predecessours who in like case to vphold his faith against the feare of his mightie and many enemies did meditate vpon the omnipotent power of Gods right hand 2. Chron. 14 9. For when the king of Aethyopia came out against him with ten hundred thousand men besides chariots and horses he went out also against him and did meet with him and did set the battell in array and then cried vnto the Lord his God Considering Gods power not so much in himselfe as for their owne defence that is prayed earnestly and in faith saying Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy name are we come against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee VVhere we see how he doth not consider of the power of God as shut vp in himselfe but as that which was readie to be shewed in their defence against their enemies as Dauid doth here And indeed therein cōsisteth true faith in the power of God That we beleeue that he is almightie to helpe vs and therefore that we
pray to him accordingly as Dauid teacheth the people here to doe and to say Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed by the mightie power of his right hand And thus wee perceiue what vse wee should make of that which wee read euery where in the Scriptures of the great power of God namely that wee might depend vpon him in all troubles and pray vnto him in faith not doubting but as he doth heare vs so he will helpe vs by his great power But let vs examine our selues I pray you and wee shall see how farre wee are from this great measure of faith that so wee might labour to grow therein for how hardly or not at all do we come to this Few in trouble do rest vpon the power of God so weake is their faith To rest in the inuisible power of God Let a man bee in trouble and come and tell him of the great power of God and how he is able to helpe him and so bid him be of good comfort and pray vnto God and depend vpon him and we shall find that he can be contented to doe so so farre foorth as hee can see how and which way God should helpe him But for a man when he hath no meanes at all or very few to doe himselfe good by then to say as Asa did It is all one with God to helpe with many or with no power and so to pray as earnestly and as confidently as though he had all the meanes in the world as it is said of him that he then cried vnto the Lord his God that is prayed with great feruencie This I say is not to bee found in euery one that boasteth of faith Nay which is a great thing when we shall see more to be against vs than with vs and more meanes to discourage vs from the hope of that that we desire than to giue vs comfort in it then to passe by them all and not to stand reasoning from them against our selues by vnbeleefe and not to say I cannot bee holpen because I haue these and these things against mee but to breake through them all and to giue this glorie to God as Abraham did that he that promised Psal 50.15 That if we call vpon him in the time of our trouble he will heare vs and deliuer vs is able to performe it and so to say as Dauid doth here I know that hee will helpe me by the mightie strength of his right hand is that faith which as it will vphold vs in all troubles so it is to bee found in very few But let vs remember for the helping of vs this way Hebr. 11.1 That faith as the Apostle sayth is of things that are hoped for and not seene and therefore as we beleeue God to be present euery where though we see him not so must we beleeue that God is able to helpe vs though wee cannot see how or which way and so pray to him in all wants and say I know that though I am weake and cannot helpe my selfe yet hee will helpe me by his mightie power and this the more we can doe it in truth though in great weakenesse the more shall wee glorifie God and the more will hee helpe vs. The great power of God in raysing vp them that are sicke Therefore let them know that are visited with sickenesse either of the pestilence or otherwise that if they were brought so low that they were at deaths doore God is able to recouer them and to raise them vp again by his great power as Elihu sayth vnto Iob when hee was so full of sores in his bodie that he desired not life neither had any hope of it sayth he Iob. 33.19 If a man be stricken with sorrow vpon his head and the griefe of his bones is sore so that his life causeth him to abhorre bread and his soule daintie meat his flesh faileth that it cannot be seene and his bones which were not seene clatter so his soule draweth to the graue and his life to the buriers if there be a messenger of God with him an interpreter of his word who is as one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will he haue mercie vpon him and say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation then shall his flesh bee as fresh as a childs and shall returne as in the dayes of his youth Thus wee see that if a man bee readie to giue vp the ghost and the bell be rong for him and they begin to prepare things for his buriall if the Lord do but speake the word he shall bee restored to life and health John 11.39 For Christ Iesus who when he was vpon the earth by his word cured men and women of long and incurable diseases yea raised some from the dead euen Lazarus when he had beene dead foure daies and put into the graue who shall also raise vp these bodies of ours out of corruption Phil. 3.21 and fashion them like to his owne glorious bodie according vnto the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe He I say can much more by the same power of his renew our strength when we are in great weaknesse by what meanes it pleaseth him euen by the smallest helpe in the world or without any at all Confirmed by dayly experience As we by dayly experience see some to bee restored to life and health both from the pestilence which is most deadly and from other mortall diseases when in the iudgement of men they were past all hope and the Physitians had giuen them ouer That we might be confirmed by that which we see and heare in the faith of Gods promises towards vs. Iob. 33.28 And this is that which Elihu sayth God will deliuer his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light loe all these things will God worke twice or thrice with a man that he may turne backe his soule from the pit to be illuminate in the light of the liuing VVhere he sayth That God doth not onely thus shew his power now and then in raising vp men from the brinke of death but he sometimes dealeth thus twice or thrice with the same man so that in their life time and euen in sickenesse they haue great experience diuers times of the power of God in their strange recoueries from dangers yea deadly and incurable sicknesses And in relieuing men in their pouertie And to conclude this point in a word if by pouertie or otherwise we be brought to a low ebbe as the patient man Iob was yet ought wee to beleeue that as the Lord turned his captiuitie Chap. 42.10 and gaue him twice so much as he had before so is he able to relieue vs also in our greatest need and to make our estate better than it was before and therefore in such cases let vs pray to him earnestly to helpe by the mightie power of his right hand VVhich that we might doe the rather in faith let vs consider how the Apostle setteth before our eyes the example of Iob to this end and applieth it vnto vs Iam. 5.11 saying Behold we count them blessed which indure yea haue heard of the patience of Iob Which must make vs in all difficultie to depend vpon him and haue knowne what end the Lord made for the Lord is verie pittifull and mercifull As if hee had said God is able to restore you as hee did Iob and to make as good an end with you as he did with him and therefore you ought by this example of Gods dealing with him patiently to wait vpon God considering his mightie power and what great changes he is able to worke in men And thus you see what we haue to obserue out of these wordes where hee speaketh of the power of God and what out of the whole verse God graunt that these things and whatsoeuer else we heare out of his holy word from time to time may so fall into our hearts as seed into good ground that wee keeping the same in good and honest hearts may bring forth the fruit thereof in our liues and conuersations an hundred threescore or thirtie fold at the least to the praise of his blessed name the comfort and saluation of our owne soules the benefit and good example of all that doe know vs and the leauing of the wicked world without excuse that will not follow vs through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and sauiour Amen FINIS
respect wee haue great cause to be sorie The great losse when the good die whose prayers we had whē the Lord taketh away any good mā or woman for then we want so many that might stil haue prayed for vs and for the Church and so wee are left the more destitute of helpe And if wee ought to lament the death of those who haue been beneficial to vs for worldly things whose helpe wee see now that wee want to our great hindrance then especially should wee be grieued that wee are depriued of the comfortable presence of those to whom in all distresses of bodie or minde wee might resort and communicate our whole estate as Dauid did to Ionathan and might boldly haue desired their prayers and might with great facilitie haue obtained them for vs. Thus much for this part of the title that this Psalme being a prayer of the Church for Dauid hee made it for them and committed it to the singer that he might take order that it should be vsed publikly and so by vertue of it did require that thus they should pray for him One thing more of Dauid is to bee obserued out of the title and the discourse of the whole Psalme namely with what minde and purpose or to what end he desired their prayers Not as purposing to neglect prayer himselfe Dauid in desiring their prayers did not purpose to neglect prayer himself or to grow any whit more slacke in it because of that and so to put off this as a burden from himselfe as one that had other great matters in hand and so to commit it to them that should haue leisure enough As if hee should haue said you know that I must goe out to battell against the Ammonites and in warre wee shall haue our hands full and our mindes taken vp euery way I shall haue no leisure to pray to God there though I know it to be necessarie and would faine doe it I would haue you therefore to pray for me and so trusting to them should neglect this dutie himselfe and so they might haue prayed very doubtingly for him but that they might be the more willing to pray for him in this case hee telleth them and professeth it openly that he would pray to God himselfe and as he should be in any speciall trouble so he would doe it much more earnestly and therefore he would haue them pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers of his So then in requiring this of them hee did not leaue them in suspense to thinke thus he willeth vs to pray for him indeede and so it is our bound dutie to doe and wee will doe it but wee cannot tell whether hee will vse any prayer himselfe which if hee doe not ours shall doe him the lesse good But as hee required their prayers so hee bound himselfe to the like practise No more must kings when their subiects doe pray for them and would haue them also to know it before hand that so they might pray accordingly that God would heare his prayers So that first of all Kings and Princes be they neuer so great must not so require their subiects to pray for them that they shuld thinke it were not needfull for themselues to pray at all for they had enow that daily did it for them euery where And all others that desire the prayers of their brethren must not for that bee any one whit the more remisse and sparing in their owne prayers which is diligently to bee marked of vs because it is contrarie to the common practise of the Church of Rome and of diuers others For the Romish Synagogue maketh Emperours Kings The practise of the Papists is otherwise and great men to beleeue vpon their credit that prayer doth not so necessarily belong vnto them or to such kind of men that doth peculiarly belong to the Clergie and Church-men as they cal them they could pray enough for them and for al the world if they may be wel paid for their labours Therefore if such men as they will but giue some lands and reuenewes to an Abbey or erect a Monastery or some religious house there to be prayed for they shall haue so many continually to pray for them that it maketh no matter though themselues very seldome or not at al pray This kingly prophet or propheticall king was of another minde and so ought all godly and religious not onely Princes but men and women to be But to leaue these men And of some Gospellers and their religious practises to themselues we shall finde this corruption to be in some that are not of the worser sort that when they know that others doe pray for them in sicknesse or otherwise they can be contented to let passe their owne prayers now and then in hope of that and to become somewhat remisse themselues But as Dauids desire was here not onely that they would pray for him but after this manner euen that God would heare his prayers which hee had and would make euery day so doth the Apostle ioyne these two very fitly together and requireth them both of all men alike Jam. 5.13.14 saying Is any man among you afflicted Let him pray Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him where he would haue al men to pray for themselues in their seuerall afflictions and to send for others that they might pray for them likewise We must not seuer our own prayers from the prayers of others And as he would not haue them in some cases to content themselues with their owne prayers but send for others to pray with them so hee would not haue them passe ouer their owne prayers in hope of that but begin with them first and pray themselues and if they cannot that way preuaile sufficiently then to call for the aide of others among whom it may come to passe that the prayer of some one righteous man or other might bee so feruent that it might auaile much for them Therefore those things which the Lord by precept and by the practise of his seruants hath ioyned together so neerely let no man put asunder Yet God heareth his seruants for those that neither doe nor can pray for themselues And yet we doe not denie but that such is the goodnes of God to all sorts of men to leaue them without excuse and that hee hath made so many gracious promises vnto the prayers of his seruants that hee often heareth them praying for those who neither pray for themselues at all neither can pray nor haue any purpose to doe it So did he diuers times as hath been declared before heare Moses and Aaron praying for Pharaoh King of Egypt for his Princes and for his people all which had no purpose at all to serue God themselues neither knew how to doe it but did hinder as much as lay in them his people from
rebellions attempted at home Therefore wee haue great cause to pray for the life of our King and the rather for that wee see how his life hath been desperatly sought by diuers as appeareth by the confession of some who are in prison at the least for suspition of treason Now if they begin thus malitiously and impudently so soone what will they not dare to doe hereafter if God and good lawes doe not suppresse them And truly by this experience that we haue that euill things thus determined in secret are wonderfully disclosed and brought to light before hand and the malefactors apprehended and taken we may see the fruit of our former prayers for his Maiestie and that should incourage vs with good hope to pray for him still Nay we haue longer experience of the fruite of our prayers for our Princes in the time of good Queen Elizabeth whose life was so often sought and so desperatly that she might truly say with the Psalmist They haue often times afflicted mee from my youth Psal 129.2 but they could not preuaile against me for she went to her graue with peace full of daies threescore and nine which is a great age for a Prince when she had happily and peaceably raigned fiue and fortie yeeres Let vs labour then as much as in vs lieth to draw out by our prayers the life of our most gracious Soueraigne as an euen thred to the full for as the Lord God hath ordained the thing so also the meanes which we for our part must not neglect And let vs pray not onely for his royall person but also for his gouernment that vnder him wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in al godlinesse and honestie 1. Tim. 2.2 as the Apostle speaketh vnto Timothy and namely that at the next Parliament good lawes may be made for the reformation of all things that are amisse in the Church common-wealth This sermon fell out vpon that day which caused this digression And seeing that we are commanded to keepe the memory of this day with publike thanksgiuing for a famous and memorable deliuerance bestowed vpon his Maiestie in his Realme of Scotland from the treasonable conspiracie of the Earle of Gowry and his complices of whom in that respect we may say as it is in the Psalme If the Lord had not been on his side Psal 124.2 3 4 c. when men rose vp against him they had then swallowed him vp quick when their wrath was kindled against him then the water had drowned him and the streames had gone ouer his soule But praised be the Lord which hath not giuen him as a pray vnto their teeth his soule is escaped out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and he is deliuered it falleth out not vnfitly with the argument that out of this text we haue in hand For as Dauid in this Psalme teacheth the people to pray for him and in the next to giue thankes so it is our bound dutie not onely to pray to God for him but to giue thankes for him as the Apostle also speaking of the duties of the people to their kings which he exhorteth Timothy to teach and to practise ioyneth these two together saying I exhort that supplications prayers intercessions 1. Tim. 2.1 and giuing of thankes be made for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there is great reason that wee should thus doe What cause we haue to giue thankes to God for our King for if wee ought to bee thankfull vnto God for other common benefits as peace libertie the Gospell and such like then also for him by whom wee hold them Therefore among other benefits let vs continually remember this and see how wee faile therein and in our thanksgiuing remember other priuate benefits and not this great one or not so much as we should And though we must needes confesse that we haue great cause to be sorie for the death of our late Queene Elizabeth by whose wise gouernment we inioyed so many great benefits that we might much more truly say of her than Dauid did of Saul in his lamentation 2. Sam. 1.24 that she cloathed vs in skarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of gold vpon our apparel yet we must see and confesse to the praise of God as the truth is that we haue great cause to reioice that the Lord hath prouided one to succeed in her roome when her time was expired that it might not bee said of vs as it was of the Iewes in the daies of the Iudges Iudg. 18.1 that there was then no King in Israel and so we should haue bin as sheepe without a shepheard scattered here and there as it is said of the Israelites when King Ahab was slaine in the battell These haue no master let them returne euery man to his house in peace 2. Chron. 18.16 Then haue we much more cause to be thankfull that God hath raised vp him for vs In respect that he is right heire to the Crowne euen the right heire to the Crowne both by father and mother they two being the lawfull grand-children of the Ladie Margarite sometimes Queene of Scots by mariage and eldest daughter to King Henry the seuenth where if the Nobilitie had set vp some other of the bloud royall further off there must needes haue been great ciuill warres to the spilling of many thousand English mens blood and some of them should haue died in an ill cause ignorantly or against their wils as when the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were a long time diuided in this land And then also some forrainer might easily by their owne power and by the helpe of the Papists and other mutinous and malecontented persons haue soon set footing into this Isle which would not so easily haue been driuen out againe And besides all this wee haue great cause to bee thankfull And so rarely qualited for the kingdome that he being the right heire is so wonderfully qualited for the kingdome that as the Queene lately deceased was a rare woman fit for the Crowne by election if not by inheritance so he a very rare man for all parts of soule and bodie and that the Lord did so fit him for this place and then sent him vnto vs that he came not as Saul in Gods wrath who was a cruell tyrant but as Dauid in Gods mercie to feede his people in Iacob Psal 78.71 and his inheritance in Israel And for his royall posteritie Act. 13.36 And this is no small benefit that he hath a royall posteritie to succeed in the throne of the kingdom least when he should haue serued his time by the counsel of God and so fall asleepe and be laid with his fathers we should be in a new feare And what should we say of this that he came to the Crowne so vnlooked for For though it was his inheritance yet such was the wisedome of
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