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
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
his name And this is the rather to bee marked because that the Lord when hee would make himselfe best knowne vnto Moses Exod. 34.6 and so did to that end proclaime his name as it is said speaketh thus The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious God is answerable to his good name though men be not so alwaies slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne c. See what a name the Lord giueth to himselfe that wee might be incouraged to come vnto him And hee not onely hath this name but he is answerable vnto it and is so indeeded and wee shall finde him to be so Many men haue better names than they deserue though some haue worse for they are said to be pitifull and gentle and courteous but when we come to deale with them wee finde it otherwise for men in iudging are oftentimes deceiued and some speake according to their owne opinion But the God of truth speaketh of himselfe as he is therefore as hee is called mercifull so he is and hath alwaies bin found to be so and shall be to the end of the world Therfore as among men to confirme vs in their good name wee consider how they haue often bin beneficiall vnto others to our selues how they haue oftentimes holpen others in their need so that we might know God to be so wholy agreeable vnto his name consider how he hath in former times bin good vnto men that haue prayed vnto him yea to our owne selues As how hee heard the crie of the Israelites in Egypt Exod. 3.8.9 when they were oppessed with his tyrannie and came downe to deliuer them and how he heard Moses for them at the red sea Exod. 14.15 and made a passage for them thorow it that they might escape their pursuers and how often he heard him for them in the wildernes both for water and for flesh Exod. 17.4 Numb 11.11 Gen. 28.10 32.9 and for deliuerances from many plagues how he heard Iacob when he fled from his brother Esau and when he met him again and deliuered him from him how he heard all the Iewes in the daies of Queene Hester and deliuered them from the mischieuous practise of Haman their enemie Hest 8.16.17 yea how he hath heard our selues praying to him publikely and priuately that so by experience we might know him to be according to his name so this name of his might incourage vs to prayer for he hath a good name most deseruedly But because of the time I must leaue this somewhat vnperfect I wil proceed in it by the grace of God the next day for I see that all things cannot be spoken at once THE SEVENTH SERMON vpon the first verse and part of the second The name of the God of Iacob defend thee COncerning the name of God spoken of here I am further to adde this That seeing neither we nor any other can pray vnto God but according to the knowledge that we haue of his name As Salomon saith in his prayer that the very stranger a farre off hearing of the name of God should be moued to come to the temple and pray there and desireth God to heare the prayers of such as well as of the Iewes 1. King 8.41 moreouer as touching the stranger that is not of thy people Israel who shall come out of a far countrie for thy Names sake when they shall heare of thy great Name and of thy mightie hand and of thy stretched out arme and shall come and pray in this house We are to pray that all nations might know the name of God that so they might seeke to him heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place and doe according to al that the stranger calleth for vnto thee that all the people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as do thy people Israel c where wee see what should moue them to come to the Temple and pray euen the knowledge of Gods name· seeing then I say without this men cannot call vpon God we are to pray that all the Nations in the world euen the Iewes and the Turkes and those that are a far off might know the great and glorious name of God that they might ioyne themselues vnto the visible Church and with them pray vnto God serue him For according to the name of God so is our feare of him and loue to him and faith in him and also prayer vnto him Especially we are to pray for our afflicted brethren at this time and those that are visited with the pestilence that God in the midst of their troubles would make knowne vnto them his name euen how mercifull he is to al that repent as our Sauiour Christ hath most comfortably shewed in the parable of the prodigall sonne who after hee had forsaken his fathers house and had wasted all his goods with riotous liuing at the last returned vnto his father Luc. 15.13 Especially they that are visited with the plague and said Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne Then his father did not only willingly receiue him and bad his seruants bring foorth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feete and kil the fat calfe and make a feast for his safe returne but when he was a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him And as he hath also shewed the same mercie of God in his manifold gracious promises most louingly calling vnto him all those that truly repent as Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burden is light And againe the Lord saith Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee And Psal 50 1◠Ioel. 2.32 Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued and such like that so according to the greatnes of his name they might be moued to come vnto him in this trouble of theirs that God might heare them and help them For it is to be feared that many whose case is to bee pitied for want of this sauing knowledge of the name of God That by it they may know his name and so pray vnto him Hos 7.14 roare and crie out for the extremitie of their paine but doe not vnfainedly and from the bottome of the heart with true repentance and a liuely faith pray vnto God as the Lord complaineth of the Iewes They haue not cried vnto me with their hearts when they howled vpon their beds They are so ignorant that they know not
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
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
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
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
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
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