Zion But the second is the main Secondly The Lord doth then answer the prayers of his people when he builds up Zion because in truth the building up of Zion is the all in all of all his peoples prayers that is as Solomon saith Money answers all so whatsoever particular suites Gods people have offered up the building up of Zion hath been such a request that the answering of that answers all others whatsoever he denies them it skils not they have enough they are abundantly satisfyed they will clear all books and break all Tallies with God they will give in all other bills whatsoever if this be but done that this is so observe I beseech you wheresoever in the Scripture you read of the prayers of Gods people as by the way you shall hardly read of any godly man but you shall read of his prayer you will finde that the strain and the stream of all their prayers runs for Zion read Moses his prayers Joshuahs prayers goe on to David to Solomon to Ezra to Nehemiah and the severall Prophets read all their prayers and you shall finde that Zion is the bulk of them all In thy good pleasure doe good to Zion and though there are many particular suites to themselves yet what they beg to themselves is only begged as a means but when they beg for Zion they beg it as an end Thy Kingdome come to Gods people is next to Hallowed bee thy name It is more to them then all the rest of the Lords Prayer Give us our dayly bread Forgive us our trespasses Leade us not into temptation Deliver us from evill They are all inferiour to Thy Kingdome come the building up of Gods Church is that which hath swayed all with the Saints in all their prayers And it must be so it can be no otherwise with true godly men if you consider either the relation that the Church hath to God or that which they have to the Church First that of the Church to Christ it is his Love his Dove his Fair one his Spouse his Jewell that which he hath laid all his own glory upon one to whom he stands in all relations which argues intimative dearnesse and tendernesse what-ever is done to them is done to himself Yee did it to them therefore yee did it to mee The Churches cause is his Her rising is his glory her reproach is his dishonour Arise O Lord plead thy own cause remember how the foolish people reproach thee forget not the voyce of thy enemies when the Synagogues of the Church was pulled down when the Church was wasted And to themselves likewise it is their Mother in whose womb they have laine whose breasts they have sucked it is the Magazine wherein all their treasure is laid up a vessel wherein all their wealth sinkes and swims if the Church be safe they are safe and no thought of safety if it miscarry salva Ecclesia salva omnia as they were wont to say of Rome Salva Roma salva patria salva omnia so next unto God the Church is their all and therefore the building up of Zion the welfare of the Church of God must needs be the answer to all their prayers Give me leave to present you with a twofold Use of this Lesson and then I hasten to that which I chiefly intended First this Lesson may serve to every of you for one of the greatest discoveries of your owne spirits that can be whether in truth your hearts be right with God thinke how you could answer this one question Would the Lords building up of the Church the setling and establishing of Religion in purity and peace would that be to thy soule the answer of all thy prayers art thou able to say it before God Build but up Zion and I have enough No man under heaven can say it but a Saint and there is not a Saint upon earth but may say it I know it lies in the bottome of his soule But how shall we know it I le give you but one way of tryall If the welfare of Zion the building up of the Church be the summe of all thy prayers then it is likewise the summe of all thy endevours thy studies thy time thy wit thy parts thy interest what ever may be called thine are mainly laid out in promoving in helping forward the welfare of Zion This you shall finde cleare in the book of God that as all the prayers of Gods people run upon Zions welfare so now I say in the second place all the endevours of all that prayed for Zion run to help it forward Zion was the summe of all their prayers and of all their joyes and cares no joy to them like the joy they had in the prosperity of Zion when the Lord at any time turned back the captivity of his people they were like men that dreamed their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue withjoy and no sorrow like that which was caused by the affictions of Jacob then they would even dye with griefe then they would name their children Ichabod then they would mourne and not be comforted and consequently all they had or could contribute was most readily afforded The Prophets and Apostles cold preach as well as pray and all their Sermons were for Zion Kings could plot project counsell c. as well as pray all their plots and projects were to build up Zion Souldiers could fight as well as pray all their warres were the warres of God Rich men could lay out money as well as pray all their wealth was a Sacrum to God a devoted thing to him when the Church needed it their penny went as willingly as their Pater noster other learned men if any man could write histories if any Poet could make songs all was laid our about the Church about furthering the welfare of it or if any were found among them who would professe love to it and joine in prayer for it yet mind their own affaires build their owne houses and let Gods house lye wast they are branded for degenerate hypocriticall ignoble spirits These were the Potters and those who dwelt among hedges there they dwelt with the King for his work a base people who would tarry in Babylon to get wealth and not go up with their brethren to build the house of God and even thus may we judge of our selves And therefore I say to you Honourable Senators that are Noble-men and Gentlemen engaged in this great work the present service you are called to if really you doe make the building of Zion to be the answer of your prayers it is the great Parliament project this day to settle the Church I know when Nehemiahs work was to build the walls of Hierusalem one halfe of his servants were faine to carry the Arms while the other built and many times those that built were faine to have a sword in one hand as well as a trowoll in the
other hand but the swords and atmes were to defend the trowell the work of the trowell was the great project So will it be with you you will with that Emperour Ezra 6. 7 8. provide that all things shall be provided speedily and care fully for this house of God that government be setled Ministers provided encouraged maintained the Sacraments and other Ordinances kept pure and not be at quiet till the Cap-stone be sot upon the head of this building I know Armies must be provided for and Garrisons secured yet they will be looked upon but as meaner Religion the establishing of it will be the end yea your Liberties will be but as meanes Religion will be the Cap-stone the Creame and Oile which swims on the top of all if your hearts be but right with God Therefore I beseech you consider in secret what answer you could make whether you can call in your soules to witnesse that after all your combustions labours losses if God would but establish England a beautifull habitatien the people made holy that the Lord might own them and the three Nations joyned in a Covenant might be one stick in the hand of the Lord in a holy plous religious way that the flocks might have every one their shepheard and the glory of God the defence on every congregation if for these things you sweat and toile and care it is an evident token your hearts are right with God And if any of you the rest of the Assembly do make account that the building of Zion is the answers of all your prayers then if it have your prayer it will have your penny you 'll goe ride run and travell and nothing will stick with you if this be your main suit Indeed in the true notion and interpretation of prayer it is nothing but the craving of Gods blessing upon our endevours in those things which he hath appointed us to do toward the obtaining of any mercy we little better then mock him if we onely pray and set not our shoulder to the wheele And were this carried close to mens consciences how sadly would it speak to many who can abundantly satisfie themselves with joyning in a few dry prayers for the Church and in the meane while they grudge the bestowing of any other cost they can find work enough to build their owne houses and drive on their owne projects let God if he please take care to build his house and do his owne work himself let all such hypocrites know that God will indeed doe his work without them and their formall prayers will returne not with comfort into their bosomes but with vengeance upon their heads But much more sadly doth it speak against those whose lives and subtle machinations retard this work who to their utmost hinder the work of reformation and would not have it goe on for feare their lusts should be yoaked and yet set out Prayers and themselves seeme to joyne with them that God would build up Zion this is most abominable hypocrisie I remember I have read of one of the Emperours of Germany that had taken the Pope prisoner who commanded throughout the Empire solemne prayers to be made to God for the Popes deliverance out of prison and he himself kept him in prison at the same time so these wretched men say O pray for the peace of Zion pray that God would build up Zion and themselves waste it some by their wicked lives others by their pernicious counsels some by their lusts some for feare the Word of God and Ordinances should yoke them they pretend to build the wals of it and yet endevour to undermine the foundations of it God in mercy grant that no such be found among our selves but if in truth this be our great care and study and endevour to see the work goe forward that we count nothing of ours so well disposed of as what is cast into this common treasury it speaks the heart indeed to be right with God Is it so that when God builds up Zion he answers all his peoples prayers even their private prayers as well as this great one then I beseech you let this move every one of you to help forward this work even out of holy self-love you doe not know what a water'd Garden God may make your soule and family when he builds up his Church Certainly if a man were sure not to get any good to his owne soule yet if he might see the prosperity of Zion and Jerusalem he should think it a very blessed sight so thought he who pen'd the 106 Psalme Remember me O Lord with the favour thou bearest unto thy people that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice with the gladnesse of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance So thought John the Baptist though he was sure he should decrease when Christ did increase yet to him it was the fulfilling of his joy to see the people flow in unto Christ when as the Bridegrooms friend he could heare the Bride-groomes voice rejoicing with his Bride But which is more thy peace shall be concurrent with Zions peace the Lord will satiate every afflicted soule in the day when he refreshes Zion let this therefore draw out all your hearts and bowels Remember an argument God uses in the 29 of Jeremy to them that were captives in Babylon Seek the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace What must they pray for Babylons peace for Nebuchadnezzars peace that like a Dragon had swallowed them and like a Lion had crushed their bones Yes pray for the peace of that kingdome because in the peace of that Kingdome you shall have peace O how much more should every one help forward Zions peace thy mothers peace the Spouse of Christs peace because thy soule shall never have so much grace thou shalt never be so holy thy children never so blessed all about thee never made so happy as when the Lord God shall build up Zion therefore O pray for the Peace of Zion they shall all prosper who love her as he said there For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee So say thou for my owne sake for my children and companions sake I will seek to doe thee good especially let it prevaile with you Honourable and Beloved you noble Patriots and Parliament men further it with all your might Go up into the mountain cut downe wood build the house that God may take pleasure in it and prove God whether upon your selves and families he poure not out a blessing without measure you little imagine what a blessing the Lord will give when once this work is done it may shatter and hazzard some things carnall friends and secret enemies may fall off from you but your labour will be
Die Mercurii April 30. 1645. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament that Sir William Massam do from this House give thanks to Mr. Marshall for the great paines hee took in the Sermon hee Preached this day at the intreaty of this House at St. Margarets Westminster it being the day of publique humiliation and to desire him to Print his Sermon And it is Ordered that none shall presume to Print his Sermon not being authorized under his hand-writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Stephen Bowtell to Print my Sermon Stephen Marshall THE STRONG HELPER OR The interest and power of the Prayers of the destitute for the building up of Sion Opened in A SERMON BEFORE The Honorable House of COMMONS Assembled in Parliament upon the solemn day of their Monethly Fast April 30. 1645. BY Stephen Marshall B.D. Minister of Gods Word at Finching-field in Essex JER. 29. 12. Then shall yee call upon me and yee shall goe and pray unto mee and I will hearken unto you PSAL. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thy eare to hear LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for Stephen Bowtell and are to be sold at the signe of the Bible in Popes-head Alley 1645. TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT THE Lord that now makes it his great work to build up Zion and settle his Arke there in its place hath made it your great honour that hee hath taken you into a partnership in so blessed a work Hee make it your happinesse that your Faithfull indevours being crowned with a blessed successe both the present and after Ages may deservedly call you the Repairers of the breach and restorers of paths to dwell in It is pity such builders should want either fair weather or a sure Scaffold to build on but you will not be discouraged whilest you think how in great repaires all use to lie on heaps and remember what the ablest of Gods Master-builders in this kind have met with it is enough that Jerusalems Wall may be built in troubleous times God can lay the beams of his Chambers in the water and Faith can plant Sycamines in the Sea it was a confused Chaos without form and void full of darknesse which this goodly Fabrick of Heaven and Earth was at first made out of and there were Evenings as well as Mornings all along in the Work however it went on each day adding distinction and beauty and the last perfection so that God beheld all and saw it to bee very good It is the same creating God that must order our present confusions and raise up our ruines in which your humble and faithfull Prayers will be more usefull then your ablest Counsels Moses Elias our Saviour the great builders and repairers of the Church are every one of them recorded to have fasted forty daies and nights when they were upon that Worke it much commends Prayer and Fasting to all who are at any time ingaged in a like service that was your businesse when this Sermon was Preached which if either in the delivery it did any whit help your Spirits then in prayer or in the publishing it may now or hereafter ingage you when you most diligently look to your Work more earnestly to look up to God in it it will bee the joy as it is the prayer of Your Servant in this great Work STEPHEN MARSHALL A SERMON PREACHED To the Honorable House of COMMONS at their Monethly Fast Aprill 30. 1645. PSAL. 102. 17. Hee will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer I Began the handling of this portion of Scripture the last publique solemn Fast before the Honourable House of Peeres and I then shewed that these two Verses doe containe two such remarkable circumstances which alwayes accompany the building up of Zion as doe justly render it the most glorious and excellent work in all the world most worthy of all mens observation and admiration so that all the Kings and all the Nations might well stand amazed at it and it deserves to bee writen that all the Generations to come may praise God for it the first is that when ever the Lord doth build up Zion hee doth appeare in his glory hee never shews himself more like himself never more magnifies those excellent perfections of his Wisdom and Power and Mercy and Holinesse and Truth then hee doth when hee builds up his Church This I handled before that Honourable House the last day at large and now this Honourable House having commanded my poore labours to bee a furtherance of your humiliation and prayer that you may be the assistance of God be carryed on the better in your great work of helping the Lord in building the Church while like so many Nehemiahs you are building with the Trowell in one hand and the Sword in the other I could not think of any more fitter more suitable or seasonable Theame then to goe on to open the second Circumstance which accompanies the building up of Zion which you have in these words When the Lord doth build up Zion hee will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer All the prayers that his forlorn and desolate people had been offering up many yeeres before when it may bee they despaired of ever meeting with any comfortable return they should now finde their Jubilee they should now have a full crop of all their seed gathered in with joy when the Lord doth build up Zion hee regards his peoples Prayers The summe of the Text is A gratious promise of Gods hearing his peoples Prayers Hee will regard the prayers of the destitute or hee will turn to them or hee will looke upon them hee will behold them the meaning plainly is hee will grant them thus that is first positively laid down secondly it is also laid down negatively Hee will not despise them and in this negative there is another affirmation rather stronger then the former for when God is said not to despise the meaning is hee doth highly value it with God non spernere is magnifacere as An humble and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise that is thou dost highly esteem it so also here however these poore afflicted ones had imagined because God had made them no return that hee did scorne them and their prayers hee would now let them to their comfort know that all their prayers lay before him and were very highly regarded by him They had sown in tears they must now reap in joy now they should finde that their prayers were like so many Talents put into Gods bank which they should receive into their bosome with advantage hee would no longer cause their heart to faint with deferring their hope hee would now regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Which gracious promise of God to regard the prayers of
his people hath in this place a threefold aspect First Wee are to consider it in relation to the persons whose prayers shall bee regarded and that you have in this word hee will regard the prayer of the destitute And Secondly This regarding of prayer doth respect the Time when hee will regard it When the Lord doth build up Zion hee will regard the prayers of the destitute And Thirdly This regarding of the prayers of his people hath an aspect upon the matter wherein hee will regard them when hee builds up Zion hee will regard their prayer that is as God willing you shall heare anon that their prayers shall be the means of building Zion he will build Zion as that which their prayers have been the means of and have drawn from him when the Lord shall build up Zion hee will regard the prayers of the destitute I begin with the first of them The persons they are here called the destitute hee will regard the prayer of the destitute the Hebrew word which is here translated destitute doth properly signifie Myrica a low shrub humilesque Myricae low shrubs that grow in Wildernesses some think they were Juniper shrubs some a kinde of wilde Tamyris but a base low shrub that grew no where but in a desolate forlorn place and sometimes the word in the Text is used to signifie the Deserts of Arabia the sandy desert place of Arabia which was a miserable wildernesse Now when this word is applyed to men it always means such as were forsaken men despised men such men as are stripped of all that is comfortable to them either they never had children or else all their children are taken away from them and all comforts banished and themselves left utterly forlorne like the barren heath in a desolate howling Wildernesse these are the people of whom my Text speaks that the Lord will regard the prayer of the destitute and this was now the state of the Church of God when they offer'd up this prayer and yet by faith did foretell that God would grant such a gratious answer And this promise as relating to these persons affords us two excellent lessons First Into what a miserable low and forlorn condition God often lets his Church fall before hee doe appear for their deliverante They are desolate and forsaken left like the Deserts of Arabia like the broken shrub of a tree that no body regards Such was their present condition you have it in all the former part of the Psalm Like a Pelican like an Owle as a desolate Widow they eate their meat with ashes and mingle their drink with weeping to this condition did God let his Church come before hee did appear as a succourer and a helper of her I confesse God doth not always so sometimes hee doth keep the feet of his people from falling sometimes assoon as ever they fall hee snatches them up with his right hand sometimes hee lets heavinesse fall upon them for a night and sends them joy and deliverance the next morning but frequently yea and ordinarily before the greatest mercies he lets them be brought into a most miserable condition so that they shall have no humane hope ever to come out of it So they were in Egypt wasted out in an iron fornace so they were in Babylon when their bones lay scattered upon the earth as Chips in a timber-yard and it was ordinary for the Church to complain before her deliverance that she was like a bird in the fowlers snare as a Lamb falne into a Wolves or Lions den and ordinary for God to acknowledge that when hee comes to deliver them he chuses them and findes them in a furnace of affliction And this is true not onely of the Church in generall but you may read the same of abundance of Gods dearest Saints who have been brought and reduced to extremity of misery before ever he appeared for their succour Thus it was with David and Daniel and the three Children and Paul and multitudes of others And this the Lord doth for these two causes First It usually thus betides Gods people through their own foolishnesse themselves are the causes why they come so low David in the name of the Church confessed I am brought into great heavinesse I lie roaring all the night long my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my own foolishnesse for first they offend God their gratious God and when they have offended him they continue impenitently in sin and when God appeares and begins to correct them they kick with the heele against him and will not take notice of his hand but goe on obstinately They impute it to any thing rather then Gods displeasure will not confesse their sin their uncircumsized heart is not humbled in them when they lie as a wilde bull in a net full of the fury of the Lord they kick and fling fret and vex themselves suffer and murmure smart and repine but will not renounce their own counsell nor lay down their arms of rebellion and thus like foolish sons they stay longer then they need in the place of the breaking forth of children and this God will not beare from them but now by long and tedious trials and by being thus brought to great extremities their hearts are softned and melted the pride of their spirits broken they search and try their wayes their foule stomachs are emptyed of that glut which lay upon them they cast off their carnall confidence and self-conceitednesse when they have been bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction then they see their own works then their ears are opened to Discipline when with the Prodigall they have eat husks with the Swine and are ready to dye with hunger then they think seriously of returning to their Fathers house and so hereby are made the fitter for their deliverance And Secondly Hee likewise doth it for his own glory for the lower they are before hee appeare for their succour the more honour doth he gain to himself in their deliverance This reason Christ himself gave it in the 11 of John when they told him that Lazarus was sick and Christ knew he was sick to death yea that hee was dead but This sicknesse said Christ is not unto death but that the Son of God might bee magnifyed as if he had said Lazarus shall dye and goe to the grave and lie while he is ready to stink there not that I delight to have Lazarus brought low and looked upon as a dead man but that my glory might the more appear in raising him up so when the Lord hath brought his people into such a low forlorn condition that all help and strength seems to be gone then for him to come in and succour this advances his glory many wayes the glory of his wisdome and of his love and of his power c. for such causes as these doth God let his Church
that few will look to the destitute unlesse it be to scorne despise them brow-beat them and turne the back upon them and therefore he himself will regard them he commands us to deale our bread to the hungry to bring the poore who are cast out to our house when we see the naked that we cloath him that we draw out our soule to the hungry and that we satisfie the afflicted soule yea he commands his very enemies to regard his out-cast and afflicted let my out-cast dwell with thee Moab be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler how much more will his owne tender bowels yerne towards them This also is a lesson of singular comfort to every afflicted soule to assure them their prayers and supplications are tenderly regarded before God I have often observed such poore forsaken ones who in their owne eyes are brought very low that of all other people they are most desirous to begge and obtaine the prayers of their friends when they see any that hath gifts and peace and cheerfulnesse of spirit and liberty and abilities to performe duties O how glad they are to get such a mans prayers I beseech you will you pray for me will you please to remember me at the throne of grace whereas in truth if we could give a right judgment all such would rather desire the poore and the desolute to be mediators for them for certainly whomsoever God neglects he will listen to the cry of those that are forsaken and destitute And therefore O thou afflicted and tossed with tempests who thinkest thou art wholly rejected by the Lord continue to poure out thy soule to him thou hast a faithfull promise from him to be rewarded he will regard the prayer of the destitute Why then doe they so long goe without their answer why are they and their prayers destitute To this you will have a satisfying answer in the next branch of my Text which is the aspect that this promise of Gods regarding prayer hath unto the time when he will doe it when the Lord doth build up Zion he will then regard the prayer of the destitute At another time it may be he seems not to regard them while he lets Zion lie waste he seemed to despise their prayers but when once the time is come that the Lord will build up Zion he will then regard the prayer of the destitute then it shall well appeare hee will not despise their cry any longer There you will have a full answer to this doubt and I conceive these words not despise are added purposely to prevent or answer this doubt poore afflicted ones are ready to suspect Gods good will and to think they are despised because they have not a speedy answer but in that day it shall appeare how farre God is from it And this circumstance of the time when God regards them affords us two other notable lessons which because they are exceeding seasonable I shall the Lord assisting me enlarge my Discourse upon them whereof the first is this That the prayers of Gods afflicted people which may seem for a long time to bee slighted and despised by the Lord are yet highly regarded by him and will bring a timely answer This I think lies plain in the Text before you in the beginning of the Psalme There was crying for audience and that his face might not continue hid that he would incline his eare but there was no audience to be obtained but now when the Lord builds up Zion he will regard them he will despise their prayers no longer that is the first And in this Lesson there are two branches to be cleared before I come to apply it First That the prayers of Gods own servants may for a long time seeme to bee despised Secondly However they may seem so to be yet they are highly regarded and will bring a timely answer First they may seem to be despised despising especially from God is a very sad word and sinks very deep it implies three things which all may betide the prayers of Gods own people First A silence in God a sitting still taking no notice of their prayers to let them powre out their soules and the Lord be as if their prayer never came to his eare that is one thing in despising and the best of it so the Church complains O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and elsewhere Keepe silence no longer lest if thou be as one that heareth not I become like unto him that goes down into the pit very often shall you heare the people of God complaining that they pray and pray and the Lord regarded not this is very sad as if a childe should lie sick mourn and cry to the Mother and she sit by it and not so much as cast an eye towards it enough to break the childes heart But Secondly In despising there is more and worse when their prayers are entertained with a distaste and displeasure expressing a manifest dislike against them and even that sometimes betides the prayers of Gods people so Asaph complained in the name of the whole Church How long Lord wilt thou bee angry with the prayer of thy people And this the Lord sometimes shews by bringing upon them the very thing which they pray against as if a Childe should beg pardon and then the Mother take it up and whip it when Retro omnia when all things goe crosse to their prayers when they ask bread and God gives them a stone Job found it so the very thing that he feared and prayed against came upon him Thus also it proved to Israel in Egypt when they cryed to God because of their burthens their burthens were increased upon them but in despising there is a third thing which is sadder then all this Thirdly Not onely silence or expressing some distast but doing this with scorn and indignation as he did to Miriam when he spit in her face so the Lord doth often seem at the prayers of his own people not onely to be angry but even with scorn to shut the doore against them This Heman felt Psal. 88. who cryed day and night before God when his Soule was full of trouble and yet then God vexed him and afflicted him with all his waves and seemed to abhorre and cast him off As a man would take an unwelcome guest by the head and shoulders and turn him out of doores and bolt them after him and thus the whole Church of God complains that she did cry to the Lord and complained of her sin and sorrow and the Lord then set her as a But to shoote his Arrows at and so also Job professed God did unto him not onely bolt the doore against his prayer but when he mourned and complained the Lord did then take his Arrowes of indignation and shoote at his very heart and gnashed his teeth upon him and so did
according to his will deferring of it is no denying of it if in the mean time while before God answer thee he vouchsafe to uphold thy heart by his Spirit as he did Davids Psal. 73. 22. I was as a beast before thee neverthelesse thou upholdest mee by thy right hand If he now and then dart in a beam of love which is as the fire from Heaven to assure thee thou art accepted if he stablish thee nay if he doe but draw thy heart out to continue to pray to him if he make thy Soule more humble and vile in thy own eyes if he more wean thee from the creature and train thee up to wait upon him truely friend it is ten thousand times better then all the time that thou spendest thou hast a large recompence in Gods doing thus much for thee this is to be preferred before thousands of gold and silver but I tell thee more not one of thy suites will be lost no they are all before God he reads them over every day and what thou hast been begging this seven years this twenty years he dayly remembers them and in his heart answers them all Whatever thou hast sown in tears thou shalt reap in joy be content though at present thou seest nothing but darknesse doe as Elia's servant did who went seven times to look for rain till the seventh time he saw nothing and then but a very little yet that little soon proved a great deale It may be thou shalt not see the answer a great while possibly not till thy death come Old Simeon a good gratious man had many years begged of God that he might see his Salvation yet he never got Christ in his arms till he was ready to depart the world then he got his full answer so it may be when thou comest to die thou shalt have hosts of answers stand round about thee nay peradventure the greatest returns of thy prayers shall be when thou art dead and rotten in thy grave what thou hast begged for Gods Church thy prayers shall produce it when thou art gone what thou hast begged for thy husband wife and children it may be God will give thee the greatest return of them when thou hast no being in this world and for thy self while thou livest when it may be thy heart is dull and thou art unfit for prayer and canst not pray the quickning prayers which thou didst offer up many years agoe God is then remembring them when peradventure thou fearest he is taking advantage of thy present dulnesse and distemper Therefore goe thy wayes on and waite upon him treasure up thy suits be it against corruption against temptation for thy Family for the Church waite Gods time the vision is for an appointed time it will come in the end that is certain every tear every sigh every short ejaculation is continually before him he hath a bottle for thy tears as well as a bag for wicked mens sins a treasury for thy prayers as well as for their blasphemies let his present answer be what it will beleeve any thing of him rather then a rejecting of the supplications of the poore who seek him in his Sonnes name hee hath promised it and is faithfull and cannot deny himselfe Another thing I observe from this circumstance the time when the time of regarding them is when he builds up Zion and that affords us another lesson as seasonable for this present auditory viz. That when the Lord doth build up his Church hee doth then answer all his afflicted peoples prayers Sometimes God will not be prayed to or if he doe his answer shall bee waite a while but when he builds up Zion then the Lord answers his peoples prayers then he sits in his Court of Request to heare petitions then he holds out his golden Scepter to every poore supplicant There are three things that God is laid in the Scripture to remember when he builds the Church Hee then remembers his enemies when the new Jerusalem comes downe from heaven then great Babylon comes into mind before God that she may be repaid then secondly God uses to remember his Covenant hee remembred for them his Covenant and thirdly then also doth God remember the prayers of his people and this God willing I shall make good to you for the truth of it you shall finde it fully expressed in the 29. of Jeremiah 10. 11. speaking of the time when he would bring them back to build the Temple then saith the Lord shall you call upon mee and I will answer you then it may be now he would not but then I 'le answer you then you shall seek mee with your whole heart and you shall find me so in the 25. of Isaiah in the day that God builds up his Church for that is the great promise of that Chapter the Prophet tells you that his people should then sing a song of praise whereof this is one part Loe this is our God we have waited for him loe this is our God and he hath saved us wee have waited that is we have prayed and attended his leisure now wee have an answer of all To make this lesson more cleare I shall indeavour to cleare these two things First when the Lord doth build up Zion he doth then remember the particular wants the particular requests which his Saints have offered up to him the Lord casts it so as to make Zions refreshing time concurrent with the relieving of the wants of his particular people that as in executing of vengeance when he is to execute vengeance upon a nation he will remember particular malefactors what they have done in their persons so when he comes to build up his Church hee remembers the particular fuites that his holy ones have offered up to him and of this I could give you many testimonies In that day he will let every prisoner out of prison he will binde up the wounds of every wounded soule he will make the blinde to see the lame to walk the deaf to hear In that day in the 31 of Jeremiah the Lord will satiate every weary soule and replenish every sorrowfull soule in that day when the Lord erects his new Jerusalem there shall be a tree of life the leaves of it shall heale the diseases of all the Nations In that day he gives strength to the needy in his distresse a shadow from the storm then he strengthens weak hands and confirmes feeble knees then every wildernesse is filled with pooles of water then Christ will powre out abundance of his Spirit as David at his Coronation remembred all his friends and dealt to all the people every one a bottle of Wine So the Lord at that day delights to make their personall comforts joyn with the publick and Common weale of his Church and Kingdome This is one way how this Doctrine is true that then the Lord regards the prayers of his people when he builds up
rewarded abundantly I humbly commend this to your wisdoms and faithfulnesse God hath called you to this work it would be your great glory to have it done in your hands and it would not be for your honour to have it done by other hands but done it will be I assure you the Church will be reformed If you should altogether neglect it sit still and hold your peace or if you should make but a halfe worke of it a patched reformation help and deliverance will come from some other place No stone great enough could be laid in the mouth of Christs sepulchre to keep him from rising nor can any power prevent the building of Zion when the appointed time is come no not though all the Nations of the earth should be gathered together against it The remnant of Jacob shall bee as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grasse that tarryeth not for man nor waiteth for the Sons of men the work is upon the wheeles and there is one engine at work that will effect it if all others faile and that is the spirit of Prayer which what efficacy it hath for the building of Zion will appear in the last branch of my Text And that is the matter wherein God will regard their prayer When the Lord builds up Zion he will regard the prayer of the destitute that is hereby it shall appear that he regards their prayer because at their prayer he will doe it it shall be done as the fruit and effect of his peoples prayers which affords us this Doctrine That the Lord will have the building of Zion the reforming and repairing of the Church to bee the fruit of his peoples prayers this is the main scope then God regarded their Prayers when he makes all the world know that at their request and for their prayers sake he did now arise in glory to build up Zion the truth of this excellent lesson will appear even to a demonstration if you please but briefely to consider these three things First Gods Providences speak it so Secondly and so doe his Commands And Thirdly his Promises First His Providences speak it there are two Providences of God use to appear at the building of Zion which alone were sufficient to shew that Prayer is the great builder on our part that it is indeed all that we can doe God usually lets it come to such irrecoverable ruine that nothing we can do besides prayer is able to doe any thing that it may appear that on our part prayer doth all Nil nisi vota supersunt When all other Anchors are come home when all other Cables are brok when all other friends have forsaken and all props snapped apeeces that either prayer must doe it or they have nothing that is the time he ordinarily chuses to build up Zion as himself said Deut. 32. When hee saw their strength was gone there was none shut up or left who might be a helper then hee himself would judge his people and repent hâ—m for his servants So when they were as a woman with childe near the time of delivery the children come to the birth and no strength to bring forth not any in the earth to be a deliverer then they cry unto the Lord and he delivers them this is so plentifully to be found in the Scripture that I may forbear especially in these straights of time to produce particular instances Secondly The other providence is this That when God builds up Zion he then uses to powre out the Spirit of Prayer upon his people more then at any other times he then fils them with his Spirit which inclines their hearts to be vehement and earnest with him for that very thing Zephyrus vere flat this gale never blows so sweetly as at such times Jer. 29. Then you shall pray and I will answer In that day he powres out the Spirit of supplication and mourning upon all his people Then he makes all his people say with them Esa. 62. 1. For Zions sake I will not hold my peace and for Hierusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And this is so sure a note of it that Gods people durst make Propheticall conclusions out of the Spirit of Prayer powred out as in this very Psalme The time to deliver her the set time is come How know you that Thy servants pity the dust of it thy servants are weeping and mourning before thee therefore the time of Zions deliverance is come take all the times of building the Church and you shall see that great builders have been great praying men Moses the great builder could fall down before God forty dayes and forty nights together David Solomon Elias Ezra Nehemiah all their prayers built more then their hands did Luther a mighty man in it and the Ministers who joyned with him indefatigable and potent in prayer yea the Spirit of Prayer uses to ebbe and flow in the Church according as God purposes to retard or hasten the work of the building of the Church insomuch as the Spirit of God drawing out the hearts of his people to doe that which he would have done doth Prophesie or foretell what God means to doe There uses to be such a concord and harmony between Gods secret purposes and his peoples Prayers their prayers as such expressions of his sacred will that they even seem to decree a thing by Prayer and God establishes it in Heaven the prayers of Gods people for the building of Zion is as a John Baptist before Christ only makes way for him as the Morning star which assures you the morning is at hand Now these two Providences Gods doing it at such a time as they have nothing left but prayer and this powring out the Spirit of prayer at that time do sufficiently tell us that God will have prayer to be the great Builder on our part Secondly His Commands speak it as plainly this is a good rule in Divinity Look whatsoever God Almighty commands us chiefely to doe in reference or relation to such a work that would he have us look upon as the great instrument on our part to effect it as when God commands us to beleeve for the forgivenesse of sins you may thence conclude that Faith is the great instrument of our Justification So when God commands us to attend upon the word for our Spirituall life for our comfort for our edification you may boldly conclude that the ministery of the Word is to be the great instrument of all these things And therefore because God above all that we can doe commands that his people should pray for the building of Zion you may conclude that he will have prayer the great instrument on their part for the building of it And God hath abundantly injoyned his people that they call upon him for it You shall
to be prosecuted more fully but I feare I have already transgressed upon your patience by the length of my Sermon I commend it to your thoughts and let us by prayer commend it and our selves to God that we may joyne with them and be numbred among them whose prayers he will heare for the building up of Zion FINIS Esa. 58. 12. Dan. 9. 25. Psal. 104 3. Luk. 17. 6. Intreduction Shewing the scope of the Text to bee a Circumstance which highly magnifies the work of Gods bullding up of Sion And containes I a plomise of Gods regarding his peoples prayers What it is for God to regard prayer what not to despise Psalm 51. 17. 2 This promise respects 1 The persons who 2 The time when 3 The matter wherein their prayer shall bee regarded The Persons who 1. The destitute who they are Hence two lessons Observat. 1. The Church often brought very low before deliverance Psal 102 6 7 8 9. Psal. 141. 7. Psal. 124. 7. Efa 48. 10. Reason 1. From their own folly Psal. 38 5. Esa 51. 20. Job 36. 8 9 10 Luk. 15. 17. Reason 2. For Gods greater glory in their deliverance Joh. 11. 34. Vse To teach us to judgeour selves of our present distresses Jer. 15. 8. Nahum 19. Esa. 43. 34. Psal. 68. 22. Lam. 3. 40. Obser. 2. The prayers of the destitute are highly regarded by God Isa. 49. 13. Job 34. 28. Psal. 18. 4 5 6. Psal. 143. 1 2. Reason 1. They pray indeed Psal. 101. title Prov. 18. 22. Reason 2. They look for help from God onely Psal. 142. 4. Reason 3. They will prize an answer Esa 41. 17 18. Reason 4. They most stand in need of favour Job 12. 5. Isa. 18. 7 10. Vse 2. To encourage such to pray Quest Ans. 2 Consider this text in relation to the time when God will regard his peoples prayers And thence Observ. 1. That prayers which seem long despised are yet highly regarded and will bring a timely answer Cleared in two branches 1 The prayers of Gods people may seem to be despised Psal 23. 2. Psal. 80. 4. Psal. 88. 17. 14. Lam. 3. 44. Matâ—h 15. 26. Prov. 1. 26 27. 2 Yet then they are highly regarded Psal. 21. 23. 1 Kin. 8. 59. Acts 10. 4. Luk. 1. 13. Gen. 19. 29. 30 22. Psal. 20. 3. Psal. 65. 2. And will bring a timely answer Esa. 49. 8. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Psal. 22. 2. with verse 24. Luk. 1. 14. Acts 10. 3 4. Rev. 6. 10 11. with Rev. 8. 3 4. Hosea 6. Joel 2. 2 3. Jer. 3. 3. Reasons of it 1. They doe his commandements herein Psal. 50. 15. 2. His Spirit prays in them Rom. 8. 26. 3. Christ mediares for them Rev 8. 3. 4. They are dearly beloâ—ed of God Joh. 16. 26. Luke 18. 7. 5. He hath promised to heare them Psal. 50. 15. Isa. 49. 1 King 8. 33. ad finem Psal. 15. 4. Psal. 89. 34. Quest Why then doth he deferre and seem to despise them Answ. He doth not alwaies so Iso 65. 24. Gen. 24. 45. Dan. 9. 23. Jer. 29. 11. Psal. 143. 7. Mat. 14. 30. When he doth it 's for the glory of his Soveraignty His Free-grace Lev. 19. 13. And his Wisdome 2 For their good many wayes 1 Hereby hee teacheth them to pray Psal. 88. Mat. 15. 22. Gen. 32. 24 25. 1 Sam. 2. 2 Trains them up in humility Psal. 131. 1 2. 2 Sam. 6. 3 Exercise their Faith Hope Rom. 4. 19. Mat. 15. 2 Cor. 1. 8. Esa. 8. 17. Makes the answer of their prayer more comfortable Prov. 31. 2. Luk. 1. Prov. 13. 22. Application 1 Consolation in relation to our present work and troubles Vse 2. 2 Consolation to particular distressed soules Psal. 50. 21. Psal. 116. 2. Psal. 69. 3. 119. 123. Cant. 3. 4. 2 Cor. 12. 2 Chron. 7. 1. Psal. 35. 13. Obser. 2. The Lord answers all his peoples prayers when he builds up Zion Jer. 14. 11. Rev. 6. 10. Jer. 29. 11. Esay 25. 9. Cleared in two branches Then God relieves their particular wants Esa. 61. 2 3. Jer. 31. 25. Esa. 25. 4. Esa. 35. 3. This building up of Zion is the sum of all their prayers Deut. 32. 1 Kin. 8. 2 Chron. 20 Esa. 62. Dan. 9. Ezra 8. Neh. 1. 12. 14. Matth. 25. Psal. 74. 22 2â— Vse 1. For examination a notable discovery whose hearts are right with God Psal. 126. 1 2. 1 Sam. 4 13 18 19. Neh. 1. 4. Dan 9 Psal. 13. 7. Esa. 22. 4. Haggai 1. 4. 1 Cllto 4 23. Neh. 4. 16 17. Ezra 6. 7 8. Esa. 4. last Vse 2. Exhortarion to all to promote this work Psal. 106. 4 5. John 3. 29 30. Jer. 29. 7. Psal. 1. 32. 6 7. Haggai 1. 8. Mal. 3. 10. Hester 4. 14. Zach 12. 3. Micah 58. 3 Consider this promise of Gods regarding the prayers of the destiture in respect of the thing wherein they shall be regarded Last Doctr. The building up of Zion the fruite of Gods peoples prayers proved 1 From Gods Providences Deut. 32. 36. Esa. 16 17 18. Jer. 29. 11. Zach 12. Esa. 62. 1. Psal. 102. 13. Deut. 9. 8. 2 From his command Jer. 29. 11. Psal. 122. 6. Jer. 51. 50. 3 From his promises Hose 12. 4 with Gen. 32. 26. Exo. 32. 10. 14 Reason 1. This way God provides that himselfe alone shall have the glory Ephes. 3. 20. Psal. 21. 3. 1 Kin. 3. 12. 13. Reason 2. For his servants glory Job 42. 8. Gen. 20 7. And benefit Prov. 31. 2. 1 Sam. 2. Application 1. Instruction what under God hath been our greatest help even the prayers of Gods people Vse 2. In what high esteem prayer and praying men ought to be Foure things wherein prayer is more excellent then all other helps 1. It is a most universall remedy 1 Kings 8 33 ad fir em Pro. 15. 4. 2. It will help in any extremâ—ty 3. It helps at any distance Psal. 139. 8 9. 4. It is the most speedy help Vse 3. Exhortation to all who can pray to ply the throne of grace 1. Motives thereunto 1. Prayer hath done much already Psal. 66. 19. Jonah 2. 7. 2. Our need as great as ever 2 King 13. 19 A caution to be remembred not every man not every prayer will doe it 1. Not every Man Jer. 14. 12. Job 22. 21 27. 2. Not every Prayer Psal. 102. Title Jam. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Heb. 10. 22. Psal. 66. 19. Ezek. 14 4.