think they feed when they do not the question may be what it is to feed them It consists in three things First Let every one feed his own flock it is best for the mother to feed her own childe while it is done by step-mothers its not so well done because they want natural love the opinion of propriety makes them more careful and that which is most remarkable is that the want of large wages doth not discourage from it and it is not substitutes and proxies that shall give account for the sheep but the shepherd himself Secondly Let it be frequently done not once a quarter or once a month The people are weak therefore they must be fed with a little and often line upon line precept upon precept for weak stomacks will not bear much at a time but it is best to give them often and a little hence it was that Paul 2 Tim. 4. charged Timothy before God and our Lord Jesus Christ to be instant in season See what Canons the Counsels have induced hence and thou shalt find to preach in season and out of season is to preach twice every Sabboth day when the people meet together for then it is seasonable to instruct them and not to let them go away without their food And out of season is as oft as opportunity is offered and the Minister is able Thirdly Let them be fed with convenient food let it be such as they can eat else they may die for all that Therefore it is not enough to preach unto them but to Catechise them to their capacity For want of this it is that Ministers though they have been diligent in preaching yet the people perish and are as ill at seven years end as before Now two things are required to make the food convenient the matter and the manner First The matter that their termes be not too high so that the people understand them not Secondly The manner some people are so weak that a continued course doth not profit them And it were to be wished that Ministers would do this teach them in a Catechizing manner For then many souls would be saved which die for want of knowledge Yet the people though they were ignorant they should not spend their whole life in Catechizing for these people are like narrow mouthed bottels pour water in drop by drop and they will receive it but if you pour it in by full streams it will fall beside So if the ignorant be taught line by line it will profit them when a continued course is too high for them it will not therefore the Minister must deliver the word in such manner as they can fittest receive it and this is laid upon their charge for they must instruct the people And if they find that this course doth not do it they must feed them with food convenient for them to express it by a similitude children are put to a nurse which should give them milk but if she spreads a table with wholesome meat constantly which is too strong for them and if their parents come and find them dead shall she be excused though she say it was not her fault for she provided meat for them So it is if the Minister provide wholesome meat on the table twice a Sabboth yet if the people perish because they cannot eat it he shall not be excused and therefore Ministers ought to consider the pretiousness of a soul and they must be careful that if the people perish it must not be for wants of knowledge they may preach to them and yet they may perish for Cathedram habet in Coelo qui corda docet He it is that sits in Heaven that turnes the heart onely they must inform the understanding The other five advertisements concern the manner First Their preaching must not be a general discourse but a particular And this is gathered from the text thus because general discourses fit not neither heal nor nourish but are like lightnings that break the air but light upon no particular subject if they do it is seldom so these general discourses make great shewes but men are not inflamed with them As if a Minister should find faith in a text and discourse of it but never apply it Ministers are fullones animarum the fullers of the soules and it is not enough for them to bring soap though it be of the best but they must apply it to scour the blots out of mens hearts and consciences They are builders therefore it is not enough to square the stones and bring profitable matter but application makes the building go forward and that is the laying of one stone upon another yea it is that wherein practising consists interpretation and application to expound and apply what else did Paul mean when he bad Timothy to divide the word to wit not to deliver it in gross but tell them in particular such a thing serves to cut down such a sin for when the word is applyed it is a searching plaister First to draw out corruption and then to heal I appeal to every mans breast if the word be not more effectual when it is applied for then men fall down and say that God is in them of a truth viz. you speak in the evidence of the spirit 1 Cor. 14. 25. If the matter be good and substantial it is no matter the Hearers may apply it therefore it is supervacaneous needless to do it This is all one as if a Chyrurgion should say to a Patient that hath a swelled arm I have prepared a knife and cannot he launch and cut his arm himself as this would be a folly in them so it is in Ministers to say so for it is as dear cutting off spiritual hands and legs as it is to cut corporal therefore it is not enough to bring good matter but they must press it on them not in a word or two or by intimation onely but to lay it on them with as full a hand and as seriously as they can and as perticularly as they can Men are so mannerly this way that they will be ready to lay admonitions on other mens consciences rather then on their own this thing will they say belongs to such a one but not unto me Heb. 13. 22. suffer the word of exhortation a while He speaks as a Physitian there to his patient suffer me to see the wound and to put a tent into it which shewes that there is a backwardness in our selves and therefore if Ministers will do any good they must apply the word home Secondly As they must apply so they must not misapply And this is gathered from the Text thus Physick if it be misapplied it will not heal And meat misapplied will not nourish And this misapplying of the Word may be double First General Secondly Particular First General when they give milk to them to whom strong meat belongeth and when they give strong meat to
as of fire And again it is said That the Apostles were stirred up with boldness to speak That is when they saw God dishonoured this spirit kindled a high zeal in them that is set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of zeal the heart the tongue the hands the feet and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heat of the spirit for it is imposssible that any man should have true zeal except he have the spirit Therefore it is said that they spake with New tongues us the spirit gave them utterance that is they spake with a great deal of zeal of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeal you have in your actions so much heat so much spirit He shall Baptize you with the spirit and with fire That is if you have the sanctifying spirit you shall know it by the zeal that is in you in the performance of holy duties Therefore I say it is an excellent sign whereby a man may know whether he hath the spirit or no Now that a man may know by this I will make it clear by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua vitae look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour but if you tast them the one is hot and lively the other is cold and raw So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men they have the same colour which the actions of holy men but if you tast them that is examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them but they want this Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold And by this they may restrain lusts for some end they cannot Master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart But where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soul That is it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there Therefore this was the difference between Iohn the Baptists Baptisme and Christs Iohn could baptize them with water but Christ with the Spirit and with fire Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil and what zeal there is in you to good Are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a sign that you have not the Spirit It may be you read hear pray and conferâ— but see with what heat you do them is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not That is do you perform holy duties with that coldness as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not Do you hear as if you heard not and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not do you pray as if you prayed not do you love as if you loved not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you a nimbleness and quickness to goodâ— it is a sign that you have the Spirit â—or it is the propertie of the Spirit to heat the soâ—l therefore the Prophet saith The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up That is I have such a measure of zeal wrought in me by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burn with zeal Therefore examine your selves what zeal you have for God and godliness Are you hot for the things of this world and cold for grace and holiness Then whatsoever you think of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them And yet I would not have you to mistake me as if every Christian did attain unto the like heat and zeal as others do for you must know that some have more and some have lesse according to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heat full in some measure answerable to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you find no heat at all in you then you have not a grain of the Spirit in you Not to be hot is to be luke warm and luke warmness is that which God hates it is a temper mixt of both heat and cold loathsome to nature and odious to God and therefore in Revel 3. Because the Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold but luke warm that is they had neither heat to God nor were so cold as to forsake the Truth That is sin and holiness stood in arbitration together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other Now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spew them out and in the next verse he exhorts them To be zealous and amend That is except they labour to be hot in the Spirit they cannot be saved Again in Titus 2. it is said by the Apostle That Christ died that he might purchase to himself a people zealous of good works that is this zeal must not be a constrained zeal but a willing zeal And if there were no other motive to move men to be zealous but this because Christ came to redeem them for this end that they might be zealous of good works for his glory if there be any spark of the fire of grace in us it will burn at Christs dishonour And if Christ came to this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not lose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous Therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous But alas men think that they have drunk too much of this cup of giddiness That is they think they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a sign that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have an holy zeal in them to shew it I say it is time you should when you see such halting between two opinions shew your zeal by hating and abhorring Poperie and labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to go into Egypt again which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretched out his hand against us But where is our zeal That is what spiritual heat is there in us where are those
purse he cannot abide to let it be tryed but if it be sound and good he is not affraid to bring it to the touchstone God in this case will take nothing for currant but what hath his own stamp upon it The word of God hath that in it that will try us let us therefore every one deal sincerely with our own hearts as in the sight and presence of Almighty God that so we may know whether we have this blessed Grace of Faith or no. But before we come to this let us consider these grounds First That all that live under the Gospel have if not though it be called the word of Faith and be the very meanes to beget Faith For this look 2 Thess. 3. 2. where it is given as a reason why those that truly receive the Gospel are so reproached and hardly dealt withall by the world even because all men have not Faith for if all had Faith then could all be of the same minde and Holinesse Righteousnesse and Love would be their delight Secondly That this triumphing Faith which upholds a man and opens his mouth to speak upon grounds of Faith is so far from being a common giâ—t to all that but few indeed have it It is a special and peculiar grace that makes a man triumph over condemnation That this was hard to be found the Prophet complains in his dayes Isa. 53. 1. Lord Who hath believed our report And that not among the heathen onely but even among the people of God The like complaint Christ takes up in the very words of the Prophet Iohn 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. He admires at the paucity of true believers So now the sound of the Gospel hath come to all of us but who shewes this faith of Gods elect in them This also we may see in the parrable of the sower wherein is set forth the estate of the visible Church Where there is but one sort of the four kinds of hearers that bring forth this fruit Three sorts come to hear some but for fashion sake or compelled thereunto some to get knowledge onely some to carpe scoff or catch somewhat to run to rulers with or to judge that which shall judge them one day This triumphing faith it ariseth from an Immortal seed of Gods word alone Thirdly That though there be but few that have this faith yet not the poorest and meanest of Gods children if they have any true hope of Gods mercy but in his time shall come to it Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed whosoever is Gods childe shall have this faith and therefore Titus 1. 1. it is set out to be a pecular grace and gift of God that onely belongeth to the elect Gal. 3. 6. all are said by faith in Christ to be Gods sons Iohn 10. our Saviour shewes as none will so none can believe but such as are Gods sheep that is his elect even those that are chosen in Christ to eternal life The fourth thing we are to consider as a matter to bee believed is That those that have this faith that will save their souls they may know they have it Which is against Bellarmines reasons of diffidence and doubting First They may know it to themselves for their comfort and next they may make it known to others by the fruits thereof 1 Cor 2. 12. That we may know saith the Apostle the things which are given us of God in Christ which is spoken in common to all that truly believe and not onely to any special person the true beleever hath such a light going along with his faith that he comes to know though not perfectly yet truly and infallibly that God hath chosen Adopted and sanctified him c. He takes hold of the promise of Salvation upon Gods commandment Faith is that which receiveth the word and promise and cherisheth himself in a special manner in the Word and Sacrament The Devils works are in darknesse God gives his in light and therefore his children are called Saints in light Col. 1. 12. and Iohn 15. 10. He that believes in the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself So that thou needest not have others tell thee that thou dost believe for if thou hast faith indeed t is not so hid and buried in thy heart but that thou mayest know it Secondly Others also may know it as it manifests it self in the fruits Rom. 1. 8. Their faith was spoken of far and near which was known by their wonderful change they were become new creatures such as were now of a holy life and conversation for which Paul thanks God and desires to be with them to be comforted with their faith and his own Nâ—xt to this considâ—r that this triumphing faith wheresoever it is kindled it will endure the tryal even the fire of Gods spirit it will endure also the fiery tryal of affliction 1 Cor 3. 13. It is not a chaffie or counterfeit faith that all the troubles or temptations can blow away But being begotten by the word it pacifies the conscience and stablishes the heart in the bloud of Christ And purges the heart to make it fit for the Holy Ghost to dwell in also it works by love and makes a man not churlish and froward but loving and that even to his very enemies for Christ sake thy heart will tell thee thus much and make thee say I thank God I have this faith in me Lastly seeing it is thus namely that it is the duty of all every one that lives under the Gospel to prove his heart and search it to the bottom 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith this shewes that it is not a thing to be taken as granted that we have this faith except we find that we have it indeed but to search and try our selves for it Because else we are in a great danger even in the state of reprobates Therefore examine thy self and if thou hast it bless God that ever thou wert born to be brought to such a blessed state wherein thou mayst thus triumph Now for the notes whereby thou mayest try thy self they may be these The first is taken out of Rom. 8. 15. yea have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abbâ—… Father Thou hast found thy self before to have bin in an estate of bondage as those believing Romans there who were accepted in an estate of fear and bondage under the curse of the Law and condemnation even in despair of themselves the spirit of Bondage for that time shews us the law that condemns us and makes it to triumph over a man so long as it lasts try therefore if thou hast felt thy conscience set on thee and found thy self to be condemned for thy sins Thus all Gods children truly converted indeed have felt though some more some less and lyen under it some a longer
the shaddow doth the body Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses assist us in all holy obedience But it may be objected I but grace though it do strengthen thus yet it is but a creature for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart if it be so yet it is but a creature therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness how doth grace strengthen a man thus To this I answer First that grace is a quality of that nature that it empties a man of himself it is an emptying quality It is not as other indowments other qualities and other habits put into the soul but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom it cuts him off from his own root and ingrafts him into another it teacheth him to depend upon God For if you look upon faith which is the main grace and gift as it were the root and foundation to all other graces is it not an emptying Grace what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully it makes a man nothing in himself and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace it takes a man quite off from any root of his own and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree receives its being and sustenance from it So grace it annihilates the creature as it were it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare in his own nature it teacheth a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought nor to do a good work of himself Again I answer though it be a quality and that our strength is from God immediately yet God will have us to use means and instruments wherein he himself helps us to do For it is true if any man will trust to this habitual grace which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace and say well I am now a man grown strong I have now gotten some good measure of grace therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin c. Here a man makes flesh his arm though he do trust to grace for he ought not so to do he ought to look up to God for another transient exciting and assisting grace besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him and yet not altogether to rest in that for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace and to grow in it which every man is bound to do grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that you must make account you are so much the stronger by it for no man will labour for a thing but he will know some end of it As we see in other things a man may use the strength of horses and of men he may use means and friends but still it is required that he remember how he useth them that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that giveth the strength It is he that keeps that grace in being it is he that must act it and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time The chief use we are now to make of it is to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no by this property and character of grace here set down that it makes a man strong thou my son be strong in the grace c. We must I say examine our selves for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search as it were the one is at the time of the Sacrament the other at the day of death Therefore when men come to the Lords Table the Lord as it were goes down himself and takes a view of the guests and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table therefore look to your selves now you are bidden examine your selves In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised those you know were but legal types and resembled somewhat else You must not come to the Lords Supper but there must be this circumcision made without hands there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted therefore you must examine your selves when you come hither Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber at the day of death When the Bridegroom goes in then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lamâ—s or no whether those that offer to enter in have any effects any tincture of his Sons blood upon them The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Heb. 9. 14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works If there be no strikes as it were of his blood if there be no dye of it he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ they have no oyl in their Lamps therefore they are shut out Therefore I say when we come to the Lords Table let us consider what we do for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends such as are of his acquainance those that are strangers to him may not presume If thou come to the Lords Table be a stranger to him that is if thou want grace in thy heart this quality that we now speak of thou hast nothing to do here for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaak and Iacob in his Kingdom The Lord will take it for a great presumption therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty When the Ark was brought among the Philistines and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it What was the reason of this say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son You know that is the comparison Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses he received a recompence and reward What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus but a legal rite that had but
consider well of those speeches God is onely wise and onely good and onely excellent consider well of them We think that he is wise that he is good but not onely wise and onely good the more you do this the more godly you grow the more you are out of conceit with your selves the more you grow into a high opinion of God to set up him the more the Lord dwells in your hearts for you must know there are degrees of Gods dwelling in a mans heart As a vessel the more it is emptied of that which was in it the more it admits of other liquor that is poured into it As it is in a house another man may dwell in it but I may keep a room in it but when there is no In-mate in the house then a man is said to dwell in it plentifully to be altogether in it to be the Lord of every room So it is when God comes to dwell in the heart of a man so far as a man bears rule in his own heart keeps possession there himself so much less is God there And so much less as he is in himself so much less as he rules in himself so much more plentifully doth God dwell there because God rules most when a man doth subject himself to him altogether that is when he doth nothing but his work when he considers what it is that the Lord would have him to do in every thing When a man resigns up himself to God he resigns up his affections and all to be ruled and regulated according to his will to act according to his pleasure When a man is to speak any thing he will be still looking what warrant he hath from the Lord and so when he is to do any thing Oh my Brethren that we could do but this As men when they serve great Kings and Princes when they see that their making or marring depends upon them whatsoever may displease them that they will curiously and carefully look to avoid and what may please them they will exactly observe Is not the Lord the great King of heaven and earth should we not look on him altogether This is without exception no man shall erre in this In following a man a man may hurt himself he may be led into by-wayes that may turn to his disadvantage but in following God it is not so Take the wisest man that is yet he is subject to some error but the Lord he is righteous altogether his wayes are perfect Therefore if a man would take that resolution to himself Well I will look upon my self no more nor to any creature but I will deny my self altogether and look to God and see what he will have me to do whether I sink or swim whatsoever becomes of me this is the wisest man and the happiest man and this is the property of godliness And as you do this the more so the more you are godly men And the root of all this is when a man makes no account of himself and sees God in all for a man will have a ground for what he doth And if you could bring your hearts to this to see all your happiness in God and all your safety there you would soon deny your selves in every thing else and seek him altogether And now onely we will add by reason of the Sacrament which is to be administred You that are now to receive have occasion especially to make use of this though it be a work that we have all to do as at all other times so especially at this time But you will say what is this to the Sacrament You must know what the Sacrament is and then you shall see how close this will come to it Mark 16 we find these words He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that will not believe shall be damned What is the meaning of that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved The meaning is this saith he if you will believe in Jesus Christ if you will take him for your Lord and Husband and if you will be baptized What is Baptism When you are baptized you are baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that is you shall give up your selves to God altogether You shall bear his Name you shall be no more your own for you are baptized into his Name and you are called after his Name as the Wife is called after the Name of her Husband so you shall be called Christians Now when you take this Sacrament you must do this really for doth the Lord care for the title no but you must give over your selves to him really So that when you are to be called by his Name the meaning is you must do it in the substance you must give up your selves to his service indeed That is you must do two things in the Sacrament First you profess this to all the world that whereas before you served other gods or served your selves now you profess to all the world that you are the servants of God So that we say when you come to receive the Sacrament you not onely profess that you are Christians but you bind your selves to be so really I say in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there are these two things done First the Lord engageth himself to you I will be your Master I will be your General I will be your Husband And again you engage your selves to him that he shall be your Lord and you his people that he shall be your Master your General and you will be his servants and his followers This is done every time you receive the Sacrament the Lord renews his Covenant with you it is done at your first coming in at your first ingrafting into the Church by Baptism but the Lords Covenant is renewed in this Sacrament therefore that you may not forget it he saith Take this is my body that is take this as a sign of it that I have given my self for you and when you take it it is a sign that you give your selves up unto the Lord. So that think with your selves therefore when you come to the Sacrament you profess your selves to be Christians godly men that is men that will serve God and serve Christ altogether This Sacrament I say it is but a renewing of the Covenant for that is the end of it it is but the celebrating of the nuptials anew As sometimes you know men will keep their marriage-marriage-day a Festival yearly So we do in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as Ionathan and David they had made an oath together before but they renewed it again and again that they might be strengthened and confirmed in one anothers love So this is your worthy receiving of this Sacrament to strengthen your former Covenant with God Therefore it is good when you are to receive to think how much since the last time
and that is done by delivering the signs of the vice we reprove In diseases we see not the Radices but the Symptomes of it so we see not sin in the heart but in the practice Therefore signs are good 4. Let reproof be renewed not naked as it is drawn from the Text but with other reasons to make us afraid of committing it as from the danger the consequents the effects and Gods judgements on such sins and here if speeches be edged with Rhetorick to make a division between the marrow and the bones it shall be fitly done 5. The secret reasons must be answered that keep men in the practice of sin for if there be but one objection unanswered the reproof will not fasten on them for no man sinneth but by false reasons therefore they are called deceitful lusts and this is required 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual casting down imaginations the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Let such medicable rules be prescribed as may keep men from it 4. In exhortation to some vertue or to the performance of some duty this is absolved in five degrees 1. Let the vertue exhorted be commended to the people and set forth in the beauty of it that so they may be stirred up to love and like it 2. Let it be shewed how defective men are in practise of it for men are as ready to arrogate in that as to derogate in other things to think they have it when they have it not And this is done two ways First by bringing down that duty to particulars more motes are seen in a little of the Sun-shine then in the whole shade Secondly by describing the particular speeches and actions of men shewing the difference between them and this discovereth the disagreement in the minds of men 3. Let exhortations be renewed not simply but with motives to stir up to embrace the vertues and to this it is needful that we use a cloud of arguments let the speech be framed with such figures as becomes it So that First it be with gravity secondly with concealing of art 4. Let the false reasons be shewed that keep us from embracing of it for either we think the practice of it brings into danger or difficulty therefore let these be done away 5. Shew them the way the means how they may go on as if it be demanded what ground of Scripture for this I answer for interpreting and dividing the Word we have precepts the working of it is from example only let these cautions be added First In all points this kind of handling is not to be used for sometime Explications Reasons or Consectary may be omitted as occasion serve these transitions are not alwayes manifested but so the right rule be known we may put them together as it seem good I should have added several other directions but I must defer them till another time AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST HEART-FEARS JOHN 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled THe point that we delivered out of these words was this That It is the will and advice of Christ our Lord and Master that our hearts should be established and not be troubled in the day of fear Now after we had delivered the reasons of this point we came then to set down some means how we might be capable of this advice and instruction that our Lord and Saviour perswades us unto Some of the means I have already opened unto you four we handled in the fore-noon The first was to set our selves another task another employment and so divert our thoughts and affections from fears about these outward things This point we opened at large and shewed what effect it took in the case of Saint Paul and other Christians Heb. 10. In Abraeham and his family in removing out of the Land where he had possessions being he was mindful of another possession in Heaven and regarding not the possessions he left Again a second means we delivered was this to get a clear light to burn by us that so we be not mistaken in the apprehension of things for this ground was here delivered that nothing works upon the heart and affections of a man according to the truth of it but evermore according to the apprehension Indeed if the apprehension be joyned with truth then it works according to the truth of it or else the apprehension stirs up the affections As in that example Mark 6. 49. The disciples were troubled when they saw Christ himself supposing that he had been a spirit A third means that we delivered and opened at large in the fore-noon was to take heed of promising our selves great matters from the things of this world for this is a truth when a mans hopes lift him up to Heaven if he be disappointed of this home he is thrown down to Hell Therefore we should use the things of the world as if we used them not according to Saint Pauls exhortation then when a man useth them as if he used them not he will be as if he had them not Other things I added for the opening of this point Fourthly The last thing that I touched in the fore-noon it was this to labour to be humbled labour I say to be humbled under the hand of God for as it is said a froward proud heart finds nothing good nothing that it is contented with but it will pick quarrels with God measure out what portion he will So on the contrary a spirit that is truly humbled finds nothing but that which is good Whatsoever God affords a man that is truly humbled he takes it for a great savour and mercy I opened that place Isay. 49. the Lord saith the pastures of his people should be in the High wayes and on the tops of the Mountains There is the poorest feeding of all the grass is the shortest there is nothing to be gotten yet sheep will live and do well with such feeding where the fat oxen would be starved so a poor and mean Saint will pick a contented life where a proud heart gets nothing but vexation and trouble We proceed to a fifth means for there are three more The fifth means we must add which ought to take place before any other and that is it which the Apostle speaks of Ephes. 6 10. be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might What is that that is account and esteem the power of the Lord as your own Now if a man had so much strength and power of his own as the Lord hath he would make no question that any man should be able to encounter with him or any trouble or temptation in the world Now if we were perswaded that the power and strength that God hath were ours that he would be ready to put it out for our comfort and deliverance that would stablish our hearts as David saith be strong and he shall stablish your hearts be
strong and relie on him and then that will strengthen and stablish your hearts And here before we euter into conflict with trouble take heed that we do not strengthen our selves in other things this breeds a man much vexation of spirit in the day of fear and danger because he gives his heart to rely upon a broken staff the arm of flesh and when these come to break and disappoint him he falls to the ground Therefore my brethren however we be provided in regard of second means against the time of tryal as for example it may be we have healthfull bodies good estates and are full of friends in this countrey and in forreign countreys where we may betake our selves whatever may happen yet we must look on these things as David did on his sword and his bow when he went to the battel I will not trust in my bow my sword shall not helpe me Mark he sayth not that his bow should help him or his sword deliver him Now surely David knew what his sword was and what his bow could do but before he set out he gave these his good word he made sure before hand that these should not be his strength and if he did overcome they should not carry the praise and thanks of it but he would be sure to reserve these for the Lord which were his due So we should do in other things though we have this and that means to support and sustain our selves take heed that we be not strong in these for these will deceive us You know though a man of himself be never so weak and frail a creature as indeed our hearts being conscious and privy we are but earthen vessels very brittle capable of troubles and sorrowes and many paines and much bitterness and we have but little power to withstand them now this is a cause of trembling and fear But suppose we were weaker then we are and frailer yet notwithstanding if we have one to assist us and second us and stand by us that is able enough as able as we desire this makes us partakers of that strength As for example a feather or any light thing that is easiest tossed with the wind if it be tied fast to a rock it partakes of the same firmness and stability with the rock So we though we be never so frail and easily tossed up and down with the storms of afflictions and troubles in the world yet if we bind our selves with cords to the Lord the Scripture pronounceth such to be a rock constant It is a metaphor that Christ useth Look to the tract of the ancient fathers the patriarches and other servants of God where they found the Lord we shall be sure to find him he stands still he is a rock now as he was at the foundation of the world Now then there are two things to be considered that will help us to do this to be strong in the might of the Lord. First Consider what God hath done how he hath dealt with others in this case when they were under temptations when they were in the point and heat of tryal Look in Psalm 22. there are diverse places in that Psalm to this purpose I will onely name them Not far from the beginning Our Fathers trusted upon thee and thou heardest them and they were delivered And so in the verse following there is a place to the like purpose they cryed to thee and thou deliveredest them they trusted on thee and were not confounded This was one means whereby David got this strength of the Lord because the Lord always dealt so with other of his servants all those trusted in thee and were delivered They made thee their strength they were strong in thee and they found thy strength to support them And so in other places Psal. 119. 53. you shall find such a place David was greatly perplexed and troubled much but saith he yet nevertheless I called to mind the dayes of old and was comforted within me So I comforted my self by calling to mind the dayes of old This is a great matter of comfort and a reason why we should be strong in the Lord because the Lord hath alway done so for others there was never any that went away disappointed but sped of that they sought for Now if a man should hear a report of a fountain that were excellent to cure such diseases the man before he goes perhaps he hath no great conceit or opinion of it but yet he will try but all the way as he goes he meets with companies that come running one after another and they tell him that they went as diseased as he and he hears no news to the contrary at any hand but they all agree that they are perfectly sound this man will not imagine his case to be worse then the rest So brethren if you lock back and consider all the examples of the children of God in all ages if you hear but of one man that trusted in the Lord and was not delivered and supported then let all this fall to the ground let all we have said be accounted nothing but if the Lord have never disappointed any let it be acknowledged as a truth and encourage us to come to him Again more particularly consider what he hath done for us since we knew him and were acquainted with him since we came under his Government and protection I make no question but he that hath had the hardest measure hethat hath felt the worst since he came into the world yet he hath had some pledge of Gods mercy and favour towards him Now this course we ought to take at all times when we receive any favour as a pledge of Gods love we should lay it up in our store-house and treasury For the pledges of Gods love there is a double use to be made of them Carnal natural men go without that which is best and most comfortable for the present use it may be what they take that is welcom for God delivers them out of sicknesse out of fear c. to a better estate and favour Now a godly man besides the present comfort should lay up the things themselves For there will be a day and time of necessity when we shall need these comforts to strengthen our hearts For alwayes the Lord deals not alike he gives not alway a full cup now it is necessary that a man should be provided with grounds of comfort for a day of need In Luke 9 44. there is a notable place Christ there wrought a great miracle he cast out a devil and when the work was done he comes to his Disciples and bids them make this use of it Lay or put these words Let these sayings sink down into your ears When they were all amazed at the mighty power of God at the power of Christ that had wrought this miracle in dispossessing a devil but when they wondred every one at the thing that Jesus did
Christ said to his Disciples Let these sayings c. that is these works mark what I have done what you see you have an experiment of my power and then he gives the reason For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men c. but they understood not these sayings You will say how could this be understood it seemeth hard Let those sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men As if he should have said remember now you have an experiment of my power and Godhead let it be a means to strengthen you for the dayes will come when your faith will be put to the tryal when I shall be delivered into the hands of men when you shall see me crucified and then you will be ready to stagger and waver in your hearts Therefore now when you see an experiment of my power and ability lay it up in your hearts that you may be stablished in that day So in divers places in the Psalms David took that course when he was in trouble and fear and perplexity he brings out of his Treasury ancient things pledges of Gods love and so he recovered himself So if a man can but get hold of a promise of God he may work himself and wind himself into the Armes of God for this is like a rope or a line taken out from him if a man take hold of it by Faith and depend upon it That is the power of the Word of Truth Isay 50. 9. I said not to Iacob seek my face in vain but I the Lord declare faithful things I declare faithful words So when God I say hath given a man a promise that he will not leave him nor forsake him First there is in every promise of that nature there is a spiritual truth in it and in the heart of a man that is a believer there is a spirit of Faith likewise and these two know one another Now the spirit of Faith in the man meets there with the spirit of truth and power in the Word in regard it comes from God these joyn together and draw a man close to God So though a man see not God yet he rests his soul and stayes upon him because he leans on that promise As as a Mariner at Sea that casts an Anchor that holds the Ship he sees not the Anchor that falls to the bottom yet he knows the Cable will hold it safe the Ship may tosse the length of it but no further So the Anchor that the soul hath in the promises of God it is fixed now though a man see him not stand by and strengthen him in the tryal yet he hath the Word of truth for it And these promises though it be a long time ere they speak yet at such times as these then they speak Before then they are sealed up and it is not known perfectly what treasure is in them whether they be empty or any thing worth but when there comes a day of tryal now is the the time the Lord hath made such promises for such a day And here I must give you a caveat concerning this means If you will be strong in the Lord make not haste that is the phrase that is used he that believeth maketh not haste That is he gives the Lord liberty he lets him move round in his sphere he is not ready to snatch deliverence out of his hand but let the Lord take his own leisure for then he will do things best And this is an item that must be understood The Lord notwithstanding those promises that are plentifully made for the safety and preservation of his yet many times he deferres the fulfilling of them to the last cast Many times he will use all that liberty that he hath left himself for indeed therefore it is left he may use it when it seems good in his eyes I mean a liberty in regard of the means how he will help and of the time when he will help us but further we know he hath left himself no liberty but hath bound himself and it is impossible he should deceive us if we rest and rely on him for this and cast our selves in the armes of God Nay we make no question as long as we have the promise of God and keep our hearts and our faith close cleaving to that we are sure the Lord in his own time will remember us and come to us to deliver us Remember that which is said Psal. 9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Therefore if it belong to him let us take heed that we ascribe it to him not to be strong in any other Even as the making of any thing in Art belongs to such and such a Trade shoos to a shoo-maker there are none makes them but those of that trade and so for other things so Salvation belongs to the Lord there is nothing in heaven or earth that can work salvation but he all the help that is done in the earth he doth it himself Now the onely way for a man to make him his friend that is able to work it is to ascribe it to him to acknowledge it belongs to him that he hath been the doâ—r of it from the foundation of the World and so will continue this blessed trade and gracious manner of working and doing for his So much now for the fift means be strong in the Lord. A sixth means is this Wee must likewise compell and work our hearts to take this cordial you have it Rom. 8. 28. We know saith Saint Paul that all things work together for the best to those that love God I say let us have this perswasion in our hearts ready that all things shall work together for the best therefore they shall not hurt thee Now he saith they work together that is to be marked the Apostle saith not that this or that thing alone worketh for good to the servants of God As now there are divers ingredients in a receipt if a man take one or two or three they may poyson and kill and be deadly but altogether being tempered by the Physician are a preservative and save life So if a man stay Gods leisure as before I said to adde one thing to another to do that he hath to do as well as that he hath done when you put all together and make the up shot of all you shall see and acknowledge it for the best David saith It was good for him to have been in adversity Now certainly whatsoever hath been true in regard of the time past hath been true for the present then as now It was as true for David when he was in adversity to say it is good for me to be afflicted as well as after when he was come out of it to say it was good that he had been for if it were not good then it was never good Therefore in regard of this the assurance
that all things shall work for good we are commanded to give thanks in all things Ephes. 5. 25. There is great reason to thank God for all things since a part and portion of our comfort and happiness is in all things in Iohn 16. Christ useth these words he tells them that they should mourn and the world should rejoyce but their sorrow should be turned into joy Now I conceive the meaning of those words not onely to be this that they should have an exchange in time their sorrow and mourning should not last alway with them but they should have a condition of comfort But this I take it is further implyed that that joy and those comforts that succeeded their sorrow that happiness should be answerable in the degree and quantity to that sorrow and sufferings they had For you know when one thing is turned into another the more of the substance there is of that from which the conversion and change is made so much accrews to that in which the change is made As for example in Iohn 2. we read of a change of water into wine There were six water pots full Now so much water as there was so much wine when the miracle was wrought If there had been twelve pots more if they had been all full there had been so much wine as there was water So brethren the more sorrow and trouble and affliction any man undergoes here when a change comes when the Lord comes about to us and turns all comfort comes in more abundance it comes in more plenty This I take to be the meaning of David Psal. 30. 11. he useth the same word that Christ doth to his disciples thou hast turned my heaviness into joy and the latter part of the verse seems to favour this interpretation thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness implying that as Davids sorrow was large enough to make a garment of sackcloth so his joy was large enough to make him a vesture of gladness So we have this assurance that all shall work for the best whatsoever God hath in hand to do with us and however he deal by us we shall see it to be best in the latter end For God can draw light out of darkness take that rule that is the purest comfort and light that is drawn out of darkness I say God will do it thoughâ—â— be hard he will set his mighty hand to do it In Iudges 14. Sampson slew a Lion that came roaring upon him put the case that six Lions had come upon him roaring if Sampson had been sure of the victory and to have slain them as fast as they came on him it had been no matter how many he had meet with especially considering that within a few dayes after as we see in the story he came and in the carkase of the Lion he found honey This Lion resembles the troubles and afflictions of this world that come roaring upon us and threaten a deluge and confusion but we have the promise of God that cannot deceive us God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but with the temptation will give an issue Now what if they come never so thick and roar never so loud what if the waves threaten to overwhelm us as David saith we are sure of the victory before hand As Samson found honey in the carkase so when we look back upon affliction conquered and subdued we shall find honey in the carkase that is abundance of comfort and experience of the love of God helping us to go through them and overcoming them But you will say it is true it may be God will give an issue but it may be a great while first alas what shall we do in the mean time If we had any thing to support and sustain our selves this were something we should be able to endure while Gods rod rested on us but this fills our spirits full of bitterness this is that which is gall and wormwood To this I answer there is none of us that love our outward estate that love our Children and houses better then a usurer loves his money yet we see he usually takes this course he puts it out of his hand a long time upon security knowing that being abroad it works for him all the while and will come home with advantage Why then should Christians make more adoe and trouble themselves more about this if at any time God borrow these things at their hands their life or credit or outward man God takes them for a time that he may restore them again more rich and plentiful then he took them But you will say how shall we do in the mean time yet we are not satisfied alas if God should strip us of all comfort we do not know where to betake our selves what will become of us we shall go out of home and harbor userers though they do so and so with their money yet they keep so much by them that they may live upon and they are rich men c. To this in a few words I answer many times men that love money we see what hard shift they make to live though their money increase we see they pinch and pine so what if a Christian have nothing else to find himself with the comfort and contentment of his being what if he have nothing to live by but faith and a joyful expectation of deliverance that he sees comming though afar off Such a mans case is not much to be pitied Heb. 11. 35. there is a notable place It is said they are racked not accepting deliverance they made not reckoning of deliverance that is they did not care for it they did not desire it What was the reason It is said that they might obtain a better resurrection So they might have it at that day at the great day they cared not for the present what pain they did undergoe You know it is a usual thing with men if there be any great sum or payment of money comes to them they say they desire rather to have the whole sum together though they stay longer then to have it by small parcels it doth them little good So if we were able to see and conceive it were better for us to have it at the day of the resurection it were better then to have our comfort to have that reward together as it were that the Lord hath provided and laid up for us You see the Lord himself that is wise for his glory and more provident then we can be for our happiness and comfort he hath taken this course to make one notible day of the world for his glory You see in the mean time how he suffers himself to be contemned and suffers an eclipse of his glory he suffers men to live in rebellion and opposition against him he suffers men to swear and blaspheme his name Now it is in
as well when he sowes as when he reaps therefore the work must begin with thanksgiving and then assure your selves that the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus The word in the Original is properly a warlike guard that saveth from the assault of an enemy Implying that if we make our case known to God and be thankful then he will send such a safe guard such a garison of peace about your souls that you shall enjoy your selves and think your selves in a happy condition Now because we are apt to enquire but in what manner how shall we finde our selves in such a case What constitution of soul shall we have Saith Saint Paul this is more then I can tell you it is a peace which passeth understanding I cannot explain it and tell you that what manner of peace it is but this you shall have this is the operation the nature and benefit of it that it will guard your hearts through Christ that peace that comes first from Jesus Christ shall keep your hearts and minds from being troubled So our Saviour layes the same ground in another place Iohn 14. 27. My peace I leave you my peace I give unto you not as the World gives so give I Let not your hearts be troubled As if he should say I leave you that which will preserve your souls in peace peace of conscience assurance of the favour of God therefore since you have that means to keep you and save you never let your hearts be troubled In one place Christ speaketh thus to Peter saith he Thinkest thou not that I can pray to my Father and he will send me more then twelve Legions of Angels but how then should the Scripture be fulfilled So I say on the contrary think you if you pray to your Father in Heaven that he will not send this peace to guard your souls how should the Scripture else be fulfilled For there is one and the same authority of Scripture that if none for Christs sake shall be frustrate or falsefied much more if there were any difference is it true of every particular promise of grace and mercy made to those that belong to God So now you have the seventh and last means whereby to establish and strengthen our hearts in the day of fear But now happily you will object and say It is true these things that you deliver may be good and to purpose but alas I find little strength in my heart I am the same man I was I find no great courage or resolution wrought in me To this I answer First my brethren you must first gather sticks and make a fire before you can warm your selves you must first gather these and the like savoury meditations out of the Word of God before you can find the strength and vertue of them upon your souls and consciences It is an old report concerning the Phenix it is no matter for the truth of it it concerns us not when it is about to die she gathers in Arabia plenty of spices that are odouri erous Calamus and the like and the Sun sets fire on them and the bird burns her self to ashes in the midst of the perfume so my brethren if in the dayes of peace and health we gather sweet meditations and considerations out of the Word of God we shall find in the day of need the Holy Ghost will come and set all on fire as it were and so whensoever you offer your sacrifice to God whether it be your life or estate or whatsoever it will not onely be a savour of a sweet smell in the nostrils of God but in your own souls you will find it a sweet and comfortable thing to offer up your sacrifice in the midst of those strong and sweet perfumes Again whereas you say you have not that great strength of spirit wrought in you It is no great matter for the present the Lord doth not call you to these troubles he puts you not upon that service You must know that such things as these that strengthen the spirit God gives them not to boast of If a man had them now what would he do he would boast of them such excellent gifts as these are not for this purpose but for our use and Gods glory We must look for this to be done in the day of necessity when we have need of it Then we shall be just in the case of Sampson Iudg. 16. after his hair was cut off the Lord departed from him and he was as another man yet when the Lord had another piece of business for him at that time the Lord restored his strength and so he pulled the beams and supports and pillars of the house upon the Philistines heads So the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Mat. 10. It is said In that very hour when you are brought before Rulers be not careful what you shall answer for in that hour it shall be given you Now if a man had come before that hour and time surely the Apostles had been but like other men they could have said no more for themselves they could no more have convinced their adversaries c. but the Lord promised to give it in that hour So brethren this is a ground of comfort God will work strength in that hour in the time of affliction the Lord sees we may do him service in that day and therefore he will make us strong But still you will reply you are sure it is not so with you you have found experience of the contrary you have had far less tryals and afflictions then happily may befall you or are like to befall you and you have found your selves much distempered You will say I was not able to run with the foot-men how shall I hold out with the horse To this I answer divers things First it may be a mans strength may increase more afterwards then iâ— was at the first then the same burden is not the same when there is a disproportion of strength and enabling to bear it As Abraham Gen. 12. you shall find that he was another manner of man then he was Gen. 22. for when the tryall was but little he began to falter when he went into Egypt but when he came to offer Isaac he was couragious and stuck close to God Again secondly I answer there may be another reason why there may be a less affliction and it may be born with much impatience when a great and heavy one may be born with more patience and more comfort The reason hereof is this because when a man hath but one particular loss when a man hath but a light cross this serves onely to provoke and stir up corruption in him and then a man as it were is armed against God then he is ready to fight against him but now if the temptation or tryal be a sore
Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5. he gives this reason why he sought the things of Christ with the neglect of himself The Love of Christ constraineth me saith he As if he should say though I undergoe much scorn and discredit and losse in the world yea I am content to be thought to be out of my wits to be accounted any thing for the love of Christ constraineth me that is it makes me ready to do any thing seeing it is for Christ and his advantage I am willing to be so accounted of Now how came he to this love of Christ why thus we judge saith he that if Christ died for us c. So that if you would bring your hearts not to seek your own things but the things of Jesus Christ you must labour to have your hearts enflamed with the love of Christ and that you may do so use the means that Saint Paul layeth down he died for me he is worthy of it he deserves it of me he hath done this and this for me therefore there is reason I should no longer live to my selâ— therefore there is reason I should seek his things that I should do his work Thus to stir up our hearts to love the Lord Jesus is the means â—o prepare us to seek him And so you see the business we have to do we are to seek the things of the Lord Jesus willingly diligently and faithfully And also what it is that prepares and disposeth the heart so to do First to give up our selves to Christ. Secondly to labor to have it kept in the purpose of our hearts Thirdly to have faith in the promises and providence of God Lastly to have Love to the Lord Jesus And so much for this point and for this time PRAYERS PREVALENCY 2 CHRON. 32. 24 25. And in those dayes Hezekias was sick unto the death and he prayed to the Lord who spake to him and gave him a sign but Hezekias did not render according to the mercies bestowed upon him but his heart was lifted up and wrath came upon Israel WE made some entrance into these words in the morning In those dayes Hezekiah was sick to the death Those words we have done withall And he prayed to the Lord hence we observed this That Prayer is the chief means to obtain any thing at Gods hands It was the means whereby Hezekiah obtained his recovery when he was sick to the death So it is a general rule that prayer is the chiefest means of all other to obtain any thing at Gods hands The reasons of it we gave in the morning we came to apply it And the first Use was this If it be the chiefest means of all other therefore we should learn to esteem of our prayers more then we do to set them at a higher rate to know what the efficacy of prayer is When prayers are performed in a customary negligent manner when men think it may be they will be answered and it may be they will not it may be they will do them good it may be not no marvel if they misse of the effect If men did believe that prayer were so effectual to bring their enterprizes to passe they would surely be more frequent and fervent in this duty We shewed you in the morning what the efficacy of prayer was we purpose to repeat nothing Onely there is an objection or two that we will answer and so passe from this point First This may be objected how can prayer be so effectual a means to obtain any thing at Gods hands when the Lord is purposed to do what he will do and how can the intreaty of a weak man change the purpose of God or altar his mind he knows what we have need of before-hand before we ask and God is subject to no alteration To this I answer It is true when we seek to the Lord by prayer he is not changed by any of our petitions that we make to him but the change is wrought upon us because we are made more fit to receive mercy from him then before we were As for example When a patient desires his Physician to give him a cordial to give him some restoring physick something that is pleasant to him The Physician delayes and defers he will not for the present hearken to his request at length he doth it Why is it not because the Physician is altered but because there is an alteration in the patient he is now purged and vomitted his body is cleansed and so made fit to receive the cordial therefore the Physician yields to his request there is some suitablenesse now between him and the physick which he requires there is no alteration in the Physician but in the patient So when we seek any thing at Gods hands we do not cause him to alter his mind but there is a change wrought in us so that when we think we bring God to us by our prayers we rather bring our selves to God That is when we contend with God in prayer and use arguments to perswade him those arguments perswade our selves to repentance to faith to more obedience and willingnesse to serve him and so our hearts are drawn more near to him when we think we draw God near to us in this action we draw our selves near to him and when our hearts are drawn near to him when our faith is strengthened by the arguments that we use then the Lord is moved to do that which before he was not moved to do Not because he is altered or any way changed but because the change is in us we are more fit to receive the mercy that we beg for then before Again Secondly it may be objected many obtain mercies and blessings at Gods hands without prayer therefore it seemes that prayer is not so great a means to obtain mercies because they are ours sometimes without prayer I answer it is true men may have and have usually many great mercies bestowed upon them without prayer but there is a great deal of difference because that mercy which is obtained by prayer it comes with a blessing and it comes by vertue of the promise that the Lord hath made And it is one thing to receive the same mercy in a way of blessing and another thing to receive it iâ—…n ordinary course The same comfort may come to one man with a blessing and may be conveyed to another man with a curse There is a two-fold way of Gods bestowing of mercies One is when he conveyes them to a man by vertue of a promise Another is when he bestowes them by a common providence When God dispenseth mercies by a common providence thou must not think thy self to be such a gainer in the receiving of such a mercy when thou hast not sought the Lord for it it may be thou hast more cause to judge thy self better in the want of that mercy Ahab had been better to have wanted a vineyard Ieroboam
had better to have wanted the Kingdom Gehazi had better to have wanted Naamans courtefie there goes a curse with those things that we have in that manner when we have them without prayer or when we have them by a common providence when we receive them in the neglect of this duty and yet in the mean time we may have as much as others And though this be that which men are ready to object yet this is the way to forfeit all that they have As you know when men will be ready to take in their goods at the Custom-house and to steal the Custom oft-times it is the way to lose all the whole fraight and to for feit their whole venture So it is here when we use the means that God hath appointed and walk in his way and observe his ordinances then we shall have mercies at Gods hands And when God bestowes them not in mercy as a blessing for so he doth not except you seek to him you must needs conclude that you not onely have them as a curse but in having them out of his way you forfeit all the rest Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands Hezekiah prayed and he was delivered But here one causion is to be added and that is that it is not every kind of prayer it must be such a prayer as the Lord looks for at â—ur hands it must be a prayer so qualified as he hath appointed for though it be true that prayer be the key that opens the door into the Lords treasury and when we go about to open this lock we must have this key otherwise we go in a wrong way yet faith is the hand that must turn this key There are certain conditions required in prayer Every customary formal ordinary prayer will not prevail with God No 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith I serve him night and day but I serve him in the spirit you must pray in the spirit that is when you pray to the Lord you must pour forth your spirits to him in your petitions your suites that you make to him must not be such only as your understandings dictate to you but the will and affections the intentions of your souls must go together in the performance of the duty otherwise it is but an hypocritical performance of the duty For this is hypocrisie when a man is neither willing to omit the duty altogether nor careful to do it in that manner that he ought Therefore you must know that you may make a prayer that is but the expression of your 〈◊〉 and will he think you receive such a prayer as thâ—… No your prayers must be an expression of those holy â—esirâ—â— that arise from the regenerate part it must be the voice of the spirit in you that is the voice of the regenerate part stirred up and acted by the Holy Ghost When your prayers are such prayers though it be true 〈◊〉 flesh is mingled with them they will prevail for â—hat is still required Therefore I say every prayer will not prevail it must be such a kind of prayer as God appoints Now why hath God appointed prayer It is that our hearts may be quickened and drawn near to the Lord that our hearts may be put into a fitter frame of prayer And therefore when thou shalt pray and thy heart never a whit the warmer never a whit the nearer drawn to God by it the business is not done For the same rule is true in this as in other things a business we say is not done when the end is not obtained when the enterprize is not brought to pass So I say you have not prayed say what you will express what you will except your hearts are made warmer by it and drawn nearer to God by it and brought to a better frame by it When you edifie your selves this is the prayer God accepts Therefore we must take heed of that common errour that because we hear that prayer will prevail therefore we use some certain formalities and make some petitions and so we do make account to prevail with God this is the common errour of people we are deceived in this it is not every kind of prayer that will do it An ordinary prayer would not have recovered Hezekiah and restored him to health It was the fault of Gehazi when he had got the staff he thought to recover the child but he wanted Elisha's spirit A man may make a prayer to God but when he wants the spirit of prayer he cannot expect an answer for the promise is not made to such Therefore when we deliver this point to you that prayer is an effectual means to prevail with God for any thing you must understand that those conditions must accompany it that the Lord requires And so much for this point he prayed to the Lord Who spake unto him We must be very brief in this because we hasten to the next verse Two things we may observe out of these words First That We ought to observe what answer the Lord gives to our prayers You see the Holy Ghost notes it here he prayed to the Lord and the Lord gave him a good answer he told him that the thing he desired should be done I say we should learn when we seek to the Lord to consider what answer we have from him Otherwise we do as children that shoot arrows and consider not where they light When we send our prayers and consider not what answer they have it is an argument that we do it not in faith we do it not diligently but in a negligent manner When a Fowler layeth baits and snares to catch birds if he believe them to be effectual he will be still looking to them to see whether any thing be taken or no to see what successe he hath When we come to call upon the Lord we should consider whether our prayers prevail what success they have You see Elias when he prayed to the Lord he sent his servant to see what answer the Lord had given and he sent him seven times to see whether any cloud appeared he was very dilegent to consider whether the Lord gave him any answer to his prayers Whensoever therefore we call upon the Lord we should observe that For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought It stands not in this onely that we open our minds to him and make our requests known to him but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again If the Lord grant our requests we ought to take notice of it that we may praise him and give him thanks If he do not answer them that we may consider what the cause is Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear It may be thou doest not pray aright It may be thou retainest the love of some
particular sinne in thee It may be God doth it for the tryal of thee It is good for thee to observe When any thing falls upon men amisse and contrary to their expectation or to their prayers they are ready to attribute it to other causes it is good rather to say that thou hast prayed amisse and that is the cause of it When a man is distempered in his health either he will say that he hath not taken physick or else it was not physick fit for him it is still forgotten whether he hath prayed to God or whether he hath prayed amisse In Iames 4. there the cause is given you have either not prayed or prayed amisse you ask and receive not because you ask amisse therefore you do not obtain It may be I say that that may be the cause why thy prayers are not heard that thou prayest amisse Therefore you should do in this case as a fisher-man doth that hath cast a bait and hath waited long and nothing taken he takes up the angle and sees whether or no the bait be well placed and whether things be in the right order or no. When we see we do not obtain any thing at Gods hands by our prayers that we have sought the Lord and got no answer let us look well to our prayers and see whether there be not something amisse there Besides it may be when thou prayest thou art mistaken in the thing thou askest it may be the thing thou desirest is not good for thee for there are many cases wherein we seek to the Lord wherein we are perswaded that if we had it it would be good for us but if it were granted it may be it would be our undoing The Lord denies many things to a man in mercy as he grants many things to men in judgement It may be thy great advantage that though thou pray and pray earnestly yet thy requests are denied Again it may be the Lord hath done the thing but in another manner then thou expectest many times the same thing is done though not in the same fashion A man desires money and riches it may be the Lord denies him that and gives him meat and drink and cloathing A man desires his enemies may be at peace with him God denies him this it may be but he gives him a helmet to bear it off and so for other things I say it is to be considered that the Lord may do the same thing in another manner though it be not in the same kind that we expect Besides God may do it by another means then we look for Commonly we pitch upon some means which we think if it fail all is gone but the Lord may go another way to work I will instance no more in these things for this is not the thing that I must stand upon Onely I say that when we make our prayers to God we must consider what answer we have of them And this we should do upon this occasion of Thanksgiving when we have sought to the Lord in prayer and fasting as we have done we are now to consider what answer the Lord hath given he hath removed the judgement we must set it down among the memorandums of his mercy that he hath heard our prayers and healed our land But I say I must not stand upon this The second thing that is to be observed is this And the Lord spake to him Observe that When we pray to the Lord he is exceeding ready to hear As we see he was ready hear to hear Hezekiah And so David and Asa and Iehoshaphat so he will do to us to the end of the world when men seek to him Onely this must be considered that the Lord hath an ear open to our prayer but if it be no prayer if it be but a lip-labour if it want the conditions of prayer the Lord rejects it And this is not because he hearkens not to it but because it is no prayer Therefore make account when thou goest about to pray that God doth encline his ear to hear that is he doth not onely hear the prayers of his servants but also of those that are carnal men of those that are strangers and that are without the covenant as yet As you shall see 2 Chron. 12. It is said that Rehoboam and the Princes humbled themselves and sought to to the Lord and Rehoboam was not upright hearted yet because he and the Princes did humble themselves the Lord did not destroy them but sent them deliverance So did he to Ahab he heard him And so it may be the Lord hath done with us in removing this judgement though it may be our prayers and our humiliation and fasting have been but overly and perfunctory yet it may be the Lord hath heard us for he is ready to hear prayers Although mens hearts be not humbled aright in their prayers yet when men are humbled in any manner before him to shew that he is ready to hear prayers he hears them And this is a thing that should wound our hearts and break them more then any thing in the world to make us see that the Lord is patient and long suffering that though the humiliation of men he not sound and according to what he expects yet he is ready to remove the judgement And this use we should further make of it that if the Lord hear when humiliation is not found what wil he do when our prayers are servent and sound when our humiliation is perfect This is a thing that we ought to take notice of that when the Lord is so ready to hear we should be encouraged to pray and to seek unto him For when the Lord shall do as he hath done with us when he shall stay the plague when he shall say to it as he doth to the raging sea thus far thou shalt go and no further when we look upon this and observe this dealing of the Lord we should have a store house of such experiments as these that we may learn thereby to know the Lord and to trust him that we may be encouraged thereby to seek unto him For when such actions as these are slighted we take his name in vain and the Lord will not hold us guiltless if we take his Name in vain no more will he if we pass by these actions of his without taking notice Therefore it is well that such a day as this is set apart that we may remember it and consider what answer the Lord gives our prayers and acknowledge it but I will not stand to enlarge this The next words are And he gave him a sign You know there is a double ground of asking a sign One is when a man asks a sign to tempt the Lord. As the Iewes asked a sign not out of a desire to profit by it but because they would see what the Lord would do and this Christ denyed them this is a sinful asking of