therefore we must commend the care of al vnto God who saith Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it And Psal 127.1 It is in vaine for a man to rise early and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow but he will giue rest to his beloued Therefore wee must say and doe as Dauid did And 16.5.8 Thou wilt maintaine my lot And againe I haue set the Lord alwaies before me for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Where wee see how he commended the care of himselfe and of all that he had vnto the Lords protection whereupon it came to passe that he not only was defended but had a quiet minde and bodie as he saith also in another place I will lay me down And 4.8 and also sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safetie And so wee must ascribe all our defence for the time past to him The defence of our King is only of God and trust only to him for the time to come And now for the present state of our time we must beleeue that all the defence of our King from all daungers is and must come onely from God for though he be wise himselfe and hath a wise honourable Councel and there are many that watch and care for him besides yet if God did not defend him the diuel by his subtiltie might make his enemie wiser than all of them Therefore as Dauid saith of himselfe Psal 140.7 It was God that did couer his head in the day of battell that is though hee had an helmet and such like defence yet if God had not couered his head all that had been nothing so we must say it is God that hath couered not onely his head but his whole bodie from the strokes of his enemies yea wee must say as Paul saith of himselfe 2 Cor. 1.10 God hath deliuered him from so great a death and doth deliuer him daily in whom wee trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer him Therefore when wee heare of any daunger towards his person or towards the State we must not make small account of it and say Tush I but there are these and these meanes to defend vs the King and his Counsell are wise enough to preuent all but wee must say That good God and merciful father who of his infinit mercie hath defended him and vs hitherto will do so still and pray to him thereafter that it may bee so as this people doth here The name of the God of Iacob defend thee So is it in all sicknesse and namely in this great mortalitie of our time He onely can defend vs from the pestilence 1. Cor. 11.30 wherein many are sicke and many are weake and many fall asleepe none can defend vs in it but onely God and he is able to doe it In the Law God hath threatned great and incurable diseases to the disobedient for it is said The Lord will smite thee in the knees and in the thighes Deut. 28.35 with a sore botch that thou canst not bee hâ—â—led euen â—rom the sole of thy foote vnto the top of thine head And a little after in the same place The Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull Vers 59. and the plagues of thy seed euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore diseases and of long durance I will bring vpon thee all the diseases of Egypt whereof thou wast afraide and they shall cleaue vnto thee and euery sicknes and euery plague which is not written in the booke of this law will the Lord heape vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed And from them that walke in his waies he hath promised to keepe these diseases farre away If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God Exod. 15.26 and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commaundements and keepe all his ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee These threatnings and promises he only is able to verifie and doth who hath said to that end He will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence Psal 91.3 he will couer thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be sure vnder his fethers his truth shall be thy shield and buckler thou shalt not be afraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flieth by day nor of the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor of the plague that destroyeth at noone day a thousand shall fall at thy side and tenne thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neere thee There shall none euill come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Thus it is the Lord only that keepeth vs from plagues and diseases by the inuisible ministerie of his holie Angels which he vseth for the defence of his seruants and the punishment of the wicked For as when the Lord did send his Angell into the hoste of proud blasphemous Sanecherib he smote in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand 2. King 19.35 so that when they rose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses And as in the time of Dauid 2. Sam. 24.15 the Lord by an Angel did destroy with the pestilence seuentie thousand men in three daies So in the middest of all pestilent diseases if the Lord bid his Angell cease punishing as hee did then when hee stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem to destroy it hee said Vers 16. It is sufficient hold now thine hand or if he will them to keepe vs in the middest of it it shall bee so and then shall that be verified vpon vs Psalm 91.13 which is written Thou shalt walke vpon the lion and aspe the yong lion and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete that is his Angels shall preserue vs in the middest of great dangers harmelesse He onely defendeth in these cases therefore let vs trust in him and in him alone As he did recouer Hezekiah froÌ„ death He healed King Hezekiah when he was sicke of a most deadly disease euen when he lay sicke of a pestilent feuer and had a Carbunckle or Plague sore broken out in his body and before that had receiued the sentence of death in himselfe Isai 38.1 For the Prophet had said vnto him Thus saith the Lord put thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not liue that is this sicknesse of thine is deadly in it owne nature Then he turned his face vnto the wal
and in earth to heale vs by his word of most incurable diseases when wee can get nothing to helpe vs. Matth. 28.18 And he that said to the Centurion Goe thy way Matth. 8.13 thy seruant liueth and it was so yea he that said not one word and yet healed the woman of her bloudie issue Mar. 5.29 whereof she had been sick twelue yeeres and had spent al that she had vpon the Physitions and found no helpe and he that said to the man that lay sick of the palsie eight and thirtie yeere Arise take vp thy bed and walke Ioh. 5.5 and presently he was able to doe it and he that spake to Lazarus when hee had been dead foure daies and was laid in his graue so that in the opinion of diuers his carkasse was rotten and began to stinke and said vnto him with a lowd and effectuall voyce Lazarus come foorth and he did so in the sight of all the beholders Joh. 11.43 is able also much more to send his word and heale vs also as the Psalmist speaketh that is Psal 107.20 heale vs without all meanes Or when wee are brought so low that we lie vpon our beds as Elihu speaketh in the booke of Iob and the griefe of our bones is sore Job 33.19 so that our life causeth vs to abhorre bread and our soule daintie meate so that our flesh faileth that it cannot bee seene and the bones which were not seene doe clatter so that our soules drawe to the graue and our life to the buriers Though our estate be neuer so desperate if then there come a messenger of God vnto vs an interpreter of his holy word who in that case is to be esteemed as one of a thousand and declare vnto vs that righteousnes of God whereby we may be saued and pray vnto God for vs then will he haue mercie vpon vs and will say Deliuer him that hee goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation And if he doe but thus say then shall our flesh bee as fresh as a childes and shall returne as in the daies of our youth and he will deliuer vs from going into the pit and our liues shal see the light And thus is he able to doe twice or thrice with a man Vers 29. as he speaketh in the same place as all experience sheweth to be true So that when wee haue receiued the sentence of death in our selues as the Apostle Paul had 2 Cor. 1.9 that we might not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead he is able to deliuer vs from so great a death 2. Tim. 4.17 and to take vs as it were out of the lions mouth as he did him Seeing then that God alone bringeth al euill vpon me and he onely keepeth it away commanding the destroyer not so much as to enter into our houses and if he doe giuing his Angels a charge ouer vs to keepe vs in all his waies though we walk vpon the lion and aspe yea and tread vnder our feete the yong lion and the dragon that is though we be in the extreamest danger let vs beleeue that he only can defend vs as they doe professe here when they say The name of the God of Iacob defend thee And truly there is great comfort in this that we beleeue that in the greatest trouble that may befall vs God is able to defend vs Faith in Gods defence giueth great comfort in trouble and without him nothing can doe it For whereas others that haue not this faith are very vnquiet vntill they haue the meanes of their deliuerance according to their own desire and then also vse them with great perplexitie and great doubtings and feares This will make vs quiet whether we haue the meanes or wee haue them not for if we haue them we vse thē with cheerefulnes but trust not to them if we haue them not we are still comfortable knowing that Gods power is not tied to them and so he is able to helpe vs without them And so if any thing fall out beyond our expectation wee burst not out into impatient outcries and say Oh I wanted such a thing to haue done me good if I had had this or that it might haue done mee great good what ill hap was it that I should now want it in my greatest need Or oh that I had had it a little sooner now it came too late when it could doe me no good or oh that I had had so good lucke as to haue vsed it after a better manner and a thousand things els which the diuell and our own vnbeleef will put into out minds But let vs by faith know assuredly that it is Gods will that it should bee so at this time with vs as it is if it had pleased him hee could still haue defended mee as in times past but now I see it is his blessed will to trie me I will take it patiently and put my trust in him and say with Iob Job 2.10 Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euil He that is faithfull hath promised that he will lay no more vpon me than I shall be able to beare and that though this depart not away from me yet his grace shall be sufficient for me 2. Cor. 12.8.9 and his power shall be made perfect in my weakenes for his holy spirit shall helpe me in al mine infirmities yea he hath promised that all things shall fall out for the best to me Rom. 8.28 so long as I feare him though not in the beginning yet in the end and so I will say againe with Iob that if he kill me Iob. 13.15 yet I will put my trust in him for nothing shall be able to separate me from the loue of God in Christ Iesus my Lord and Sauiour neither angels nor principalities nor powers Rom. 8.38 nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature nor life nor death Rom. 14.9 For Christ therefore died and rose againe that hee might be Lord of the quick and dead so that whether I liue or die I am not mine owne but his who gaue himselfe for me to that end And therefore I beleeue that I being Christs 1. Cor. 3.22 all things are mine to bring me to him not only Paul and Apollos and Cephas the rest of his ministers but the world euen life death as the Apostle most confidently and comfortably speaketh yea things present and things to come all are mine and I am Christs and Christ is Gods And therefore if I die I beleeue that blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apoc. 14.13 and therefore if it be his good will to take me away I am not only readie to say with old Simeon Luc. 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and with our Sauiour
and prayed vnto the Lord and then the Prophet was sent again vnto him with this message 2. King 20.7 Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy prayer and seene thy teares beholde I will adde vnto thy dayes fifteene yeeres and then hee had them take a lumpe of drie figs and they tooke it and laid it on the boyle and he recouered Thus though there were meanes vsed yet God did cure him who had promised life and health vnto him before 2. Chron. 16.12 King Asa was diseased in his feete and his disease grew to some extremitie yet he sought not to the Lord in his disease Asa died of his disease though he had all help of phisick but to the Phisitions and he died of that disease so though he had all meanes of phisicke in his sicknesse yet he dyed of it because the Lord did not heale him And this is the only cause that some fall into sicknesse and some do not and of them some recouer and some doe not euen that the Lord defendeth the one and not the other So that as when God sent his destroying Angell and at his commandement it went through the whole land of Egypt and all the first borne from the first borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne Exod. 12.29 to the first borne of the captiue that was in prison and all the first borne of beasts so that there was no house where there was not one dead yet the houses of the Israelites were marked with the blood of the Lambe and so none dyed there and that was because that was a token that when the Angell should see the blood he might passe ouer them and so the Lord did not suffer the destroyer to enter into their houses nor the plague to come vpon them to destruction for if God had not kept him out according to his promise they might haue dyed also So then concerning all them that we wish well vnto as wee should doe to all our brethren and for our selues Whether we haue meanes or haue them not all defence from the pestilence is only from God wee see who must be ours and their onely defence and who hath defended vs and them hitherto euen the Lord from whom all things doe come both good and euill therefore to him be thankfull in him trust and to him still pray For what is the cause that this pestilence is so greatly in one part of the land and not in another and in the same citie and towne why is it in one part or in one house and not in another and in the same house why is it vpon one and not vpon all the rest when they all liue together and draw in the same breath and eate and drinke together and lodge in the same chamber yea sometimes in the same bed what is the cause of this but that it pleaseth the Lord in wisdom for some cause to defend some for a time and not the rest Therfore let vs beleeue that in these dangerous times God must bee our onely defence and the defence of all others There are ordinary means I grant to bring the plague into a place and meanes to keep it out by the blessing of God but who giueth those meanes but God and who blesseth them and maketh them effectuall but he or who worketh without them or aboue them but onely he Therefore let vs beleeue this that all defence both in this sicknesse and all other dangers for our selues and for others is only from God and so in that faith let vs pray as these doe here not only for our selues but for others that are in danger of the plague The name of the God of Iacob defend you Therefore when in any sicknes or otherwise we haue neuer so good meanes let vs not trust to them 1. Sam. 2.6 but to the Lord who onely killeth and reuiueth bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp againe King Asa as wee haue heard trusted to the Phisitions Therefore we must not trust to the means for God can frustrate thē and sought vnto thē in his sicknes and so though he being a King had many about him the most skilfull that could bee gotten and all helpes that Art could affoord yet he died Wee ought then to vse all good means in this time of the pestilence but not trust to thē but in the liuing God for without him all Phisitions al Phisick shall doe vs no good For God can for a time infatuate the wisest Physitions that they shall not discerne of the nature of the diseases and to bee able to doe it alwaies is the speciall gift of God and when they haue found it out yet at that time they shall not wisely and according to art prescribe but commit some great error if they do al this well it may come too late when we are past helpe if it come in time we may dislike it and our heart goe against it if wee be desirous to take it the things cannot be had or not had in time conuenient and when all is readie wee shall be so weake that we are not able to take them if we do doe they brooke not with vs and we cannot beare them if we doe yet they haue lost their force and are not well compounded and if they be yet they shall not worke at all or to any purpose if they doe yet not as they should and so they shall doe vs no good though wisely prescribed and carefully taken Therefore as in the great famine that was in Samaria when a woman cried vnto him saying Helpe my Lord 2. King 6.27 O King he answered Seeing the Lord doth not succour thee how should I helpe thee with the barne or with the wine-presse He said that hee could not helpe her in this famine vnlesse the Lord did helpe by sending and blessing the meanes as afterwards he did So when wee seeke vnto the Physitions and crie to them for helpe they may answere or we for them that they cannot help vs vnlesse God help God can help vs and heale vs when all meanes doe faile vs. Deut. 9.9 1. King 19.8 But on the contrarie when all meanes faile vs God can defend vs if it please him from all danger for he made all of nothing therefore he can doe any thing without them He that preserued Moses and Helias fortie daies without meate and drinke can preserue vs when all meanes faile vs. Iesus Christ who in the daies of his flesh healed all diseases with his word and did but say to the dumme and deafe Be open and they could presently heare and speake Mar. 7.34 and that said to the leapers whose disease was deadly and infectiue as the plague is I will be thou cleane and they were immediatly healed euen somtimes many together Matth. 8.3 Luk. 17.14 is able by the same word of his now when all power is giuen vnto him in heauen
so farre forth as may make for his glory and their good And so wee must not thinke alas our poore prayers can doe them no good as the diuell is ready to put this into our heads to discourage vs from prayer for the Lord who hath commaunded vs to aske one for another hath also promised to giue Therefore if we cannot otherwise profit our friends and those whom we wish well vnto yet this way by our prayers we may be beneficiall vnto them and this way alwaies euen the meanest of vs when we want opportunitie or abilitie to doe it otherwise And thus Dauid in this Psalme teacheth them to pray for him beleeuing that God would heare them for him Vers 6. when they say Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annoynted and wil heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mighty helpe of his right hand where he sets downe this part of the prayer in the singular number though many did vse it together to shew them that euery one particularly should beleeue that God would heare them for their King and would at their prayers defend him against his enemies and so they should not pray for him in vaine And the Apostle exhorteth men in their sicknesse to send for the Elders of the Church to pray for them and that both the one and the other might doe it in faith the one send for them and the other be willing to come he maketh a gracious promise in the name of the Lord vnto their prayers and saith that they shall thus obtaine for the sicke both health of body and forgiuenesse of sinne Is any sicke among you Jam. 5.15 Let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and annoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if hee hath committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him And in the next words he willeth vs all to confesse our sinnes one to another and pray one for another that so wee might receiue health for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much euery way when it is feruent And for whom Not only for himselfe but for another as he proueth by the example of Helias in whose dayes though that godly man Obadiah and the hundreth Prophets whom hee hid in caues from the persecution of Iezabel did pray for raine in that great drought as we must needs presume of them yet he only by his prayers obtained that benefit for himselfe and for them and for all the rest of the people of that time Helias saith he was a man subiect to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine Vers 17. and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite And here if vpon this occasion I should enter in this treatise What great benefits men haue gotten by the prayer of others to shew what great benefits men haue obtained by their prayers not for themselues but for others the time would not be sufficient the examples both in the old and new Testament are so many to declare it As how the Lord heard Abraham for his sonne Ishmael when he said Oh that Ishmael might liue in thy sight Gen. 7.18 so that he became a great man in the world and was multiplied exceedingly so that not onely twelue Princes came of him but a great nation And how Izhak prayed for his wife because shee was barren Chapt. 25.21 and the Lord was intreated of him and she conceiued and brought forth twinnes twentie yeeres after they had liued together in marriage before And what Moses obtained for the Israelites by his prayer at the red sea and oftentimes in the wildernes Exod. 14.15 And how Elias raised vp from dead by his prayers the sonne of the widow of Sarepta with whom he soiorned 1. King 17.28 And Elisha did the like for the good woman of Shunam who gaue intertainement vnto him as he passed that way 2. King 4.33 and many such things else might be shewed to haue been obtained by prayer All which are written for our instruction to teach vs that we should be willing to pray for others not doubting but that God will heare vs for them and this way we may doe them good if we can doe it no other waies As for example if in the loue and loyalty we owe to our soueraigne King hearing of the treasonable practises malitiously intended against his royall person and noble progeny we would be willing to doe him the best seruice for his defence that we could what shall we doe Counsell can we giue none neither are we in place to doe it we haue no strength to resist his enemies of our owne selues yet we may pray for him that Christ Iesus who ruleth in the middest of his enemies would bring things to light and confound them in their diuelish deuices and not doubt but that God will heare vs as they say confidently here Vers 6. I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie This should moue vs to pray for the Church of God vniuersally dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth This way euery one may be beneficiall to the Church of God and more particularly for that part of it wherein we liue and for all our gouernours in the same high and lowe and for others also not doubting but that the Lord will heare vs in all things for them agreeable vnto his holy will and so this way wee may in all callings bee profitable vnto them in our time So that no man can iustly complaine that God hath so disabled him that he can do no good vnto others for if we were as poore as Iob if as full of sores as Lazarus if we lay sicke in our beds and in great weakenes of body yet by our feruent and godly prayers we might doe much good vnto many And thus I remember a godly wise Father did comfort his weake brother who continuing a great while in a lingering sicknesse and weakenesse of body complained vnto him that there he spent away his time vnprofitably and was able to doe no good yes saith he very much for you may pray for the Church of God and that was true though he did not then see it For whatsoeuer wee aske in the name of Christ according to the will of God shall be graunted vnto vs which is true whether we aske for our selues or for others We may bee perswaded that God will heare vs for others by the largenes of his promises And the rather that wee might bee confirmed in this faith namely that the Lord of his bountifull goodnes will heare vs when we pray for others let vs first of all consider the promises that God hath
vnlesse we then call vpon him Now at this day there are many troubles in our land as not onely secret practises of traytors against the Kings excellent Maiestie but also great sicknesse and mortalitie in many chiefe places and the same dialy spreading it selfe further and further by reason of the great and dangerous contagion of the pestilence As at this time especially therefore it is high time for euery one of vs in all places to pray earnestly vnto God and as euery day bringeth vnto our eares the reports of new troubles so must we continue in our prayers that God may heare vs at the last as he hath also promised that he will The third thing to bee obserued out of these words is the forme and tenour of their prayer which is this that they pray to God that he would heare the prayers of Dauid which hee should make in the time of his troubles Therfore as it is our duty to seek to others in our troubles for their prayers and the greater that they be to seek vnto them for it the more that they striuing with vs in prayer wee might obtaine So when any shall thus desire vs to pray for them it is our dutie to doe it and so also to desire the prayers of others that in no case we neglect them our selues of which points seuerally wee haue intreated at large before So more particularly wee see from hence how wee may pray for any We may alwaies thus pray for men that God would heare their prayers whether wee are desired or not desired thereunto whether we know their estate perfectly or we be altogether ignorant of it euen that God would heare them and giue them according to their owne prayers For as if one man should haue a suite to another and should desire vs to speake for them or wee know of it otherwise though not in particular what the speciall thing is that hee desireth wee might say I pray you bee good to such a man graunt him his request wee might that wayes doe him some good So this way wee may benefit men alo Though we know not their estate when wee pray to God to giue them their requests though wee know not euery thing that they desire And thus did Hely the Priest pray for Hannah the wife of Elkanah 1. Sam. 1.13 that God would heare her prayer that she made though hee knew them not for she spake in her heart onely her lips did mooue onely but her voyce was not heard and when hee did mistake her as though shee had been drunken As Hely did for Hannah shee said nay but shee was troubled in spirit and did powre out her soule before the Lord but did not tell him for what Then he said Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him And she desireth him still that hee would pray for her And at the last when she had obtained her request she returned to giue thanks and told him the whole matter and said Oh my Lord Vers 26. as thy soule liueth my Lord I am the woman that stood with thee here praying vnto the Lord I prayed for this child which she had brought with her and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him therefore also I haue giuen him vnto the Lord as long as he liueth he shall be giuen vnto the Lord and he worshipped the Lord there Where we see how he praied to God for her that he would heare her praiers and graunt her the petition that she had asked of him though he knew not what it was and so requested him to continue his prayer still for her though she doth not tell him the speciall thing that she prayed for Indeede if wee knew the particular estate of men wee might pray for them more directly and more effectually But if wee know it we may pray for them more particularly Jam. 5.16 according to that counsell which S. Iames giueth vnto all Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Where he willeth vs not only to make knowne the diseases of our bodies to others by sending for them in the time of our sicknes but euen our speciall sinnes that haue been the cause of them that so in great compassion towards vs both of soule and bodie they might pray feruently for vs when they shall see what great neede euery way we haue of their prayers But if we doe not thus confesse vnto them or cannot yet generally and effectually also wee may pray God to heare their owne prayers which they do and should make principally themselues according to the commandement of the same Apostle Vers 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray that God I say would heare them in that trouble that they bee in what and whensoeuer Therefore no man in neglecting of this dutie of prayer for others is to say I would gladly pray for such an one if I knew his estate and what to pray for for it is sufficient that the Lord knoweth it Ye are we not to neglect this dutie of praier for any though wee know not their estate that he knoweth it himselfe and doth pray for himselfe accordingly then may wee safely pray that God would heare those prayers of his And thus did Salomon in the dedication of the Temple which hee built to be an house of prayer for all nations and doth himself pray vnto God for all those that should hereafter come vnto that place there to pray whose prayers therefore in particular what they should be he could not possibly tell and doth not onely desire the Lord to heare them in such and such particular things as hee there nameth as when they should bee ouerthrowne before their enemies and when there should no raine and when there should be famine 1. King 8.33 and such like saying If they then come and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house then heare thou in heauen and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel but more generally saith That what prayer and supplication so euer shall be made of any man Vers 38. Salomon prayed God to heare them whose prayers he could not know or of all thy people Israel when euery one shall know the plague in his owne heart and stretch foorth his hands in this house heare thou then in heauen thy dwelling place and be mercifull and doe and giue euery man according to all his waies as thou knowest his heart for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men And in the end hee concludeth thus These my words which I haue prayed before the Lord Vers 59. let them be neere vnto the Lord our God day and night that hee defend the cause of his seruant and the
haue been thus strengthened by the meanes of Gods worship in Sion As appeareth in Iob. We may see both these in the example of Iob who is a patterne both of great weaknes of great strength in the weaknes of his faith and before that he was sufficiently strengthened by the word he fell into great impatiencie and cursed the time that euer he was borne saying Let the day perish wherein I was borne Job 3.2 and the night wherein it was said there is a manchilde borne and so goeth on and saith much to that effect See whether a mans weaknes will carrie him if he haue no strength frō the word yea though hee be a very good man as Iob was But when hee was sufficiently strengthened by the word of God and had the feeling of it in his heart hee was able to beare all things as not only when he said The Lord hath giuen Chap. 2.21 and the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord but when in greater affliction hee said If the Lord kill me Chapt. 13.25 Chapt. 19.25 yet I will put my trus in him And also I am sure that my redeemer liueth and I shall see him and mine eyes behold him and none other for me See againe what we shall be able to beare when wee haue gotten sufficient strength of faith and patience from the word though wee were neuer so weake before Seeing it is so wee may well know in this visitation of the plague if it should come among vs from whence wee must haue strength to beare it yea and any other triall also that now or hereafter God shall lay vpon vs euen from his word and from that faith and hope that wee haue gotten from thence and so much strength assuredly shall we haue as we haue true faith and without that wee can haue none the weaknes of our faith is the cause of little strength This should make all of vs diligent to come to the Church Therefore in this time of the plague all should labour to get strēgth from the word and to see that we haue cause to doe as wee now doe not onely to come and pray that God would turne away his heauie hand but to heare his word carefully that by it wee might grow in faith and hope and so receiue strength to beare whatsoeuer God shall lay vpon vs. In so much that if a man had no care before now he had neede to begin and hee that was diligent before must be more diligent now for he hath need of greater strength and to prouoke all his family to come that they also might be strengthened with him against the day of trouble els if affliction doe come among them their weaknes and impatiencie may trouble him whereas if he haue gottē any strength of faith he shall haue it not for himselfe alone but his strength shall doe them much good and all of them being strong in faith one shall comfort and vphold another For in all companies the more strength that euery one of them hath the better shall it be for them all And let not men deferre vntil Gods hand be vpon them and thinke that they will get strength then And doe not deferre it vntil Gods hand be vpon them Ephes 6.12 for when they haue done all that they can they shall finde that they haue strength little enough to wrastle with the paines of their bodie and temptations of their minde euen with the prince of the darknes of the world with spiritual wickednesses and that in the matter of our saluation so that when wee haue the whole and complet armour of Christians vpon vs euen our loynes girt about with the girdle of truth and the breastplate of righteousnes and our feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace and the shield of faith and the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit yet we shall haue much adoe to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things to stand fast Besides it is not wisedom for a man to defer to seek for any thing then when he should need it in worldly matters we would be glad to haue them before-hand let vs bee as carefull for our soules and so I pray you for the loue of Christ and of your owne soules not only to come still but to profit by your comming as much as you can to get strength against trouble from Sion euen from this place of Gods seruice where it is to bee had Otherwise it will come to passe that besides many great weaknesses that you must needes fall into this shall be a grieuous accusation to your consciences to think to complaine somewhat too late Oh how might I haue strengthened my self against these euill daies if I had made more account of the word if I had come to it more diligently profited by it more effectually but alas now what great weaknes of faith is in me how full of distrust and of impatiencie am I how am I out of all hope because I haue neglected the meanes of my strength Let euery one therefore examine his owne strength and according to the great weaknes that he findeth in himself so let him make more account of comming to the word and let them now whilest they haue time giue themselues plentifully to the reading and meditating of the sweet and comfortable promises of the same at home in their houses that they and theirs may get as much strength therby as they may against the time of neede And as this is our strength so it must be the strength of all our brethren and therfore as Dauid willeth them here to pray for him In this respect what we shuld pray for those that are vnder the plague both for the preachers and for the hearers that God would strengthen him out of Sion that is by the word which he had heard there that now God would call it into his remembrance and confirme his faith by it So wee must pray for them that with this visitaion of the plague they may still haue his word among them and that it may be diligently preached and to that end that the Lord would watch ouer and preserue his faithfull Ministers the preachers of his word as the chiefe captaines that should incourage strengthen the rest and that the people may reuerently esteeme of the word and of them for the words sake so be careful of thē and of their liues And that all would willingly come to the word that may and they that are sicke or shut vp and cannot that God would forgive them their negligent hearing of his word in time past whereby they might haue gotten more strength and that hee would blesse that that they heard heretofore that by it they may be strengthened and by it be assured of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and may haue hope of eternal life and so patiently abide whatsoeuer God
so vnlawfully none can striue with vs. Therefore let vs not haue such running lusts and wandering desires as the men of this world haue who desire earthly things and say as Dauid describeth them VVho wil shew vs any good But let vs pray as he teacheth vs there Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal 4.6 and let vs esteeme of that as he doth there aboue all worldy things saying I shall haue more ioy of heart thereby than they had when their wheat and their wine did abound And then we are sure that our desires be well ordered and so all good men will help vs in their prayers say of vs as the people do here of their King The Lord graunt thee according to thine heart If then at any time we haue asked any thing at the hand of God and haue not receiued it If we aske and haue not let vs examine and correct our desires 1. Pet. 3.9 let vs consider what it is and how we haue asked it if it be any thing that is euill as the destruction of our enemies the curse of God vpon our neighbours whereas we should rather blesse them as the Apostle saith knowing that we are called to be heires of the blessing of God then no maruaile if God do not giue vs our desires Or if it be a lawfull thing yet we desire it not lawfully that is not according to Gods will as for example If we desire earthly things aboue heauenly as most doe or as concerning this visitation of the plague if we more desire that it might be taken away than that we our selues and others might profit by it generally if we more desire health and wealth estimation and worldly prosperitie than faith and repentance and the true feare of God and such like then these desires of our hearts no marueile if God graunt not Or againe if we desire not these outward things so that we can be contented to want them if it be not Gods will to giue them and to say with the Apostle I can be abased and I can abound Phil. 4.12 euery where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry and to abound and to haue want and what state soeuer I am in therewith to be content For otherwise neither can we pray our selues How we shold pray concerning this plague if we will be heard nor other for vs That God would giue vs according to our heart because the desires of the same are not fashioned according to his will Therefore both for the remouing of this plague and for all other things we must be of that mind that Dauid was when by the conspiring of his sonne Absalom he was driuen out of Ierusalem who said 2. Sam. 15.25 Carie the Arke again into the citie if I shall find fauor in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and the tabernacle thereof But if he say thus I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Thus he resigned both his kingdome and life into Gods hands to haue them or loose them according to his will and then he receiued againe of God both the one and the other for Absolon was destroyed and he safely returned into Ierusalem So should we now much more receiue life and health in this great mortalitie if we did pray for them with these minds Heb. 11.17 19. that as Abraham was willing to offer vp his sonne Izaack vnto God and then he restored him vnto life as it were againe so we be willing to haue all if it be Gods will then will he restore all things vnto vs againe Therefore if God giue vs not that which we ask let vs thus profit to the examining and conuerting of our desires But to conclude for this time whereas all men generally desire that they might haue their heart satisfied and that whatsoeuer they haue a mind to they might haue it and this all sorts couet and seek after and therin consisteth great contentation and quietnesse of mind That we haue our desires in all things let vs nourish in vs continually none but good desires for those God wil fulfill The comfort of those that haue good desires and the vexation of them that haue euill But if we haue wicked and vngodly desires in our mind as the Lord will not fulfill them so this shall be no small crosse vnto vs that we are abridged of our desires So that all they that so liue that they make conscience euen of their desires and labour to keepe them within the compasse of Gods word and will their life is most pleasant and comfortable full of contentment for they shall soonest haue the desires of their heart from time to time But if we giue scope to our affections and suffer our desires to range beyond the bounds of Gods word and will as therein we displease him that they are so vnruly so we shall not be quiet for God will crosse them and not suffer vs to prosper in our wicked desires For though the wicked many times doe so for their further condemnation who often haue more than their hearts desire yet this is the ordinarie portion of Gods children that if their desires be good God will fulfill them as these of Dauids were and therefore God did so vnto him as he confesseth Psal 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his harts desire But if they be euill he will keepe them from them and we are to pray that he would doe so to that end that we might seeke to purge our hearts from all such sinfull desires And God graunt that we may thus profit by the not hauing of our desires to examine them whether they be good or ill and to amend whatsoeuer is amisse and so shall it be more profitable for vs to be hindered in such desires than to haue them fulfilled But we shall haue occasion to speake more of this the next day in the meane time let this be sufficient The thirteenth Sermon vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart c. COncerning these words besides that that hath ben obserued out of them alreadie it is further to be considered that whereas hee had willed them in the tenth verse to pray that God would heare his prayers and that he would euidently shew that he had done so and now that he would giue him according to his heart he declareth that as when he prayed vnto God he would doe it not with his lips only but from the bottome of his heart so hee would haue the Lord to take knowledge of his prayer from the desires of the same and giue him thereafter True ptayer is a desire of the heart and so to shew that he had heard his prayer by giuing him his hearts desire From whence we learne what is the nature of true
woman that hath good desires and so farre God will fulfill them Therefore that we might pray in faith vnto God for all our desires we must liue righteously and looke that all our desires be only good For though he doth sometime giue the wicked their vngodly desire and that in many things as we haue seene it in Ahab and Iesabell and might haue seene it in many more yea they haue more than their hearts desire yet it is no blessing at all but a punishment of God vpon them to be giuen vp to their owne lusts to desire euill things and then to haue their desires though I say he dealeth thus often with the wicked yet no man can pray for any such thing in faith neither can he looke for it at Gods hands and if it should come vnto him vnlooked for he cannot take it as a blessing from God VVe are rather to pray that in all our wicked and vngodly desires he would crosse vs and neuer suffer vs to thriue in any of our vnlawfull desires and that shall be a great blessing of his vpon vs to haue our vngodly desires denied vnto vs. But we shall find it to be true by all experience that when we haue liued in the best course and haue had most godly desires then the Lord hath most often and soonest fulfilled them so this must teach vs to liue well and to desire good things of God that he may still fulfill them And the rather that we might beleeue God can hinder men of their greatest desires that God only can and doth fulfill the desire of all men we must consider that he can also and doth many time hinder them from their desires that though they haue had neuer so great a desire to a thing yet they could neuer obtaine it And this is threatned to the vngodly as a punishment from God that they shall not haue their desire He shall gnash with his teeth and consume away Psal 112.10 the desire of the wicked shall perish And all experience doth shew that many times he hath frustrated the desires of the wicked Hester 3.6 2 Sam 17.2 1. King 19.2 Exod. 5.7 8. As the desire that Haman had to root out the Iewes that Achitophell had to ouerthrow Dauid that Iesabel had to take away the life of the Prophet Eliah that Pharao had to oppresse the Israelits with cruell bondage and to keepe them still in his land Act. 12.6 that king Herod had to kill Peter how was he disappointed of his purpose when he thought all was sure for Peter was in prison the night before that he thought to haue brought him out to the people he slept between two souldiors bound with two chaines and the keepers before the dore kept the prison so that it seemed all was sure ynough but God sent an Angell Verse 11. and deliuered him out of the hand of Herod and from all the waiting for of the people of the Iewes and so disappointed them all of their vngodly desires And all the enemies of Dauid that sought to keepe him from his kingdome wherof he complaineth Why did the Heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine c. Psal 2.1 God did laugh them all to scorne and would not suffer them to haue their desire of him but said I haue set my king vpon Sion m ne holy mountaine as if he had said hee shall be king in despight of you all How were all the great and mightie tyrants and cruell persecuting emperours disappointed of their diuellish desires to destroy the poore Christians So that though they were many and their persecutions extream and very long enduring certaine hundred yeares yet therein they so little preuailed that the number of them still encreased whereupon arose that prouerbe That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church that is the more that they did put to death the more did rise vp in their stead So that the two last cruell persecutors being tyred with the slaughter of the Christians and fretting at this that they could not haue their desires of them in great discontentment gaue vp their empire and led a priuate life VVhat should I speake of the Papists and of their holy league who were not yet able to satisfie their desire against the professors of the Gospell in that wicked practise which began at the bloodie massacre in Fraunce And how were all that crue of Papists disappointed of their wicked desires in the end here in England by the death of Queene Marie And what should I say of some of those bloodie blasphemous persecutors who so greedily desired the death of Gods Saints that they openly threatened that they would see them burnt but themselues by a sudden death of the hand of God were taken away before their blessed martyrdome So that all the wicked be they neuer so many and mightie they cannot haue their desires alwaies but God can hinder them as it pleaseth him that onely must giue to all men their desires Therefore when men threaten that they will haue their wils of men and they will doe so and so 1. King 19.2 Gen. 4 23. as Lamech did saying I will slay a man in my wound and a young man in my hurt that is if any man touch me I will doe so and so vnto him we see that they must first aske God leaue or els they shall neuer haue their desires Nay Dauid hath taught vs to pray in faith against all the vngodly desires of wicked men Let not the wicked haue his desire Psal 140.8 O Lord performe not his wicked thought least they bee too proud Selah The fourteenth Sermon vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose THat which should haue beene added the last day concerning the former part of this verse is this That wheras we haue heard alreadie how we ought to shew our faith in this point that we beleeue that God can and doth giue to euery one their hearts desire by praying vnto him beforehand for euery thing that we doe desire Now it remaineth further to consider That if we do beleeue indeed that God only doth giue to all men their desires Wee must praise God for all our desires that haue ben fulfilled and that without him they cannot haue them then we must declare this faith of ours after that we haue our desires by acknowledging that for all things which we haue desired in the whole course of our life and haue had them that we are wholly beholding to the goodnesse of God for them and so praise his holy name for the same For if we desire any thing of a mortall man and he bestow it vpon vs we are bound to confesse so much and to be thankefull vnto him for the same then much more vnto God who mooued the heart of that man towards vs and made him an instrument of his goodnesse vnto vs
God when they are so qualited for them as he hath required in his word and when they came to them by such lawfull choise as he hath appointed That so euery one doing that which God requireth of them in the same they might as any trouble shall come vpon them or any difficultie shall befall them they might I say with comfort and in faith pray that God would heare and helpe them they being his anointed that is come to those places by his appointment Euen vnto the meanest calling as of being a seruant And this as it is requisit in euery calling or state of life that one is in euen vnto the meanest to be persuaded That they are placed in them by God so there is great comfort therein whatsoeuer shall befall them in the same As the Apostle speaketh of the calling of a seruant 1. Cor. 7.17 and of being called vnto the estate of marriage and saith of them and of all others generally That as God hath distributed to euery man and as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke and so ordaine I in all Churches VVhere he warneth euery man generally to liue with a contented mind in the Lord what state or condition of life so euer he be in and therfore he telleth him that it is that trade of life which God hath distributed vnto them which he hath called them vnto So that a seruant must be persuaded Ephe. 6.6 that God hath called him to that place and therefore as he must make conscience of doing faithfull seruice not to the eye as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will seruing the Lord and not men as he writeth to the Ephesians So also from this persuasion of his calling hee may pray vnto God to defend him against all wrongs Vers 8. and to assist him in all things euen as Saint Paule in the same place biddeth to that end know That whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same shall he receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free So that seruants being persuaded of the lawfulnesse of their calling and of their owne fidelitie in the same may pray to God to reward them for their good seruice and to defend them in a good cause against any abuses that their master shall offer vnto them And so for the other estate of life And of being called to the state of marriage that he speaketh of there if any be called vnto mariage they must not onely be persuaded of the lawfulnesse of it and that God hath called them vnto it but also that he hath ioyned them together this man to this woman as Eue in paradise was ioyned to Adam by the immediat hand of God and so that they came not together by fortune or chance or by the will and consent of their friends or by their own choice only but by God that their marriage was first made in heauen before it was solemnised vpon earth and therfore that they are in that place that God hath called them vnto Then may they with comfort pray for all such gifts as are needfull for those places as in doing of their duties that the Lord would preserue them from all crosses that might befall them and assist them in them and generally that he would heare their prayers and send them helpe from heauen as the people doe here And to conclude this point In all actions of our life we ought to be persuaded that God hath called vs vnto them we must all of vs be persuaded in the whole course of our liues that whatso-we doe we haue a calling to it from God and so therein we are his anointed that is appointed of God for it VVhich we shall ordinarily know by this that the thing it selfe is good in it owne nature and agreeable to the word of God and commanded there and then that by vertue of our places that we be in God requireth them of vs and that that time and place doth also require them for all things are not required of all men alike nor at all times and in all places Then hauing this persuasion from the word of God though they be dangerous and full of trouble and such as might discourage vs we may confidently pray vnto God to assist vs and defend vs therein and to helpe vs in all affliction that shall befall vs for the same And thus Dauid here being a king was to defend his subiects and therefore their enemies comming against them to battell he goeth forth and aduentureth himselfe to the warre and thus prayeth vnto God and willeth the people to pray for him in this good action whereunto he was lawfully called and God did heare their prayers and gaue them good successe In like manner that famous and worthy Queene Hester after that Mordecai had sent vnto her the copie of the kings letter that was sent abroad by postes for the rooting out of the Iewes in one day and willed her to goe in to the king and make request for the life of her people at the first she like a fearefull woman drew backe and excused her selfe saying All the kings seruants and all the people of the prouinces know Hester 4.11 that whosoeuer man or woman Then may we haue bouldnesse in them though they be neuer so dangerous that commeth to the king into the inner court which is not called there is a law of his that he shall die except to him whom the king holdeth out the golden rod that he may liue now I haue not beene called to come to the king these thirtie dayes Then Mordecai sent her word againe that she must not thinke to escape in the kings house more than all the Iewes but if she did hould her peace at this time deliuerance should appeare to the Iewes out of another place but she and her fathers house should perish and who knew whether she was come to the kingdome for such a time Thus when he had persuaded her by good reason that God did require it at her hands and that she was raysed vp out of a meane place to such an high dignitie by the Lord for such a purpose and that God would require it at her hands if she failed in it shee aduentureth her selfe though it was very dangerous with this resolution that seeing God had called her vnto it he would defend her in it but howsoeuer it should fall out shee would commit her selfe in this cause to his blessed prouidence contented to be ordered by his will I will goe in to the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish But in the meane season hauing this faith in this action she prayeth to God to assist her to guide her to direct her and to blesse her and willeth all the people to doe so likewise saying Goe Verse 16. and assemble all the Iewes that
proofe of it The great power of God in bringing hard things to passe For he is euery where called God Almighty and All sufficient and Lord of hoasts and Lord of lords King of kings maker of all things and preseruer of them in whom we and all things else liue mooue and haue our being c. And in a matter that seemed impossible to Sarah as that she should haue a child when she was so old and all naturall strength fayled her for it ceased to be with her after the manner of women the Lord sayd to Abraham Gen. 18.14 Shall any thing be hard to the Lord as if he had sayd Nothing at all is hard to him but he by his power is able to ouercome all difficulties be they neuer so many and so great And to Moses also in the lik case when he doubted how the Israelites should haue flesh ynough in the wildernesse according to their owne desire Num. 11.23 and as the Lord hath promised he sayd Is the Lords hand shortened Iob. 9.19 that is is his power so weake that he is not able to bring that to passe No. Therefore we may say of him and of his power as Iob doth if we speake of strength Behold he is strong and not onely confesse as the angell did to the virgin Marie when she inquired how she being a virgin should bring forth a child and know no man With God shall nothing be impossible Luke 1.37 Chap. 18.27 but with our Saujour Christ in the same Gospell The things that are impossible with men are possible with God And indeed the great power of God against his aduersaries and for the defence of his seruants might be shewed by infinit examples in the Scriptures as how Pharaoh and his great host was drowned in the red sea when his owne people had a passage through it on drie foot which we spake of euen now Ioshu 6.20 how he caused the walles of Iericho when the Israelites layd siege to it to fall flat downe without any batterie onely at the sound of trumpets how he ouerthrew in the hoast of proud Saneherib one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in one night and by many such like things But this is or should be well knowne vnto vs for this is the first article of our faith That wee beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is who by his mightie power hath made all things in heauen and in earth of nothing and therefore he can bring them all to nought againe and without him they can doe nothing How by the consideration of it we ought to strengthen our faith as hee without them and against them can doe all things Onely we had need to be put in mind to make that good vse of it in the time of our trouble that Dauid doth here namely that thereby we labour to strengthen our faith in the defence of God and that we beleeue that as he doth heare vs so he can and will helpe vs. And the more that any thing is against vs to weaken our faith the more must we by the meditation of the mightie power of God indeuour to strengthen the same knowing that his power shall be made perfect and more cleerely be seene in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 12.9 And thus did Abraham the father of all the faithfull when the Lord had promised vnto him that his wife Sarah should haue a sonne when they were both old and stricken in yeares and was past hope of any by the course of nature For the spirit of God beareth witnesse of him That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope Rom. 4.18 that he should be the father of many nations as it was said vnto him And hee did not by vnbeleefe reason against this by considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie being almost an hundred yeare old nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe but gaue glorie to God That he that had promised As the seruāts of God haue done was able to performe it Thus hee considered of the mightie helpe of Gods right hand and stayed his faith vpon that and so must we doe in all things that God hath promised Matth. 9 29. and then wee shall find That as Christ sayth in the Gospell it shall be vnto vs according to our faith But more fitly for this purpose may wee consider what great vse that good king Hezekiah made of the knowledge that hee had of Gods omnipotent power euen that it did maruellously strengthen his faith in prayer against the mightie power of the great hoast of Saneherib which was come vp against him and against all the desperat and blasphemous threats which he gaue out against him Jsai 37.16 as it is set downe by the Prophet Isaiah where hee thus prayeth O Lord of hostes thou are very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth Incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Saneherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God Truth it is O Lord that the kings of Asshur haue destroyed all lands and their countrey and haue cast the gods in the fire for they were no gods but the worke of mens hands euen wood and stone therefore they destroyed them Now therefore O Lord our God saue thou vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou onely art the Lord. Thus the serious consideration of Gods great power did make him not onely not to be daunted by the power of his aduersarie but caused him with great hope of preuailing to pray earnestly vnto God against it And vnto this may bee ioyned the example of that worthie king Asa one of his predecessours who in like case to vphold his faith against the feare of his mightie and many enemies did meditate vpon the omnipotent power of Gods right hand 2. Chron. 14 9. For when the king of Aethyopia came out against him with ten hundred thousand men besides chariots and horses he went out also against him and did meet with him and did set the battell in array and then cried vnto the Lord his God Considering Gods power not so much in himselfe as for their owne defence that is prayed earnestly and in faith saying Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy name are we come against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee VVhere we see how he doth not consider of the power of God as shut vp in himselfe but as that which was readie to be shewed in their defence against their enemies as Dauid doth here And indeed therein cōsisteth true faith in the power of God That we beleeue that he is almightie to helpe vs and therefore that we