aske grace to help in time of need Wherfore a learneâ— doctor calleth the just man's prayer i Oratio justi clavis est coeli ascendit precatio descendit Dei misericerdia Aug. ser de tom 226. thâ— key of heaven becaus it ascending up to God draweth downe his mercy upon us The reverent and faithfull performance of this duty is a note whereby wâ— may know the Saints of the most high whereby we shall approve our selves to our owne consciences in the sight of God 1 Cor. 1 2 whereas the wicked are branded for the not doeing of it Psal 14 4 Job 21 14. 15. The frequent performance is also very profitable 1. To procure favour anâ— mercy from God 2. To preserve it 3. To regaine any good lost and fourthly to turne away anie judgement plague or trouble whither generally oâ— the state wherein we live or of the church whereof we are members or particulerly of our selves for the Lord hath promised us helpe and deliverance herein if we will but call upon him for he saith k Psa 50 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Is the judgment or affliction already upon us be it a common calamity as the sword captivity plague famine or the like or particuler chastisement as sicknes banishment povertie distresse c See what pregnant proofes we have in Scripture of the validity of prayer in such cases When the King of Assyria had sent rayling l 2 Kings 19. Rabshekeh to revyle the people of God and good king Hesekiah and to threaten warre against them Hesekiah went into the house of the Lord and prayed unto him with earnest affection and the Lord did not only destroy in one night an hundred foureskore and five thousand of the King of Assyria's host but also shortly after the king himself was slaine that by his owne sons Wee have read what captivitie and bondage the children of Israel were in under Pharaoh King of Aegipt and his people yet the Lord heard the m Exod. 3 7. prayers of his people and of his servants Moses and Aaron and brought them out from thence with a strong hand and out stretched arme and so did he also afterwards deliver them from many other servitudes wherein they were Manasseh was for his idolatry taken prisoner by the host of the King of Asshur and they put him in fetters bound him with chaines and carryed him away captive into Babel and when he was there in tribulation n 2 Cron. 23 12. 13. he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him againe to Jerusalem into his kingdome When the pestilence was inflicted so sore upon the people of Israel as that there dyed in three dayes seventie thousand persons King David raised an altar unto the Lord and offered o 2 Sam. 24. Last burnt offerings and peacâ— offerings and the Lord was appeased towards the land and the plague ceaseâ— from Israel p 2 King 20 3. 4. 5. Hesekiah when he waâ— sick he turned his back to the wall anâ— prayed and wept sore and he receaveâ— presently a message from the Lord by the mouth of Isaiah the prophet that his life should be prolonged and he should recover And the Apostle James assureth us that the q Iam. 5 15. prayer of faith shall save the sick Yea prayer is a speciall remedy for the sicknes of the soule which is the r Prov. 15 15. greatest sicknes that we can be afflicted withall in this life Is the judgment or affliction not yet fallen upon a people but threatened gainst them as it is against us at this day if we repent not let us know then that prayer if it be fervent is an espetiall meanes a soveraigne remedie to avert and turne away the same A proofe whereof we have in the people of Å¿ Ionah 3. Niniveh unto whom though the Lord sent his prophet with an expresse message to denounce his judgment against them for their sins telling them directly as if there had bin no recalling it yet fortie dayes and Niniveh shal be destroyed yet the people of Niniveh beleeving God and humbling themselves with fasting and crying mightily unto the Lord the text saith that the Lord heard them and repented him of the evill which he had threatened against them Iacob hereby prevailed with God when he was t Gen. 32 7. 9. 28. in feare of his brother Esau and so may we too if we pray with faith and waver not Which serveth both to reprove the too Vse too great neglect of this holy duty and to exhort and stirre us up to the diligent and zealous practise thereof It is one of the greatest charges wich lyeth upon the ministers of the gospell to teach men how to pray and to presse them to the doeing of it there being not a more infallible signe that a man is the child of God than this that he hath receaved the Spirit of grace whereby he is made able willing and ready to goe unto God as his father and with true faith and fervencie of spirit to poure out his complaints and supplications to him as his present occasion requireth Art thou then by distance of place imprisonment banishment necessary travaile or otherwise removed from the ordinarie hearing of the word of God taught and preached from fanctifying the Lord's day in doeing the publick duties of worship and service unto thy maker with the rest of thy bretheren the people of God and thyne heart doth as it were long and pant as the hart doth for v Psal 42 1. the brooks of water to appeare before God in those his publike ordinances and administrations be not discomforted but alwayes have recourse unto God in prayer x Dan. 6 10. three times a day with Daniel y Psal 119 164. seven times a day with David alwayes as our blessed z Luke 18 1. Savior teacheth and a 1 Thes 5 17. continually as the Apostle Paul instructeth us and above or before all thinges as we learne in the text Offer up this sacrifice to God morning and evening saying with the sweet singer of Israel b Psa 14 1 2. let my prayer ascend unto thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice Let it be thy first and â—ast worke every day Make it even the key to open the daie and the lock to shut up the night that thou mayest rest in â—afety and thy sleep may be sweet and â—one may make thee affraid Let the â—erformance hereof goe before they reâ—eipt of thy daylie food and conclude â—he receipt thereof with giving God â—raise So shall the good creatures of God â—e sanctified to thee In a word whatâ—oever thou goest about or layest thine and unto though thou hast not time
oppressor that they may know their obedient and loving subjects from proud traiterous rebels for * Virgil Regûm est parcere subject is and debellare superbos it is the property of Kings to spare their subjects but to suppresse the proud and rebellious And as they are the ministers of God so their office power is the ordinance of God he hath appointed that there shal be Rom. 13 1. 2. governors rulers over the people in his power it is to set up and pull downe whom he pleaseth From whence it may he reasoned thus whatsoever function or administration is ordained and appointed of God whither it be for the good of the body or soul of man or both whosoever shal be lawfully called to the executing of any such charge are to be prayed for and thankes to be given to God for their good or the good which we receave by them But Kings and those that are put into lawfull place are so ordained and appointed of God therfore to be prayed for c in obedience to Gods ordinance and that it may be sanctifyed unto us Thirdly the burthen of all the civile state lyeth principally on their shoulders and their miscarriage tendeth to the damage and hurt of the whole body politick and so unto Christians as they are members of the Comon wealth as well as others as we may see by daylie experience On the other hand the safety preservation and good carriage of the King reacheth unto the whole common wealth What can be then lesse done for them than to commend them and their governement to God in our prayers saying * Ps 72 1. Give the King thy judgment ô Lord and thy righteousnes to the Kings son Fourthly they are appointed of God amongst other things for the maintaynance of his church and truth against the persecuting hands of malitious bloody enemyes therfore necessary it is yea the duty of every member of the Church to pray for them that the Lord would make them v Isa 49 23. nurssing fathers to his Israel For the x Pro. 21 1. hearts of Kings are in the handes of the Lord and as the rivers of water he turneth them whither soever it pleaseth him Fiftly how ever it come to passe whither they be friends or enemyes good or bad for us or against us yet in praying for them we please God and our prayers returne into our owne bosomes as hath bin before noted Which may serve for the just condemnation Vse of those that in stead of praying for Kinges princes and magistrates doe curse them that is speake evill of them Neither doe they beare that honour and reverence in their hearts to them which is meet Exod. 22 28. Eccl. 10 20. 2 Pet. 2 10. 11. Jude vers 8. And the equality and truth of this point may be a ground of exhortation to all that feare God to manifest their honour love and fidelity to their prince by praying for him What though he be not so wise and prudent in governing as he ought yet let not that put thee off from performance of thy duty which God hath required of thee He shall answere for his administration and thou for thy subjection and fidelity His negligence shall not excuse thee for thine What though he be an enemy to the truth and seeketh to destroy thy body and goods becaus thou canst not with good conscience obey his humane lawes which thou findest to be contrarie to God's law yet cease not to pray for him yea know that in such case thou hast greater reason to pray for him that God would turne his heart And what knowest thou but thy fervent prayers may prevaile so farr with God as to move him to inclyne his heart to shew favour to his people and to suffer the truth to flourish or at least to favour thee in thy particuler We have the comfortable experience here in this land of God's power in this kind witnes our feedome of the gospell which we here enjoy farre otherwise than ever any of our fathers could obtaine in our native Countrie the more is the pity the Lord lay it not to their charge and can not the same God worke the same in the hearts of other princes and magistrates doubtles his hand is not shorter in one place than another but for ought thou knowest it is becaus thou art slack and negligent in calling upon God to powre his Spirit upon thy prince and to give the Senators wisdome and inclyne their hearts to shew pitie to his heritage Besides is the King or the magistrate an enemy to thee take heed how therfore thou seekest to y Rom. 12 19. avenge thy self of him by withholding thy prayers from him for this is displeasing to him who hath commanded thee to z Math. 5 44. love thyne enemyes blesse them that curse thee doe good to them that hate thee and pray for them which despite fully use thee and persecute thee If ever the Christian people of the English nation stood in need to be stirred up or awakened in this kind now is the time for me thinkes I heare divers complaine of the distance and discord which is between the Kings majestie and the honourable Court of parliament and the unreasonablenes of the malignants whom the King seemeth to countenance and I heare divers and that religious people too bemoaning the parliament and blaming the King yea preparation is made of weapons of warre and that by religious people the forwardest and most godlie labour to shew their zeal in helping the parliament with men and mony and I heare also of fasting and prayer for the good of the land and preservation of the parliament but I heare few or none of the better sort utter good desires concerning the King though I can not but think that they intend the King with his parliament as necessary adjuncts and all becaus they take him now to be misled carryed out of the way by wicked counsell Is it so that the King seemeth to be led aside from the way of Justice and it maie be unwittingly to his majesty runing upon the rocks of perill and poverty and hazarding the whole kingdome thereby what great cause is there then for the faithfull to lift up strong cryes unto God to confound and turne to foolishnes the counsels of the a 2 Sam. 15 31. Achitophels and to remove the wicked from the throne of the b Pro. 25 5. King and so over rule and perswade the heart of the King that as a father he may tender the lives estates of his children his subjects and as a prince of God may so administer the affaires of the kingdome that peace and truth may kisse each other that such as professe to feare that great name of God may under him lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie which is the fourth particular considerable in this exhortation and the
they are his ministers they could have no power except it were given them from above and therfore good reason that they should use it principally in the furtherance of godlinesse See Dan. 2 21. 37. Pro. 8 15. Joh. 19 11. Ezek. 29. 19. 20. Rom. 13 1. 2. 3. 4. Jerem. 27 8. Secondly God hath honoured them with giving them his title I have said ye are Gods c. Psal 82 1. 2 Cron. 19 6. therfore it is their shame if they should â—ishonour him which they doe if they â—eeke not by all lawfull wayes and meanes â—he promotion of his worship and service Thirdly this appeareth by the administraâ—ion of Almightie God in all ages since we â—ead of Kinges ruling upon Earth both â—n the land of Judah and also in Israel and others Countries in that he hath preâ—erved those that have feared him and â—romoted godlinesse though but in a â—mall measure whereas he hath destroyed â—nd cut off their name and memoriall that have rebelled against him and bin abetâ—ors of Idolatry and false worship though â—t have bin but in the forme and manner of his service which amongst men is accompted an indifferent thing but it is not so with God who will have his will to be the only law to rule in mens consciences as he did the Kinges of Israel who maintayned the calves at Dan and Bethel which Jeroboam the son of Nebat had set up And how did he plague Pharaoh and all Aegipt for that they would not * Exod. 5 1. suffer the childeren of Israel to goe and doe service to their God as he had commanded them which example me thinketh were alone enough to make the hearts of all Kings princes and magistrates be they of supreame or inferior authority to tremble and quake who know that historie of God's fearfulâ— judgments upon that king and people and yet are guilty of the same sin foâ— they will not suffer the people of God to f 2 Cor. 6 17. seperate from their Idolatries and to serve the Lord upon the * Rev. 14 1. VVith Zach. 2 7. Mount Sion where he hath commanded to be worshipped by his Saints They will havâ— the Saints of God the holy ones of the most high to pollute themselves witâ— their Aegyptian Idols to hold communion with their Babylonish Synagogue and to approve and justifie them yea to accompanie with them in their unfruitfull works of darknes Idol-service and Image worship or els fire and fagot halter and gibbet sword and persecutioâ— shall follow them yea and such new kinds of torture as never before these evill dayes have bin heard to have biâ— inflicted upon the Saints as if men for conscience towards God were to be notcht cut or mark'd like dogs rogues or open perjured varlets If this be noâ— a great oppression of the poore weakling and a depriving the free borne subject of his liberty nay his liberty of conscience which is more deare than life and making them slaves and vassals to mens wills and malitious practises whither right or wroÌ„g I am ignorant what is whereas man being a reasonable creature and having a spirit of wisdome and understanding given him from the Almightie should be governed by rationall lawes grounded upon the law of God light of nature and when he is found after due conviction to be a rebell then is it time enough to punish him but if a man be able with meeknes and feare any wise to manifest that that which is put upon him is contrary to the word of God and he can not doe this without sining against God and the scripture saith it is better to obey God than man then to compell such a man to doe any thing against the check of his conscience or to punish him for not doeing it or for doeing the good which is contrary thereunto is not ruling but tyranie Oh that now at length the g Psal 2. 10. 11. 12. Kings of the earth would be wise and that the Judges and rulers of the world would by that and such like examples learne to serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce in trembling Oh that they would themselves and their people with them cast off that affinitie which they have made with that Arch-enemy of Christ the man of sin and would kisse the son least he be angry and they perish in the way when his wrath shall suddainly burne and none shall quench it for it is the will of God that h Iob. 5 23. all men should honour the son as they honor the father he that honoureth not the son honoureth not the father which hath sent him But is it so that they will not honour the son by submitting themselves their crownes and scepters at i his feet to serve him Rev 21 24. and his church by being nursing fathers unto his people Isa 49 23. and 60 10. if they will not k Ier. 22. 3. execute Iudgment and righteousnes and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor and vexe not the stranger the fatherlesse or the widowe but will doe violence and shed innocent blood will they not set before them the law of the Lord God of heaven l Deut. 17 vers 18. 19. 20. read therein and learne thereby to feare the Lord God whose name is Iehovah and keep all the wordes of his law to doe them but will have their hearts lift up above their bretheren and will oppresse them and make them submit to their humane lawes and ordinances which they have themselves sucked out of the poysoned cup of fornications in the hand of that great whore that rideth upon that scarlet beast whose name is a a Mysterie great Babilon the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth and will m Rev. 17 13. 14. have one mynd and give their power and authority to the beast and all to fight against the lambe and those that are with him who are called and chosen and faithfull Then let them know that if they turne not sudainly he that is n Rev. 19 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. faithfull and true who judgeth and warreth righteously whose eies are a flame of fire and on whose head are many crownes whose name is THE WORD OF GOD who hath a companie of warriers following him upon white horses clothed with fine lynnen white and pure out of whose mouth goeth a two-edged sword wherewith he smiteth the nations who is the king of kings and Lord of Lords and hath all o Mat. 28 18 power given him both in heaven and earth that he I say hath p Psol 7 12. bent his bow and made his arrowes ready to shoot at those wicked persecutors and sudainly will he speake unto them in his wrath vexe them in his sore displeasure Then shall they be slaine with the q Rev. 19 18 21. sword of him that sitteth upon the horse which sword cometh out of his mouth and their flesh shal be given