must doe as Mary did shee layed up all the sayings that shee heard of Christ and pondered them in her heart Luke 2.51 The Disciples often questioned of Christ which proves that they pondered his Words in their hearts So the Nobles of Berea they searched the Scripture so Iacob hee noted the saying of Ioseph and laid it up Yee doe not heare thus if you doe but lend your eares for the time if yee worke it not upon your affections ye profit not The reason why there is so much preaching and so little profit is for want of this There are two kinds of ill hearers the first are such as heare as Swine and trample all they heare under feete the second such as heare as Dogs snarling at the doctrine if yee offend in eyther of these yee heare amisse Of all the foure grounds that was worst which received not the Word When men heare the Word there is more than a naturall forgetfulnesse in them the Divell helpes it Iam. 1.23.24 He that heares the Word and recals it not or practiseth it not is like one that beholdeth his face in a glasse for he beholdeth himselfe and goeth away and straight way forgetteth what manner of man he was yee must recall it before yee can practise it else yee will be like to those that behold their face in a glasse and wipe not away their spots Be not therefore forgetfull hearers and for this first recall and repeate what yee have heard when yee are gone Secondly practise it afterwards there is a blessing promised to mindfull hearers there is a curse denounced against those that are forgetfull Ioh. 13.15 If yee know these things happy are ye if you doe them but there is a curse for you if you doe not profit God will make you to heare and will not give you his Spirit Regard to prize the Word if ye will not be forgetfull Rom. 1.28 those that did not like to retaine God in their knowledge those that did heare the Word and not regard it God gave them up to a reprobate sence to an Injudiciousnesse to doe those things that were not convenient not being able to profit by it The ancient Fathers much pressed the repetition of Sermons and one of them useth this similitude A man that comes into a pleasant garden will not content himselfe with the present sent only but he wil carry some of the flowers home with him So in a cold day a man will not be content to heate himselfe at anothers man fire but he will carry away some fire with him to keepe him hot at home So doe yee when ye come to heare the Word carry home some flowers of it with you carry some fire home with you to heate and warme your hearts God regards not flashes and moodes and such negligence in performing of holy duties as will not warme your hearts Men are like a Sive in the water it is full whiles it is in the water but being taken out of it it hath nothing it is not the hearing of the Word of God or the doing of it negligently that will profit if ye heare it only pro forma and negligently it doth you no good but it brings Gods curse upon you Gods curse is on many they grow not in knowledge or grace for want of diligence wherefore in the 2 Pet. 3 17. the Apostle bids us beware least being led away with the error of the wicked we fall from our owne stedfastnesse to prevent this grow in grace and for this purpose grow in knowledge for then ye grow in grace The fift meanes to heare profitably is to prize the Word and the voyce of Christ speaking to the heart pray earnestly for it that ye may seeke it earnestly at Gods hands beseech him to speake to your hearts your hearing is nothing without this it is the great sheapheard of the flocke that must feede you It is the Spirit that must teach you Therefore when as you come to heare pray earnestly to God to speake unto you by his Spirit It is the Spirit that quickneth Ioh. 6.63 the Word is spirituall and wee are carnall therefore wee must pray for the Spirit to helpe us for to heare the Spirit is not bestowed without prayer Act. 1.14.15 God promised to give his Spirit to his Apostles yet they continued long in prayers ere he gave it them Luk. 11.13 God gives not his Spirit but to such as aske it to such as coÌ„tinue praying asking and knocking Dauid prayes to God to open his eyes that he might see the wonders of his Law Men may heare the Word yet God opens not their eyes without seeking to him God speakes unto you by his Ministers Paule and Apollos are yours we are the Ministers of God for your sakes for your service If God open the dore of utterance it is not for our sakes but yours that you might seeke the Word at our mouthes and beleeve Act. 14.1 a great company of Iewes and Gentiles beleeved by hearing the Word preached and receiving of it The world receives not the Spirit because they seeke it not Ioh. 14 17. We in preaching can doe nothing it is the Spirit that must doe it 2 Cor. 3.18 we can shew you the Image of God but it is nothing to you if ye be not transformed into the same image from glory to glory and it is the Spirit that must thus transforme you Conclude therfore with God in prayer let not him deny you one Word from him is more than a thousand from us God fastning his Word upon your hearts it changeth you without him we preach in vayne The sixt meanes to heare profitably is to come with vacuity of minde free from all things that hinder else wee sow but amongst thornes Ier. 4.4 we speake to men prepossessed the seed falles on fallow ground we speake to men whose hearts are full of lusts they have a noyse of businesse within them and so they heare us not because their hearts are forepossessed The arrowes head being in the wound it is in vaine to lay plaisters upon it therefore Iam. 1.24 when as wee come to heare the Word wee are commanded to lay aside all superfluity of naughtinesse and to receive with meekenesse the ingrafted Word which is able to save our soules Dâ—e in hearing the Word as men doe in grafting cut off all superfluous branches come with empty minds attend to the matters of grace Men who have full stomacks God feeds not He feeds the hungry others are sent empty away they are alwayes hearing but never profiting I should speake now to Ministers and people to Ministers that they speake in the voyce of Christ that they speake as he did not in wisedome of words but in the evidence of the Spirit To the people that they must heare them by whom Christ speakes those who have Livings to bestow ought to bestow them on such as speake the Words of Christ they that
not onely doe the duty and therefore when wee exhort you to it not onely to call upon God for men are ready enough to doe that especially in the time of distresse but with these conditions I have named You know Gehazi when hee had got the staffe of Elisha hee went to the Child but it was not the staffe that could raise the child from death to life there was something more required So in prayer it is not meere prayer that will doe it there is something else there must be other conditions that must bee observed For wee are wont to doe with it as those Conjurers were wont to doe with the name of Iesus they thought if they used the name of Iesus it was enough but yee know what answer the Spirit gives them Iesus we know and Paul we know but who are yee So I say we are wont to doe in this case we thinke it is enough to make our request and that is all No there is somewhat more required you must make your request in such a manner as ye ought Then I adde this further that when thou makest them in such a manner yet thou must not thinke to be heard for thy praiers sake that is another thing we are apt to faile in When wee have made fervent prayers and have beene importunate with the Lord wee thinke now surely we shall not faile No you must know this the promise is not made to the prayer but to the person praying You shall not finde throughout the whole scripture that any promise is made thus because wee pray fervently wee shall be heard but it is made to the person praying the prayer is but the instrument but the meanes by which the blessing is conveyed to us is a meanes without which the Lord will not doe it for the promise is made to the party A cold prayer so there be no neglect in it so a man seeke the Lord and pray as well as hee can it will prevaile sometimes as well as a fervent prayer Who indites the petition who makes the prayer fervent Surely not thy selfe but the Holy Ghost he makes request in us sometimes hee makes thee more fervent hee enlargeth the heart more sometimes againe the heart is more straitned in the performance of this duty but both may come from the same Spirit Not but that wee have cause of much comfort when wee are able to pray fervently for this is a ground of our comfort that when we pray fervently it is an argument that the Holy Ghost dwels in our hearts and that our prayers are dictated by him it is an argument that our prayers come from a holy fire within And therefore fervent prayer may give us hope of being heard but yet it is not meerely the prayer but because it is an evidence that it comes from a right principle that it comes from the regenerate part and is made by the assistance of the Holy Ghost it is not the very fervency that prevailes And therefore when you heare this that the Lord is ready to heare I say make that use of it bee fervent in this duty remember the conditions and yet withall know that you are not heard for the very prayers sake but for Iesus Christ his sake He makes every praier acceptable hee mingles them with his sweete odours And if you object O but I am a man full of infirmities You know how it is answered in the Fift of Iames saith he Eliah when hee was heard he was a man and a man subject to passions to the like passions that wee are As if he should say do not thinke that Eliah was therefore heard because hee was an extraordinary Prophet for it was because the Lord had made a promise to him and hee comes and urges that promise to the Lord and therefore the Lord heard him So saith hee should every one of you if you have the promise you may goe and urge it as wel as Eliah did though you be subject to many infirmities Eliah was even so You know there are infirmities and passions expressed in the Scriptures that he was subject to And this is the first use we are to make of it to be frequent and fervent in this duty since wee have such a promise Secondly if wee have such a promise then wee should learne hence when we have put up our prayers at any time to make more account of them than we doe for the truth is that we pray for the most part for fashion sake many a man saith thus with himselfe I will seeke the Lord if it doe me no good it will doe no hurt but if wee made that account of our prayers as we should we would performe this duty in another manner but we doe not make that account of them as wee ought Wee thinke not with our selves that the prayers that wee make are surely heard ther be many evidences of it what is the reason that when wee seeke the Lord we doe it so remisly that wee have scarce leasure to make an end of our prayers we are so ready to hasten and goe about other businesse wee are ready to turne every stone to use all meanes to seeke the creatures with all diligence but who prayes to the Lord as he ought to worke his heart to such a fervent performance of that duty as hee should men have scarcely leasure for it is usuall with them when they have businesse to doe and enterprises to bring to passe they are exceeding diligent to use all meanes and yet are remisse in the chiefe what is the reason els that wee see the doores of Princes and great men so full of suiters though there bee porters set on purpose to drive them away but the gates of heaven are so empty It is indeed because wee doe not beleeve our prayers are heard wee do but make our prayers for fashion What is the reason likewise that we use prayer in the time of distresse if it will be an effectuall meanes to helpe us when all other meanes faile why use we it not before But that is an argument that wee trust not to it seeing we use it onely in the time of extremity for if it be not effectuall why do we use it then If it be effectuall why do not wee use it till that accident Therefore this use wee must further make when wee heare that the Lord heares our prayers to make more account of them than wee do to thinke that our prayers when they are put up to the Lord shal be heard Say thus with thy selfe Well now I have prayed and I expect that the thing should be granted that I have prayer for when I seeke to the Lord. It 's true I deny not but wee must use the meanes too wee must lay the hands upon the plough and yet pray both ought to be done as sometimes we use two friends but we trust one wee use two Physitians but
your life consists not in abundance He is but a foole that thinkes that these things will make him happy that these will make him rich all they that are not rich in God are poore and if they thinke themselves happy and rich in these things they are but fooles Secondly the desire of superfluitie is sinfull because it proceeds from an evill roote the fruit cannot bee good that proceedeth from an evill and bitter roote but this desire proceeds from such a roote That is from lust it comes not from Gods spirit which biddeth every man to be content with food and rayment Nor yet from nature which seekes not superfluities therefore proceeding from lust it must needs be sinfull Thirdly what yee may not pray for that ye may not desire to seeke after but we may not pray for superfluities Prov. 30.8 Give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food convenient for me not with superfluities And in the Lords Prayer we are taught not to pray for superfluities but Give vs this day our daily bread that is as much as is necessarie for us and no more therefore we may not desire it The seeking of more than is necessary doth hinder us and not further us a shooe that is too big doth hinder a traveller as well as one that is too little Fourthly it is dangerous for it doth choake the word and drowne men in perdition therefore it is Agurs Prayer Prov. 30.8.9 Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for mee least I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord Fulnesse and excesse is alwayes dangerous full tables doe cause surfeits full cups make a strong braine giddy The strongest Saints hath beene shaken with prosperity and excesse as Dauid Hezekiah Salomon they sinned by reason of excesse in outward things It is dangerous to bee rich therefore it is Davids counsell Psal. 62.10 If riches increase set not your hearts upon them A rich man cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for him to enter into Heaven For if a man be rich it is a thousand to one but that hee trusteth in his riches and it is impossible that hee who trusteth in his Riches should enter into heaven Lastly to desire superfluity must needs beâ— sinfull because wee have an expresse command to the contrary 1 Tim. 6.8 If wee have food and raiment let vs therewith be content This is the bound that God hath set us we must not goe beyond it If it were lawfull for any man to desire and have abundance then it were lawfull for Kings yet God hath set limits to them Deut â—7 17 Hee shall not multiply Horses nor Wives to himselfe that his heart turne not away neither shall he greatly multiply to himselfe silver and gold that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren God hath set us downe limits and bounds how farre wee should goe therefore to passe beyond them is sinfull but we passe beyond them when as we desire superfluity therefore the desire of superfluity is sinfull But may not a man use his calling to increase his wealth I answer that the end of mens callings is not to gather riches if men make this their end it is a wrong end but the end of our calling is to serve God and man The ground of which is this Every man is a member of the Common wealth every man hath some gifts or other which must not lie idle every man hath some Talents and must use them to his Masters advantage and how can that be except hee doe good to men Every one is a Servant to Christ and must doe Gods worke no man is free every one is Christs servant and must bee diligent to serve Christ and to doe good to men He that hath an office must be diligent in it and attend on it every man must attend his calling and bee diligent in it If riches come in by our calling that is the wages not the end of our calling for it lookes onely to God wee must not make gaine the end of our callings there are many that make gaine their godlinesse and the end of their professions Some preach onely for gaine others use all other callings onely for gaine but if any man wil make gaine the end of his calling though he may conceale and hide his end from men yet let him be sure that hee shall answer God the searcher of the hearts for it on the other side if a man by diligence in his calling have Riches following him hee may take them as a blessing of God bestowed on him and as a reward of his calling The diligent hand maketh rich that is GOD will surely reward it not that we must eye riches and make them our end GOD makes a man rich and man makes himselfe rich God makes us rich by being diligent in our callings using them to his glory and mans good he doth cast riches on us Man makes himselfe rich when as he makes riches the end of his calling and doth not expect them as a reward that comes from God I shall expresse it by Iacob Iacob he serves Laban faithfully and God blessed him so that hee did grow rich hee went not out of his Compasse and Spheare hee tooke the wages that was given him and because Gods end was to make him rich God enriched him by his wages as a reward of his service The more diligent a man is in his calling the more sincere and upright the more God doth blesse him and increase his riches God makes men rich when as hee gives them riches without sorrowes and troubles when as they come in with ease without expectation and disquiet Man makes himselfe rich when as there is great trouble in getting keeping and enjoying them when as he useth his calling to get riches or when as hee useth unlawfull meanes The method that God useth to inrich men is this He first bids us seeke the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and then all these things shall bee administred unto us as wages we must looke to our duty and let God alone to provide and pay us our wages he that takes a servant bids him onely to looke to his duty and let him alone to provide him meate drinke and wages We are all but servants God is our Master let us looke to our duty and leave the wages to him But whether may not a man take care to get wealth Is not a man to take care for his estate to inâ—rease it and fit it I answer hee may lawfully take care of it observing the right rules in doing it which are these First hee must not goe out of his compasse but walke within his owne pale he must not step out of his owne calling into other mens and in his owne calling
come very neare within a step or two to heaven and yet misse it many there are which do much like the young man yet some thing is wanting that also must be had els there is no Salvation Why is there so little change in men but because they thinke that lesse will serve the turne This cold overly and customary performance of holy duties marres all therefore consider but this First that it doth you no good at all what good did the Laodiceans luke-warmnes doe them they had as good bin cold yea God wisheth that they were either hot or cold Rev. 3.15 What good did all that Amafiah did to him seeing that he did it not with a sincere perfect heart These dowbaked services as I may so stile them these carkases without life these slight services profit not therefore there are conditions added to them in the Word prayer prevailes If it be fervent Iam. 5.16 If thou beleevest with all thine heart Act. 8. Effectuall faith diligent hope and fruitfull love 1 Thess. 1.3 It is a good observation of Divines that God loves adverbs better than verbes well doing above doing those that came to the wedding not having wedding garments were shut out Math. 22.11.12.13 as well as those that came not those that offred strange fire as Nadab and Abihu and their company were consumed as well as they that did not offer at all Secondly consider the nature of the thing what it is to be religious Is it an easie thing to turne nature to worke a change Is it easie to get ground of a raging lust It is as hard as to get ground of the Sea Consider the difference betwixt the Law and us That is spirituall wee are carnall Rom. 7. Consider the distemper of your affections and know your selves all that we have in us is either common or corrupt nature Gods graces are beyond the one and contrary to the other must we make these duties of religion to be onely in the by Prayer keeping of the Sabboths are to most men but as things in the by the streame of their affections runs in an other channell There is another thing required of us than this we must love the Lord with all our hearts and strength Deut. 6.5 This is it which all must do they must love God with all their strength else they are not worthy of him There is a qualification required of all that are saved he is not worthy of Grace or Heaven that seekes them not with his utmost indevour The difference twixt Cains Abels sacrifice was this Gen. 4.3 4.5 The one did it negligently brought the worst of his fruits the other brought the best he had Cursed is every one that doth the worke of the Lord negligently that is contenting himselfe with the outward performance of it doing it as a taske and being glad when it is done and over to doe it diligently is to worke with an eye to that which it tends to and to obtaine the end The end of prayer is to quicken you to performe holy duties when you obtaine this end then is your prayer diligent To do things onely for shew is nothing the effect and end is all you esteeme not your servants works unlesse they obtaine their end there is nothing that you esteeme the end of it being not done What is it to pray the end being not done men not being built up by it Iude 20. We must build up our selves in our most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost A cold formall performance doth but hurt us breeds more coldnesse and deadnesse in us In habits the more imperfect the acts are the more they weaken the habits the duties of religion coldly performed weaken grace Let a man accustome himselfe to write carelesly and crookedly it marreth his hand Let us therefore do all we do to God with diligence and fervency consider that those whom you thinke least needed for to do it did so their diligence should stir you up You know that Iacob wrestled with God all night Gen. 32.24 and so should you wrestle with him with strong prayers Christ himselfe spent many nights in prayer looke upon the prayers of David the fastings of Daniel aâ—ove all others looke upon Paul you may see him in watching in prayers and in fastings often he had a continuall strife with his heart to bring his body that is the deeds of his body into subjection I keepe under my body saith he and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.17 My body that is the sinfull lusts of my body must bee brought downe I must go thorow fighting till I have the victory else I shall be a cast-away I shall else have onely an outward shew but yet bee nothing accounted of with God Consider this if a little diligence will not serve the turne adde more if prayer will not doe it adde fasting to it As there are some divels that will not be cast out without fasting and prayer so also are there some sinnes Make the plaister fit to the disease Complaine not with the sluggard who puts his hands in his bosome and doth nothing at all or doth not proportion his labour to the worke Lesse labour would serve the turne if our soules were as dry wood but they are as greenwood there must be much blowing ere they will bee kindled It is hard to get our soules to good duties hard to keepe them on the wing we must continue in prayer and that instantly too Men are ready to give over and to sit downe but you must continue Eph. 6. We must watch thereunto with perseverance there must every day be a new winding up of the soule there is a spring of sin in us so there must be a spring of holy duties we must doe them constantly you have daily new crosses and impediments therefore you must mend your pace in the way to heaven and bee more diligent you must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord and not slothfull Rom. 12.11 Doe your owne worke up and be doing and the Lord shall be with you 1 Chr. 22.16 God will deale with you as he did with the Eunuch hee was reading of the Scripture and God sent Phillip to him for to teach him Act. 8.26 c. So Cornelius hee was praying and God sent his Angell to him first and afterward Peter Act. 10. So the Apostles when as they rowed all night as Christ bade them he at last joynes himselfe to them and helpes them Matth. 14.24 c. The worst natures with his helpe can doe any thing the best without him can doe nothing Fiftly if the wayes of God are so full of crosses and difficultyes then learne from hence to justifie the wisedome of the Word of God and the Religion in the Scriptures It is an argument that it comes from heaven because it is not a whit agreable with our natures It is a pure and no leaden Lesbian rule it is
we put confidence in one of them In like manner wee must both pray and use the meanes but so as wee put our chiefe trust in prayer it is not meanes that will doe it But the truth is wee doe the quite contrary It may be we pray and use the meanes but wee trust the meanes and not the prayer that is a common and a great fault among us it is a peece of Atheisme for men to thinke the Lord regards their prayers no more than hee regards the bleating of sheepe or the lowing of oxen to thinke he heeds them not And it s a great part of faith to thinke that the Lord harkens to them and regards them as certainely he doth But you will say I have prayed and am not heard and have sought to the Lord and have found no answer Well it may be thou hast not for the present but hast thou stayed the Lords leasure for that is to be considered in this case sometimes the Lord comes quickly he gives a quick answer to our requests somtimes he staies longer But this is our comfort that when the returne is longer the gaine is the greater â—s we see in trades some trades have their returne very quicke it may be the tradesmens money is returned every weeke but then their gaine is so much the lighter but when their returne is flower as is your great merchants when it stayes three or foure yeares wee see the ships come home laden bringing so much the more So for the most part when our prayers do stay long they returne with the greater blessings they returne loaden with rich coÌ„modities Let this be an encouragement to us Though I stay the Lord will grant it and thinke not with thy selfe I made such a prayer long agoe I found no fruit of it for be sure the Lord remembreth thy prayer though thou hast forgotten it the prayers that thou madest a good many yeares agoe may doe thee good many yeares hence May not a man pray to have his Child sanctified to have him brought to better order It may be hee lives many yeares and sees no such thing yet in the end the prayer may be effectuall So likewise it may be in many cases you see there are many examples for it Abraham prayed he stayed long but you see it was a great blessing that he had when he prayed for a Sonne you know what a Sonne hee was he was a Sonne of the promise in whom all the nations of the earth were blessed So David when the Lord promised him a kingdome hee staied long for it Many such examples there are Therefore comfort thy selfe with this though I stay long this is my hope this is my encouragement that sustaines me If I seeke the Lord and waite upon him Hee will come with a great blessing the gaine shall bee heavier and greater though the returne be not so quicke and sudden Last of all when you heare such a promise as this That whatsoever you aske you shall bee heard in it you shall hence learne to spend some time in the meditation of this great priviledge that the Saints have and none but they This I propound to every mans consideration that those that are not Christians that is those that are not regenerate may know what they lose by it and those that are may understand the happines of their condition that they may learne to magnify it and to blesse themselves in that condition that they have such a great priviledge as this It is no more but aske and have therefore that which in the third place I exhort you to is this namely to spend time in the meditation of it to consider what a great advantage it is David cannot satisfie himselfe enough in it In 18. and 116. Psalmes Lord I love thee dearely hee cannot prayse enough and why I sought to thee in distresse thou heardest me I called upon thee and thou inclinedst thine eare to my praier I say consider this mercy as you ought to doe it is part of the thankes we owe to the Lord for so an exceeding priviledge That whatsoever our case bee it is no more but put up our requests and wee shall bee heard When there was a speech among some holy men as you know that man that was named in the story what was the best trade he answered Beggerie It is the hardest and it is the richest trade Now he understands it not of common beggery for this is the poorest and easiest trade that condition he puts in but saith hee I understand it of a prayer to God that kind of beggery I meane which as it is the hardest nothing more hard than to pray to God as wee ought so withall there is this comfort in it it is the richest trade of all others there is no way to inrich our selves so much with all the promises that belong either to this life or to that which is to come Even as you see among men a Courtier a Favorite in the Court getâ— more by one suite it may be than a Tradesman or Merchant or husband man gets with twenty yeares labour though he takes much paines for one request may bring more profit may make a Courtier richer than so many yeares labour and paines So in like case a faithfull prayer put up to God may more prevaile with him wee may obtaine more at his hands by it than by many yeares labour or using many meanes and therefore it is a rich trade and great priviledge a priviledge that we cannot thinke enough of that wee cannot esteeme enough You have heard of a noble man in this Kingdome that had a Ring given him by the Queene with this promise that if he sent that Ring to her at any time when he was in distres she would remember him and deliver him This was a great priviledge from a Prince and yet you see what that was subject unto he might be in such a distresse when neither King not Queene could be able to helpe him or though they were able as shee was in that case yet it might be sent not delivered Now then consider what the Lord doth to us Hee hath given us this priviledge he hath given us prayer as it were this Ring he hath given us that to use and tells us whatsoever our case is whatsoever wee are whatsoever we stand in need of whatsoever distresse wee are in doe but send this up to me saith hee do but deliver that message up to me of prayer and I will bee sure to relieve you Now certainely what case soever wee are in when we send up this it is sure to be conveyed whersoever we are Againe whatsoever our case is we send it to one that is able to helpe us which a Prince many times is not able to doe This benefit we have by prayer That whatsoever we aske at the Lordâ— hands wee shall have it Now consider this great advantage which you have It
any of these in the Church put it up to him and put it up with confidence For this is a marriage day as it were it is the time when he reacheth out his scepter as you know the things I allude to and thou maist come to his presence You know when Hester was admitted to the presence of the King then said he What request hast thou when thou art admitted to the familiarity and presence oâ— the Lord he looks for it he asks what request you have to put up to him and the promises are large enough I will give it whatsoever it be if you aske according to my will and therefore do in this case as Moyses used to do you shall find when Moyses drew neere unto the Lord when he was admitted into his presence and saw him face to face for that was the great priviledge Moyses had when there was any special apparition of the Lord to him Moses makes this argument saith hee It is a great mercy that thou wouldest shew mee this that such a poore man as I am should have this priviledge and give mee leave to make use of it Lord if I have found favour in thy sight that is since thou hast vouchsafed mee such a favour in thy sight do thus and thus for me you see he made this request for the whole Church of God and saved them or else they had beene destroied If thou hast not any particular argument in this case say If I have found favour in thy sight do this so I say when thou hast this promise confirmed that Christ hath given himselfe to thee and the symboll of that promise is the bread and wine which he hath given to thee put up thy request O Lord if thou hast vouchsafed to give mee Christ wilt thou not with him give mee all things else Lord if I have found favour in thy sight to do so great a thing for me deny me not this particular request Thus we ought to doe especially when we come to things that are beyond nature when we come let us consider with our selves Indeed I have a naturall disposition that carries me strongly to evill I shall never be able to overcome it there are such duties to doe I shall never be able to performe them In such a case thou must doe it the more earnestly thou must sigh groane to the Lord. Elishah when hee comes to doe a thing so much above the course of nature as to raise a dead child to life hee sighed unto the Lord that is he prayed earnestly Eliah when hee would have Raine he cryed he tooke much paines he prayed So must thou do in this case and know this for thy comfort that though thou thinke thou shalt never be able to doe these things to overcome such lusts such hereditary diseases yet the Lord is able to helpe thee though these are past naturall helpe yet they are not past the helpe of grace though the spirit in us lust after envy yet as the Apostle Iames saith The Scriptures offer more grace that is the Scriptures offer grace and ability to doe more than nature can doe nature cannot heale a spirit that lusteth after envy or any other thing a spirit that lusts after credit after money after the sinne of uncleanenesse or whatsoever is presented now the Scriptures offer that grace that will overcome any of these sinnes be they never so strong or so old Christ healed hereditary diseases he healed those that were borne lame and blind so though thou be borne with such lusts Christ is able to heale thee you see a Prophet could heale Naaman of his Leprosie when there was no other that could doe it so saith Christ Come unto me all ye and I will heale you So that you see wee must put up our requests to God The third Sermon WE have already made some entrance upon the words I told you what the Apostles scope is in them which is to make knowne to all Christians to whom he wrote another great priviledge besides that which hee named before that is That he that hath the Son hath life this saith he is another priviledge that whatsoever you aske you shall have onely remember that you have this assurance in him that is in Christ Iesus That point what it is to be in him that it may be the ground of all the benefits and priviledges wee injoy we handled the last day Now wee come to the priviledge it selfe If we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth us The words are so plain I shal not need to spend any time in opening of them but deliver you the point that lyes so evidently before us which is this That all the prayers of the Saints made upon earth are assuredly heard in heaven whatsoever we aske saith hee according to his will hee heareth us onely the conditions must be observed When you heare such a generall as this it must be limited there are certaine bounds set to it which we will name unto you which are these foure conditions First all the prayers that are made upon earth shall be heard in heaven if they be the prayers of a righteous man and are faithfull and fervent The person must be righteous that must first be remembred because although the prayer be never so good yet except the person bee accepted from whom it comes the Lord regards it not you know in the old Law the blood of Swine was reckoned an abominable Sacrifice yet if you take the blood of sheepe and compare them together you shall find no difference It may be the Swines blood is the better then what 's the reason the Swines blood is not accepted even because of the subject of it it was the blood of Swine and therefore you see it was put downe that it was an abominable Sacrifice So it is with prayer Take the prayer of a Saint and the prayer of a wicked man it may be if you looke upon the petition or whatsoever is in the prayer it selfe you shall finde some time the prayers of a godly man more cold and lesse fervent the petitions are not so well framed as the wicked mans yet because this comes from such a person the Lord regards it not you know the condition is mentioned Iames fift The prayer of the righteous man availeth much if it be fervent Now as this is required in the person so there is somewhat required in the praier also that is that it be fervent and faithfull that it be fervent you have it in the same place The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent that is it must be a prayer made from the sence of the misery that is in us from the mercy of God when a man takes a thing to heart that he prayes for and comes with confidence to bee heard for that makes him fervent This the Lord will have and also he will
have it faithfull Iames the first when the Apostle exhorts them to praier if any man want wisdome saith he let him aske it of God but then marke he carefully puts in this condition see that He pray in faith that is beleeve that it shal be done unto him now this faith includes repentance for no man can beleeve that he shall be heard except he make his heart perfect with God If he allow any sin in himselfe he cannot beleeve upon any good ground therfore when I say it must be faithful that also is included we must regard no wickednes in our hearts for in such a case the Lord heares not hee heares not sinners So that this you must remember First the person must be righteous and the prayer must bee fervent and faithfull Secondly the other Condition you shal heare in the Text it must be according to his will you must not thinke whatsoever you aske if you aske it loosely at Gods hands that it shall presently be graunted you No saith he it must be according to his will if you aske fire from heaven that is not according to his will and therefore you see they that aske it were denyed it with this reason you know not what you aske Likewise to â—it at his right hand and at his left in heaven which was another request of the Disciples he puts them by with this You understand not what you aske of the Father and therefore it must be according to his will And that is the second Thirdly we must aske it in time in due season so the promise is true Knock and it shall be opened to you but you know the foolish Virgins knockt and it was not opened to theÌ„ what was the reason of it because they askt when the time was past for there is a certaine acceptable time when the Lord will be found and when that oportunity is past he is found no more It is true that this life is the time of grace but God in his secret counsell hath appointed a certaine time to every man which is the acceptable time the day of grace therefore he saith unto them This day if you will heare this day if you will come and seeke unto mee if you will pray unto mee I will heare you when it 's past the Lord suffers not the doores to stand open alwayes his eares are not alwayes open therefore that condition must be carefully remembered you must aske in time It is a condition that should be carefully thought on by us For for the most part we fly to prayer as Ioab did to the Altar hee went not to it for devotion for then he would have done it before but when hee was in distresse when hee was in extremity then hee fled to it and therefore you know what successe hee had by it it saved not his life So we goe not to prayer for devotion that is out of love to God to doe him that service but for the most part wee do it out of selfe love when we are in extremity or distresse wee passe the acceptable times he requires and we goe to him in a time of our owne For there is Gods time and there is our owne time Gods time is to come to him when wee may do him service in our youth in our strength in the flower of our graces Our time is to goe to him when we need him Will not a friend say when we never come to him but when we have extreame need of him why do you come now you were not wont to visit me before this is not out of love to me Even the very same answer the Lord giveth Goe to your Idols saith he those that you served in the time of peace and see if they can helpe you The fourth and last condition is That wee referre the time the manner the measure of granting our petitions to the Lord. That is we must not thinke to be our owne carvers to thinke if it be not granted in such a manner such a measure or such a time presently the Lord hath rejected our petitions no he that beleeves makes no haste That is he waits upon God he stayes himselfe upon God he is content to have it in that time in that manner and measure as best pleaseth the Lord For the truth is we know not our selves what is meete for us we are unto the Lord just as the Patient is to the Physitian The patient is importunate with him for such things to refresh and ease him But the Physitian knowes what best belongs to him and when to give him such things in what manner and in what measure So the Lord knowes best what to doe Many times hee doth the same things that we desire though he doe it not in the same manner Even as the physitià he quencheth often the thirst with Berberries or with such kind of conserves what though it be not with drinke is it not all one so the thirst be quenched Is it not all one whether a man bee hindred from striking me or if I have a helmet to defend the blow sometimes the Lord keepes not off the enemy but then he gives us a helmet to keepe off those blowes to beare those injuries and evills that are done to us he is a wise physitian he knowes what manner what measure and what time is best therefore that must be referred to him now these conditions being observed you must know that this great priviledge belongs to every Christian That whatsoever prayers he makes on earth he is sure to bee heard in heaven it is a wondrous priviledge that which wee have all cause to stand amazed at that the Lord should so farre regard the sonnes of men to grant them such a Charter as this no more but aske and have and what so ever you pray for it shall be done to you But a man is ready to say secretly in his heart when he heares it This is too good to be true That whatsoever I aske I shall have My Beloved I confesse it is a hard thing to beleeve it as wee ought to doe and therefore before we come to apply this we will spend a little time in endevouring to convince you of the truth of it that you may not doubt of it that what prayers you make to the Lord hee is ready to heare them First consider that whatsoever prayer you make he takes notice of it he observs every petition there is not one petitioÌ„ that you make to him at any time but he lookes upon it he sees what the prayer is And this thing although you thinke it common and who is there that know not this yet my beloved to beleeve this to thinke that God is present where I make my prayer to him to thinke he stands and heares it even as I speake to a man that stands and heares me and understands what I say to him This is