is the plague of the heart and to know it is to see it and to have a due sense of it to be affected with it and afflicted for it and to complain and cry out of it Rom. 7. 24 as Paul O wretched man that I am c And such are ever humble and such the Lord hears Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Psal 10. 17. And if their uncircumcised hearts be humble Levit. 26. 41. 3. Of such as abandon sin and regard not iniquity in their hearts For if says the Psalmist I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me 66. 18. God will never be a prayer-regarding God to a sin-regarding sinner The blind man knew this that God heareth not sinners i. e. that live and lye in sin make a trade of sin c. But if any man be a worshipper of God and do his well him he heareth Joh. 9. 31. Lifting up holy hands c. 1 Tim. 2. 8. 4. They must be in Faith with comfortable affiance in Gods bounty goodness and mercy of being heard Jam. 1. 6 so as that after we have prayed we rest thereon for Audience Thus he that cometh to God and meets him must believe that he is i. e. what his word reveals him to be and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Thus we must pray with good and high thoughts of God though with low and mean thoughts of our selves 5. Fervent we must not only pray but cry yea cry mightily Exod. 14. 15. Lift up a prayer Jonah 3. 8. Strive and wrestle in prayer Set our selves to pray weep and make supplication Isa â—7 4. Hosea 12. 4. Press and urge our prayers with arguments upon arguments as Moses How many arguments does he make use of in that short prayer Exod. 32. 11 12 13 Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people and which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt c And wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say c and remember Abraham Isaac c. And the word which signifies to intercede or meet notes properly such a kind of meeting as is with force and violence intimating thereby with what holy violence fervency and earnestness we should meet God both in prayer for our selves and wherein we become intercessors and stand before him for others and these are the prayers that prevail The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much or the working prayer that sets the whole man a work heart a work affection a work and all the graces a work and is not so much the labour of the lip as the travel of the heart as it is said of Hannah She spake in her heart c. 1 Sam. 1. 18. And Daniel set his face to the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication c. Dan. 9. 3. Want of this the Prophet bewails Isa 64. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee None surely there were some they were not come to that height of Prophaness as to cast off prayer quite Many no doubt prayed but not to purpose it was as if they prayed not they did not put forth themselves in prayer pray with all their might as it follows That stirreth up himself it was in a cold formal way there was no life vigor nor activity in their prayer though God manifested his displeasure against them and seem'd to be going from them yet such was their deadness sluggishness and stupidity that they were not awakened thereby 6. Chiefly for spiritual mercies so as to have our desires mainly carried forth after God his favour grace pardon peace reconciliation with him that we may be turned away from our iniquities that he would turn us again to himself and cause his face to shine and that so we may be saved as the Church prays thrice Psal 80. 3 7 19. and Isa 26. 8 In the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name c. And this the Lord much invites unto Seek the Lord and seek his face c. Psal 105. 4. Seek righteousness seek meekness c. Zeph. 2. 3. Say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Hosea 14. 1 2. And to this the promise is made of Audience If they shall seek my face c. 2 Chron. 7. 14. And the Lord complains of those that assembled for corn and wine Hosea 7. 14 but minded not him nor his favours and how should we bless the Lord that gives us this counsel and advice and puts us upon seeking that which is not only soveraign and excellent in it self but of so great importance and absolute and indispensable necessity as to us In his favour is life yea it is better than life and without it we are but dead while we live Spiritual mercies must be had or we dye we are undone we are lost and perish for ever though we should spend our days in gathering up Pearls and Jewels 7. Prefer'd in Christs Name which is of such infinite worth and of fo great force interest and efficacy in Heaven that Jesus Christ himself has assur'd us that whatsoever we shall ask the Father in that name he will give it us Joh. 16. 23 24. And then we ask in his name when we ask for his sake and draw our encouragement therefrom when in prayer we lay the whole stress of our hopes of Audience and acceptance upon him and him alone and his merits and mediation and that interest which he has in and with the Father in Heaven and this was long ago fore-tipified in praying towards the Temple 1 Kings 8. 30 38 c. and with hands spread forth to it which was a Type of Christ our mediator and spread forth his hands towards this house c. and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple c. Psal 5. 7. 8. With perseverance so as to hold on and hold out therein Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. Eph. 6. 18. We must continue in prayer Col. 4. 2. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. As Acts 12. 5 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church to God and Christ spake a parable to this end That men ought always to pray and not to faint c. Luk. 18. 12 c. As the Church in Psal 80 they pray and pray again and again that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord c. Hos 6. 3. This is a token for good indeed that we shall have what we crave when we hold on and will not be beaten out nor take denial as that woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 22 23 c. Christ could not shake her off neither by silence nor by what he said but
in the very face of those late dreadful Ruines in Southwark O the daring impudency of sin and sinners in this Age The devils believe and tremble but men do not And this deadness and deep security when all things speak an approaching storm as it evidences says one a great Judgment and spiritual plague from God upon our Spirits so it presages no less than remediless Ruine for Sinners having no fear nor dread of God nor his Judgments they never mind to meet him in the way of them They cast off fear and hence restrain prayer Job 15. 4. A sad frame when Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel but when he offended in Baal he died Hos 13. 1. Fearless persons are ever careless and regardless to meet God in the way of his Judgments 3. By considering and advising what to do and what course is best to be taken As the young man Counsel'd Abigail when evil was determined against her Houshold Now therefore says he know and consider what thou wilt do c. 1 Sam. 25. 17. And the Lord is not wanting herein he hath shewn us in his word what is good and what it is he requires of us and we should hearken to him 4. By setting our selves with all seriousness to do it we must up and be doing The Lord complains of those Hos 5. 4 They would not so much as frame their doings to turn unto their God 5. By laying aside our weapons I mean our sins by which we oppose and as it were fight against God and to speak of meeting God and not to do this is as if one who had incensed another and made him his enemy should go to appease him with his offensive weapons in his hand which instead of appeasing him would certainly the more incense him and therefore in our addresses to God so as to appease him this we are still put upon Isa 1. 16 Wash you says the Lord make you clean put away the evil of your doing from before mine eyes cease to do evil c. and come now saith the Lord and let us reason together Now I will enter a parley with you and now you are fit to be treated with So Jam. 4 8 Draw nigh to God c. But how Cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded c. and thus Samuel calls upon Israel to prepare their hearts unto the Lord by putting away their strange gods c. 1 Sam. 7. 3. And Zophar counsels Job If thou prepare thine heart c. If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away c. Job 11. 13 14. 6. By seeking the Lord to prepare us to fit us for and help us in that great work for the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10. 33. The preparations or disposings of the heart in man are from the Lord Prov. 16. 1 and as the King 's so all our hearts are in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth them whither soever he will Prov. 21. 1. And he can turn them to and tune them for the work in hand prepare them to meet him Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psal 10. 17. And quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. II. By Prayers and Supplications These both prepare to meet God and are themselves one special and singular way of meeting him and hence the same Hebrew word that signifies to pray or intercede signifies also to meet it being by prayer that we do indeed meet God and the word is especially applied to our meeting God when he appears angry as Jer. 7. 16 Neither make intercession to me or do not meet me do not interpose between me and them to mediate for them for I will not hear thee What a sad condition was this people in and our meeting God consists so much in this that the Seventy render it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to call upon thy God and this at such a time the Lord in a special manner calls for Seek ye me and ye shall live Seek the Lord and ye shall live Amos 5. 4 6. And take with you words Say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Hosea 14. 4. And thus have his people met him formerly How often did Moses thus meet him He thus stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath and that he might not destroy Israel So Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 20. 3. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Isa 26. 16. And this the Lord expects that when he 's in the way of his Judgments and visiting us that we should thus visit him meet him by praying and interceeding Hosea 5. 15 In their affliction they will seek me early And for people at such a time to restrain prayer is exceeding fad and argues great impiety For what is it but to despise God and his Judgments For the great God to come out against a people in the way of his Judgments and they will not so much as stir a foot to go out to meet him so as to divert and turn him back but he may come on and destroy all for all them They fear not at all his anger nor regard his displeasure Thus it is said of Jerusalem as an heavy crime She drew not near to her God Zeph. 3. 2. And this Daniel bewails All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God c. Dan. 9. 3. And upon this account the Hypocrites in heart are said to heap up wrath They cry not when he bindeth them Job 36. 13. i. e. they do not call upon him or at least not fervently when he punishes them Q. How must our prayers be qualified so as to prevail 1. They must be sincere and in truth Let us draw near with a true heart c. Heb. 10. 22 and the Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him in truth Psal 145. 18. As 1. When we pray and call upon him indeed and not only seem to do it when we not only say but pray a prayer pour out our hearts in prayer 2. When our inward disposition answers our outward expression 3. When we prosecute what we pray for and pray on our feet as well as on our knees and let not our practises confute our prayers 2. They must be the Prayers of such as know every one the plague of his own heart and so are humble as such ever are And this Solomon puts in as one qualification of those prayers which he beg'd of God to hear 1 Kings 8. 38 What prayer and suplications soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart c. i. e. the sin for that
humble themselves c. 2 Chron. 7. 14 And if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity c. Lam. 26. 4. He resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. And Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Psal 10. 17. And he shall save the humble person Job 22. 29. So that it is both our duty and security to humble our selves especially when God is humbling us Ahab doing this though but Hopocritically yet the Lord refpited the evil in his days 1 Kings 21. 29. Seest thou says the Lord to Elijah how Ahab humbleth himself before me this was but in outward appearance because he humbles himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days c. But how acceptable then is the hearty humiliatinn of a true penitent And according to what appears of this it bodes good or ill to a Nation When the Lord had manifested his displeasure against that people Exod. 33. 5 It is very observable what the Lord there fays to them Put off says he thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee But does not God know what to do to a people and what he will do with them Yes but his displeasure appearing against this people he speaks as one unrefolv'd either for sparing or destroying and as willing to be determin'd as he found their posture and demeanour to be As if he had said If thou do indeed humble thy self and repent I will shew thee mercy but if thou still persist in thy pride and impenitency I will execute my Judgments upon thee So that by what a people are as to this they may guess and conclude how it is like to be with them and what God will do to them and if so how sad may we judg it is like to be with England with London For do we put off our ornaments lay down our pride nothing less for was there ever more does it not testifie to our faces is it not visible and apparent And that even now when God goes on still to testifie his displeasure against us as he hath severely a-late verily we so carry it as if we would not be humbled though God humble us nor lye low though he lay us low and the Lord forgive it to us Ministers that we do no more reprove it in our Assemblies which some sadly resent trading indeed is low and mens estates low but we carry it as high or higher than ever God says to us as to Pharoah How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before me Exod. 10. 3. I have laid your health low your strength low many of your lives low your City low your houses low your estates low your trading low O! when shall your hearts be humbled and laid low certainly if we do not humble our selves and lye low God will yet lay us lower Direct 4. Doing what we do very humbly Let it be yet Hopefully Self-abasingly but not disparingly As Shechaniah said to Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10. 2. And who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not c. Jonah 3. 9. And the Lord does here in the very words themselves so express himself as yet to incourage his people For 1st he names Israel twice here O Israel and again O Israel as a name that had been and still was very dear to him as David because Absalom was dear to him he names his name thrice O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom c. 2 Sam. 18 33. 2dly He says Thy God to shew the Covenant still continued firm if they did but repent and all to keep up hope and that his people might catch thereat as it is said the servants of Benhadad did diligently observe whether any thing would come from the King of Israel and did hastily catch it 1 Kings 20. 33. Oh our iniquities are indeed great exceeding great and are increased over our heads and our trespasses are grown up unto the heavens Ezra 9. 6. But Gods mercy is great not only to the heavens but above the heavens and many and great both are his tender mercies And as the heavens are higher than the earth so are his ways and thoughts higher than ours Psal 108. 4. And he delighteth in mercy It was part of the Lords Name which he proclaimed before Moses The Lord God gracious and merciful abundant in goodness forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. Exod. 34. 6 7. And Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 130. 7 8. And the Lord likes well of this that his people humbling and abasing themselves should yet hope in his merey and not despair the Lords eye is said to be upon them that fear him and withal hope in his mercy yea he is said to take pleasure in such Psal 33. 18. and 147. 11. Expecting all from it and encouraging themselves in it which is so great and withal so free Direct 5. Perseveringly unweariedly resolving to persist in our suits till we prevail as the Saints of old I will not says Jacob let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. The Lord bids Moses Let him alone and offers him fair that he would make of him a great nation Exod. 32. 10 11 12 13 14. But that would not take him off but he still besought the Lord his God and prevailed we should resolve as the Prophet Isaiah 62. 1 For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And ver 6 7 I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night And ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth As it is said of the Macedonians that Alexander being displeas'd with them they not only laid by their Arms and put on mourning apparel and came running in troops to his Tent but there continued for near three days together beseeching his pardon till they obtain'd it And God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing still to pray for England for London c. but strive together in our prayers still for them with all perseverance and this the Lord is well pleased with we never give him more rest than when in this sense we give him least when we still pray and do not faint but follow on with our prayers till we prevail Direct 6. and last That we may Effectually do what we do and make peace Let us take hold of the Lords