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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93382	A sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, at their monethly fast, May 29. 1644. By Peter Smith Doctor of Divinitie, minister of Gods Word at Barkway in Hertfordshire, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Smith, Peter, d. 1652? or 3?; England and Wales. Parliament.	1644 (1644)	Wing S4142; Thomason E52_24; ESTC R9534	45,343	53

but even for them it had been well were he where he so much desired to be for then he might have been their intercessor with God and might have presented all their prayers unto him but he knew no such doctrine he hath taught us otherwise We read in Revel 8. 1. that there was silence in heaven for half an hour and what follows An Angel with a golden Censer stands at the Altar and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne Vers 3. I will not stand to open this whole prophesie unto you let this suffice The Incense that is offered with our prayers is Christs intercession which smels so sweetly in the nostrils of God that he is content silence should be in heaven for a little time where yet his praises are sung eternally untill those prayers of the Saints so perfumed be fully heard Remember then Christ sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. let all our prayers then be made in his Name and presented unto the Father by his hand Vse 5 Fiftly there is an use of consolation arising from this consideration touching the Object of our supplications Have we a God to call upon and doth he call upon us that we should do so and do it freely frequently and the more often the more welcome O blessed and thrice blessed be his Name that hath so graciously invited us He hath not put us over to any such as the Papists fancie to be Favourites or Masters of Requests in heaven God the great King of heaven and earth is not like these his Vice-royes who must have their other u Satrapas quosdam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatos Philost vit Apoll. Tyan lib. 1. cap. ●● cap. 19. Eares and Eyes to see and heare their subjects in their suits Whereas he by himself alone seeth and heareth all things his eies and eares going at once through all the world He is that friend spoken of Luk. 11. who when his children were in bed x P. Chrysol serm in Luc. 11. his Saints and Angels asleep rose himselfe to lend bread unto his friend How ready was he to heare that placed his bed so neer the door that no sooner his friend knocks but he heares him Not like that idol Baal of whom Elias said unto his Priests when with much clamour they cried after him Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a iourney or peradventure he is sleeping and must be awaked 1 Kin. 18. 27. Nor like the heathens Iupiter who when the Grecians and the Troians were together by the ears was gone to visite his old friends y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad 15. Oceanus and Tethys He is alwaies nigh at hand to all that cal upon him yea unto all that call upon him faithfully It is he that said Before they call I will answer and whilest they are yet speaking I will heare Isa 65. 24. And when they thus come unto him z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 C. Rhod. Perioch Hom 9. he turns about to meet them graciously He is that father of the prodigall who when his sonne was at last returning to him with an humble confession and a poore petition Make me as one of thy hired seavants Luk. 15. 19. When he was yet a farre off saw him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his necke and kissed him And when he had made his confession stop 's him there and before he utters his request in stead of a servants livery cals for the best robe to put upon him and puts a ring upon his finger and much more he doth as if nothing had been too good for him who was dead and is now alive againe who was lost and is now found Read the parable and be comforted Vse 6 But then give me leave I beseech you to adde one use more Let it not seeme a digression which truly I conceive a seasonable direction and that is Since prayer is so effectuall and consequently so usefull in these calamitous times let us from hence be all directed especially upon this day of solemn humiliation to make our humble confession unto God and here principally of such sinnes as may be thought to have the greatest hand in these great judgements that are upon our Land We finde this to have been the constant practise of the Saints of God Thus did good Nehemiah he wept and mourned fasted and prayed Nehem. 1. 4. and withall makes a large confession of great sins ver 6. 7. and more largely Chap. 9. 33 34 35. he confesseth the sinnes of their Kings and Princes of their Priests and of their Fathers and of all the people Thus also did Ezra as appeareth Ezr. 9. 5 6. Thus Daniel exceeding them both Dan. 9. 4 c. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadfull God c. We have sinned and have committed iniquitie and have rebelled c. An example worthy to be imitated and therefore worthy to be read over and over againe and to be learned and put in practise by us all And for our help in this holy duty suffer me to present unto you some of those foule offences that have provoked God against us and which may be the present matter of our mourning and of our serious confession before God First I shall begin where I fear our miseries began Our prophets have prophecied lies and the priests have ruled by their means and the people love to have it so Ier. 5. 31. The dayes of visitation are come the dayes of recompense are come Israel shall know it The prophet is a foole and the spirituall man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquitie and the great hatred Hos 9. 7. Our Nadabs and Abihu's Aarons sonnes have offered incense with strange fire before the Lord and no marvell then if fire be gone forth from the Lord to devour them The story of those men Levit. 10. and of their fire is by divers Interpreters expounded and applied to such things as have been the great abuses of our times Procopius upon the place saith a Exemplum habemus clarissinum humana non admiscenda divinis We have here a cleare example that humane things are not to be mixed with divine And have not we mixed Apocryphall writings with the Canon of the word of God and which is more to be lamented have we not preferred them before the divine Scriptures b Calend and Order for reading c. Before the Common prayer Our directions for the publike service so punctually to be observed by the late commands upon us do in expresse termes tell us that certaine books and chapters of the Old Testament are left unread as least edifying and yet you shall find by perusing the

A SERMON Preached before THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS At their Monethly Fast May. 29. 1644. BY PETER SMITH Doctor of Divinitie Minister of Gods Word at Barkway in Hertfordshire and one of the Assembly of DIVINES Salvation is of the Lord. Psal 3. 8. Ionah 2. 9. London Printed by I. L. for Christopher Meredith at the sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1644. Die Mercurii 29 Maii. 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Master Rous doe from this House give thanks unto Doctor Smith for the great paines hee tooke in the Sermon hee preached this day at the intreaty of this House at S. Margarets in the City of Westminster it being the day of publique Humiliation and to desire him to Print his Sermon And it is Ordered that none presume to Print his Sermon but such as shall bee authorised under his hand writing H. Elsyng Cler Parl. D. Com. I Appoint CHISTOPHER MEREDITH to print my Sermon Peter Smith TO THE HONOVRABLE House of Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT THere it to me nothing more imperious then the request of that Authoritie which might enforce and unto which this whole Kingdome oweth so much of thankfulnesse and dutie By such your Command this Sermon is made publike which by the same was preached in your honourable audience I know it will now want that little life it seem'd to have when it was uttered viva voce and entertained with your chearfull and religious attention I am not of his minde that said a Segnius irritant animos dimissa per aures Quam quae sunt oculis commissa Hor. de Art Poet. Things move more dully by the ear then by the eye nor doth that reason sway me that another gives b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damas Orth. Fid. lib. a. c. 18. The eye seeth by direct lines but the ear takes in things after a more squandring manner every way That which the Philosopher saith of knowledge the Apostle saith of faith It comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. I confesse memory is fraile and to reflect again by reading upon that which we have heard may conduce much unto the improvement of our knowledge in such things as wee desire to put in practice This I presume is your desire c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapet paraen ad Justinian 57 and I pray God the same may be in all whose eyes may now reach that which their ears could not before The Text it selfe holds forth the practice of the Saints of God of old in all their troubles which patterne if we follow faithfully God in his good time will so blesse your most unwearied travails for the publike safetie that wee shall see his great deliverance wrought by your hands according to the poore weak prayers of Your obliged servant in the Lord Peter Smith A SERMON PREACHED at the late Fast before the Honourable House of Commons May 29. 1644. Psal. 107. 6. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses THis Psalme as some interpreters conceive is in this order for the matters sake annex'd to those that go immediately before it they all declaring the mightie acts of God wrought for the deliverance of his people out of trouble and distresses Yet after the Originall it seemes cut off from those other it being the beginning of the last Section of this sacred book called in the Hebrew The fift book of Psalmes And to me there appeares no little difference betwixt this and the two next preceding they tell forth the works of God done for the seed of Abraham c. Psal 105. 6. This not for the Iews alone but for both Iew and Gentile all the redeemed of the Lord a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nyss from all the foure quarters of the world as vers 2. and 3. of this Psalme And it not onely differeth in the extent of the subject but in the curious composure of it there being in this two verses artificially interposed and interchangeably foure times repeated which though they have more elegant and apt b Versus inter●alares five 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 names in the learned tongues in our vulgar speech we call the Burthen of the song And truly I conceive there is much weight in them the Psalmist reckons up divers particular dangers of Gods people with their deliverances and in the close of every of these we find expressed first the way which they take for the obtaining of the mercy as in this verse and likewise vers 13. 19. 28. Then they cried unto the Lord c. And secondly the return they make in thanks for the mercy so obtained as vers 8. 15. 22. and 31. in these words O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men From these two verses thus foure times repeated with reference unto severall dangers and deliverances of the Church of God briefly I may collect these three Observations Obser 1 First I observe that all the saints on earth are subject unto c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sophocl changes and varietie of condition and no man knoweth what shall be on the morrow Iam 4. 14. One while they are crying out being in trouble and distresses Then they cried c. Anon they are singing to the praise of God O that men would praise c. Take but a short view of this vicissitude of estates d A primo mundi ortu usque in boc tempus perduxit nos ex splendidis sordidisque alternata series Senec. Epist 44. in the first family which herein may well be thought an exact type of all succeeding generations Man being in honour non pernoctavis lodged not one night in it but yet as he fell suddenly so he was soon refreshed with that sweet promise of the Seed of the woman that should bruise the serpents head Again God gave him comfort in his two sonnes that were bom unto him but the next newes we heare of them e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bafil Sel. de Cain Abel one envieth the other drew him aside and killed him and Adams joy was now eclipsed But presently the light breaks forth again and this losse is repaired in a third sonne given unto him in whose posteritie the Church was propagated Gen. 4. 26. And yet again the story plainly sheweth how this generation was persecuted by the f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lycophr Cass brood of Cain untill the whole earth was so polluted that g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Sel. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had need of a deluge of waters to wash the face thereof as in the dayes of Noah The thing that hath been it is that which shall be Eccles 1. 9. and experience tels us that there is nothing certaine and permanent in the life we live here in the body but we are even as ships at sea

me he shall lie all night between my breasts Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of bitternesse yet as sweetly lodg'd and as neer the heart as may be Fifthly and lastly let this be a motive of comfort in our miseries that look by how much the light is sweeter unto him that hath for a long time been shut up in some darkesome dungeon then unto those who have alwaies enjoy'd the Sunne in his brightnesse as the haven is to the mariner that hath been toss'd for many moneths in the tempestuous seas so shall heaven be unto that soule that hath walked heavily in the darknesse of affliction and hath been weather-beaten with the stormes of griefes and troubles Thus much may serve touching the state of Gods Church here on earth 2. I come now to the second thing considerable in the Text which I call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the practise and the exercise of the Church remaining in this state in these expressions Then they cried unto the Lord. In which words you readily observe three things First that which is here implyed which I may call the act they prayed Secondly that which is here expressed which is the manner They did it servently They cried Thirdly that without which all had been in vaine and that is the obiect unto whom they prayed crying that is to the Lord. Then they cried c. I might well here observe that c Afflictio facit religiosos Eras in Coll. Distresses force devotion Erasmus hath observ'd it in the rudest mariners and we find the same in that Prophecie or history of Ionah When Numa had ordained many religious ceremonies in Rome and had induced the people to a constant practise of them Tullus Hostilius who succeeded him cast them all out again and held as the * T. Li●ius Historian tels us nothing lesse comely in a King then to submit himself to such observances But when a pestilence had once raged in that great Citie and a long lingering sicknesse had pull'd down his own proud flesh then not great sacrifices onely must be offered but every trifling superstition must be punctually observed The Psalmist noteth how even the brute creatures do in their kind crie and call in time of need and that to God the great Creator and preserver of them all The lions roare saith he suffering hunger and they seek their meat of God And again Thou feedest the young ravens that call upon thee But I will not stay you upon this Consideration But shew you what this practise of the Saints more fully declareth to us And to this purpose shall make this my second generall Doctrine Doctr. 2 Earnest d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys de Orat. prayer or crying to the Lord is an effectuall meanes to get helpe and full deliverance in troubles and distresses Where we have just occasion for the clearing of this point to open at least briefly every of those three things forementioned as First the act which is praying Prayer is a duty necessary and that vi praecepti God hath commanded it It is as well Dei veneratio as hominis petitio a speciall part of Gods worship from man as well as an expression of mans suits to God God hath made this a character of his people who worship and serve him they are such as call upon the Name of the Lord. He hath given this title to the place of his publick worship My house shall be called the house of prayer to all Nations While we pray to God we give him that honour which is due unto his Name as first of e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Hieros Cat. 6. Omniscience knowing the hearts of men For prayer is the f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc lifting up of the soul to God Secondly of Omnipotence as that he is able to grant us what we ask and g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Mac. hom 12. to do what he will Thirdly of Mercy as being ready yea more ready to hear then we to ask He prepareth the heart to prayer and his ear hearkneth thereto And which concerns our matter in hand prayer is required of us necessitate medii as a necessary means of procuring good unto us from him from whom every good giving and every perfect gift doth come Iam. 1. 17. Ask and ye shall have saith Christ Luke 11. 9. And Ye have not because ye aske not saith Christs Apostle Iam. 4. 2. If thou wantest any thing that may be good for thee praier is the key of heaven Those four keyes whereof the * Paraphr Hier. in Gen. 32. Paraphrast of Hieros speaks saying That God ever keeps them in his own hands and will not give them unto any Angel whatsoever the keys of the womb of the grave of rain of food are all turned in Gods hand by prayer or prayer is able to do the office of them all Hannah prayed and her barren wombe was opened Christ prayed and the grave was opened to Lazarus Elias prayed and it rained and he openeth his hand and filleth every living thing with his blessing and that undoubtedly when they call upon him If thou desirest deliverance when afflicted I cryed saith our Prophet unto the Lord in my trouble and he delivered me h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys de Orat. 〈◊〉 2 If the whole Land or the Church be in distresse through any judgement or any correction of the Lord see what Solomon obtained by his prayer at that solemn dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8. 33 c. the place deserves that you should read it out at large and see how it confirms the Point in hand And to conclude that you may know how necessary your most diligent and frequent prayers are in afflictions David a man acquainted with sorrows hath penn'd a Psalm of purpose which he cals the poor mans prayer or as the title of it is translated in our Bibles A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed c. Psal 102. Secondly but in the next place let us consider the manner how we must pray that 's fervently feelingly the word is here They cried Indeed we seldom reade of any of the Saints of God in prayer but some way or other we may observe this kinde of zeal and vehemency expressed or implied We read nothing uttered by Moses in way of prayer in that place where yet the Lord saith to him Wherefore criest thou unto me Exod. 14. 15. there were assuredly those groans unutterable Rom. 8. 26. such as were in the heart of Hannah praying without vocall expression and though Eli most rashly censured her she modestly and like her self replied I am ● Sam. 1. 15. a woman of a sorrowfull spirit c. I have powred out my soule before the Lord David most frequently in this book of Psalms is found praying and sighing praying and weeping praying and groaning and nothing more usuall with him then to expresse his prayer by this

fasted and wept and prayed then victories were obtained It were infinite to recount what mightie things have beene accomplished m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost de Orat. Hom. 1. by prayer things to mans judgement impossible What diseases seeming incurable have been healed by prayer what dead raised what devils cast out It 's worth the noting that Peter said to Simon Magus Pray to God if per haps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8. 22. as if he had told him if it happen well to thee any way it will be by prayer Vpon this practice man may with humble reverence expostulate with God How long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth As Amalek was overcome while Moses held up his hands so n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar hom 50. Obiect lift up the hands of thy soul to heaven and thou shalt close with God and then Satan and all his Forces shall fall under thy feet But some may here object We have prayed often and the Lord hath not beene pleased to heare us but rather appeared as rejecting all our suits Answ To which I answer with the Apostle Iames Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse Chap. 4. 3. Ye misse sometimes in the manner sometimes in the matter many times in the end so that he said not amisse that told thee o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost de Orat hom 2. Audit ad alutem cum non ad voluntatem Thou hast received when thou hast not received God hearing many times to thy good when he hears not to thy desire and gives thee that which is much better for thee then what thy corrupt will or ignorance would obtain Vse 3 Again it may be he onely deferreth to give till thou be fitter to receive or p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he delighteth to hold thee longer with him Remember how often thou hast heard a Begger crie unto thee and thou hast refused to give him and this done of crueltie when God hath never refused but of mercy Nay let me adde Thou hast often heard God calling to thee and thou hast not regarded him therefore it is but just that he should render like for like unto thee 3. Thirdly let us from the second consideration be instructed to pray fervently and to pray incessantly Ye heard how the Saints yea how the Sonne of God expressed himself in his supplications Wrastle with God in prayer though thou venture a joynt as Iacob did The hollow of Iacob's thigh was out of ioynt as he wrastled with him And he said Let me go for the day breaketh and he said I will not let thee go unlesse thou blesse me Gen. 32 25 26. Moses also was wont to lay such strong hold on God that when he resolved to avenge himself upon the people for their sin he was fain to say unto him Now therfore let me alone Exod. 32. 10. as it were to prevent his violence as I may call it holy violence And in truth * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prayer of a righteous man hath great strength and is able to do much if it be acted or moved by the Spirit so I may interpret the words Iam. 5. 16. I remēber the Cananaan woman how she cried after Christ Mat. 15. 23. and what snibs she poor soul suffered Send her away said the Disciples I am not sent to such as thou art said our Saviour and yet still she cries Lord help me and when he told her That it is not good to take the Childrens bread and cast it unto Whelps she rejoyns unto him as if she would have said I thank thee for that Lord and I le play the Dogges part be but thou the Master beat me out at one door I le come in at the other for the Whelpes eat of the crums that fall from their Masters tables and a crum of thy bread of thy mercy will serve my turn and then you know how highly Christ commended her and how liberally he grants unto her vers 28. Alas how different is our manner of praying justly may that be charged upon every one of us q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys de Orat. hom 2. Depre●or Deum ut mihi intendat ego autem nec mihi nec illi intendo Bern. Thou callest unto God to attend to thee when thou attendest not unto thy self Be we then instructed hence to pray with feeling to pray with fervour Vse 4 And when thou hast begun to call upon the Lord give him no rest r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cypr. Hieros 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor thy self neither day nor night untill thou hast obtain'd some return of favour from him well may you wait upon him for the Lord will wait that he may be gracious unto you c. Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30. 18. Give me leave to adde another short instruction unto this touching the Mediatour of our suits to God taken from the consideration of the Object of our prayers the Lord. 4. Must our supplications be all directed to the Lord then must they all be sent up to him by the hands of Christ and in his Name Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Iohn 16. 23. There is but one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous 1 Ioh. 2. 1. It hath of late years been s By R Montague late Bishop of Norwich in his Sermon upon Psa 50. 15. Call upon me c. enlarged after by him into a Treatise preached in the greatest audience that there is no impietie in making Angels Advocates and Mediatours of our prayers so they be but our Angel-guardians of which kinde our Preacher would have no man doubt and that a man may safely say Good Angel-guardian pray for me And the same Author in another Work of his though he speaks somthing more warily in this tels us t Mont. Antag pag. 200. Perhaps there is no such great impietie in saying Saint Laurence pray for me I will not urge those words in Iob Chap. 5. 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn But when the Prophet Isaiah tels us that Abraham is ignorant of us and that Israel doth not acknowledge us Chap. 63. 16. I shall certainly beleeve that Laurence knowes not me I never read in all the Book of God of any so calling to a Saint in heaven but onely that one damned wretch in Hell whose prayer indeed was much like his Father Abraham have mercy on me Luk. 16. 24. If Paul had known that the Philippians could have made such use of him in heaven he had beene freed of that great strait he was in Phil. 1. 23. for then not onely for himself