cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth or as the words are the things of a day in the day meaning that as euery mans neede was at all times and God knew it to bee so so hee would heare his praier and giue him accordingly So that he prayeth vnto God here for all those that should pray in or towards that Temple that whatsoeuer they should pray to God for according to his will in their seuerall needes hee that was the searcher of the hearts and knew them he would from time to time heare them continually And this prayer of his God did heare for all such For he did not onely in the sight of al the people giue an euident demonstration of it as it is said that when Salomon had made an end of praying fire came downe from heauen 2. Chron. 7.1 and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices and the glorie of the Lord filled the house but afterwards he did signifie the same priuately vnto Salomon in expresse words for it is written in the same place that the Lord appeared to Salomon by night and said to him I haue heard thy prayer Vers 12. and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice If I shut the heauen that there be no raine or if I command the grashopper to deuoure the land or if I send pestilence among my people if my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land Thus may wee pray continually for them that be absent for though new troubles of soule and body may befall them dayly which wee know not Thus may we pray continually for them that are absent or will not make their estate known and so wee cannot alwaies haue a fit prayer for euery change in them yet if they pray for themselues as charitie bindeth vs to hope that they doe this generall prayer of ours shall doe them good that we desire God to heare their prayers and say as Salomon doth what prayer and supplication soeuer shall be made of them heare them in heauen and defend their cause alwaies as the matter requireth So that whether some mens case be such that it is not meete that it should be knowne vnto many yet many may be desired to pray for them thus farre forth that God would heare their prayers or whether they bee loath themselues to make it knowne though it bee for their good yet may they thus farre desire the prayers of others that God would heare them And we againe our selues if for want of knowledge we cannot tell how to pray so particularly for men as wee would yet wee must not wholy neglect prayer for them for it shall be sufficient when we can do no more to pray thus that God would heare their prayers For when as many times wee knowe not our owne wants euery one of them Rom. 8.26 and yet generally commending them all vnto God knowne and vnknowne he supplieth them in particular aboue al that we named or could think of for he knoweth the meaning of his owne spirit in vs and giueth according to the same So then also though wee knowe not the particular necessities of our brethren and friends or of the whole Church yet praying for them God will giue according to the meaning of his spirit in our selues and them As for those that are v sited with the Plague There are many now that are in great sicknesse in diuers places vnder this heauy hand of Gods visitation and some in great feare of it because of the infection and some in great sorrowe for the losse of their friends we knowe not neither can we their speciall troubles or what paines they haue in their bodies what want of outward comfort what inward temptations of their minde yet let vs pray for them and desire God to heare their prayers so shall wee doe them good And thus may we pray to day and alwaies for the Church of God and for the seueral parts of it especially vpon the Lords day that he would heare the prayers of the Church in all places and that wee our selues might haue our part in them and they shall be auailable for them and for our selues It followeth in this verse The meaning of these words The name of the God of Iacob defend thee In these words the people continue their prayers for the King and therein come to this particular that God would defend him For by the name of God they meane God himselfe who hath by his name made himself knowne vnto vs and by Iacob they meane either that particular person and holy Patriarke to whom God had said that he would be his God and so had renued the couenant with him that was first made with Abraham and Isaac his father and grandfather and vpon whom he had bestowed many great benefits and deliuerances or by Iacob he meaneth the posteritie of Iacob that is the Israelites with whom also as with their seede hee had couenanted to be their God and that they should be his people and to whom he had made himselfe knowne to be so by his word Sacraments and works and vpon whom also he had bestowed many great deliuerances in Egypt in the red sea in the wildernesse and in their owne land or by it hee meaneth them both And so they pray that hee that was the God of Iacob and so their God and had giuen himselfe that name and by it had shewed how good and gracious he was and would still be vnto them would defend him from his enemies by his mightie power and great goodnesse So then as they had before generally prayed God to heare his prayers whatsoeuer they should be so here particularly because he was in trouble The doctrine of the same or like to come vnto it they pray for Gods defence in it that hee might not miscarrie but happily come out of the same and haue a blessed issue therein Therefore as we may and ought to pray generally for others when wee no otherwise know their estaâ—â— We must name in our prayers such things a◠〈…〉 neede so when we doe know it wee must accordingly direct our prayers and those not onely for ourselues but for others For though God need not to be put in minde of any thing that wee neede who knoweth all our necessities better than we doe our selues and therfore when we are ignorant of the estate of any Church we neede not feare that for want of naming things in our prayers God should forget them yet he would haue vs name hat wee desire and so make our requests knowne vnto him in â—â—pplication and prayer Phil. â— 6. as the Apostle speaketh and to powre out our whole desire before him Psa◠〈…〉 as the Psalmist saith that
shall lay vpon thē and further to pray that the seed of Gods word that hath been sowen in the furrowes of their harts may now appeare in them to their owne comfort and the incouragement of others and all patience and hope and ioy of the holy Ghost And also that they might be stirred vp to reade it diligently and carefully to meditate vpon it and haue wisedome to applie it to themselues that so they may haue sufficient strength thereby Thus shall it come to passe that though wee cannot visit them that are sicke according to our desire for feare of the infection to comfort them in presence by the word of God in our mouthes yet we may pray for them that God would through the inward working of his holy spirit strengthen them by that good word of his which they haue heard before That if it shall please God to take thē out of this world that they may walke in the strength of that spirituall foode which they haue already receiued vnto the kingdome of heauen 1. King 19.8 euen as Elijah the Prophet walked in the strength of his corporall foode fortie daies and fortie nights vnto Horeb the mount of God And though in speaking of the strength that is to be had in Sion wee haue specially stood vpon the strength that wee haue from the word yet we exclude not the Sacraments prayer This strength also is increased by the Sacraments and by prayer publike and priuate but include them rather as parts of Gods worship and meanes also from whence wee must receiue strength against trouble For the Sacraments are as seales to confirme vs in the truth of Gods promises and we must vse them to that end and by the prayers of the Church both the Word and the Sacraments are fruitfull and of force to strengthen vs therefore whilest wee may wee must vse them also and make this account of them that by them wee may get sufficient strength for all troubles that shall befall vs. And let vs know assuredly that how much we haue or shall faile in the vse of either of these so much may we iustly faile of strength and the more we vse them the more shall we haue strength and be able to beare any thing In this respect againe I beseech you that you would come diligently to the Church that yee may bee partakers of common prayers there that so by them also yee may be strengthened For God hath made a speciall promise vnto many that he will be in the middest of them and besides these wee must giue our selues vnto priuate prayer in our families that we and they may haue strength thereby to beare all afflictions and euery man and woman pray often by themselues for this is a speciall meanes to haue faith and all other good gifts of God increased in vs for Christ hath promised to giue to thē that aske Matth. 7.7 therfore now all should stirre vp themselues to all kinde of prayer that wee might doe as the Apostle willeth vs namely Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for this is one of the parts of the spirituall armour whereby we are strengthened against our spiritual enemies and this is placed last as the greatest and as that from whence al the other haue their force And he speaketh of all manner of prayer to that end that we might vse them all as publikely and priuately with our selues and with others that so God might blesse some or all of them for the strengthening of vs. And let vs pray for them that are sick who it may bee now in great paine and weaknes cannot pray for themselues that they might haue the fruite of their owne former prayers and of others for them that so they might be strengthened from Sion that is from the means of Gods worship there vsed Which God grant for Christ Iesus his sake Amen THE NINTH SERMON vpon the third verse Let him remember all thine offerings and turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Selah HEre the people continue to pray for their king The interpretation of the third verse namely that God would remēber al his offerings and turne his burnt offerings into ashes In which their meaning is that hee would fauourably accept the prayers that hee had made and the sacrifices that he had offered and al the gifts and oblations that according to the manner of those times he had brought vnto God and generally what seruice soeuer he had done for the successe and blessing of God in this action before he went to the warre that he would graciously receiue it and that now he would by the effect and by his defence successe and blessing shew that he had done so in deed This verse consisteth of two parts So that there are two parts of this prayer in the former they pray that God would fauourably remember what seruice he had done to him and accept of it in the latter that he would shew by his dealing in this matter betweene him and his enemies in the course of his prouidence that he had done so in deed For in praying that he would turne his burnt offrings into ashes they haue respect vnto that which God had done in time past namely with fire from heauen he had consumed the offrings of some that haue been made to him whereby he did sufficiently declare as by a demonstratiue token that he allowed of them and had heard their prayers that they offered with them According to this the people pray here that God would by some signe or token shew that he had receiued them Let him remember that is They pray that God would remember his seruice and offerings we would to God that he would remember or we beseech him to remember what seruice hath been done to him for the obtaining of his fauour and not only remember but with fauour and acceptation wherein they speake according to mans capacity for all things are present with God and he forgetteth nothing that is done to him yea all things that all men euer haue done are continually before him But as among men if we haue a suite to some great person and when we make it that we might speede the better we bring some present vnto him also and afterwards when wee are gone we wish that he would remember vs and our suite and our gifts Or that he would smell them deale with vs accordingly So they desire that God would think vpon him and vpon his suites that he made and the gifts that hee brought and deale with him in mercy thereafter Some doe reade this text otherwise but it tends all to one ende namely that God would smell his gifts Because that in the time of the lawe vnto their oblations there was by the commandement of God some incense adioyned burnt as Moses setteth it down
that he will put an happie end to it in time though most righteously deserued and pardon their sinnes that haue beene the cause of it that so wee might say before hand Now I know that God will heare vs as indeed by his grace at this present we doe and may see most cleerely that by diminishing of it in the chiefe cities and places of this Realme where it is and that also by lessening of it in so great measure He hath heard our prayers and graunted our requests That so hereafter by this blessed experience that we haue in one thing we might be moued to come vnto him in great assurance not doubting but that he will heare vs then also And thus alwayes from time to time Hebr. 4.16 as the Apostle sayth Come boldly into the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need and therefore we must take this blessing vpon our brethren as a fruit of our daily prayer and marke it well to that end Experience of former times increaseth our assurance of being heard in prayer And this is that that should be spoken of also concerning that assurance that we should haue in prayer of being heard That by dayly experience of Gods goodnesse and mercifull dealing with vs we shall dayly grow therein and therefore that we might come vnto it it is requisit that wee should greatly acquaint our selues with prayer and pray often and marke the sequell and what followeth after our prayers For concerning this one point it must needs be a very good reason when we doe pray to make vs know that God will heare vs when we know already by experience that he hath often heard vs before For seeing the same promises still remaine and God is the same that made them to performe them and there is no change in him for as the Apostle where he speaketh of prayer and to incourage vs to aske saith That he giueth liberally and reprocheth no man and after saith Iames 1.5.17 that there is no variablenesse with him nor shadow by turning that is though the sunne by turning from the East to the VVest Reasons of the same maketh great alterations so that it is sometime light and sometime darke and besides the shadow is now here and now there and so is not alwayes alike yet it is not so with God but he is alwayes like himselfe Therfore as he hath giuen in former times so will he do still if we pray to him as we haue done for he is no niggard but giueth liberally to all that aske reprocheth no man with that that he hath giuen nei is he any changeling but constant in all his wayes And besides Iesus Christ the mediatour of the promises Hee is the same to day that he was yesterday and will be euer Hebr. 13.8 and 7.24 and he at the right hand of God maketh request for vs continually and is not wearie of his office neither is his loue diminished one whit towards vs. Therefore we may wel build our hope for the time to come vpon our former experience as vpon a sure rocke that shall not bee remooued And so we may pray as Dauid did Psal 119 149. O Lord quicken me according to thy custome as if he had sayd Thou hast often heretofore quickened and reuiued me by thy word and by thy spirit therefore doe so now also in this great sorrow and deadnesse of mind for I stand in as much need of it as euer I did and thou art as well able to doe it as thou hast beene Thus from the custome of Gods former dealing he hopeth that he will doe so now And indeed there is great reason of it for if we haue had often recourse to any man for help in the time of our trouble we haue seene how he hath bin most willing to do it from time to time we will not doubt of him but that he will doe so still and that we shall find him a faithfull friend vnto vs as hetherto he hath bin the oftner that we haue made triall of him and haue found that he neuer deceiued vs the bolder we are to come vnto him and do assure our selues of help from him aboue all other in the world so that if all should faile we would make account of him And we see that the beggers that goe vp and downe from doore to doore will be most bold of releefe there where they haue had often almes and if they should find it otherwise at any time they would greatly maruaile at it and thinke that there were some strange alteration in them and they would say to them You had wont to be a good master and mistris vnto me and to do so and so for me and that made me the bolder to come vnto you now thus would they plead for themselues So we then much more vpon former experience of our prayers heard and of the reliefe that wee haue found at Gods hand seeing there is no change in him nor in his promises must learne to know that if there be no change in vs but we be the same that we haue been and seeke to him and serue him as we haue done he will heare vs and helpe vs as he hath done before That we might haue this experience we must vse prayers not seldome but often To this end it is requisit that we pray often for experience ariseth not of one action nor of some few but of many and the best experience is gotten by the obseruation of many things in a long time and therefore they that liue long and practise much haue the greatest and best experience So that if we will haue experience of Gods goodnesse in hearing our prayers that thereby we might know that he will heare vs still we must pray often and be well acquainted with this holy ordinance of prayer For as among men it is not the comming once or twice to a man and that a long time one after another yea though he speedeth that can giue him any great encouragement to presume of his helpe in the time of great need but that hee hath beene long acquainted with him and made often triall of him So is it with God it is not the praying now and then to him that can by experience giue vs any great assurance that he will heare vs and helpe vs in time of our trouble but that we haue vsed it often and vsed it a long time and haue found that we haue neuer beene sent away emptie For the Lord sometimes heareth the wicked and now and then giueth them something that they aske but as they pray seldome so oftentimes they aske and receiue not Iam. 4.3 Isai 1.15 as the Apostle saith yea they crie and the Lord heareth them not but as they haue stopped their ears at the word of God so he stoppeth his eares at their prayers so they can haue no assurance
or any of ours if we had from time to time marked and remembred in all these how God hath answered vs gratiously we might now when we meet to pray for the remouing of this visitation haue had greater hope of being heard than we haue and greater assurance of Gods goodnesse towards vs. But seeing we haue beene so vnprofitable in times past to our owne hinderance let vs make the best vse of the time present that we can And therefore now seeing in this mortalitie of the plague we see so great fruit of our prayers at the last And namely how God hath lessened the plague at our prayers that as in other places it is greatly diminished so in the chiefest citie of this land it is fallen from three thousand and foure hundreth a weeke to lesse than two hundred for the which Gods name be praysed let vs profit by this experience to know what hee will doe for vs at all times when we pray And thus much out of these wordes both for the assurance of faith in which we should pray and for the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it The nineteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. I Shall not need to call into your remembrance the doctrine of the last day gathered out of this verse Now know I. concerning the assurance of being heard that we should pray in which is so necessarie that without it we cannot pray acceptably to God comfortably to our selues nor profitably to others I am now to proceed and here to consider of these words where hee saith Now I know for seeing this faith that God will heare vs is so requisit in prayer it may be demaunded VVhy he did not begin with it at the first and to say in the beginning I know that God will heare but that he commeth to it so slowly and as it were at the last to say I know VVhat did he the author of the Psalme euen Dauid did he not know it vntill now that he sayth Now I know did he not know it before this time VVas all the former part of the prayer with doubting or without knowledge of this Or would he haue the people whom he taught thus to pray and left this forme for them not to haue this knowledge or not to labour for it till they come to this Yes vndoubtedly both himselfe did know in the beginning that the Lord did and would heare him els to what end did he pray and he would haue them euen at the first and before they began or spake one word to beleeue that God would heare them otherwise they could not pray in faith and so neither please God therein nor looke for any thing at the hand of the Lord for him VVhy then doth he himselfe say and teach thē also to say not onely VVe know but Now I know that God will helpe Surely to this end to shew that as he hath faith in the goodnesse of God that hee would heare him indeed so he had it in measure and it encreased in him by degrees By continuing in prayer our assurance of being heard encreaseth as it doth in all other men Therefore as hee was directed to make this prayer by the spirit of God so when he came to this part of it it did specially shew forth it selfe in the assurance of faith which hee had thereby and so caused him to breake out into these wordes Now know I because that by continuance in prayer he attained vnto a greater measure of faith and assurance than he had at the first And this great affection of the mind in prayer he was willing to commend vnto them to that end that they might both labour for it and looke to come vnto it euery one in their measure namely that the longer and the more earnestly they prayed for him the greater assurance they should haue by the spirit of God that the Lord did and would heare them And therefore though they did know at the first that God would heare them according to his will as hee had promised which promises they were not ignorant of yet by continuing in prayer or after their prayer they might looke to be further assured of it from God by his holy spirit that was in them For the Lord God vseth thus to worke by his spirit in those that be his that when their hearts are prepared aright to serue him As in all the parts of Gods seruice the longer wee continue in thē the more doth his spirit by them work in vs. the longer that they continue vnder the meanes of their saluation the more effectuall is the operation of his holy spirit in them thereby As for example in the hearing of the word of God they are more affected in the middest than they were at the beginning and many times most of all in the ending if they be diligent and attentiue hearers and not drowsie and carelesse and labour to stirre vp the spirit of God in themselues So is it in praying also when they come to it with due preparation of the heart the children of God doe often find that though they had some good measure of faith in Gods promises and feeling of his loue in the beginning yet by continuance in prayer the same was greatly enlarged and encreased in them so that it was more at the middest than at the first in so much that then they could say with greater freedome of the spirit and assurance of faith Now know I indeed that the Lord will helpe me and doth heare me from heauen and in the end they haue had more assurance and sometimes after they haue done praying most of all Thus their faith knowledge and assurance that the Lord did hear them it hath growne by degrees and encreased till it came to the full when they haue prayed feruently And hereupon it commeth to passe that we find in the Psalmes that very often they breake out into some sudden passion of ioy or glorying in the Lord and as it were boasting of the goodnesse of God towards them as though they had then euen alreadie obtained their desire because they felt and found that the Lord did giue them some good assurance of it As wee see how besides that which they professe here in the end of the Psalme they vtter these words of great confidence as though the victorie were alreadie gotten which if it had been it had beene in vaine to pray for defence against enemies they speake I say thus confidently They are brought downe and fallen but wee are risen and stand vpright And this is that which wee may obserue and most clearely see first of all in the third Psalme where hee beginneth his prayer very vncomfortably Thus Dauid beginning his prayer somewhat doubtfully endeth with great assurance Psal 3.1 and greatly complaineth of the multitude of his aduersaries that rebelliously were risen vp against him saying Lord
MEDICINES FOR THE PLAGVE That is Godly and fruitfull Sermons vpon part of the twentieth Psalme full of instructions and comfort very fit generally for all times of affliction but more particularly applied to this late visitation of the Plague Preached at the same time at Norton in Suffolke by Nicholas Bownd Doctor of Diuinitie And now published for the further good of all those that loue and feare the Lord. Perused and allowed Exod. 15.26 If thou wilt diligently hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commaundements and keepe all his ordinances then I will put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Aegiptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee LONDON Printed by Adam Jslip for Cuthbert Burbie and are to be sold at the Swan in Paules Churchyard 1604. To the right Worshipfull Master Doctor Tindall Deane of Eely and Master of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge his very reuerend and good friend the dayly encrease of that blessing of God which is promised to the mercifull Matth. 5.7 RIght Worshipfull Sir if this small Treatise had beene a learned discourse of some high point of Diuinitie in controuersie at these daies it might vvell haue beene thought beseeming the fauour of him vvho hath not only spent all his life in the Vniuersitie among the learned but for his great learning and vvisdome hath many yeares beene chiefe gouernour not onely of those that are studious and desirous of learning but of great learned men themselues and those vvhich are teachers of others But seeing it containeth nothing els but common and ordinarie instructions vnto godlinesse and consolations in trouble it may be iudged more fit to be presented vnto some vvho though hee vvere of like vvorship yet might be of lesse learning and authoritie among the learned But my Apologie and defence for my selfe is this That such haue beene your deserts a great vvhile not to others alone but euen vnto my selfe that they haue craued somevvhat at my hands long agoe as vvell as at others Presuming therefore of the thankfulnesse of many others vnto you according to their dutie I could not satisfie my self in this my I wil not say vnthankfulnesse but insufficient thanks and so this oportunitie being offered I did not consider so much vvhat vvas meet for you to receiue for your desert and for your place as what I vvas presently fit for my abilitie to bring euen a little fruit of my labours for your aboundant kindnesse tovvards me 2. Sam. 4.15.33 as the Prophet Elisha did to the Shunamite for all her great fauours to him and his And as the fruit of your fauour hath not beene for a fevv dayes or months but hath extended it selfe vnto many yeares so I vvas desirous to leaue behind me some testimonie of my dutie againe vvhich might continue for some yeares and that as you haue long since by many deserts attained vnto that commendation vvhich the spirit of God giueth vnto Boaz Ruth 2.20 That you haue not ceased to doe good to the liuing and to the dead so your vertues might be remembred to the glorie of God not onely vvhiles you liue but when you shall be dead Of vvhich if I should say nothing my selfe knowing so much and hauing so good cause not onely the many learned diuines and students in other arts which vnder your wise gouernement continue the studies still in your Colledge with great encouragement from your selfe but those godly preachers especially vvhich these many yeares haue come from thence into diuers parts of this realme vvith great profit vnto the Church of God vvill speake sufficiently both for the time present and this next age to come vvhich doe vvillingly and in all places acknowledge themselues and their learning and the foundation of all their preferment to be vvholly beholding to your selfe Which godly care of yours in aduauncing of learning and pietie you being a professed patrone of learning and learned men shall so much the rather continue and encrease in you to the good example of others of your ranke vvhen besides the blessing of God vpon your labours this vvay vvhich is principally to be regarded you shall perceiue that by obliuion it is not altogether forgotten of men And thus hoping that you vvill accept this as a testimonie of my true thankefulnesse vnto you vvhere better requitall is vvanting I pray God to blesse you in your Colledge still that from thence as frō an excellent schoole of the Prophets there may come continually manie faithfull Pastors into the Church of God not so much like those that vvere brought vp at the feet of the great Doctor Gamaliel Act. 5.34 Chap. 13.1 and 11.26 as those that vvere at Antioch vvhich gaue the first name vnto Christians that God may be honored and the Church edified by your meanes more and more and so your selfe not onely haue the continuance of a good conscience here but most of all in the last day They may bee your crowne 2. Cor. 1.14 and you theirs vvhen all of you appearing before the Lord you may vvith much comfort say vnto him Here am I Isai 8.18 and the children whom thou hast giuen vnto me and hee againe vnto you Matth. 25.21 Jt is well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy masters ioy So verie humbly and heartely I take my leaue Norton in Suffolke May. 1604. Your Worships in all dutifull loue Richard Bownd ⧠TO THE GODLY and Christian Reader perfect health of soule and bodie from our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the only giuer and preseruer of them both THese few Sermons which at the first were meant but vnto a few I haue now published and made common vnto others not onely that by this meanes the doctrine and consolation contained in them might be renewed vnto the first hearers which for them is a sure thing Phil. 3.1 as the Apostle speaketh but that according to the Communion of Saints as in the naturall bodie 1. Cor. 12.12 c. that gift which is in any part the rest haue the vse of it so in the mysticall bodie of Christ that which he by his spirit and by his owne ordinance had made proper vnto some others might haue the fruit and benefit of the same For seeing we be all alike subiect vnto the same corruption and vnbeliefe in our soules and there is no temptation appertaining vnto man but euery one may fall into it as well as another there is no instruction or comfort out of the word of God which any haue receiued but the rest of the seruants of God may receiue the like from thence especially seeing they proceede from one and the same spirit of truth and of life which quickening the whole bodie worketh in euery member proportionably Therefore as I am not altogether
of his flocke And it were well that this way wee were all of vs a great deale more beholding one to another than we are in that we would in brotherly loue acquaint others with our estate and desire their prayers and then they would pray for vs according to the counsell and aduice of the Apostle Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Vers 16. that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent If we should for our owne benefit and good acquaint other with some speciall sins that haue been the cause and so consequently that may bee the cause of some great crosse that they vpon the knowledge of it might in greater feeling and faith pray for vs that they might bee forgiuen and wee deliuered from the punishment of them then should wee make them acquainted with other of our necessities to that end much more As in other things wee need the help one of another so in prayer and therefore should desire the same And that wee might bee perswaded vnto this duty of crauing the prayers of others in the feeling of the great need that we haue of them let vs first of all consider how the Lord hath so made vs all that he would haue vs helpe one another and know that we neede the help one of another both for soule and bodie and euery way else and therefore that we should seeke for it one of another as in the naturall bodie all parts doe need the mutuall helpe one of another as the eyes of the feete and the belly of the hands and doe in a sort seeke vnto them for it and by a naturall instinct as it were begge and craue it And all experience teacheth vs that in all other things none of vs is sufficient of our selues and therefore we craue the help of others as in counsell in labour and in all worldly affaires why then should it not be so in praier also Yet such is our corruption that we rather seeke helpe in any thing as distrusting our selues sauing in this wherein wee most neede it But we haue found the other true by our owne experience and so doe vse it if we did beleeue this and would doe thereafter wee might finde the fruite of it as sensible We desire men to sue for vs to Princes so should wee do vnto God Secondly when we haue suites vnto Princes or great men we desire those that are in fauour with them to further our suites and those especially that are most gracious with them and wee rest not in our selues though we be well knowne vnto them especially if the matter that wee sue for bee of any moment why should wee not then much more speak vnto others that they would pray to God for vs and commend our suites vnto his high Maiestie For though Gods loue be not partiall as mans is Matth. 18.20 but his promise is to all alike yet experience sheweth that some are more acquainted with prayer then other and so haue more accesse vnto God as it were and come oftner into his presence and neerer vnto him and so there is more hope that they should bee sooner heard Especiallie when God hath made a speciall promise that when two or three bee gathered together in the name of his sonne hee will be in the middest of them and therefore when diuers or the whole Church pray for vs there is more hope of being heard than when wee pray our selues alone The Papists pray to the Saints that are dead that they would pray to God for them that hee would heare their prayers for which there is no warrant in the Scripture but the whole word of God is rather against them but here is an example to desire the prayers of the Saints on earth that are liuing with hope of great fruite and few do follow it Thirdly when we pray When wee wrastle with men we desire help so should wee when wee striue in prayer with God Gen. 32.24 we doe as it were striue with God to obtaine some thing as was shewed to Iacob in the vision of an Angell wrastling with him all night long to teach vs that when we pray we must not come coldly or sleepely vnto it but with all earnestnes of desire and not giue ouer vntill the Lord blesse vs as Iacob would not let the Angell goe vntill he blessed him and then the Lord will assuredly blesse vs if we perseuere as he did Iacob and as Christ hath shewed in the parable of the wicked Iudge who was ouercome by the importunitie of the widow Therefore as when we wrastle or striue with a man Luk. 18.2 we knowing his great strength and our owne weakenes and so how hard it is to ouercome we would gladly haue others to helpe and to striue with vs against him and so we may more easily do that by the helpe of others which alone hardly or not at all we could do So when we striue with the Lord God in prayer being priuie to the weakenes of our owne faith and how many sinnes there are to hinder vs and what an hard thing it is to obtaine any thing in respect of our great vnworthinesse we should desire others to helpe vs with their prayers and therein as it were to striue with vs. And in this respect it is a singular great blessing if it were rightly esteemed and accordingly vsed to haue many in a familie or in the Church to pray with vs and for vs. Thus speaketh the Apostle and thus did hee practise when hee so earnestly intreated the Romanes to pray for him Rom. 15.30 32. saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me that I may come to you with ioy by the will of God and may with you bee refreshed He had often and of a long time purposed to come to them Chap. 1.10 as he professeth in the first chapter and prayed that by some meanes one time or other he might haue prosperous iourney by the will of God to come vnto them Paul desired the Church to striue with him in prayer now at the last he desireth them also not only to pray but to pray earnestly and to striue with him in their prayers that he may come with ioy and doth beseech them that they would doe so euen for the loue of Christ and of the spirit If hee then after so many and earnest prayers did desire them to striue with him how had we need much more to doe it who pray seldomer and more coldly And truly as great things may be done when many striue together which none of them could seuerally doe so by the prayers of many great things are obtained which by the prayers of one alone are not so easily gottē So the same Apostle writeth to the Corinthians that
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
sheweth what hee would then doe namely flee to God for succour pray to him and call vpon his name that he might heare him and defend him He would vse all good meanes fit for that purpose but he would not neglect this knowing that all they were nothing without this for they must haue their successe and blessing from God by prayer For he knew that though he had men and horses and munition fit for war yet as he saith in another Psalme I trust not in my bow Psal 44.6 33 16. neither can my sword saue me and againe The King is not saued by the multitude of an hoste neither is the mightie man deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength for as Salomon saith when the horse is prepared against the battell Prou. 21.31 yet then saluation is of the Lord who is truly and properly called the Lord of hostes because hee is aboue all and commandeth al and therefore as King Asa confesseth in his prayer it is nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power 2. Chron. 14.11 Therefore he was determined especially to pray to God in all his troubles that he might saue him and so he did as appeareth by Psalm 21. So did King Hezekiah when the hoste of the King of Ashur came vp to Ierusalem against him Jsai 37.16 So haue other good Kings done saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the heauē the earth incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see c. Saue thou vs out of the hands of Sanecherib that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. Thus also did good King Iehosaphat one of his predecessors when the Ammonites came to battell against him and did not onely seeke to the Lord by prayer but proclaimed a fast 2. Chron. 20.3 that he might pray the more feruently and the forme of his prayer is set downe there And in thus doing hee followeth the example of his good father King Asa Chap. 14.9 who when Zerah of Aethopia came out against him with an hoste of ten hundreth thousand chariots hee went out also before him and set the battell in aray but then hee cried vnto the Lord his God saying Helpe vs O Lord our God for wee rest on thee and in thy name are wee come foorth against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee So that it appeareth that this which Dauid did now hath been the common practise of all the godly Kings when they haue been in feare of their enemies and so it hath been a day of trouble with them as it was now with him So must all men seeke to God in all kinde of troubles Now that that is said of this kinde of trouble and of these kind of men is true of al other both sorts of trouble and degrees of men that whatsoeuer troubles or daungers not onely Kings but al others shall fall into at any time great or small if they will haue comfort in them or looke for any deliuerance out of them they must seeke for it at the hand of God by supplication and prayer who onely can giue it of whom alone commeth al the means of our deliuerance and the whole disposition and wise vsing of them and the whole successe and blessing vpon them from whom also may come that that we seeke for without all meanes and without whose aide all things will doe vs no good For as it is said man liueth not by bread onely Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and as Christ saith in the Gospel no mans life consisteth in the abundance of that that he possesseth Luk. 12.15 that is in all things it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon them that must doe vs good So that in all troubles wee must put that in practise which the Lord speaketh of Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are readie to seeke to this bodie and to that and to call vpon them for help but God saith Call vpon me and that we might doe it he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he will heare vs and deliuer vs. And this Dauid beleeued when he saith in the words following Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will heare c. And vnto this agreeth that which the Apostle Saint Iames setteth downe Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13 let him pray where he speaketh vnto all and in what kind of affliction soeuer they be Therefore as prayer is alwaies requisite and necessary according to the doctrine of the Apostle who saith 1. Thessal 5.17 Pray continually and in another place Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance so most of all in the time of trouble For as Peter when he walked on the water to go to Iesus and saw a mightie winde so that hee was afraide and began to sinke cried saying Master saue me Matth. 14.29 The time of trouble is the speciall time of prayer so all men the more euident and dangerous their trouble is the more earnestly should they pray vnto God for helpe For the lesse able that they are to helpe themselues or others to doe any thing for them the more should they seeke for help from God who is able sufficiently to affoord it And truly many times God doth of purpose bring vs into trouble that wee might call vpon him and so hee might heare vs in the day of our trouble So that no trouble should so dismay vs that it should hinder vs from prayer but rather quicken vs vp vnto it and to a greater feruency in it Psal 10.1 For when the Church saith Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction it sheweth that as that is the fittest time for the Lord to heare and helpe vs so for vs to pray vnto him and to seeke for helpe at his hands Therefore let vs not onely not thinke that trouble doth exempt vs from prayer or that it is so great that we cannot pray and if wee were out of it and so might haue our mindes quiet we would pray as that we beleeue rather that God at no time looketh for so much prayer at our hands as when hee laieth affliction and trouble vpon vs. Both publike and priuate So that if our troubles bee priuate wee must often and earnestly pray priuately and if they be publike wee must haue publike prayer thereafter that so God may heare vs euery way in the day of our troubles which he cannot doe
vs no good and so deceiue vs but if wee trust in God and in his helpe whether we haue meanes or haue them not that will be an anchor that shall not confound vs for we trust in him and in his defence from whom onely commeth all help Now if we say we haue this faith it must appeare by the fruites and namely that if we haue all good meanes as Dauid had here we be not secure and trust in them but pray earnestly vnto God as though wee had them not much more when we haue them not in deed Prayer then is a special token in all things that we goe about that we look for our help from God and therefore if we beleeue that it is God that must stay this mortality and sicknes and that he must defend others and our selues in it we must pray earnestly and continually for our selues and them but if we let prayer alone or vse it seldome whatsoeuer we say with our mouth we do not so beleeue it in hart as we should For faith must appeare by the fruits of it els it is a dead faith and as a body without a soule which hath no actions of life and prayer is one principall fruit as the Apostle saith How shal they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 2 Cor. 4.13 shewing that as there can be no prayer without faith so faith doth necessarily bring forth prayer Therefore let vs stir vp our selues vnto prayer and neuer cease calling vpon God euen as we do beleeue that all our helpe must come from him And here by the way we see the nature of true faith Faith seeth helpe in heauen when there is none in earth that it causeth vs to see help in heauen so to pray for it when there is none to be seene in the earth And this is the difference between faith vnbeleefe that the very vnbeleeuers can by reason conceiue of help so long as they haue any meanes to help them but if they fayle they can see none at all so they are like vnto those that are pore-blind who can see nothing but neere at hand But faith seeth a farre off euen into heauen so that it is the euidence of things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 for it looketh vnto the power of God who hath all meanes in his hand or can worke without them who made all of nothing and calleth the things that bee not as though they were So that as the holy Martyr S. Stephen Rom. 4.17 Act. 7.54 when his enemies were ready to burst for anger and gnash at him with their teeth looked stedfastly into heauen and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to defend him so faith in the promises of the word doth see help in heauen ready for vs when there are no meanes in earth For as Abraham did not cōsider his own body Rom. 4.19 nor the deadnes of Sarahs womb but considered what God had promised and what he was able to doe so if we look to the promises of Gods word which are many and most true wee shall see helpe from heauen if no where else Let vs labour then for that faith which may comfort vs from heauen for it may be in the extremity of this sicknesse wee shall see none in earth so when others are dumbe or not knowing what to say our mouthes shal be opened to speake vnto God and say Send vs helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen Strength from Sion It thus followeth And strengthen thee out of Sion Before they prayed for helpe from heauen now they pray for strength out of Sion where by Sion they meane that part of Ierusalem called mount Sion where afterwards the tēple was built where now the Arke the visible signe of Gods presence was where they worshippe God in the word sacrifice and prayer and by strength thee meaneth not the strength of men and munition meet for war for help which was prayed for before but inward strength of the mind courage which was meet for the enemy that he might trust in the defence of God might not be dismayed by any power of the aduersary but that he might beare his estate as was conuenient And this was very requisit for if he had had neuer so many meanes Courage of mind is needfull in all troubles and had had no heart he should not haue vsed them or vsed them to no purpose and how should he haue strength of heart vnles God gaue it and how should God giue it vnles he asked it of him Therefore he taught them to pray for that also This sheweth that as in war so in all other afflictions which cause feare there is requisite an inward courage of the mind to vphold a man for if he haue a good hart he shall beare many things and if he haue no hart the least thing will dismay him Prou. 18.14 Therefore Salomon saith The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it 2. King 7.5 6. The Aramites on the suddaine heard a great noyse when they besieged Samaria and they all fled away for feare and left their tents and all things standingf as they were and so the Israelites came and spoyled them they had men enough but they wanted courage So is it said of all the Kings of Canaan which were many and mighty that their hearts fainted and so they could not stand before Ioshua Iosh 2.12 5.1 So is it in all other afflictions that we be subiect vnto we had need of strength according to the measure of it to beare it for if we haue no faith or confidence in God what shall become of vs Iob in al his great afflictions because he had a good hart and trusted in God bore them al paciently and said Iob. 13.15 Especially in this mortality of the plague If the Lord kill me I will trust in him At this time especially in respect of this great sicknes it is most needful to haue strength of faith to beleeue Gods gracious prouidence that things come not by chance but by his fatherly disposition and to beleeue that he hath a care of vs and that nothing commeth by fortune for if a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without his wil Matt. 10.29.30 then much lesse do men dye especially seeing the very heyres of our head are numbred that so we may cōmend our selues vnto him and take all things as from him and be contented with it I say as this faith is alwaies requisite because we know not what may befall vs on the suddain so most of all at this dangerous time And this is necessary not only for our selues but for our brethren also that accoridng to the measure of the sicknesse and paine and temptations of their minde so they might haue strength to beare al. For the very want of this strength
our owne experience and incourage them to cal vpon God with good hope by our own example for we shall be able to say vnto them that wee haue obserued how God hath dealt with vs in the like case of theirs and this shall be no small comfort to them to heare it or to our selues from others to heare at their mouth how God hath dealt with them in former times And so doth Dauid to this end speake to other of his owne experience which he had gotten by marking how God dealt with him after his prayers when he saith This poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles And a little before Psal 34.6 Vers 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he deliuered me out of my feare they shall looke to him and runne to him and their faces shall not be ashamed saying This poore man cried and the Lord heard him We see how confidently hee speaketh vnto others and assureth them that if they pray to God he will heare them for hee had well marked how the Lord had so dealt with him before Let vs then in all things wherein we haue prayed vnto God so marke his dealing towards vs that we may see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how he hath declared vnto vs that he hath heard our prayers that so we may reioyce in Gods benefits the more and hee may bee praised for them and our selues and others be confirmed in hope by experience through them Turne thy burnt offrings into ashes Lastly concerning these words wheras in them he teacheth generally to pray We must not limit the hearing of our prayers to any one particular thing that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and doth not limit it to any particular thing as to say shew it by doing so and so but that concerning the things that be prayed for hee desireth that hee would shew which way it pleaseth him that hee had heard them and that hee and they might as euidently see it as those did who had their sacrifices consumed with fire from heauen It teacheth vs that in al outward things especially we should not tye the fauour of God and the hearing of our prayers to any one speciall thing as to say If God would giue me such a thing that I haue prayed for or deale so and so with me I would beleeue that he had heard my prayers but vntill I haue that I cannot be perswaded of it For in all things we ought to pray that God would giue vs such and such things so farre foorth as it is his holy will as he knoweth it to be good for vs and for his glorie and with these conditions also must wee pray for others So then if the Lord see it not expedient for vs and so doe not giue it vs at all or when we would haue it or in that manner that wee would yet wee must desire this that hee would some way shew that he hath heard our prayers by giuing vs minds readie to submit our wils vnto his patience to beare things and that hee would giue vs some thing els for recompence or supplie of it and that hee would turne all to our good and that we might also see it to be so and this must be sufficient for all Rom. 8.26 For we many times know not what to pray as wee ought but the spirit of God in vs maketh request then for vs vnto God with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed and the Lord who is the searcher of the hearts For God will giue not according to that that we name but that his spirit in vs meaneth knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for it maketh request for the Saints according to that that they asked or named which in temptation thēselues knew not well but according to the meaning of the spirit in them For euen as those that are sicke of some hot pestilent burning feuer or some other disease that distempereth their braine when they aske any thing those that attend vpon them will not giue them that which they haue named but some other thing in steed of it which is better for them in that case and in so doing they giue them according to their meaning for they did meane that that was best for them though they erred then through distemperature or ignorance in the particular and so when they are well and can iudge of things themselues will confesse So doth the Lord deale with his seruants so must we be contēted to be ordred by the Lord that whatsoeuer we aske he would giue vs that which hee knoweth to bee best for vs and so giue vs according to the meaning of his spirit in vs that so wee may see that hee hath heard our prayers 2. Cor. 12.8 Saint Paul prayed three times that the messenger of Satan which buffeted him might depart away from him and the Lord heard his prayers but how he gaue him this answere My grace is sufficient for thee Vers 9. for my power is made perfect through weakenes So that when in all temptations of the diuell hee held out in a good course and God did vpholde him in his weakenes As he did to the Apostle Paul that he was not ouerthrowne though the messenger of Satan did not depart from him according to that which he had named in his praiers yet he saw wel enough that God had heard his prayers by giuing him strength against him This is worthy to be diligently obserued because we are giuen wholy to tie the hearing of our prayers vnto the receiuing of that particular we aske and cannot for the most part otherwise discerne of it as for example if we aske health and wealth and God giue them then will we beleeue that he hath heard our prayers and otherwise not whereas the Lord may no lesse shew that he hath heard our prayers and deny vs both of them when hee shall giue vs minds contented with our estate and to waite vpon his blessed will in all our wants We haue now a long time prayed vnto God for this sicknes and mortalitie and wee desire to see that God hath heard our prayers and so we may also though it be not lessened but increased yea though it should come among vs and bee vpon our owne bodies So will he doe in this visitation of the Plague For in that he hath not begun with vs at the first according to our deserts nor is come vnto vs with this visitation as yet but sheweth himselfe slowe to anger and vseth great patience towards vs yea that hee daily warneth vs by the harmes of others and not maketh vs a spectacle vnto others therein hee hath sufficiently shewed that hee hath heard our praiers And now further if he should come and deale with vs in our owne bodies and then with all should giue vs grace to
Selah as when he saith The Lord is known by executing iudgement the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah This Psalme was made as a solemne thankesgiuing for the conquest he had ouer the proude Philistim Goliah as appeareth in the title therefore when hee commeth to this to shew how the Lord was knowne by executing iudgement vpon him and euen this iudgement that hee was snared in the worke of his owne hands as many other wicked men are for he was slaine in that combate by little Dauid and that without armour euen with a stone and a sling as it were with the hand of God miraculously in that combat I say whereunto he had proudly challenged all the hoast of the Israelites with blasphemous words tending to the dishonour of God he addeth these two notes Higgaion that is This is worthy to be meditated vpon and thought seriously on of all men that the wicked are snared in the workes of their owne hands Selah As if hee had said yea in deed this is worthy most seriously and with great affection to bee thought vpon But we shall make further vse of this doctrine hereafter THE ELEVENTH SERMON vpon the third verse Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of this word By Selah here they were stirred vp to the affections of Prayer namely that it serued to note out some speciall affection according to the matter where it was vsed Wee are then now to consider what speciall affections were in him and should be in the people here and so what is and was the vse of it in this place Generally it being ioyned vnto a prayer they were to haue the affections meet for prayer and for this thing that here they prayed for Therefore the speciall affections that ought to be in the people when they prayed thus were these or such like First when hee willeth them to pray that God would heare his prayers and shew that he did so and then addeth Selah a note of affection or stirring vp of the mind it was to teach them As namely to pray earnestly that he would haue them affected with it to pray for it earnestly And in requiring this earnestnes here his meaning was not that they should bee colde in the former and negligent but here he required a speciall feruency of the spirit that after a speciall manner they would pray that God would heare his prayers and declare it By which example wee learne that though we ought alwaies to pray from our hearts and neuer with the tongue onely as many doe and haue done not only in Popery when if they had said a certaine number of prayers it was thought sufficient though they knew not what they said it being in an vnknowne tongue and so could not possibly haue any desire at all vnto that which they prayed for and so that was verified of them that Christ speaketh of in the Gospell Matth. 15.8 This people draweth neere vnto me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me but also in these dayes when many though they say Amen at the end of prayers yet haue had their mind occupied about other matters and so though their tongue hath spoken yet their mindes haue desired nothing John 4.24 whereas God is a spirit and wil be worshipped in our spirits and he is the searcher of the hearts which when it is prepared then hee heareth as it is said thou preparest the heart Psalm 10.17 Psalm 57.7 and bendest thine eare thereto So that whensoeuer we pray we must say as the Prophet doth My heart is prepared my heart is prepared O God I will sing and giue thanks Therefore wee must not come rashly to prayer and vnaduisedly on the suddaine but prepare our hearts beforehand as Christ teacheth vs in that forme of his O our Father which art in Heauen c willing vs to consider of Gods fatherly loue and of his almighty power and so pray to him as to one whom wee are perswaded is most willing and able to heare and helpe vs. Greater earnestnes is requisite in some part of the prayer then of other Ephes 6.18 And though wee must alwaies thus pray if wee will bee heard yet we are to striue with our affections in prayer and as something shall be more materiall for vs and wee stand in more need of it so there and for that to pray more earnestly and as we must continually striue with our owne dulnesse in prayer and as the Apostle saith watch thereunto so wee must offer violence as it were to our selues in such things as doe most concerne vs. So that our prayers must not flowe from vs like a still streame which is alwaies like it selfe and neuer standeth still like a poole so wee must not haue alwaies the like desires in prayer yea though they be desires of the heart in deed and the heart bee truly moued with it and not stand still senselesse and dead in the affections of it like a lake which is without motion which yet it were well if all men could come vnto and it is a great worke of the spirit if wee can doe so but our hearts in prayer must bee working like the great Ocean Sea that sometimes commeth with great billowes so that it bringeth vp things that are at the bottome of it So we according to our speciall need and the necessitie of others that we pray for must stirre vp the least desire that we haue euen from the bottome of our hearts and though our hearts were moued before yet when wee come to such a thing they must bee mooued a great deale more that God may see how earnestly we desire them that so hee may fulfill them And this we must doe not onely in our priuat prayers And that is true not only of priuat prayer but of publike according to that that we stand in need of as we all finde that we need something more then other for that wee must bee most importunate though wee must alwaies pray earnestly But also in the publike prayers of the Church as these of the people were as wee must alwaies during the time of prayer marke diligently what is said and haue not onely our minde occupied about it but our desires going with his words that prayeth as it were step by step that thus they may all waite vpon him and as it were hang vpon his mouth as it is sayd the people did vpon our Sauiour Christ but when there is any speciall thing prayed for which concerneth vs neerely Luk. 19.48 or any of ours or the glory of God and Church of Christ there to stirre vp our minds with some more earnest desire to call vpon God for it and as it were to say Selah that is Oh that God would grant that so would it come to passe that God would giue vs our desire Luk. 1.53 as he hath promised to fill the hungry soule with
truth in Christ I lie not that I might vse the words of the Apostle that I haue been desired of many often to pray for them in their seuerall troubles but of very few desired againe to be thankfull for the same which sheweth that though at the first it may be they desired the prayers of others with Selah that is with great earnestnes in the feeling of their owne estate yet afterwards they were not so much moued with it as Dauid was here and so forgat to bee thankfull themselues at leastwise did not desire others to be thankfull for them or not with that feeling that they desired them to pray for them before Let vs then I pray you consider how wee esteeme of this that God heareth our prayers at any time We esteeme it may be of the things themselues that God bestoweth vpon vs at our prayers whether it bee health or wealth or any thing els our owne need driueth vs vnto it but doe we account it to bee so great a fauour of God and confesse our selues to be so vnworthie of it that wee shall be bound to serue him and praise him for it When wee haue it I beseech you doe we enter seriously into the consideration of the mercie of God and of our owne vnworthines to say What a good God is this that hath dealt so gratiously with mee Surely surely we shall finde that few do it either before they pray or when they haue done to say What a thing is this I that am so vilde a wretch that haue no goodnes in me at all that haue so many waies offended God that he should notwithstanding heare my prayers whereas hee might iustly haue brought vpon mee that curse that is spoken off in the Prophet That as the Lord cried vnto me often in his word Zach. 7.13 and I would not heare him so I should crie to him in my prayers and hee not heare me Therefore it was needfull for them by this word Selah to bee stirred vp and wee must learne thereby to make more account of the hearing of our prayers than we doe For though God hath made a promise vnto vs in Christ that if we aske wee shall receiue Let vs stirre vp our selues to make more account of the hearing of our prayers yet when wee consider how many waies for our part wee haue broken the couenant and how weake our faith is wherby we receiue all we may iustly thinke that God may denie vs all things and that it is his great mercie if he heare vs in any thing And namely so must wee doe at this present for this sicknes acknowledge our selues vnworthie of all his former mercies much more that we are vnworthie of any new as Iacob did when he said O God of my father Abraham Gen. 32.10 I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Therefore if it please God to shew vs any merâ—â—â—is way wee must so esteeme it that we binde our selues remember it and to be thankfull to him for it all the daies of our life and then let vs remember what we haue promised and labour to performe it which grace God grant vs for Christ Iesus his sake Amen THE TWELFTH SERMON vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose The meaning of the fourth verse THese are the words of the people vnto God for their King and part of the prayer which they made for him namely that God would grant him according to his hearts desire and fulfill all his purposes that is whatsoeuer his heart did wish and desire that God would giue and whatsoeuer hee purposed God would bring to passe As if they had said O Lord whatsoeuer he desireth in his heart that grant thou and whatsoeuer he purposeth in his minde that bring thou to passe Now Dauid teaching them thus to pray we may presume that he did determine to haue nothing but good desires in his heart and good purposes and the people by the great experience that they had had a long time of his goodnes did thus iudge of him else neither could he haue desired them so to pray for him neither they haue done it in faith First then as in all other things we must approue our selues vnto God from our very heart which is the chiefest thing that he looketh vnto and that especially he requireth of all according as it is written My sonne giue me thy heart Prou. 23.26 so in our prayers most of all that wee desire in our heart nothing but that that is iust and lawfull and according to his will All the desires of our hearts in prayer must be agreeable to the will of God And so againe whatsoeuer we goe about the meanes that we vse must be lawfull and such as God may allow of that so in our prayers we may commend them vnto God Then may wee boldly pray God to fulfill them and desire others also to doe so and they being so perswaded of vs by good proofe may safely and with a good conscience thus pray for vs though they knowe not all our hearts desires and purposes For God hath promised that whatsoeuer wee aske according to his will he will grant it vnto vs. And al the promises that are made vnto prayer are thus to be vnderstood and no otherwise As when Christ saith Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and you shall finde Matth. 7.7 knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened And againe Whatsoeuer yee aske in my name Joh. 14.13 that will I do that is which is good and according to Gods will As it is euident by that which the Apostle writeth to the Romanes Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit And such prayers God will heare for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God So that when a man prayeth by the instinct and motion of the Spirit of God which directeth him to aske according to his will and word then he heareth and such we may boldly desire others to pray that God would grant So likewise it is said in the tenth Psalme Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their hearts thou bendest thine eare thereto Where the Prophet confesseth to the comfort of the Church that God is readie to heare the prayers of his poore Saints but how when their hearts by Gods spirit bee prepared to desire good things according to Gods will then hee is readie to bend his eare and the more that our hearts be thus prepared
the more may we be assured of it Dauid here in this Psalme being priuie to the goodnes of his owne heart that in sinceritie and truth hee desired to please God was bold to commend his desires vnto the people that they might commend them to God And such we may commend vnto men that he would grant them If then we would haue our prayers heard and also haue any comfort in the prayers of others for vs let vs haue no wicked or vngodly desires nothing contrarie to the will of God For such desires wee can neither our selues commend vnto God nor any other for vs neither will he fulfill them if wee should And here that wee might not wander and goe astray in our desires to our owne hearts our Sauiour Christ hath directed vs in that forme of prayer which hee taught his Disciples In which wee are taught first to pray for such things as concerne the glorie of God To this end we must follow that forme that Christ hath taught vs. the aduancement of the kingdome of Christ here vpon the earth and then for all outward things appertaining vnto this life and for life it selfe so farre foorth as they may stand with these and afterwards for the forgiuenes of our sins and for power against our temptations that wee be not ouercome If then wee pray after this manner God will heare vs as it is said in another place Seeke yee first the kingdom of God Matth. 6.33 And seeke for the direction of his spirit to teach vs to pray and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you Therefore it is agreeable vnto Gods will to pray first for heauenly things and then for earthly and such prayers God will heare And yet though wee haue this forme as a direction to guide vs in our prayers many times we may be so distracted especially in some temptation that we shall not know what to aske aright Rom. 8.26 as the Apostle saith then Gods spirit in those that be his helpeth their infirmitie herein and stirreth vp in them at the least sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed which being of the spirit of God and so also according to Gods will hee heareth and granteth the meaning of them Therefore for our further direction we must pray to God for the assistance of his holy spirit in prayer that it may moderate all our desires and teach vs thus to pray according to the will of God that so hee may grant according to our heart and fulfill all our purposes as it is said here Thus did our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe pray who when hee was in such great agonies that hee said Matth. 26.38 My soule is very heauie euen vnto the death he prayed vnto God and said O father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and this hee did three times but in the end hee said Vers 42. O my father if this cup cannot passe away from mee but that I mu t drinke it thy will be done and so God heard him as the Apostle saith Heb. 5.7 That in the daies of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which hee feared Luk. 22.43 Christ in prayer submitting his will to Gods will was heard For there appeared an Angell vnto him from heauen comforting him Thus his hearts desire as at all other times so in this distresse of his being according to the will of God he did grant it So look to al the prayers of Gods seruants in the old and new Testament and we shall see that when they haue submitted their wils to Gods will then he hath granted their desires Now the will of God is that we should absolutely first of all desire those things that might make for his glorie the saluation of our selues and of our brethren but al outward things so farre foorth as they may stand with these and further them and so farre will God graunt them Iacob when hee went to Laban maketh his prayer in the way after this manner Gen. 28.20 The will of God is that we preferre heauenly things before earthly Desiring God that he would be with him and keepe him in that iourney which he went and giue him bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that hee might come againe to his fathers house in safetie and in a word That he would be his God for so doe the best interpreters reade this text So that this he desired principally though it be last named That God would be his good God and continue his couenant of fauour with him to forgiue him his sinnes to increase in him all graces needfull for his saluation c and to shew his fauour this way in protecting him in his iourney though it were but in giuing him things necessarie as meate and drinke and cloathing Now because his prayer was thus agreeable to the will of God that he first desired the continuance of his fauour and then all things needfull for this life so farre as it might stand with that God heard him and hee confesseth it afterwards in his returne that the blessing of God had been greatly vpon him when he saith Chap. 32.10 And he hath heard his seruants that haue thus prayed I am vnworthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordan and now haue I gotten two bandes The like may bee said of the prayer of King Salomon That when in Gibeon the Lord appeared vnto him in a dreame by night 1. King 3.5 and sayd Aske what I shall giue thee and hee prayed thus Giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and euill So that hee asked wisdome that hee might bee fit to serue God in his calling This did so please the Lord that he gaue him this answere Verse 11. Because thou hast asked this thnig and hast not asked for thy selfe long life nor riches nor the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement Beholde I haue done according to thy words loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath been none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy dayes This must teach vs all to knowe the will of God that it might direct vs in all things euen in our prayers that wee doe not rashly hand ouer head aske wee cannot tell what Let vs aske that that may further vs in our saluation as the forgiuenes of our sinnes Thus must we
grones which are stirred vp in vs the Lord acknowledgeth and answereth vs according to them Therefore we must hearken to the exhortation of the Apostle and practise that Ephe. 6.18 Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication so that what kind of prayer soeuer wee vse as he speaketh of all manner prayer whether long or short with words or without publicke or priuat alone or with others it must alwaies be in the spirit and from the heart and that it might be so he giueth vs counsell to watch thereunto that is to haue an eye to our heart and to set a watch vpon the affections of our mind and suffer them not to bee carried away and this we had need to doe carefully because else they will too soone wander suddenly before we be aware as all of vs doe find it to be true by too great experience Seeing then that prayer is a worke of the heart and of the spirit as we haue heard and not of the lips and of the tongue so much euery one that commeth vnto prayer must especially labour in this one point that he may bring his heart vnto God and not to stand so much vpon words If we haue good desires the want of fit wordes must not hinder vs from prayer And this must be no barre vnto any to keep them from prayer to say I haue no fit words I cannot vtter my mind well I haue a good heart but my speech is naught c. For first of all if we be sufficiently touched with the feeling of our wants we shall haue words inough to vtter the same for all experience sheweth that euery one can complaine well inough to the vnderstanding of men of any thing wherein they are grieued be they neuer so simple as the poorest creature that is that is pinched with hunger and thurst can aske bread and meat and no man need to instruct him what words he should vse in such a case and if any be oppressed they cā sufficiently lay opē their wrongs we see that young children can doe that and almost naturall fooles Then assuredly if we had that inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and of the want of the graces of Gods spirit that we should haue we should haue wordes inough to vtter the same vnto God and to poure out our whole mind vnto him and to say Good Lord giue me this and giue me that Therefore let vs first labour for that and then the other will soone follow that is let vs haue the feeling of our own wants and we shall want no wordes in prayer But say that wee want words indeed it maketh no matter one whit God looketh not to that but to the desire of the heart he heareth that sooner than the other For God looketh to the heart nay without the other Hannah sayd nothing spake not a word with her lips no more did Nehemiah as we heard euen now but they both prayed in the spirit and powred out their soules before the Lord and God heard them Therefore if we could say nothing at all nor speake one word yet if we doe but sigh and grone in our hearts that shall be as acceptable vnto God as all the well ordered words in the world King Hezekiah when hee was sicke vnto death prayed most earnestly vnto God for life and he added fifteene yeares vnto it but how prayed he then and what were his words he speaketh thus of it himselfe Isai 38.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue where he confesseth that if God had respected his wordes his paine and feare then was so great that it was more like the chattering of a Crane and the confused noise of a doue than any thing els yet in his heart he had great desires and God satisfied them Let vs pray for our brethren that are visited with the pestilence that God would giue them their hearts desire and therfore that he would put into their minds good and holy desires and according to those when they shall be so weake euen at the point of death all the powers of the bodie shall faile them that he would deale with them in mercy either for comfort or for deliuerance or for both And so must we labour with our own hearts that not onely they be free from ill desires but that they may not be emptie and barren of good that others may pray for vs Giue them according to their heart and we may haue the fruit of their prayers when our desires shall be good and euen then when we shall not be able to speake a word Giue thee according to thy heart Thus he willeth them to pray for him But what was he he was a king It seemeth that all kings may soone haue their desires and so need not pray to God to fulfill them and a mightie prince therefore if any might haue their hearts desire then he most of all For what can a king desire but he shall haue it if it may be bought for money if it may be gotten by sea or by land if it may be compassed by the wit strength of men They can desire nothing but there are ynow that will procure it for them if they be kings and princes all at their commaund and are glad to please them with their desires in all things what needed he then to be so carefull for this that he might haue according to his hearts desire and that they should pray so earnestly for it was there any need of it was there any feare of it if he had bene a meane man it had bin another matter or one that could not haue holpen himselfe nor had had any to doe for him but all seeke to satisfie the desires of kings if it be with the hazard of their owne liues Dauid had experience of this himselfe who when he was in an hold and the garison of the Philistims was then in Bethlehem he longed said 2. Sam. 23.14 Oh that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate Then three mighty men brake into the host of the Philistims and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem and brought it to Dauid who would not drinke thereof but powred it out for an offering before the Lord and sayd O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe this is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues therefore he would not drinke it Thus though he repented him of this rash and foolish desire yet we see how soone he had his desire and how ready his men were to satisfie it euen in a very hard thing and wherein they did hazard their liues for him Hauing then so many worthy Captaines as he had what might not he presume that they would doe for
betweene saying Surely thou wilt heare mee O God because God gaue him then to beleeue it more fully VVhich full persuasion if he had had before in that measure that he had then we may be assured that he would sooner haue professed it to the glory of God and his owne comfort A fourth example of it in Dauid I will conclude this point with that which is in the eight and thirtie Psalme which Psalme was made when he was in some great distresse of sickenesse as some think or some other at the least And the whole Psalme is full of grieuous complaints as may appeare to them that will but read it when he beginneth thus O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 38.1 neither chastise me in thy wrath for thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lieth vpon me there is nothing found in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne and so forth for the whole Psalme is too long to be set down yet it is necessarie for thē to read it ouer who desire to see the truth of this that we speak to be in the Prophet He first complaineth of the heauie wrath of God that was vpon him and of his sinnes which he acknowledgeth to be the cause of his punishment of the infirmitie and great weakenesse that he found in himselfe both of soule and bodie and of this also that he was forsaken of his friends and left desolat of the mallice of his wicked enemies all which made him as hee saith to poure out his whole desire before the Lord so that his sighing was not hid from him Vers 9. And then at the last he commeth to haue some good assurance that the Lord would heare him and doth openly professe it in these words On thee O Lord doe I wait Vers 15. thou wilt heare me O Lord my God and so from this assurance hee endeth the Psalme somewhat more comfortably than he began it saying Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord Vers 22. my saluation Thus we see how by continuing in feruent prayer and striuing against all things within him and without him that might discourage him the spirit of God did so encrease in him that hee gat some small assurance at the least and more than he had before that the Lord would heare him and so endeth with a more peaceable and quiet mind than he began And though I am not ignorant that some of the learned doe read that fifteenth verse somewhat otherwise yet they agree with me in this point for which it is brought That in the same he professeth his faith that the Lord would heare him All these examples doe not onely shew vs the truth of this doctrine namely that the seruants of God praying vnto him in their seuerall troubles as this people did here haue by little and little growne in a further assurance to their owne comfort and the glorie of God By this experience in another we see what assurāce God may worke in vs if we vse the same meanes that he will heare them but they shew vs the same by great experience which is the best tracts and able to instruct the most simple for wee haue heard how Dauid oftentimes professeth it of himselfe which sheweth vs what we may looke for that the Lord should worke in vs also for there is no respect of persons with him if we pray in that feeling of our wants and that humilitie vnder the crosse and that feruencie vnder hope and that continuance by patience that he did Therefore let vs labour after it euen that we may find the spirit of God so working in our hearts by prayer that it may certainly and comfortably witnesse to our spirits that the Lord doth heare vs and that the same testimonie of the spirit may encrease in vs aswe encrease in praying And it may come to passe that as in the morning we see the Sunne arise higher and higher whereby we haue a greater feeling of the heat of it as the day encreaseth so we might see the sonne of righteousnesse so arising in our hearts Malach. 4.2 dispersing all the mysts of ignorance and vnbeleefe that we may haue the comfortable feeling of the fauour of God in our hearts encreasing more and more to cheere them vp with the light and heat of it as it were as we shall continue longer in prayer Let vs labor after it I say because that few doe know what it doth meane because they doe not so much as once seeke and inquire after it Obiect The best seruants of God complaine that they haue no assurance that God heareth their prayer Now if any doe seeke this and cannot find it and so they still complaine as many of the best seruants of God haue done that he heareth not their prayers neither haue they any assurance of it for when as in their troubles they pray vnto God this grieueth them much that they haue no persuasion that God heareth and will helpe them for if they had this they could bee contented to wait vpon him and to tarry his leisure but they pray and pray and can haue no assurance that hee doth heare them Ans And a reason of the same To satisfie all those and to strengthen them in this weaknesse of theirs we must consider That they that haue had the greatest assurance at any time that the Lord did heare them haue had it but in time and in measure and not alwaies alike but sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes not at all as the spirit of faith or their owne vnbeleefe hath preuailed in them For in these forenamed places we see that in some of the Psalmes hee professeth greater assurance than in other and so is it with all men Euen as with the eyes of our bodie we sometimes see a thing more clearely than at other times and our eyesight is not alwayes alike no more is our faith whereby wee behold Christ and in him the fauour of God it is not alwaies in the same brightnesse Besides as the ayre is not alwaies alike for our sight but sometimes more troublesome and souring yea darke which hindereth vs from the sight of that that we looke vnto when our eyes are at the best so we haue sometimes in our mind greater and more violent temptations than at other as it were thick mystes or rather darke clouds in the aire to hinder our faith from beholding the cheerefull countenance of the Lord as it were the light of the Sunne which shineth alwayes alike though we by reason of these cannot alwaies see it alike So the Lords loue is alwaies one and the same but we are not alwaies alike disposed in our selues to behold it in that brightnesse that it shineth in it owne nature Therefore we must not be dismaied if we haue not alwaies this assurance in our prayer after the same manner but see what
is the cause of it and striue against that that so wee may come vnto it in time and in that measure that the Lord shall bestow it vpon vs. Secondly we must consider Another reason of it that this people doth pray very feruently and often for this That God would heare and helpe their king before they come to this assurance as appeareth by all the former wordes when they say The Lord heare thee the name of God defend thee send thee helpe and strengthen thee let him remember thine offerings and turne thy burnt offerings into ashes graunt thee according to thine heart fulfill all thy purpose c. VVhere there are many short and earnest petitions for the same thing which doubling of their words and of their requests in so great shortnesse doe sufficiently shew how feruently they prayed For wee must not thinke that they vse vaine babbling heaping vp a multitude of words without any sence feeling or desire of the thing answerable vnto the same as it is the manner of hypocrits and heathen to doe who vse repetitions and thinke to be heard for their much babling Matth. 6.7 against whom our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the Gospell But this prayer being first made by Dauid who had the spirit of God and for the Church which is ruled by the same spirit we may by their words very cleerely discerne see their spirit that they prayed with namely with great earnestnesse and feeling especially when this word Selah which noteth some great affection of the mind is added and thus doing they come to a greater assurance at the last I meane by this continuance in feruent prayer So in all the other Psalmes of Dauid which we alledged before wee see that he prayeth not coldly or in a word but very earnestly often and long before he professeth this assurance Therefore if we will come vnto it in our measure we must labour to haue the feeling of our want and to be troubled for it and so pray earnestly we must come also in the faith of Gods goodnesse and hope of being heard by considering the promises of his word and the fulfilling of the same we must continue in prayer and pray often for the same thing so shall it come to passe that we shall not onely beleeue beforehand generally that God will heare vs but more particularly in that very thing that we pray for find some assurance encreased in vs that he will helpe vs and we must wait vpon him also to haue a greater assurance of it wrought in vs afterwards Therefore let vs doe thus and see whether the Lord in many things that we pray for will not giue vs that assurance that he will helpe vs some way or other either by mitigating the thing that is vpon vs or deliuering vs cleane from it or giuing vs patience vnder it or encreasing our strength to beare it or turning it vnto our good so that wee shall see the more wee pray the more quiet shall we be in submitting our wils to the will of God and assuring our selues that some way or other the Lord will heare vs and helpe vs. And furthermore concerning this particular that they pray for euen for Dauid their king they had this assurance that God would heare him How we may be assured that God will hear vs for others and helpe him And so I doubt not but that many faithfull subiects and people in this land hauing in like maner prayed for their kings and queenes and gouernours God hath giuen them assurance that he hath heard them for them and the more that any haue done so the greater assurance haue they had As many praying for the life of our late Queene Elizabeth God did not onely preserue her person from a number of treasons intended against her but they had by their prayers comfort ouer it for the time to come that the Lord would do so still And so shal we now haue for his most excellent maiestie that now is though he be subiect to many perils as appeareth by the terrible murthers and treasons that haue already broken out against his royall person and whole progenie that if we vse to pray often for him publikely and priuatly and that feruently with all our desires and beleeue that he is the Lords anoynted that is that he is set ouer vs by the Lord in his iust title and inheritance As for the king that the Lord who is the defender of all right will not onely preserue him still maugre their heads as hitherto he hath done but will assure vs of it in some good measure that wee shall quietly submit our selues to his peaceable and gratious gouernment and not greatly feare the malitious attempts of his and our enemies But as hee is religious himselfe and vseth to pray for himselfe and putteth his trust in God so we praying often also and earnestly for him shall know more and more that the Lord will heare him and vs for him And this is true not onely of our gouernours but of all men so that if we vse to pray often for others and if they haue made knowne and commended their estate vnto vs to that end and we thereupon be feruent with the Lord for them And for them that are visited with the plague it will come to passe that not onely the Lord will heare vs for them but we shall haue good hope of it and so we shall haue comfort beforehand that God will doe good vnto them and the oftner that we pray for any in any distresse of theirs the more assurance shall we haue God in his good time will heare vs for them And I doubt not but that in this time of sicknesse and mortalitie many haue found this to be true by experience that by continuall and feruent prayer they haue not onely obtained this assurance for themselues that the Lord will helpe them but for others Let that experience mooue vs for the time to come to pray still for those that are in this visitation or in the feare of it that we may know at the last that the Lord will heare vs for them also and helpe them in his blessed time by the mightie power of his right hand which we beseech him that we may find at his mercifull hand for Iesus Christs sake our mediatour and redeemer Amen The twentieth Sermon vpon the sixt verse I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from c. Why the number is changed in these words of their prayer THis being the voyce of a multitude euen of the whole Church is set downe after this meanes not we know but I know in the singular number or person of one not onely for this cause that we haue alreadie heard of namely to teach them all that they should labour to pray in this faith That God would heare them all and euery one of them but also to shew that as Dauid the
to encourage men to desire others to pray for them in the time of their need Therefore when many striue together of vnequal strength about one thing as to remooue a great stone or some peece of timber if there be among them young men or women and children and sicke folke and such as can doe little or nothing and but one strong man in their company like vnto the great gyant Goliah or vnto Samson though all of them may helpe some thing yet this one by his great strength shall doe so much that all that the other doe shall not be discerned and so all shall be ascribed vnto him and he alone shall be said to doe it because all of them could not haue done it without him and they all did nothing in comparison of him And besides he may be of that great wisedome and so know the measure of his strength and what is fit for such a purpose that he may say whiles they are about it or before they begin Now I know that the thing is ouercome or as good as done when others shall feare that they shall doe no great matter or are like neuer to preuaile and so they shall not onely obtaine their purpose by his meanes but by his wordes be encouraged in the doing of it yea comforted before they begin So is it when many of vnequall faith pray together Therefore as it is well for them that shall haue such strong men in their company to labour with them so shall it be much more happy for those that shall haue them that are now weake in faith to pray for them The like may be sayd of that that befell the Iewes in the dayes of king Hezekiah as it is set downe in the second booke of the Chronicles 2. Chro. 32.1 where first it is said that Saneherib king of Ashur when he came vp against Ierusalem with a great host they were all afraid of his greatnesse but at last this good king getteth by prayer more assurance of faith then the rest and so bad his nobles and people not feare him Verse 7. Hezekiah had assurance of Gods helpe for the comfort of all his people saying Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the king of Asshur neither for all the multitude that is with him for there bee more with vs than bee with him with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs and to fight our battels and then it is said that the people were comforted by his words insinuating that they were wauering and doubtfull before Now that he came to this assurance by prayer there is no doubt though there be no mention of it in these words for besides that the Lord doth thus vnusually giue it as hath beene seene before this good king in this distresse we may be assured did not neglect it especially when afterwards in the same chapter there is mention made of his prayer Thus the king for himselfe and for the rest had this assured vnto him that he knew that God would helpe them so was not only comforted himselfe but comforted others in this great feare Afterwards it fell out that when the daunger increased and his faith somewhat fayled he receiued this benefit of comfort in his feare from another euen for the Prophet Isaijah For it is said And afterwards the Prophet had it for the comfort of the king Verse 20. that after this the king of Asshur sent his captaine Rabsakeh who with great threatning and rayling wordes sought to terrifie the people who to that end cried out vnto them vpon the wall in the Iewish language Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the Prophet prayed against this and cryed to heauen but it seemeth that the king for all this had yet no great assurance in himselfe that God would deliuer him but Isaiah that prayed with him had it for him and for the rest and did comfort him For it is thus written of Hezehiah that he went into the house of the Lord to pray and sent messengers to the Prophet to desire him 2. King 19.1 that he would do so to and so he did and thereupon sent him this message which assurance God gaue him by prayer for the rest That he should not feare his words Verse 10. for he would send a blast vpon him and he should heare a noyse and should returne into his owne land and there he should die by the sword as it also came to passe And here though hee was a Prophet to whom God shewed many things extraordinarily yet he prepared him for that worke of his spirit and prayer being one speciall meanes to make vs fit to receiue any grace of the spirit here it is said that he prayed and had this assurance And so here in this distresse many praying together the Prophet Isaiah onely for all the rest sayth Now know I that the Lord will heare and helpe vs. But before this I should haue placed the example of that good king Iehoshaphat which is set downe also in the same booke of the Chronicles both because it was before this in order of time and especially because it is most fit for this purpose 2. Chron. 20 2. Iehoshaphat praying for helpe against his enemies one of the cōpany had assurance of it for all the rest For in his dayes a great hoast of the Ammonites and Moabites and out of mount Seir came vp against Ierusalem which did so terrifie him and all the rest of his people that he set himselfe to feare the Lord and proclaimed a fast through all Iudah and they all gathered themselues together to aske counsell of the Lord and they came vp out of all cities of Iudah to inquire of the Lord and Iehoshaphat was in this congregation in the house of the Lord and there in the midst of them made a feruent prayer vnto God for helpe against them saying O Lord God of our fathers c. Verse 14. as it is set downe at large there And it is further added that there was one Iahaziel a Leuit and vpon him after or in the time of this prayer came the spirit of the Lord in the middest of the Congregation and hee said Hearken ye all Iudah and you inhabitants of Ierusalem and thou king Iehoshaphat Thus sayth the Lord vnto you feare not neither be afraid of this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods to morrow go you down and meet with them in such a place ye shall not need to fight in this battell stand still moue not and behold the saluation of the Lord towards you again very confidently he biddeth them not feare but go out against them the Lord would be with them and so it came to passe as appeareth in the same chapter for the Lord layd ambushments against them so that the children of Amon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir