manifested his regard to them Therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to call unto the Lord much lesse is it in vain for the seed of Iacob the elect of God to call unto him Yea the Lord heareth the cry of the very Ravens the beasts Psalme 147.9 and Psalme 104.21 27 28. Therefore the people of Niniveh would have the beasts eat nothing that they might cry unto God Ionah 3.7 8. Surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry it is good for the people of God to call unto him There is very great reason that we should call unto God because the people of God that have been wise and have conversed with God and have known much of the mind of God have given up themselves and all their strength to the duty of prayer Now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength all his might to that which in reason we could not expect and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained It is said of Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20.3 that he feared and set himself to seek the Lord. It is translated composuit faciem suam he set his face he gave himself up fully to seek the Lord. They know what they doe that give up themselves wholly to seek God Indeed carnall hearts condemn the people of God because they see them so earnest in those things that they think to be frivolous For it argueth weaknesse in any man to give up himself with all his strength to things that are vanity and have no strength in them Therefore because carnall men look upon the way of Religion as a thing that hath no end they think it foolish for men to be so earnest to give up their strength their whole souls for it But the Saints of God know what they do when they give themselves up to seek the Lord they know if they call unto him he will answer them Again this is an evidence that there is much advantage by prayer because men that were wise and holy have so prized the prayers of the Saints and made such high account of them Mark the expression of the Apostle writing to the Saints for their prayers Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that you strive together in prayer with me in your hearts to God for me The Apostle Paul so great a man and one that had a mighty spirit in prayer writing to private Christians in the Church of Rome he beseecheth them for the Lords sake and for the love of the Spirit that they strive in prayer for him He knew that there was much to be had this way Yea further God is found of them that sought him not Isaiah 65 1. then surely the people of God that call upon him shall receive answer from him Yea yet further God when he intends to shew no mercy giveth a streight charge to his people not to pray or he shutteth up their hearts that they are not able to pray This is an argument that prayer is prevalent because when God will not shew mercy he would not have such a precious thing lost and spent to no purpose Lastly it is not in vain because if it should then a praying heart were not alway a mercy from God but certainly it is Therefore though perhaps you cannot find the thing granted that you pray for yet to have a continuall praying heart know that it is a great mercy from God And those that are spirituall prize more the continuance of a praying heart many times then the granting of the thing they pray for All these put together are full evidences that it is not in vain to call unto the Lord. There be many other evidences which I passe by one purpose that I may have as much time as may be for application But now wherein doth it appear that it is not in vain to seek the Lord what doth prayer do First it is not in vain to seek God if there were nothing else in prayer but the right exercise of the faculties of our souls and of our graces this alone were worth our time The graces of our souls must be exercised about somewhat Now prayer serveth for the exercise of all graces Secondly it is not in vain if it were nothing but the performance of our duty as creatures to God There are many people that are weary of prayer because they have not that by it that they expect But know that there are two arguments to prayer the performance of duty and the obtaining of mercy If there were but onely the former that alone should suffice to keep thee praying as long as thou livest Thirdly it were not in vain if it were nothing but the tendering that homage and worship that we owe to God Prayer is not onely a duty but a great part of the worship that God hath in the world While we are worshipping of God it is worth the time Again it is not in vain if there were nothing but this that we come and shew what side we are of that we joyn and side with God against his adversaries and for his people But these are not the things here intended Further it is not in vain because there is no faithfull prayer that ever was made but God accepts of it in heaven There was never one of the seed of Iacob that ever put up a faithfull petition to God but God took it in his hand and read it A King or any superiour when you come with a petition may refuse to take it but God never refuseth to take any petition from a faithfull soul Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 6.9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer He will take it and look on it and read it and not onely so but he will also accept it and take pleasure in it A Prince may take a petition and look on it and after frown and shew anger in his countenance but God doth not so with the prayers of his people The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15.8 he never reads a petition that his people tenders but with a smiling countenance If it be a faithfull petition he accepts it of them and receives it graciously It is an expression of Luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart The least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise that there is no noise of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noise of prayer Certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of God very much yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven You keep your letters upon the file that you may readily find them when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey so God hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record As Princes
night with it rest not till thou art cleared of it It is an old rule but a true one all the repentance in the world and all your sorrowing for sin whatsoever will never obtain pardon without restitution unlesse you restore what you are able you can never have comfort of the pardon of that sin If you have got it when you were young being an apprentice or at first setting up away with it else it will spoil all and you 'l never have any other portion from God these hands of mine had that once given them to restore that was got wrongfully 50. years before the wrong was done 50. years ago yet after 50. years space the conscience of the man troubles him and he comes to make restitution and satisfie the wrong he had done desiring me to conveye it to such a man whom he had wronged in such a place Know therefore that all the sweet morsels that at any time you have so delight fully got down they must up again therefore willingly part with them resolve before thou go out of this place whatever thou hast got wrongfully not to keep it one minute and do it willingly else thou canst have no comfort here or hereafter if there be any true divinitie in the world this is true divinitie and yet it is hard to convince covetous men that have got their means this way If there be any that have done wrong in things betrusted to them as those that be Maisters of Hospitalls be sure you keep not that for certainly you 'l curse the time you ever took it therefore let the charge of God be strong upon you this day cast out whatever you have got falsely I have read a story of one who hearing that place of Scripture read Woe to them that joyn house to house he burst out in a loud cry woe to me and to my children then So you that are inriched through fraud and circumvention of others have cause to say woe to me and my familie what shall become of us if this be true Oh cast away this lumber this trash preferre your soul before all things whatsoever And if you would have your portion in another life be willing to join with the sufferers for Christ so Moses did though he were in the way of preferment yet he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasur's of sin for a season Prise the Saints associate with them rather then with the jolly blades of the world It is safer joyning with sufferers then with those brave spirits that scorne goodnesse jolly blades of the world it is safer to join with the sufferers then to joyn with those that are the jolly and the brave spirits And so I have done onely desiring that the Lord would settle all home upon your spirits if it may be because something may not be so pleasing to the pallat of everie one as some other but if for that you should reject what hath been said and go away and slight this word of God know that this Text one day may prove to be as scalding lead in your consciences and that what is said concerning Doeg in Psalme 52.7 may prove to be your portion It is spoken of Doeg This is the man saith the Psalmist that did not make God his trust but trusted in his great riches this is the man So you may be pointed out one day this is the man Doeg was a great courtier and because he was an Officer to King Saul and because he had his favour he trusted in the favour of the King and in his riches and what did he care for David yet by the Text it appears he was one that made some shew of religion too in the first of Samuel 21.7 He was detained before the Lord Tremelius thinks either out of some religious vow or to keep the Sabbath or somewhat concerning that law he was detained before the Lord and yet he was a vile malignant against David and all because he trusted in the great countenance he had at Court now this is the man that made not God his trust but that trusted in his great riches The Lord forbid this Scripture should be made true of any of you I leave this Text with you that are rich men take heed I leave this Text with you that are in places of dignitie and honour take heed I leave this Text with you that are voluptuous men given up to your pleasure Take heed you hear not one day this Son remember in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure I leave it with all that will not trust God for a portion to come and above all I leave it with all hypocrites let them take heed it be not said to them here is your reward Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding FINIS THE SAINTS INHERITANCE Psalme 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight THey that understand the whole Psalme to foresee the Messiah and foretell of Christ make this place parallel with that of Iohn 17.19 And for their sake I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth But here in the beginning of the Psalme David prayes to God for preservation and for deliverance out of some great evill that it seems was upon him or that he was in danger of The argument that he useth is First his trust in God as in the first verse Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust And it was not an ungrounded and unwarranted trust but that which proceeded from his interest he had in God as in the second verse O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord thou art mine and my onely God in whom is all my confidence But what if David should now perish in this distresse should God be any looser by it David seems to acknowledge this that though he should not be preserved yet God was bound to preserve his own name and his own cause as it followes in the second verse my goodnesse extendeth not to thee Though I should live yet it is little that I could do for thee But to the saints that are in the earth Though my goodnesse extendeth not unto thee yet may I be of use to thy people and unto thy Saints while I live for it extends to them and they are those that my soul closeth with and hath delight in O therefore do I desire to live and to be preserved that I may be usefull to them that are thy Saints It is a great argument to prevail with God when any of you are in danger and seek for preservation if your hearts work thus to God that the desire you have to be preserved is that whatever you are and whatever you can do may extend to the Saints that you may live to be of use and service in the world to Gods people Many
in prayer God gives them the key of all his treasures to come and open them and take what they will it is a glorious priviledge that belongs to the Saints in any condition God gives them a gracious praying heart and that is the key of all the treasures of God of all the excellencies of God that they have liberty to come and take out what they will be it unto thee as thou wilt These are the excellent of the earth that have these priviledges Again they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them As the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it There is not any one gracious action but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth Not onely grace it self but any action that comes from grace hath more of God in it and God more delights in it then in all other things in heaven or earth It is an expression of Luther though he were a great advancer of faith yet he was also an advancer of holinesse as well as of faith therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman saith he preciosa c. it is more precious then heaven and earth And then he goes on with another expression I had rather be able to perform any one gracious act of the poorest woman or maid of the poorest Christian that is then to be able to do all that ever Alexander or Iulius Caesar had done The least act that comes from faith from a sanctified heart he had rather be able to do it then to get all the victories of Iulius Caesar and Alexander all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly that which comes from them are exceeding excellent Now I reason they must needs be excellent that have such excellent things come from them As when there were such excellent things came from the body of Paul that had such virtue in them that had such virtue in them that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that God conferred upon that Apostle and a great deal of honour that was put upon him So when there comes flowing such precious liquor such precious things from the Saints as an holy action is it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them Which by the way should teach us to abound in holy duties though our actions as they are from us corrupted we look on them as despicable yet know that God looks on them as the most glorious things in the world any breathing of a gracious heart therefore he despiseth not the broken heart nor the sighing of a contrite spirit Psalm 51.17 God can despise Monarchs and Princes of the world but God cannot despise a broken heart nor any breathings from it Though thou mayest despise it thy self and look on it as despicable the Lord cannot despise it he sees so much excellency in it though it be mixed with thy corruptions yet there is that remainder of excellency in it if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act it is a glorious thing in the eye of God Lastly to name no more the excellency of the Saints appears in this the great use that they are of in the world As especially this is one thing that God attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world Were it not for a few gracious men and women what glory should God have in all the world They are those that hold up the glory of God in the world by which God hath his glory actively for that is that God aims at It is true God can force glory in spight of mens hearts he will be glorified in spight of Devils but God hath no active glory but from gracious godly people I speak of the inferiour world it is onely the godly that God hath glory from Therefore were it not for them God in some kind had made all the world for nothing Now those that are imployed in such a great work and are of this great use in the world as to bring to God that which he made the world for the main and great end that he made heaven and earth for certainly these are principall in Gods esteem and excellent God can say I have my end in these Take any town where there are but two or three that are godly what glory hath God but of these So for other places where hath God glory but for a few contemptibile ones They are these that God glorifies in high and great services these are the lights of the world the salt of the earth they are these that are the blessings of the world wheresoever they are they are these for whom the world continueth so as it doth There is a notable expression in Isaiah In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the middest of the Land whom the Lord of hosts shall blesse saying blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance Isaiah 19.24.25 Wheresoever they are in a Kingdom or a family or a town they are a blessing in that Kingdome in that town and in that family Israel shall be a blessing in the middest of the Land These are they that are the excellent of the earth I would now willingly be over this that I may come to the other but onely there is a word or two of applicatian And that is First to shew what a vast difference there is between those that are godly those that are wicked Many things I might shew that the Scripture expresseth of wicked ones in all their glory let all the glory of the world be put upon them yet the Scripture speaks exceedingly contemptuously of them I must not spend time in those expressions onely one and that is Daniel And in his estate shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honour of the Kingdome but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the Kingdom by flatteries Daniel 11.21 It is spoken as most Interpreters carry it of Antiochus Epiphanes he is called a vile person we may observe that David doth here more fully set out the love and affection he bears towards those that feare God by the contrary effect of hatred wherewith he doth prosecute the wicked as in the 4. v. of this Psalm in the 4. vers of the foregoing Psalm the Psalmist saith In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the LORD Psalm 15.4 Of this Antiochus there are three things observed yet he is called a vile person First he was a great enemy to many sinnes Secondly when the Iews wrote to him because they feared his wrath he being a persecutor of the Iews there were
some that lived in Samaria that were Samaritans that wrote to him to desire his favour that were not their own selves Iews but Samaritans and Iosephus saith they wrote to him in this stile To Antiochus c. Antiochus the mighty God they gave him this title of honour He was a great man on earth accounted where he lived among the Samaritans a mighty god yet the Scripture calls him a vile person And then his name Epiphanes which is as much as illustrious or glorious He hath that title of almighty god and illustrious and glorious and yet he was a vile person Thus it is where God sees not the work of grace The consideration of this might give us some hope that there will be a time wherein God will appear for his Saints It is not probable that God will alwayes suffer his Iewels to be trodden under feet in the world that God will alway look upon such as are excellent on earth and see them so abused in the world so contemptible as they are surely this will not be alwayes God hath this time to make it manifest to the world that they are the excellent of the earth They are now Iewels yet they are such as are in the dirt and so are despised contemned but there is a promise that the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people for they shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up as an ensign upon his Land Zach. 9.16 As the stones of a Crown God will lift them up and make them honourable And there is another Text which is very observable for every one to take notice of Gods intention to make these excellent ones famous on earth The governours of Iudah shall say in their heart The inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Zach. 12.5 There was a time when the governours of Iudah despised those that were gracious godly but God hath promised that the governours of Iudah shall be convinced of their errour and shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God However now through the calumnies of the world however now through the reproaches that are cast upon the Saints of God it falls out many time that even the governours of Iudah despise and contemne them and say they are seduced people that they are factious and turbulent and so their hearts are against them hate and abhorre them look upon them with such an evill eye as those that they name puritans yet there is a time promised when the governours of Iudah shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of Ierusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts O ye inhabitants of Ierusalem Gods Church and people his sanctified ones for Ierusalem typified the estate of Gods people under the Gospell Gods sanctified ones under the Gospell shall be such as the governours of Iudah in their hearts shall say My strength is in them I see they are my best subjects my chief strength is in them and they are of principall use for me and my Kingdom is upheld in peace for them and there is the blessing of God on them they shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Now I see God is their God God hears their prayers and hath done much for them we are convinced of it O this will be a blessed time when it shall be that the governours of Iudah shall say so Blessed be God that they do say so in any measure that the governours of Iudah say at all of the inhabitants of Ierusalem of the godly that their strength is in them that they may see those that are the excellent of the earth in any measure to be truly the excellent of the earth It were a ruefull spectacle and would draw tears of bloud to see the excellent ones to have that usage that they have had But now to see those excellent ones countenanced in a publick way especially in publick courts of Iustice it is glorious when the governours of Iudah shall do it And this we are to pray for that it may be more and more seen amongst us and to say no more let us learn to honour them that God hath honoured since they are excellent ones and God hath put excellency upon them do you so too look on them according as God esteems them It is observed that God in the time of the law did not require them to offer in sacrifice Lions and Eagles those brave creatures but Lambs and Doves mean creatures he would have offered in sacrifice So God doth not regard the brave spirits of the world that strut it out but if there be any that be gracious and godly though they he never so poor and mean as Lambs and Doves God honours and respects them they are a sacrifice to him the broken heart is a sacrifice to God The sacrâ—fices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not despise Therefore when God would lift up himself in glory he saith He that dwells in the high and lofty place What of him he looks to those that are of humble and contrite hearts and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit As if there were no other subject in the world worth looking upon he looks onely to them As a thing that is before ones eye that he prizeth his eye is fastned on that so God looks on them as if they were the onely object to be looked at therefore let them be looked at by us with reverence in our hearts it is fit that we should honour those that God honours Therefore it is observed in the message of the King of Babylon to Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 When Hezekiah was sick and God had given him a sign of his recovery that the sun did go backward It was a wondrous honour that God put on him that the sun should go backward The ambassadours of the king of Babylon came to congratulate with Hezekiah after his recovery but what was the businesse not onely to congratulate with him for his recovery but to enquire of the great miracle so the Text saith the ambassadours of the Prince of Babylon were sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land Why did they enquire of this wonder there were many wonders done but they were not sent to enquire of others but of this Because they worshipped the sun for their god and because their god had put such an honour upon Hezekiah they perceived the altering of the sun that it went backward and they enquired of the matter concerning the alteration in the sun and after enquiry there was news that it was for the sake of Hezekiah Now because they worshipped the Sun as their god and so apprehended that their god had put such an honour upon Hezekiah they honoured him
never think what you do what you aim at I and my family are now going to seek the great God in prayer I am now going to joyn with my father or my master now that we are altogether in this family to tender up that worship and homage that we poor creatures owe to that infinite glorious first being of all things whereby to testifie our high respect and esteem of him Now if thy prayer be a customary way of prayer it is vanity it hath not a right end It may be thou goest to prayer meerly to satisfie conscience· Or some have this by end in prayer a wicked end that is they think to satisfie God for their former sinfull wicked wayes They take liberty in company to drink and please the flesh and as they served themselves then so now they will serve God and set one against another Sometimes they will give liberty to the flesh to take contentment that way but they will not alway do so sometime they will be devout serve God There is no man so wicked as to be alwayes in the acts of wickednesse but they think God must have his turn and they must have their turn sometimes And this is the prayer of many people to put their sins in one scale and so many devout prayers in the other scale and the one shall poize the other This is vanity this is not the end of prayer When God doth not see thy expressions filled with the graces of the Spirit this is vanity Take heed of vain expressions when there is nothing but nature in prayer though there be never so much earnestnesse in prayer if there be but a naturall spirit it is vanity we must pray in the spirit as the Scripture speaks And take heed of sluggishnesse in prayer that makes it vanity The breath that comes from life in mans body is warm but the breath that comes from bellows is artificiall and cold some mens breath in prayer is artificiall and cold but the prayer that comes from life is warm breath that comes up to God Again vanity in prayer is this when all is eaten out with vain thoughts thy heart roves in prayer thou knowest not where thou art thou canst not call that which thou makest a prayer A prayer with vain thoughts it like beer or wine that is dead and hath lost the spirits Vain thoughts are worms that eat out the strength of a duty would you present a dish to your superiour that were worm eaten or that were gnawn on before when we let out our thoughts in duties and present them to God they are worm-eaten and torn the strength of them is quite gone And after you have prayed take heed that you make not your prayers vain by not looking after them for the accomplishment of them or by being proud of your prayers gifts by resting in them And again it is vaniâ—y when thou undoest all as soon as thou hast done by going contrary to thy prayer in thy life not adding watchfulnesse to prayer If a man take pains to weave a web and spend so many hours in it and then ravell it out this man spends his time in vain So do most people with their prayers they pray for mercie and grace and as soon as they have done they go quite contrarie and ravell and undo all is not this vanity No marvell if thou thinkest it in vain when there is nothing but vain thoughts in thy prayers And take heed that you make not the prayers of others vain Luther writes to Melancthon angerly in regard of his fear of the power of his adversaries saith he You make our prayers void So it may be said of many that are cold and luke-warm and dead-hearted and do not take to heart the cause of God that fear the displeasure of this bodie and that bodie you make our prayers void You that have praying friends it may be fathers mothers that are dead whose prayers are put up in heaven take heed that you make not their prayers void that you give them not cause if they should come to live again from the dead to weep and cry out O how are our prayers made void by the prayers of such and such But you will say Lord what will become of us we have abundance of vanitie in our prayers Therefore that you may not be discouraged know that though there be manie vain thoughts in prayer yet if there be sighing and mourning and humbling of the soul and panting of the heart after God in groning and sighing though there be a mixture of vanitie yet there is a working of the Spirit of God and of grace in the heart after God know that the Lord will not charge this vanitie on thee the Lord will do away thy sin therefore let not that discourage thee The efficacy lies not in the excellencie of thy prayer but in the merits of Christ and his mediation Onely Christ will have somewhat of thy self in thy prayer he will have thy heart pant work after him but there may be abundance of vanitie thou drawest a line and makest a blot and another line and another blot Christ draws all fair again and presents to his Father But another question is this you say it is vain to pray Can you make good that you are one of the seed of Iacob This priviledge belongs to them it may be you are of the seed of Esau The seed of Esau what is that The Apostle speaks of Esau what his guise was Heb. 12.6 and saith Take heed that none of you be such as Esau lest there be any fornicatour or profane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his birth-right Now if thou prove a fornicatour thou art of the seed of Esau or a profane person what is that for one morsell of meat he sold his birth-right that is to please and satisfie and content the flesh he sold his birth-right that was the land of Canaan so typified the priviledges of the Church of God and even a type of heaven it was His birth-right had a spirituall meaning it had reference to the spirituall priviledges that the Saints of God have to this day in all the ordinances of God That man or woman that priseth any carnall contentment before spirituall priviledges they are of the seed of Esau and not of Iacob Thou thinkest there is some savour in monie and in a good trade and in good chear and such a day as this November 5. is better then a fastday because of the good chear but for the spirituall duties of this day to come and magnifie God and to attend upon his word thou thinkest they are circumstances and by matters and thou art troubled if the Sermon be too long to hinder thee of thy dinner thou art a prophane Esau all that I have said belongs not to thee thou dost not belong to Iacob but to Esau that preferrest carnall things for the
flesh before the spirituall priviledges of the Saints But how shall I know that I am one of the seed of Iacob How do you know such an ones child but by his likenesse to his father One that hath the spirit of Iacob is of the seed of Iacob There are manie things that the Scripture speaks concerning Iacob and see if you do answer them First Iacob was a mightie man in prayer he was a wrestler with God he wrestled till the day broke was as strong at the last as at the first hast thou the spirit of thy father Iacob art thou not discouraged in prayer though mercy come not presently yet dost thou wrestle all night resolve whatsoever come if thou die thou wilt die wrestling here is a child like the father therefore thou art of the seed of Iacob Secondly Iecob was one that feared God when God appeared to him he looked on the presence of God as dreadfull How dreadfull is this place Genesis 28. because God was there So dost thou look on the presence of God as dreadfull that thou canst say the fear of the great God is on thy soul when thou comest into his presence mark for this is that expression in the Psalm Ye that fear the Lord praise him all the seed of Iacob glorifie him and fear him all ye seed of Israel Psalm 22.23 If you will be sure not to seek God in vain but that you may praise him in seeking him fear the Lord all the seed of Iacob Thirdly Iacobs heart was disingaged from the creature a little of the creature would serve his turn Gen. 28. Lord saith he if thou wilt give me meat to eat raiment to put on He looked no further he minded no great matters Therefore in Ps 24. there the generation of Iacob is set out and one thing is he that hath not lift up his soul to vanity The men of the world have great things in their eyes they are vanitie in Gods eye though they be great in theirs and they lift up their hearts to them Now the sons of Iacob do not lift up their hearts to vanitie though the things of the world be present their hearts stirre not they rise not but if God and Christ and heavenly things be presented their hearts are lifted up If thy heart be lifted up to vanitie if thy heart be as iron and the vanities of the world come and draw it up thou art not a son of Iacob a little would serve Iacob though he were a great heir He was a plain man and dwelt in tents Genesis 25. and had a plain spirit he did not look after great things whereas Esau looked after great things abroad Again he was one of a tender spirit therefore where it is said he prevailed with the Angel it is said he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel there he spake with us That storie of Iacob concerns us how God dealt with our Father If now thou have a tender spirit as he had if when thou goest into the presence of God thou find thy spirit yield and melt and relent thou art one like thy father Iacob Again further Iacob did in the time of his streights repair to the covenant that was a great satisfaction to his heart he looked to the covenant he fastned on that and there he held as the main support of his spirit Gen. 32.9 And Iacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me return unto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee c. He heard that Esau was coming against him with a great company what doth Iacob he gets him to God O God of my Father Abraham of my Father Isaac the Lord which said unto me return into thy countrey c. He repairs to the Covenant Remember thy Covenant with Abraham and Isaac and with me to I went on thy word Here was the guise of Iacob canst thou in a straight get thee a word and a promise and brood thy soul over it and clasp it close and say this is the promise that must and will do me good Again Iacob was of an humble spirit I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies He admired at the mercy of God that he had any thing Gods mercies made him more humble this is an excellent disposition we are many times humble and lowly when we are under the hand of God in affliction but when mercies make us humble that the more God is gracious the more vile we are in our own eyes this is excellent And he looked back to his former condition he looked upon his poor beginning and gives God the glory I passed over this Iordan with my staff Many of you came with your staff and God hath given you two bands you are grown great are you willing to think of it and to acknowledge the poor estate that once you were in and to give God the glorie I was thus thus of poor parentage and see how God had dealt with me Another thing remarkable is that Iacob contented himself with God alone he accounted that he had enough in God alone though all were taken from him he did not look upon himself as undone but he had that that might make him for ever In Gen. 33. compare the 9. and 11. verses you shall find a notable difference between Esau and Iacob yet the word in our books is the same but this Scripture is much wronged by the translation In vers 8. Esau when he comes to Iacob when Iacob would have given him his present saith he what meanest thou by all these droves which I met he said these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord and Esau said I have enough my brother It was a strange speech of Esau A covetous wretch that is alway pyning and murmuring for having no more and thinks he shall want before he dye he doth not come so farre as Esau and Esau could say I have enough are there not many of you that never say you have enough I pray thee take my present saith Iacob for I have all things nay saith Esau I have enough The one saith I have enough the other saith I have all things for â—o the word is Col Esau had enough he did not want he had meat and drink and he saw none to interrupt him he was satisfied with his estate as his portion he had enough he cared for nothing more they might talk of other things but that was enough to him Iacob comes and saith I have enough but this was another manner of enough Esaus enough is his estate but Iacobs enough is God for he saith I have all Iacob was meaner for his outward condition then Esau for he had nothing but what he had gotten in hard servitude Now Esau saith I have enough Iacob saith I have all that is God
the red sea They say that Moses had learned of the Egyptians and they were great Astronomers and Moses knew when it would be a low tyde and what constellations there would be at that time and that the tyde would prove low then more then ever in the age of man and Moses took the nick of time end lead them through the sea Thus atheists would darken the works of God put them of to naturall causes So I find it related of the old Prophet in Ieroboams time Iosephus hath it related of him he sent to Ieroboam to stretch out his hand he tells us that this was by accident he was wearied all the day long and now he had the Palsie and after it was restored again that which was done by prayer he would have it by naturall means Iust thus it is when God hath so magnified his mercy to England and wrought such wonders yet manie carnall atheisticall spirits say this was an accidentall thing and the policie of such men brought it to passe they attribute all to naturall causes it is a sign of wretched profane heart For if God ever magnified prayer he hath done it in these dayes There are 2 or 3 Scriptures that since the world began were never more magnified then by Gods working at this day One is in Exodus 13. In the thing wherein they dealt proudly God was above them Never since the world began was that more fulfilled A second is that in the 10. Psalme The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands If ever there were a fulfilling of that Scripture since the beginning of the world it is as this day A third is this in the Text. I said not to the seed of Iacob seek ye my face in vain God as I said hath raised a spirit of prayer among the seed of Iacob more then ever any in the world knew there was never the like spirit of prayer raised nor never the like things done for prayer And the Lord the rather honoured the ordinance of prayer now because men so dishonoured it before and persecuted it that the people of God could not meet and assemble to fast and pray but presently it was a conventicle and they were persecuted as factious people Because God saw this way despised he hath honoured it and the former and the latter mercies that we have received we are to attribute to the goodnesse of God by prayer they were obtained by prayer Let us still be incouraged to call unto God for what we would have for God hath said call upon me and I will answer thee There are many of us now that can do little else if God have delivered you from sicknesse and other evils know that God hath delivered you to pray the lesse you can do otherwise the more you should do in prayer I have read of a heathen Nuâ—a Pompylius that he would never go about any thing but he would go to the temple and pray you that are instruments intrusted with our lives and liberties you had need to pray much go into your closets and sanctifie all your thoughts and resolutions by prayer that your help and assistance may not be in vain to us And all others had need to assist you in seeking God in prayer This incouragement we have that there is not any of us that seek God alone but we joyn with thousands why should our place be found empty why should not our prayers joyn with the rest We shall meet manie prayers in heaven the prayers of our forefathers the prayers of those that are dead and gone that did not live to enjoy the fruit of their prayers yet when we pray for mercies our prayers meet with theirs in heaven therefore let us be incouraged to call unto the Lord. And if mercies should come what a daunting would this be to our hearts that mercies are come but we have not sought them and if mercies come not conscience will flie in our face that we have been sensuall carnall creatures and it is for our neglect of calling unto God that God hath denied us the mercies that we expected And then it should be a use of rebuke to those that begin to seek God and continue not O wretch why hast thou left whether wilt thou go Is it in vain to serve the Lord certainly thou wert never acquainted with God and his wayes thou wilt find it a dreadfull change when it shall appear that thou had left God the fountain of living water and hast sought after vanitie and forsaken thine own mercy But the main of all should have been for the applying of it to the present occasion The Lord hath made good his word this day call unto me and I will answer thee· This day testifies it to be true that they are great things that prayer hath done I have heard manie years ago by credible testimonie that on this fifth of November when we had such a great mercie so manie years ago that verie day it was known that a great manie godly people in the citie kept in fasting and prayer so as it was eminently known and delivered from hand to hand of them in the city at that time and you know what God did But what hath he done of late If our fathers should rise out of their graves and we should tell them that now the high commission that they were so troubled with is down that there shall be no more star-chamber that cutting off of ears is gone they would wonder how this should come to passe And whereas Parliaments were wont to be snapped in sunder that this Parliament is to continue by as firm an Act as any thing in the land is made by And for oppressours all the Courts and Bishops Chanceries they are down and gone God hath extirpated them they were first cast out of the house and now out of the Kingdome And though an armie did rise and seek to bring us into slaverie yet God hath given us victory though some have suffered hardly and brought the adversaries very low to surrender their towns and castles and arms And here we are to rejoyce in God and to blesse him for all If many of our ancestours should rise and hear what we speak how we hold up our hands and blesse God with what hearts would they joyn in the praising of God and wonder that ever such things should be done Let not the grace of God be in vain as God hath not said to us seek my face in vain What use shall we make of it Let us give him reall praise and not onely come to repeat it and tell God of it but make his praise glorious put a glorie on it and then we do it when we make a right use of his mercies when we receive not his mercies in vain What is to make use of the memoriall we celebrate First the remembrance of these mercies must humble us that is a sweet humbling it is better to be