with that Angel of God John Bradford meaning him in particular And another that professed that he had rather be with Cato a heathen for his morall excellencies in prison then with Cesar in the Senate in all his pomp To be shut up with one godly man is a great deal of delight and contentment what a great deal of delight is there then in their being together and in that way wherein most of their excellencies appear such delight is in them joyntly First because the most comfortable communion that possible can be is enjoyed with them and in them for First is it not a most delightfull thing to see a company of godly people together to behold the resplendent beauty and glory of the graces of Gods spirit If there were nothing else what a delightfull thing is it saith the heart The very sight of good men it is pleasing and delightfull to those that look upon their faces wisdome makes their faces shine The seeing of the resplendent grace of God in them is very delightfull What is the delight of God but the seeing of the shining of his glory in his works especially when God sees that which is the shining of his highest glory as his own grace and holinesse that God delights in most So when a gracious heart sees his own image and that grace that God hath wrought in him he sees it resplendently in others it is a delightfull object Again there is a comfortable communion with them in regard of the fragrancie of grace The beauty of grace is delightfull but the fragrancie the breathings of grace are sweet in the heart The beholding of it is delightfull to the eye but the workings of their grace is exceeding sweet and comfortable to the heart Therefore saith the Church Let my beloved go down into the gardens among the beds of spices Cant. 6.2 All the Churches of God in the world are as the garden of Christ and every particular Church in that garden is as a bed of spices and every particular saint is as the severall parts of that bed especially the fragrant smell is very sweet It is said of Alexander his very body was of such a constitution that where ever he went there was a sweet savour came from his body Certainly where there is but one of Gods Children there it sweetnesse from him but where there is a company joyntly there is a wonderfull unspeakaable sweetnesse comes from them it is exceeding comfortable to a gracious hear Again their communion is comfortable and delightfull joyntly in regard of the nearnesse there being no communion under heaven wherein there is that nearnesse one to another as of the saints Observe that you may see how near they come together and are made one and so are exceeding delightfull one to another any thing the more spirituall they are the more they are united the more corporall they are the lesse union A heap of stones are not united as the severall beams of the sunne a thousand of them are united in one point because they are of a spirituall nature So it is with the spirits of men the more carnall any men and any society is the lesse union therefore the reason why the people of God many times are divided and not united is because they are carnall Are ye not carnall saith the Apostle when there were divisions were you spirituall you would be more united one to another It is with spirituall society in regard of spirtuall union as it is with the sociâ—ty of wickednesse There is bodily fleshly wickednesse and there is spirituall wickednesse Now those that joys together in grosse bodily wickednesse they are not so closely united as those that joyn in spirituall wickednesse A companion of drunkards or whoremongers they take delight in one another and joyn in wickednesse but it is corporall therefore they soon fall out and fly in the faces one of another but those that joyn in spirituall wickednesse as politick ambitious men men that joyn in mischief in a spirituall way they keep mighty close and you cannot break their bond of union they will suffer much before they will discover one another and break union one with another because their union is in a way of spirituall wickednesse So on the contrary when any are united in the spirit of holinesse they are mightily united there is no such union under heaven is that We read of the curtains of the Tabernacle Exod. 26. there were some of them that were made of purple and scarlet and fine linen and their taches that held them together were pure gold There were others of goats hair and their buckles were brasse So it may set our the different condition of men in the Church There are some in the Church that are truly gracious and godly that excell in grace and they are united by tacks of gold their union is mighty strong and glorious in their hearts There are others in the Church outward professours that are carnall that are goats hair goats in the Church and they maintain a union too but it is but brasse the ground and bottome of the union is but mean it is not such a golden union as the union of the hearts of Gods people there are no people under heaven so united as they It is true through their corruption there is a great deal of dissention as there is corruption in the best but that is as farre as they are carnall the more spirituall they grow the more near is their union one to another and the more entire is their love My beloved is one saith Christ to his Church and the daughters saw her and blessed her There is an onenesse and intirenesse in the hearts of the saints and this makes them to be blessed by those that behold them and makes their communion very delightfull That is the first particular their communion is most delightfull of all other communions therefore David saith all my delight is in them taking them together But then in the second place a gracious heart must needs delight in the saints if you take them joyntly because that when they are together there God is worshiped the solemnest worship that God hath is from the faints joyned together As I told you before that the glory that God had in the world was from them all but the solemnity of Gods worship cannot be but from them joyntly together Therefore the great delight of a gracious heart is to be with the saints when they are joyntly together because there the name of God is honoured and they worship God in a solemne way God is honoured among them Christ himself much delights in the Saints when they are joyned together in in the duties of holy worship do but compare two texts of Scripture that will both make us in love with the saints and delight in joynt communion with them Compare Psalm 22.22 with Heb. 2.12 The Psalme is a prophesie of Christ and generally all interpreters go this
onely tell them that they should seek me but I shewed by what way and means they ought to seek me in a right manner that my speaking to them might not be in vain For if a Minister come in Gods name to put you upon any duty and exhort you to do such and such a thing and barely tell you what you should do without showing how you should do it where you shall have strength and in what manner you should do it he shall speak in vain There are abundance of Sermons in vain when onely good things are commended to people and they are taught what they should do but not the way how and the manner and where they should have strength to do it then the word is in vain But saith God I said not unto you in vain that is I did not onely bid you seek me but I taught you the way how and in what manner you should seek me Thirdly and lastly I suppose that the principall scope of the holy Ghost is that which the words plainly present to our view I required not the seed of Jacob to seek me to no purpose that nothing should come of it but I required that they should seek me and they have found abundance of good by seeking of me So then this point ariseth plainly out of the words When God requires a people to seek him he will make it good to them that it shall not be in vain Before I open this point I will give you a Scripture or two one in the old Testament and another in the new Deut. 4.7 For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Here is an experiment of the fruit of seeking God and it is spoken to shew the honour of Gods people the priviledge of the seed of Jacob and the eminent condition they were in God is nigh to them in all things they call upon him for therefore they are not required to seek God in vain So Matth. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive A very strange expression Here might seem to be a tautologie One would think that it had been large enough to have said Whatsoever ye shall ask ye shall receive but here is all things whatsoever We would not speak so in ordinary language I will give you all things whatsoever Yet it may be this may be intended and I believe it is And all things here is the generall promise that all things that ye ask ye shall receive and whatsoever may referre to particulars every particular thing that ye ask ye shall receive You will say Any one that understands reason or Logick knoweth that particulars are included in the generall But there is this illogicall reasoning of unbelief that though we agree to the premises in generall yet when we come to particulars we think they will not be made good to us I suppose you find your unbelieving hearts so irrationall that though they believe the generall promise yet when it comes to particulars and you cannot but say that such a particular is in the generall yet your hearts will not come up to it Therefore our Saviour saith not onely all things in generall but also whatsoever in particular So Jam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much There is but one word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the working prayer but it is translated by two effectuall fervent Surely then prayer and seeking of God is the ordinance which he hath appointed for the turning about of the great affairs of the world This is the engine that doth it inwardly There are indeed a great many outward wheeles used but the spring of all is within prayer turns all about God never made use of any created power so much as of this He never did such great things by any created power as by the ordinance of prayer The Word is appointed for the converting of souls but a great part of the blessing of the Word dependeth on prayer In the opening of this point I will First give you some evidences of it Secondly shew you what great things prayer will do Thirdly wherein the efficacy and power of it lyeth Fourthly the objections of troubled unbelieving spirits against it And then come to apply all The evidences hereof are first the many famous records in Scripture of the noble and glorious exploits of prayer If any of you should come to me to ask as that King did of the prophets servant 2. Kings 8.4 What great things hath thy master done so what great things hath prayer done in the world truly we might spend houres and dayes in returning you an answer a great part of holy Scripture being spent in this very argument And it is a very good exercise for you in the night when you cannot sleep or at other times when you are troubled to do as that King did Esther 6.1 call for the book of the Records of prayer You that reade the Scriptures mark what you reade The word of God will tell you how prayer hath stopped the Sunne in the firmament opened heaven and shut it again raised from death to life opened the prison doores and what not Secondly all Gods people are able to tell you great stories of what they have gotten by prayer This poor man cryed saith David of himself Psalm 34.6 and the Lord heard him Who is it that cannot tell histories of Gods gracious dealing with him upon his seeking of him To be sure our Nation hath many things to say this way and every particular godly soul hath many things to say they would not lose their income of prayer for all the world Thirdly surely it is not in vain to seek God for there was never any faithfull seeker of him that ever would leave off but would continue as long as he lived seeking him he would seek his face evermore if it had been in vain he would have left off When we see a Bee stick on a Flower and will not be driven off or if she be driven off she will come again we conclude certainly it finds honey there So all the Saints of God that have ever sought God truly they would never be beaten off this way Let the world do what it will persecute them set spies to watch them in their meetings of prayer let it punish and imprison them let all the malice and rage of men be against them yet they cannot hinder them either from praying in their closets or from injoying the benefit of the communion of Saints in prayer Daniel had rather lose his life then be kept from his prayers though but for a day but pray he would and that openly yea three times a day as he was wont he would not forbear one time He did stick to prayer finding honey and sweetnesse in it Oh how unlike are we to Daniel
though the performance of this duty was exceeding hazzardable to Daniel yet he would not be deterred from it but every light trifle taketh off our hearts Again it is not in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek the Lord for it is not in vain for wicked men to seek him though they are not able to seek God as they oughâ— The prayer of the wicked is abominable Prov. 15.8 That is not to be understood of the prayer of every man that is unregenerate wickednesse is not so to be taken in that place For we know that God hath regarded the prayers of men unregenerate The prayers and fasting of Niniveh were regarded of God the prayer and fasting of Ahab was regarded of God God hath granted the wicked some mercies he hath looked on them as his creatures Though God seeth enough in their prayers to cast them off yet God hath manifested his regard to them Therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to seek the Lord much lesse is it in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek him Yea the Lord heareth the cry of the very Ravens and 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 Jonah 3.7 8. Surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry it is not in vain for the Seed of Jacob to seek God Again it is evident that it is not in vain 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 this duty Now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength and all his might to that which were vanity and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained It is said of Jehoshaphat 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 do 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 vain 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 and 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 it is not in vain 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 Jesus 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 it is not in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek 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 in vain 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 seek the Lord. There be many other evidences which I passe by on 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 ow to God Prayer is not onely a duty but a great part of the worship that God hath in the world While we are worshiping 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 Jacob 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 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
30.10 11. Therefore fear thou not O my servant Jaoob neither be dismaied O Israel for lo I will save thee from a far and thy seed from the land of their captivity and Jacob shal return and be in rest and quiet and none shal make him afraid For I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure will not leave thee altogether unpunished There is somewhat that God doth but yet still he remembers his promise in the middest of affliction that he will leave nothing of that undone therefore though his people be under great afflictions the Lord will be good to them according to his promise Now again the Lord will regard the prayers of the seed of Jacob the efficacy of their prayers depends upon this because it is Gods own work That which is the work of God is not in vain God made none of his works in vain Now all their seeking of God It is from God it is Gods own work and a most glorious piece of the work of God Every prayer that comes from the poorest of the seed of Jacob every gratious and faithfull prayer it is a glorious piece Gods work It is a work of the holy Ghost and therefore it is not in vain Again as their prayers come from God they seek God from God so they seek God for God they seek the Lord for himself If the seed of Jacob did seek God onely for Corn and Wine and Oyle if they did seek him onely for their own ease and outward liberties and accommodations and for the lives of their enemies perhaps they might seek in vain No but when they seek God they seek God for God and thence they prevail so much with God Ye ask amisse that ye may spend it on your lusts James 4.3 You pray to God oft to be delivered from enemies and you think your prayers if it be in such a time as this they come in vain No marvell if so you pray that you may have liberty to trade and deliverance from taxations these may be sought but the house of Jacob seeks God for his name that that may not be dishonoured and for his Gospel that that be not taken away and the power of godlinesse trodden as dirt in the street when they seek God for God no marvell if it be not in vain But the great efficacy of prayer is this it is part of the purchase of the bloud of Christ that God might hear the prayers of the Saints it comes from the merits of Christ it is a part of his purchase that God should regard them it is in his name that we pray so we are taught It is by Christ that we have accesse to the throne of grace our priviledge of seeking God is that which Christ hath purchased by his bloud So that our seeking of God is not onely a duty and beneficiall to us but it is a high priviledge purchased by the bloud of Christ by him we have accesse with boldness the word is with liberty of speech liberty of speech is by the bloud of Christ that we may come before the Lord and open our minds fully certainly there is a great deal of efficacy in prayer Whatsoever our prayers are as they are from us though they be vain as they are from us yet take them as Christs purchase here lies the great efficacy of prayer Think not that the efficacy of prayer lies in earnestnesse or enlargement though it be a comfort and an evidence that God enlargeth us by his Spirit it is not parts that enlarge but the Spirit but the virtue of prayer lies not here the strength whereby prayer doth great things it lies in the engine lower in secret in the purchase of Christ Again Christ takes all the prayers of the seed of Jacob and renders them up to his Father for acceptance We have a more glorious way of coming to God then Adam had in innocency yea in some respects then the Angels themselves by having such an Intercessor that takes all our prayers and carries them to his father Yea not onely so but he joynes with us to the Father There is a place in the Hebrews quoted out of the Psalms that shewes that Christ praiseth God in the congregation it is not onely the Saints that praise God but Christ himself Heb. 2.12 I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the middest of the Church will I sing praises unto thee Christ in the middest of the Church sings praise to God When people meet to praise God Christ praiseth him It is a mighty encouragement in praising God So in prayer when we meet to seek God Christ seeks him for he is at the right hand of the Father making continuall intercession for the Saints Christ himself joynes with them in the work that they seek not in vain Again it is the stile and title that God glories in to be a God hearing prayer therefore he will not let it be in vain Again prayer is the pouring forth of the spirit to God the spirit that is so beautified with the graces of his own spirit now the pouring forth of such a precious spirit to God so beautified and principled with the graces of the holy Ghost certainly this cannot be in vain Indeed the Scripture saith of the heart of the wicked that it is little worth Let their heart be poured fourth God doth little mind or regard it but the heart of the righteous is much worth it is very precious before God therefore when their hearts are poured out and God sees the beauty and glory of his graces on them it is exceeding delightfull to him and such pouring out of their hearts cannot be in vain If God have a bottle for all their tears he hath a bottle also for all their expressions and pouring out of their hearts in prayer Further the exceeding delight that God hath in the seed of Jacob must needs cause God to regard their seeking that it be not in vain They are his darlings now there is no man that loves to deny a suit to any that he delights in We have a notable expression concerning the seed of Jacob when they pray Thou art my King O God command deliverance for Jacob. Psal 44. There comes a commanding power from God for the deliverance of Jacob when Jacob comes to sue to God Lastly it were not for the honour of God to send away his people empty that they should seek him in vain It is reported of Titus though he were a heathen Emperor yet he would not that any man should go sad out of the presence of the Prince God accounts it an honour that none should go sad out of his presence Therefore those are called on to rejoyce that seek the Lord. Let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek the Lord
Jacob as it was upon his father And dost thou walk in the fear of God Hast thou not a bold spirit that goes in slight presumptuous bold base wayes This is not like Jacob he looked on Gods presence as terrible Thirdly Jacobs heart was disingaged from the creature a little of the creature would serve his turn Ge. 28. Lord saith he if thou wilt give me meat to eat and raiment to put on He looked no further he minded no great matters Therefore in Psalm 24. there the generation of Jacob 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 vanity in Gods eye though they be great in theirs and they lift up their hearts to them Now the sonnes of Jacob do not lift up their hearts to vanity 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 vanity if thy heart be as iron and the vanities of the world come and draw it up thou art not a sonne of Jacob a little would serve Jacob though he were a great heir He was a plain man and dwelt in tents Gen. 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 and there he spake with us That story of Jacob 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 Jacob. Again further Jacob 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 Jacob said O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which said'st 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 many and what doth Jacob he gets him to God O God of my father Abraham and 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 too I went on thy word Here was the guise of Jacob canst thou in a straight get thee too a word and a promise and brood thy soul over it and clasp it close say this is the promise that must and will do me good Again Jacob 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 and 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 Jordan with my staffe 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 glory I was thus and thus of poore parentage and see how God hath dealt with me Another thing remarkable is that Jacob 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 Jacob yet the word in our books is the same but this Scripture is much wronged by the translation In v. 8. Esau when he comes to Jacob when Jacob 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 Jacob 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 so 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 Jacob comes and saith I have enough but this was another manner of enough Esaus enough is his estate but Jacobs enough is God for he saith I have all Jacob 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 Jacob saith I have all that is God is enough in the want of all if Esau should strip him of all he had yet he had all in God Now one that is of the seed of Jacob in the time of want as some of you may be plundered and then all is gone you say no if thou be of the seed of Jacob if thou have God thou hast all There is such a promise He that overcometh shall inherit all things How is that and I will be his God Revel 21.7 Therefore whatsoever thou wantest if God be thine if thou be Gods child thou hast all Further one of the seed of Jacob is one of the Church of God for all Jacobs posterity was so therefore the blessing in Ruth is The Lord blesse thee like Rachel and Leah which two did build up the house of Israel Why is it not the Lord blesse thee as Rebeccah or Sarah but as Rachel and Leah It was a blessing upon a marriage condition the reason is because from Rachel and Leah came onely those that were of the Church that were members of the Church of God but there came others from Rebeccah and of Sarah came onely Isaac but Abrahams posterity was otherwise And that Church that was then was but a type of that which should be after that is of a company