rebellions attempted at home Therefore wee haue great cause to pray for the life of our King and the rather for that wee see how his life hath been desperatly sought by diuers as appeareth by the confession of some who are in prison at the least for suspition of treason Now if they begin thus malitiously and impudently so soone what will they not dare to doe hereafter if God and good lawes doe not suppresse them And truly by this experience that we haue that euill things thus determined in secret are wonderfully disclosed and brought to light before hand and the malefactors apprehended and taken we may see the fruit of our former prayers for his Maiestie and that should incourage vs with good hope to pray for him still Nay we haue longer experience of the fruite of our prayers for our Princes in the time of good Queen Elizabeth whose life was so often sought and so desperatly that she might truly say with the Psalmist They haue often times afflicted mee from my youth Psal 129.2 but they could not preuaile against me for she went to her graue with peace full of daies threescore and nine which is a great age for a Prince when she had happily and peaceably raigned fiue and fortie yeeres Let vs labour then as much as in vs lieth to draw out by our prayers the life of our most gracious Soueraigne as an euen thred to the full for as the Lord God hath ordained the thing so also the meanes which we for our part must not neglect And let vs pray not onely for his royall person but also for his gouernment that vnder him wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in al godlinesse and honestie 1. Tim. 2.2 as the Apostle speaketh vnto Timothy and namely that at the next Parliament good lawes may be made for the reformation of all things that are amisse in the Church common-wealth This sermon fell out vpon that day which caused this digression And seeing that we are commanded to keepe the memory of this day with publike thanksgiuing for a famous and memorable deliuerance bestowed vpon his Maiestie in his Realme of Scotland from the treasonable conspiracie of the Earle of Gowry and his complices of whom in that respect we may say as it is in the Psalme If the Lord had not been on his side Psal 124.2 3 4 c. when men rose vp against him they had then swallowed him vp quick when their wrath was kindled against him then the water had drowned him and the streames had gone ouer his soule But praised be the Lord which hath not giuen him as a pray vnto their teeth his soule is escaped out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and he is deliuered it falleth out not vnfitly with the argument that out of this text we haue in hand For as Dauid in this Psalme teacheth the people to pray for him and in the next to giue thankes so it is our bound dutie not onely to pray to God for him but to giue thankes for him as the Apostle also speaking of the duties of the people to their kings which he exhorteth Timothy to teach and to practise ioyneth these two together saying I exhort that supplications prayers intercessions 1. Tim. 2.1 and giuing of thankes be made for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there is great reason that wee should thus doe What cause we haue to giue thankes to God for our King for if wee ought to bee thankfull vnto God for other common benefits as peace libertie the Gospell and such like then also for him by whom wee hold them Therefore among other benefits let vs continually remember this and see how wee faile therein and in our thanksgiuing remember other priuate benefits and not this great one or not so much as we should And though we must needes confesse that we haue great cause to be sorie for the death of our late Queene Elizabeth by whose wise gouernment we inioyed so many great benefits that we might much more truly say of her than Dauid did of Saul in his lamentation 2. Sam. 1.24 that she cloathed vs in skarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of gold vpon our apparel yet we must see and confesse to the praise of God as the truth is that we haue great cause to reioice that the Lord hath prouided one to succeed in her roome when her time was expired that it might not bee said of vs as it was of the Iewes in the daies of the Iudges Iudg. 18.1 that there was then no King in Israel and so we should haue bin as sheepe without a shepheard scattered here and there as it is said of the Israelites when King Ahab was slaine in the battell These haue no master let them returne euery man to his house in peace 2. Chron. 18.16 Then haue we much more cause to be thankfull that God hath raised vp him for vs In respect that he is right heire to the Crowne euen the right heire to the Crowne both by father and mother they two being the lawfull grand-children of the Ladie Margarite sometimes Queene of Scots by mariage and eldest daughter to King Henry the seuenth where if the Nobilitie had set vp some other of the bloud royall further off there must needes haue been great ciuill warres to the spilling of many thousand English mens blood and some of them should haue died in an ill cause ignorantly or against their wils as when the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were a long time diuided in this land And then also some forrainer might easily by their owne power and by the helpe of the Papists and other mutinous and malecontented persons haue soon set footing into this Isle which would not so easily haue been driuen out againe And besides all this wee haue great cause to bee thankfull And so rarely qualited for the kingdome that he being the right heire is so wonderfully qualited for the kingdome that as the Queene lately deceased was a rare woman fit for the Crowne by election if not by inheritance so he a very rare man for all parts of soule and bodie and that the Lord did so fit him for this place and then sent him vnto vs that he came not as Saul in Gods wrath who was a cruell tyrant but as Dauid in Gods mercie to feede his people in Iacob Psal 78.71 and his inheritance in Israel And for his royall posteritie Act. 13.36 And this is no small benefit that he hath a royall posteritie to succeed in the throne of the kingdom least when he should haue serued his time by the counsel of God and so fall asleepe and be laid with his fathers we should be in a new feare And what should we say of this that he came to the Crowne so vnlooked for For though it was his inheritance yet such was the wisedome of
out of hope that others may bee benefited by them besides those for whom they were first prepared so if they be J shall not repent me of this double labour the one in preaching of them and the other in publishing of them I haue intituled them Medicines for the Plague because they containe many meditations fit for that euill both to preuent it and to beare it patiently and to be recouered out of it and to die comfortably in it And I must needs confesse that I did not make choice of this text to intreat of that argument of purpose for then I might haue taken many other more fit in the Scripture and this to say the truth doth not properly concerne it one whit but hauing entred into this Psalme before there was any great rumor of the Plague vpon this occasion of the Kings Highnesse his first comming into these parts of his dominion and so in the beginning handling something of our dutie vnto our soueraigne prince according to the generall drift of the text when this new accident of the Plague fell out because the Psalme did still so farre agree with the time as it was a time of trouble I held on my course and made a vertue of necessitie and so did applie the Scripture vnto the time and all meditations of trouble arising out of it vnto this one kind of trouble of the Plague especially proper vnto that time so far as it was necessarie And so during the time of the publicke fasts commaunded by publicke authoritie and generally vsed for the most part euery where continuing in this text as the Plague encreased so in my whole course I did still aime at that more and more Whereupon it commeth to passe that the Medicines for the Plague so called are inserted somewhat after the beginning and so more towards the middest and in the end most of all according to the time Therefore though this one thing be not dispersed through the whole booke and in euery Sermon though it be in the most the whole booke not vnfitly hath his denomination thereof euen as some compound medicines are called not of all but of one principall ingredient and that also which in the artificiall confection is added to the rest in the middest or rather sometimes euen at the last And as the same Apothecaries though they haue more of that stuffe remaining put to no more than is fit at that time for the present receit so though there was more of this Psalme remaining vnhandled yet I left it off when the Lord in so great mercie did put an end almost to the Plague especially in the chiefe parts of this realme at what time also all men did discontinue their weekely fasting And though I meant nothing lesse at the first preaching of them than that they should thus be divulged yet seeing the Lord did afterwards put it into my mind as I am persuaded and gaue me good successe by his blessing in setting them downe in writing J doe not repent me of this labour And it shall not be vnprofitable for vs all by this meanes so long after both to remember in what case we were then to be still humbled by it and what we then prayed for that now wee may be thankefull and what wee then vowed that now we may performe it and that we may be prepared for the like againe And thus hoping of your Christian patience and charitable iudgement of these my indeuors and of my good meaning in them I commend them to your godly consideration with my prayers for you and for them vnto him who onely giueth encrease to the planting and watering of all men according to his heauenly wisdome 1. Cor. 3.6 and desire you also that you would further me with your prayers this way and euery way that so we may all of vs receiue as much as we giue according to the promise of our Sauiour Christ Luke 6.38 Looke vvith vvhat measure you mete vnto others vvith the same it shall be mete vnto you againe In hope whereof I rest and bid you heartely farewell in the Lord. Norton in Suffolke May. 1604. Yours in all Christian duties for the Lords sake Nicholas Bownd GODLIE SERMONS VPON PART OF THE TWENTITH PSALME full of instruction and comfort very fit generally for all times of affliction but more particularly applied to this late visitation of the Plague Preached at Norton in Suffolke THE FIRST SERMON VPON THE inscription or title of the Psalme To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THis Psalme as appeareth by the inscription was made by the Prophet Dauid The author of this Psalme and to whom it was committed as most of the Psalmes were and not as a priuate thing belonging to himselfe alone but for the benefit of the whole Church as the rest of the Scriptures also were written to that end and therefore it was deliuered or specially by him commended vnto him that excelleth namely in Musicke that is vnto one of the Leuites that was skilfull in Musicke to bee sung publikely in the Temple and therefore by him to bee set vnto some tune fit for it according to the manner of Gods worship in those daies and according to the diuision of the offices of the Leuites made by Dauid for all kinde of Musicke both with voyce and with diuers kinds of instruments 1. Chron. 25. as appeareth in the booke of the Chronicles And the whole Psalme thus made and directed is a prayer of the Church for Dauid their King The argument of this Psalme For in the beginning and end of the Psalme there are the words of supplication and prayer desiring some thing of the Lord in the middest they shew with what faith they do pray And it is euident that they pray not for themselues onely but for another for they say The Lord heare thee and defend thee c. and they meane their King whom in the sixt verse they call the Lords annointed it was made by Dauid as appeareth by the title He then teacheth the people to pray for himselfe desireth their prayers telleth them for what they should pray and giueth them a forme of it The occasion of it The time when he made this prayer for them and the occasion of it is not set downe in the title as it is in some other Psalmes but yet it is thought by diuers that it was when hee went to battell against the Ammonites Which thing as it is but coniecturall so we are sure of this out of the words of the text that it was in a time of great daunger not onely to his owne person as appeareth in the first and second verses but to the whole realm as is euident vers 7.8 and it was a time of war for they speake of chariots and horses as of meanes of defence vers 7. He then in a matter of great moment fleeth to God for succour as to his only defence he vseth all good meanes
respect wee haue great cause to be sorie The great losse when the good die whose prayers we had whē the Lord taketh away any good mā or woman for then we want so many that might stil haue prayed for vs and for the Church and so wee are left the more destitute of helpe And if wee ought to lament the death of those who haue been beneficial to vs for worldly things whose helpe wee see now that wee want to our great hindrance then especially should wee be grieued that wee are depriued of the comfortable presence of those to whom in all distresses of bodie or minde wee might resort and communicate our whole estate as Dauid did to Ionathan and might boldly haue desired their prayers and might with great facilitie haue obtained them for vs. Thus much for this part of the title that this Psalme being a prayer of the Church for Dauid hee made it for them and committed it to the singer that he might take order that it should be vsed publikly and so by vertue of it did require that thus they should pray for him One thing more of Dauid is to bee obserued out of the title and the discourse of the whole Psalme namely with what minde and purpose or to what end he desired their prayers Not as purposing to neglect prayer himselfe Dauid in desiring their prayers did not purpose to neglect prayer himself or to grow any whit more slacke in it because of that and so to put off this as a burden from himselfe as one that had other great matters in hand and so to commit it to them that should haue leisure enough As if hee should haue said you know that I must goe out to battell against the Ammonites and in warre wee shall haue our hands full and our mindes taken vp euery way I shall haue no leisure to pray to God there though I know it to be necessarie and would faine doe it I would haue you therefore to pray for me and so trusting to them should neglect this dutie himselfe and so they might haue prayed very doubtingly for him but that they might be the more willing to pray for him in this case hee telleth them and professeth it openly that he would pray to God himselfe and as he should be in any speciall trouble so he would doe it much more earnestly and therefore he would haue them pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers of his So then in requiring this of them hee did not leaue them in suspense to thinke thus he willeth vs to pray for him indeede and so it is our bound dutie to doe and wee will doe it but wee cannot tell whether hee will vse any prayer himselfe which if hee doe not ours shall doe him the lesse good But as hee required their prayers so hee bound himselfe to the like practise No more must kings when their subiects doe pray for them and would haue them also to know it before hand that so they might pray accordingly that God would heare his prayers So that first of all Kings and Princes be they neuer so great must not so require their subiects to pray for them that they shuld thinke it were not needfull for themselues to pray at all for they had enow that daily did it for them euery where And all others that desire the prayers of their brethren must not for that bee any one whit the more remisse and sparing in their owne prayers which is diligently to bee marked of vs because it is contrarie to the common practise of the Church of Rome and of diuers others For the Romish Synagogue maketh Emperours Kings The practise of the Papists is otherwise and great men to beleeue vpon their credit that prayer doth not so necessarily belong vnto them or to such kind of men that doth peculiarly belong to the Clergie and Church-men as they cal them they could pray enough for them and for al the world if they may be wel paid for their labours Therefore if such men as they will but giue some lands and reuenewes to an Abbey or erect a Monastery or some religious house there to be prayed for they shall haue so many continually to pray for them that it maketh no matter though themselues very seldome or not at al pray This kingly prophet or propheticall king was of another minde and so ought all godly and religious not onely Princes but men and women to be But to leaue these men And of some Gospellers and their religious practises to themselues we shall finde this corruption to be in some that are not of the worser sort that when they know that others doe pray for them in sicknesse or otherwise they can be contented to let passe their owne prayers now and then in hope of that and to become somewhat remisse themselues But as Dauids desire was here not onely that they would pray for him but after this manner euen that God would heare his prayers which hee had and would make euery day so doth the Apostle ioyne these two very fitly together and requireth them both of all men alike Jam. 5.13.14 saying Is any man among you afflicted Let him pray Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him where he would haue al men to pray for themselues in their seuerall afflictions and to send for others that they might pray for them likewise We must not seuer our own prayers from the prayers of others And as he would not haue them in some cases to content themselues with their owne prayers but send for others to pray with them so hee would not haue them passe ouer their owne prayers in hope of that but begin with them first and pray themselues and if they cannot that way preuaile sufficiently then to call for the aide of others among whom it may come to passe that the prayer of some one righteous man or other might bee so feruent that it might auaile much for them Therefore those things which the Lord by precept and by the practise of his seruants hath ioyned together so neerely let no man put asunder Yet God heareth his seruants for those that neither doe nor can pray for themselues And yet we doe not denie but that such is the goodnes of God to all sorts of men to leaue them without excuse and that hee hath made so many gracious promises vnto the prayers of his seruants that hee often heareth them praying for those who neither pray for themselues at all neither can pray nor haue any purpose to doe it So did he diuers times as hath been declared before heare Moses and Aaron praying for Pharaoh King of Egypt for his Princes and for his people all which had no purpose at all to serue God themselues neither knew how to doe it but did hinder as much as lay in them his people from
denie but that this dutie of prayer for him is greatly neglected of many for how few doe vse to pray for him at home in their houses And bind themselues to it as a matter of dutie and at Church also they pray not for him as for themselues But the Apostle Paul chargeth Timothy a Minister of the Gospell to practise and to teach this I exhort saith he that supplications 1. Tim. 2.1 prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First of all pray for all sorts rich and poore bond and free next for those of whom there might bee some question then as for Kings and gouernours because they were enemies to the Church and people of God So then if we had the most wicked King and cruel tyrant set ouer vs as some haue in these daies and our forefathers haue had in the daies of superstition and Poperie yet wee ought all to pray for them for though they were nought themselues yet the gouernment is good and of the Lord much more then should we doe for those that are good What great reason there is of it as for our King he being a professor of the Gospel which is rare among Princes in these daies and after the purest manner and truly called the Defender of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith A great learned man also able to iudge of things himselfe and more learned than any Prince that we know of being brought vp of a childe in learning vnder most excellent schoolemasters and tutors his learned bookes also doe sufficiently testifie of his great learning both in the tongues the Artes and in the word of God He is one of great gouernment in himselfe both for apparell and for diet lowly minded and not ambitiously puft vp with the accesse of so great kingdomes and for his wisedome he hath been long exercised in gouernment and in gouerning of a troublesome kingdome A man of great courage for the warres and of policie for peace and in a word the mirrour of the world What cause then haue we to pray for him And that we might doe it What great benefits we enioy vnder the gouernment of our King let vs remember how the Apostle telleth vs of the benefits that wee receiue by our Kings and to what end their gouernment is appointed namely not for themselues but for their subiects that they by their meanes might liue peaceably honestly and godlily which are three great cōmodities and comforts of this life and without which our life were not life And first for peace nothing is more to bee desired than that for if we had all that we haue and a great deale more and yet were subiect to warres abroad or forren inuasions or to robbers and theeues at home it would doe vs little good And yet this peace without godlinesse is nothing worth as if wee had not the meanes of our saluation and might not thus come to the Church to serue God according to his word and to leade our liues thereafter And if we had these yet if there should bee no honestie among men nor any true dealing one with another so that one man might not trust another but there were lying deceiuing oppression and such like without controulment Now all these benefits of peace honestie and godlinesse we haue by the meanes of our King especially wee may looke for them vnder his gouernment 1. As to liue peaceably For as for forren enemies and inuasions which in former times wee haue been in feare of he is in league with all Christian Princes round about him so that we shall not need to feare them and as for tumultuous and disordred persons at home the lawes are still in force to suppresse them and it is like that new shal be made if there be any cause and though some doe breake out in hope of the Kings pardon yet for the time present the lawes will take hold of them and how farre his gracious pardon will extend they know not we may be sure that all such shall be exempted who doe euill before hand in hope of it 2. Godlily And we hope to liue godlily vnder him for we doubt not but that the Gospel shall be continued and wee hope that the estate of it shall be bettered and though the Papists seeke for a toleration of their superstition and comfort themselues with false promises that way yet we hope that their eyes shall fall out with looking for it in vaine for seeing that hee hath kept it out of Scotland all this while when he was of lesser power there is no likelihood that he should now yeeld vnto them when he is of greater power and more able to keepe vnder the whole route of them But the more obstinately that they seeke for it the more earnestly had we need to pray to God for the King to bee zealous against them 3. Honestly Lastly we hope to liue honestly vnder him for he seeketh alreadie the good of all his subiects as appeareth by his proclamations wherein he hath giuen all men that are any way oppressed to complaine of their griefes yea though it bee against them that are in authoritie with good hope of finding reliefe he hath also put downe the Monopolies and such like kinde of abuses because they stood not with the common profit of his people and this he hath done though his Maiestie was interressed in some of them and some vnder the colour and pretence of that hoped stil to retaine them Therefore when we haue and looke still to enioy such great benefits by his most gracious gouernment what great cause haue wee to pray for him What cause we haue to pray for the life of our King And the greater that these benefits be the more cause haue we to pray for his life by whom next vnder God we looke to haue them continued For if he should miscarrie which God of his great mercie keepe from vs then all these great blessings might goe away with him at once For though by the grace of God he hath issue of his owne bodie lawfully begotten in holy Matrimony who shal sit in the throne of the kingdome after him yet they are all yong and it is no great blessing but rather a punishment to haue children raigne ouer vs Jsai 3.4 as the Prophet saith For besides many great wants that would be found in them the Nobles and Peeres of the land and such great men could not so well bee kept in order some of them when there were none to complaine of them if they should offend a Lord Protector or Viceroy carieth not the maiestie of a King in the hearts of men The forraine enemies would be more bold against a childe than against a man both of wisedom and courage yea there would be more
thus Psal 144.15 Blessed are the people that be so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and not onely deliuerance from eternal destruction but from all other enemies and dangers so farre foorth as may make for the glorie of God Now God hath renued or rather confirmed the same couenant with vs and with all beleeuers in Christ They pray in the faith of Gods couenant made vnto Iacob and to his posteritie Heb. 1.2 and for his sake and is therefore called God the the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is not only his father but of all that beleeue in him And so look whatsoeuer was included in the first couenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob wee are heires of them by faith in Christ who is heire of all things and in whose bloud the couenant is established who is also the Mediatour of it Heb. 9.15 1. Cor. 3.21 and so if Christ be ours as the Apostle saith all is ours Therefore wee are to direct all our prayers vnto God in the faith of this most merciful couenant and looke to be heard for Christs sake As they consider here not only of God and so pray to him but as one that had made a couenant with them in Iacob and pray the God of Iacob to defend him So wee are to pray vnto God as to our father who hath so reuealed himselfe vnto vs in Christ for whose sake it is said that whatsoeuer wee aske of God according to his will shall bee graunted vnto vs. Therefore though God be in heauen Joh. 14.13 Eccles 5.1 and we in earth though he be iust and we sinfull and so we can looke for nothing from him in our selues yet because of his couenant wee come vnto him So must we in the faith of his couenāt made with vs in Christ and pray him for Christs sake to be good vnto vs to saue vs and to defend vs calling him not God onely but the father of our Lord Iesus Christ so in him our father Part of which couenant is that if we offend him or as it is said by God himselfe if they breake my statutes Psalm 89.31 and keep not my commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stroakes yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from them nor falsifie my truth my couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And according to this part of his couenant we must pray him to deale with vs that is that though he doth iustly chastise vs with this plague for our sinnes yet he would not take his louing kindnes from vs and so play as Dauid doth O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath Psal 6.1 where hee doth not simply refuse to be chastised for then he should haue been out of the couenant but not in the anger of God Euen in this time of the plague so must we be willing to beare this visitation of the Lord so long as it shall please him to trie vs with it only let vs desire that his wrath may cease from vs and that his louing kindnes may not be taken away and let that be sufficient for vs. Therefore to conclude this point that we might now and alwaies pray in faith let vs looke to Gods couenant made with vs and to the promises included therein and to Christ in whom only the couenant is stedfast and in whom onely all the promises are Yea and in him they are Amen to the glorie of God 2. Cor. 1 20. It followeth in the second verse Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary strengthen thee out of Sion In which they continue to pray for their King that God would defend him frō all euil The interpretation of the second verse as before and namely to that end they pray that God would send him helpe from his Sanctuary and giue him strength and courage against his enemies to that end from Sion Where by Sanctuary he meaneth heauen In the Hebrue it is Holy namely place that is heauen which is the holy place of Gods abode and in the sixt verse both are expressed namely heauen and holy place And it must needs be then takē here for from whence should God heare vs and helpe vs but from heauen Doe wee not when wee pray lift vp our mindes our eyes and our hands vnto heauen and Christ hath taught vs to pray O our Father They pray for helpe from heauen which art in heauen c. He teacheth thē then to pray that God would send them helpe from heauen and thus he sheweth his owne faith and taught them also so to beleeue that all his help in all dangers must come from heauen Therefore as it is God that i◠all troubles doth defend vs so the meanes that we haue are of him and the successe and blessing of them and so all our helpe is from heauen And this is that that wee must beleeue in all dangers that what meanes so euer we haue as wee must acknowledge them to be of God so vnlesse hee blesse them they will doe vs no good for all our help is from heauen If we want all meanes yet God can send vs help without them therefore whether we haue them ascribe them to him with thankes and pray to him to blesse them or if wee haue them not pray yet that he would send helpe from heauen where and when there is none in the earth We see then with what minde Dauid goeth to the battell he was a valiant man himself Though they had many helpes for warre yet they looke for all their helpe from heauen 2. Sam. 23.8 as appeared in his combat with the great giant Goliah hee had a great armie also and all things meete for warre and had gotten many great victories before and so he knew by experience what he and his companie were able to doe and hee had many worthie Captaines whose exploites and valour are highly commended in the Scripture and yet they goe not on confidently and presumptuously thinking that they should bee able to make their part good enough against their enemies for they were able to doe so and so one of them had slaine eight hundreth at one time another of them defended a place against the whole hoste of the Philistims and another slew three hundreth at once and three of them did breake through the armie of the Philistims to fetch water for Dauid and returned safely and such like things they might haue boasted of But as though they were no bodie nor euer had done any thing or had no means to help themselues they pray that God would send them helpe from heauen acknowledging that all that they had or that they could say for themselues was nothing without him and his helpe Contrarie to the common course of our time Contrary to the common
course of captaines and souldiers in which men runne on desperatly to the warre and neuer thinke of God or of his helpe especially if they be any thing well prouided against the enemie and so God forsaking them whose aide they do not seek they speede thereafter As Benhadad King of Aram boasted of himselfe and of his power and thought that he might do what he list and therefore casted out blasphemous threats saying The gods do so to me more also if the dust of Samaria be enough for all the people that follow me 1. King 20.10 for euery man a handfull and after when his enemies came out against him he thought hee might commaund them and said Whether they be come out for peace take them aliue Vers 18. or whether they be come out to fight take them yet aliue but what came of it in the end The King of Israel came out against them and made a great slaughter This became of his proud boasting of his owne power before the victorie as he was warned of it before when King Ahab sent him this message Let not him that girdeth his harnes boast himselfe as he that putteth it off And as Dauid doth teach them thus to pray for helpe from God so in the next Psalme he acknowledgeth that it was God that had saued him Who therfore commonly speed thereafter saying The King shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation If all Princes did thus when they send out their souldiers and if the Captaines themselues did looke for all their helpe from heauen and pray for it accordingly they might haue had better successe many time than they haue had And the want of this faith and of prayer the fruite of it as it hath brought great losse of men among other people and made long warres so also vpon the English men both in Ireland in the Low Countries and so wee see how these euils by the grace of God may be preuented for the time to come Now that that is said here of this particular as of warre is true of all other troubles and dangers whatsoeuer that our helpe in them must be from heauen and therefore we must by prayer seek for it at the hands of God as these do here if we will haue it but first of al we must beleeue that it is so And that wee might so doe let vs consider that that which Salomon saith of this thing is true of all other The horse is prepared against the day of battell Prou. 21.31 but saluation is of the Lord that is what meanes so euer wee haue to preserue vs from danger All helpe in al dangers and troubles is only from heauē yet our help and saluation both of soule and bodie that must be frō heauen And this is that which the Church of God confesseth by the mouth of the Prophet and ascribeth all their great deliuerances though they had meanes to bring them to passe which they also speake of vnto God when they praise him after this manner We haue heard with our eares Psal 44.1 c. O God and our fathers haue told vs the workes that thou hast done in their daies in the old time how thou hast driuen out the heathen and planted them how thou hast destroyed the people and caused thē to grow For they inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou fauouredst thē Thou art my King O God send helpe vnto Iacob Through thee haue we thrust back our aduersaries by thy name haue we troden down them that rose vp against vs. For I do not trust in my bow neither can my sword saue me but thou hast saued vs from our enemies and hast put them to confusion that hate vs therfore will we praise God continually and will confesse thy name for euer In all which words we see that they attribute all their former deliuerances from dangers vnto God and professe also that they looked for helpe from none but from him and put their trust in him and so desire him to send helpe vnto Iacob that is to them that were of his posteritie and so the people of God And thus Dauid again and all the people with him when they fought against the Aramites did confesse and thus they did pray Psal 60.11 Giue vs helpe against trouble for vaine is the helpe of man where they doe not onely beleeue and so acknowledge that all their helpe is from God but all other helpe without it is vaine and to no purpose neither can it doe them any good THE EIGHTH SERMON vpon the second verse Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary WE heard the last day that not onely in warre but in all other troubles generally all our helpe must be from God and so we must seeke to him for it as these doe here And this is that faith that we must labour for in this dangerous time of the pestilence as in all other sicknesses and diseases This faith wee ought to haue in this time of the pestilēce that it is God that must send helpe from heauen to our brethren and to our selues and that neither we nor they can haue any helpe at all but from thence and that there is helpe to bee had when there is none in the earth but all helpe and all meanes of help faile here below For though there be means to serue Gods prouidence for euery purpose yet all they are of God and the blessing of thē also As now at this time the Magistrates in the places infected should take good order that the sicke be well looked vnto and prouided for and that there bee care had that they come not abroad and that the whole may be kept from the sicke as by the law of God the leapers were put apart from the societie of men because their disease was contagious and when they came abroad they should crie out alowd Leu. 13.45.46 I am vncleane I am vncleane that all men might auoide them And there are meanes of phisick for the preseruation of those from the contagion that are necessarily to be imployed about the sick and that must come into dangerous places yet these cannot be had nor vsed vnlesse God giue men this wisedome and when they haue them as Dauid here had all good meanes for the warre yet helpe and succour commeth from God as it shall please him to blesse the meanes Thus true faith will make vs place our trust and hope where wee should and where it will not deceiue vs and truly that is no small thing in any danger And shew it by prayer for our selues and others nay it is all in all For if wee trust to these meanes besides that it may be that wee cannot haue them if wee haue them they may doe