bee the more encreased by the beholding one of another 21 Fourthly we are to abstaine from all carnall delights whereby any one of our sences might bee pleased For the sence of pleasure would abate our mourning diminish the sence of our want and hinder our vnfained humiliation before God Wherefore Ierome saith that fasting is to abstaine not onely from meats but also from all pleasures or allurements And Augustine The Scripture saith he teacheth a general fast not from the concupiscence of meates onely but also from all pleasures of temporal delights Thus are we not only to abridge our tast of meats but also to containe our eies from beholding vanities and pleasures our eares from hearing mirth or musick which in time of mourning is vnseasonable our nostrils from pleasant odours and effeminate smels Our sence of feeling from the vse of the marriage bed which as all married persons are to forbeare vpon consent for such a time of humiliation that they may giue themselues to fasting and prayer so are the Bridegroome and Bride admonished to come forth of their marriage chamber in the time of the fast And all these are to be done partly as meanes of our humiliation in remouing the impediments thereof partly as signes of our humiliation whereby we acknowledge our selues vnworthy of these delights and partly as tokens of our repentance in that by way of godly revenge because all our sences haue sinned we depriue thē all of their seuerall delights And as wee are to make all our sences thus to fast so must wee also weyne our minds from sports and recreations which would not onely hinder our humiliation and godly sorrow but also distract our minds from better meditations in sanctifying the fast And thus haue I shewed that in our fast we are to abstaine from food and some other helps and commodities of this life and also from all outward delights and pleasures 22 Now it remaineth that I should speake of rest from bodily labours and worldly businesse For the time of the fast hath the nature of a Sabboth And by the Prophet Ioel it is called dies interdicti a solemnity or day of prohibition wherein men are forbidden to do any worke as ths Lord expoūdeth that word Leui. 23. It is a day of prohibition or a solemne day You shall do no seruile worke therein And Deut. 16. Six dayes thou shalt eat vnleauened bread and in the seuenth day which shall be a solemnity or day of prohibition to the Lord thy God thou shalt doe no worke So Num. 29.35 For there is the same reason of the extraordinary Sabbath of humiliation and of the ordinary But the ordinary was a Sabbath or rest in which no worke was to bee done yea the Lord threatneth to destroy that person from among his people that shall doe any worke that day And as I said before the law of the weekly Sabbath is to be extended to other extraordinary Sabbaths But on the weekly Sabbath wee may do no worke therefore not in this 23 But let vs consider also why and in what respects rest is required in the day of our fast and bodily labours and worldly businesse forbidden The Lord forbiddeth labour and worldly businesse and commaundeth rest on euery Sabbath not because simply he either liketh of rest or misliketh labour but because bodily labors worldly businesse are a meanes to distract vs from the worship of God and rest from them is a remedy against distraction For euery Sabbath is to be sanctified and set apart from our businesse and affaires and is to bee consecrated to the worship of God And further on the Sabbath of humiliation we take vpon vs after a more speciall maner to worship God and therefore that wee may seriously and entirely intend the seruice of God we are to abandō all other busines and cares For that is better done which is done alone as the Philosopher hath truly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is the counsell of the Wiseman that what wee doe wee should do with all our might For by doing many things our minds are distracted This therefore doth teach vs that with free and entire minds sequestred from all worldly cares we are to be conuersant in the worship of God chiefely when after a more speciall manner we indeuour to humble our selues before him For if bodily labours and worldly businesse bee therefore forbidden because they are meanes to distract vs then may we be sure that distraction it self in the worship of God is much more forbidden For distraction breeds hypocrisie in Gods worship and causeth vs when wee draw nigh to the Lord with our lips to remooue our hearts farre from him 24. Againe the Lord commaundeth vs in all his Sabbaths to rest from labours that this outward rest might be an admonition vnto vs to rest from sinne For why may euery one of vs thinke doth the Lord forbid me on the day of rest the lawfull workes of may calling Or why doe I cease from mine honest affaires Must I forbeare that which in it selfe is lawfull and may I doe that which is vnlawfull Must I therefore for this time sequester my selfe from my honest businesse that I may attend vanities or sinnes Or doth the Lord enjoyne me rest because hee is delighted with idlenesse and would haue me to doe nothing No verily If he forbid me that which is lawfull much more doth he forbid that which is vnlawfull And if he commaund me to rest from honest affaires it is not because he would haue me idle for idlenesse is the mother of much iniquitie but because hee would haue me attend better matters In a word he forbiddeth me to doe mine owne workes and businesse that I may doe his worke and attend his religion and seruice Lastly there may an outward cause be rendered why on the day of the fast wee are to cease from bodily labours For our fraile nature cannot well beare abstinence and bodily labour together for labour setting the bodie in a heat wasteth the moisture and spirits which are to bee supplied by nourishment otherwise we spend vpon the stocke of our naturall moisture which is as it were the oyle in the lampe of our life 25. We see then wherein the outward exercise doth consist and the particulars from which we are to abstain Now wee are briefely to consider for how long this abstinence is to be obserued The vsuall time of a fast is the space of a naturall day viz. from euen to euen or from supper to supper For as that was the time appointed for the ordinarie Sabboth of humiliation so also of the extraordinarie From euen to euen shall you celebrate your Sabboth And accordingly it is noted of the Israelits fast Iud. 20. of Dauid and his followers 2. Sam. 1. of Iosuah and the elders Ios. 7. that it was vntill the euening And more particularly of
and punishments in the Scripture are often called iniquities and sinnes But for whose sinnes I beseech you is this publicke judgement laid vpon the land For their sinnes alone who haue beene visited or are dead of the plague No I assure you but for the sinnes of vs all For although God hauing mercie on vs doth for our sinnes among the rest afflict others and spare vs that wee beholding this common judgement in others deserued by our sinnes as well as theirs might meet him in his iudgements and turne vnto him by repentance yet may not wee thinke our selues more righteous than they or esteeme them as more grieuous sinners than our selues because the Lord hath hetherto spared vs vnlesse we would haue that sentence of our Sauiour Christ to bee most justly applied vnto vs I tell you nay but vnlesse you repent you all shall likewise perish Wherefore let vs humble our selues vnder the hand of God let vs turne vnto him that smiteth vs that of vs that at the least may be verified which is said of the Israelits when the Lord slew them they sought him and turned vnto him Let vs I say turne vnto him with all our hearts and with fasting and mourning let vs call vpon God with vpright hearts in this time of our trouble that being deliuered out of the same we may glorifie him Who knoweth if he will returne and repent of this euill nay who knoweth not or who doubteth but he will haue mercie on vs and deliuer vs if our deliuerance may bee for his glorie and our spiritual good seeing he hath so graciously promised in this place that if we call vpon him in the day of trouble he will deliuer vs and we shall glorifie him Hauing spoken of the commaundement we are now to intreat of the promise which is added as a reason or motiue to stirre vs vp to the obedience of the commaundement For as the commaundement teacheth vs that if we desire deliuerance out of affliction that we may glorifie God we are to begge the same at the hands of God by heartie prayer so the promise assureth vs that if wee call vpon God in the day of trouble hee will deliuer vs for his owne glorie and our comfort for so he saith I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me In which words two things are promised deliuerance and the end or fruit thereof which is the glorifying of God As touching the former we are to consider the circumstance of the person promising and the thing it selfe which is promised The person is God for as it is he that afflicteth so it is hee onely which deliuereth as the Prophet Hosea sheweth this therefore teacheth vs vnto whom we are both in affliction to flie for deliuerance not to Saints in heauen nor to wisards on earth but to God alone and when wee are deliuered to returne thankes And secondly we may here obserue the vnspeakeable clemencie of our gracious God who is so readie as this promise importeth to aunswere to our prayers and to graunt our requests yea in that he allureth vs to call vpon him by his gracious promise it is euident that he is more readie to heare than we to pray So the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Esay 65.24 Yea before the call I will aunswere and while they speake I will beare and the same is signified in the parable of the prodigall sonne for when he was about to returne to his father by whom is signified God our father his father saw him being yet a great way off and had coÌ„passion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him And this as it is the priuiledge of Gods people to haue God neere vnto them in all things which they aske at his hands as Moses saith so also this is the assurance of the faithfull that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him The thing promised is deliuerance for so he saith I will deliuer thee And the same is promised elsewhere for that which our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to aske the Lord hath promised to graunt But Christ our Sauiour hath taught vs to pray that we may be deliuered from the euill of affliction therefore the Lord hath promised deliuerance therefrom The like promise we haue Psal. 34 When the righteous crie the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles And againe Manie are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all Likewise Psa. 91 to such as loue the Lord this promise is made He shall call vpon me and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him We are therefore with faith in this promise to call vpon God in the time of trouble not doubting of the performance thereof for God who hath made this promise is mercifull and therefore he will in mercie heare those which in trouble and miserie do call vpon him For so he saith Exod. 22 When he crieth vnto me I will heare him for I am mercifull And he is also faithfull which hath promised and therefore will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but with the temptation will giue an issue that we may be able to beare it It is impossible that God in his word or promise should lie and therefore heauen and earth shall passe away but not one jot or tittle of this word and promise of God rightly vnderstood shall fall to the ground vnaccomplished The same â—aith may be confirmed by the experience of the faithfull in all ages who hauing called vpon the Lord in the time of trouble haue bene deliuered out of the same The Israelits were in grieuous thraldome in Egypt but when they cried vnto the Lord he heard their voyce and deliuered them as themselues professe Num. 201.6 Likewise when they cried vnto him he deliuered them out of the hands of the Amorits the Ammonits the Philistins the Sidonians the Amalekits and other their enemies as himselfe telleth them Iud. 10. Sampson after he had slaine a thousand Philistins with the jawbone of an Asse he cried vnto the Lord being readie to die for thirst and obtained a well in Lechi for so the place is called which for a perpetuall monument of prayer was called the fountaine of him that prayed Dauid often confesseth to the glorie of God that he had diuerse times called vpon God in trouble and that the Lord heard and deliuered him Ionas when hee was cast into the sea and swallowed of the whale cried vnto the Lord and was restored safe to land Ezechias hauing receiued the sentence of death the Prophet Esay telling him that he should die and not liue notwithstanding by prayer obtained the prolonging
others as wiues children and seruants may not take vpon them to obserue a fast on a working day without the leaue and liking of their gouernours 49. The publicke fast is that which being vpon publicke cause by publicke authoritie proclaimed before the Lord is both publickly and priuatly to be sanctified of all as a Sabbath of humiliation vnto the Lord. In which definition there are foure things to bee obserued first who are to appoint the publicke fast secondly vpon what cause thirdly who are to obserue it fourthly how As touching the first The appointment of publicke fasts appertaineth to those who haue publicke authoritie to call the people together to the publicke worship of God and to cause them to cease from their bodily labors and worldly affairs as appeareth in the examples of publicke fasts recorded in the word of God as 2. Chron. 20.3 Ion. 3.7 1. Sam. 7.5 Ezr. 8.21 Ioel 1.14 And this they are to doe by proclaiming of the fast that is both by giuing publicke notice of it and also by charging all men to assemble themselues at the time appointed to obserue it according to the direction of the holy ghost by the Prophet Ioel Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast that is by your proclamation which is meant by sounding the trumpet appoint a fast to be sanctified proclaime a day of rest or Sabbath of humiliation assemble the people c. And here we are to obserue that which is further added out of Ierem. 36. that this fast is to be proclaimed before the Lord that both they which haue authoritie doe proclaime it not in any wicked or worldly respect but in vprightnesse of heart as before the Lord and also that those who are to obserue it assemble themselues as before the Lord to sanctifie a fast vnto him 50. The next thing to be considered is the cause whereupon the fast is to be proclaimed that when there is just cause those which are in authority may take knowledge of their dutie in this behalfe And that is as I haue generally noted before when we haue some important and vrgent occasion to become humble and earnest suters vnto the Lord either for the obtaining of some speciall and publicke blessing or for the remoouing of some publicke euill and this either for our selues or for other churches of Christ. As for example when some publike matter of great importance is to be attempted then as we haue extraordinarie occasion to craue the blessing of God vpon vs so also we haue just cause to fast Consider to this purpose the examples of Ezra chap. 8. and of the faithfull in the primitiue Church Act. 13. and 14. both which being to craue the blessing of God the former vpon their voyage towards Ierusalem after their captiuitie the latter vpon the ministerie of his seruants whom they either ordained or sent forth to the worke of their ministerie commended their sute vnto the Lord by publicke fasting and prayer Which examples may be a sufficient direction for appointing publicke fasts vpon occasions of no lesse importance In the hystorie of the Kings it appeareth to haue beene the custome of the Israelits though that practise was monstrously abused by Iezabell that publicke matters of importance should bee enterprised with a fast 91. As touching publicke euils they be either publicke sinnes or publicke judgements of God for sinne For if the people of God haue committed some common or publicke sinne and thereby haue prouoked the Lord to wrath and indignation as indeed when we sinne he is angry then it behoueth them to judge themselues if they would not bee judged of the Lord and by humbling themselues before the Lord in fasting and prayer to appease his anger and to preuent his judgements The people of Israel when many of them had sinned by idolatrie and by reason of their sinne stood in feare of the Philistims the Prophet Samuell assembleth them together to Mizpeh where they solemnized a fast and pouring forth water before the Lord acknowledged and bewayled their sinne Likewise when many of the Iewes who were returned from captiuitie had mingled themselues in mariage with the heathen people of the land contrary to the commaundement of God they humbled themselues before the Lord in a publicke and solemne fast If wee therefore would auoid the judgements of God as they did wee must follow the example of their repentance when we haue not beene behind them in sinne But if it please the Lord to manifest his wrath either by threatening his judgements or by inflicting them then doth the Lord as it were call vs to this exercise Now the Lord threateneth his judgements first by his Prophets and ministers as by Ionas against the Niniuits whereupon they fasted secondly by some manifest tokens of his wrath as by earthquakes and other prodigious signes whereby the auncient Romans being also Gentiles haue beene mooued to proclaime publicke fasts thirdly by giuing vs notice of some imminent danger as when we heare of an open inuasion intended by forraine enemies which consideration mooued Iosaphat to proclaime a fast or vnderstand of some more secret plot or conspiracie against the Church the prince or state such as was the conspiracie of Haman against the people of the Iewes for the disappointing whereof the Iewes did fast If therfore the Lord do in like sort threaten vs as it were shake his rod ouer vs we must prepare our selues to meet our God and to turne vnto him by repentance with fasting and prayer 52. And if judgements threatened should mooue vs to fast how much more are wee bound to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God when it is vpon vs scourging and afflicting vs for our sinnes As for example when the Lord sendeth any of the publicke messengers of his wrath as the sword famine pestilence captiuitie The ten tribes after two discomfitures receiued at the hands of the Benjamits wherein fortie thousand of them were slaine humbled themselues before the Lord by fasting and prayer The Prophet Ioel when the Lord sent a grieuous famine vpon the land earnestly exhorted the Iewes in the name of the Lord to turne vnto him with all their heart with fasting with weeping and mourning c. Likewise for the time of pestilence as well as of famine Salomon giueth direction that men should humble themselues before the Lord. Which course his father Dauid had taken when the Lord sent the pestilence amōg the people of Israel which judgement was occasioned by his numbering of them but caused by their owne sins Moses also when the plague was begun among the people of Israel for their murmuring he commaundeth Aaron to take his Censer and putting therein incense to go among the people and to make an attonement for them which Aaron hauing done and standing betwixt the dead and them that were aliue the
pastimes for if that be vnlawfull on the ordinarie Sabbath much more is it vnseasonable on the Sabbath of humiliation Lastly to sinne for if the workes of our lawfull callings be forbidden on the Sabbath much more the workes of darknes whereunto whosoeuer addicteth himselfe on the day of the fast he celebrateth a Sabbath to Sathan and not vnto the Lord. Againe whereas I said it is to be obserued as a Sabbath of humiliation we learne that we are therein to abstaine not onely from labours as on the ordinarie Sabbath but also from food from exercise of sleepe from brauerie in apparell and from all worldly delights c. 57. Thirdly whereas I add that it is to bee sanctified both publickly and priuatly as a Sabbath of humiliation I signifie that not onely rest is required but also an holy rest and not onely the outward fast but much more the spiritual exercise of prayer and repentance And that this sanctificatioÌ„ of the day of the fast which standeth in vsing the meanes of sanctification is partly publicke and partly priuat The publick is in the assembly for this as euerie other Sabbath is a day of an holy assembly Leuit. 23.27 Ioel. 2.15.16 Here therefore we are to consider the office of the ministers who are the chiefe actors in the publicke sanctification of this and euerie Sabbath and the dutie of the people The office of the minister is noted in generall termes Acts 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they performed the publicke function of their ministerie vnto the Lord and fasted more specially Neb. 9 where they are noted to haue read and preached the word of God as before chap. 8. and that foure times and so oft also to haue called vpon the name of the Lord-Likewise Ierem. 36 when Ieremie being shut vp could not go into the house of the Lord he sendeth Barach with a booke written from his mouth wherein were specified the judgements of God threatned against the Iewes that he reading it in the audience of the people vpon the day of the fast they might be brought to a serious humbling of themselues in prayer and to vnfained repentance The dutie therefore of the ministers is to stirre vp themselues in a more than ordinarie measure of zeale to discharge their ministerie both in preaching the word of God and also in prayer In preaching that it may bee through the blessing of God a powerfull meanes to worke in the people those things which in this spirituall exercise are required viz. humiliation prayer with feruencie and faith and repentance In praying that it may be an effectuall meanes in and through the mediation of Christ our Sauiour and auaileable with the Lord for the remouing of those euils and for the bestowing of those good things for which this exercise is vndertaken 58. The dutie of the people is first to bee present at publick assembly for if we will sanctifie a Sabbath vnto the Lord we must reuerence his sanctuarie where as the Lord hath promised his presence so he requireth ours And for this cause as I sayd before this and euerie other Sabbath is appointed of the Lord to be an holy conuocation We must therefore take heed that we absent not our selues without very just and necessarie occasion lest we may seeme either secretly to neglect or prophanely to contemne the presence of Christ the gathering together of the Saints the publicke worship and seruice of God the call of the holy Ghost the meanes of our saluation the publicke occasion of the fast as though neither the publicke judgement nor the common good did concerne vs. But it is to little purpose to be present in the publicke assembly vnlesse we joyne together with the assembly in the sincere worship of God That being assembled together in the name of Christ we may as it were with one consent call vpon God and heare his word praying with humilitie in respect of our own vnworthinesse with reuerence of Gods majestie in sence of our wants with sorrow for our sins with earnest desire to haue our wants supplied our sins remitted and the judgemeÌ„ts of God remoued with faith assurance to find help to obtaine mercie in coÌ„uenient time with promise purpose to amend our liues that in sinceritie and truth we may subscribe to the prayer of the Church and say Amen Hearing also the word with reuerence with attention with faith with desire to profit with purpose to practise with submission to euery part thereof In a word so hearing the word of God as in this our present sute we desire to be heard Vnto these duties of religion and meanes of sanctification we are to joyne a publicke dutie of charitie as a worke of sanctification for it is and hath bene a laudable custome of the Church of God that in publicke fasts there should be publicke collection made for the releefe of the poore 59. But we are not onely publickly to sanctifie the day of the fast but also priuatly both by vsing meanes of sanctification and also by doing workes of sanctification The meanes are especially meditation prayer which are to be vsed both with reference to the publicke sanctification and that not onely before to prepare and fit our selues for the profitable and sauing vse of the meanes which Daniel calleth the setting of his face and the setling of his mind to seeke the Lord but also after to fit and apply the meanes to our vse and besides as priuat meanes by themselues without reference to the publicke The workes of sanctification are the duties of repentance whereof I spake before but especially the workes of mercie and charitie for with such sacrifices God is pleased 60. Wherefore the day of the fast is to bee obserâ—ed and sanctified as a Sabbath of humiliation not onely by outward abstinence rest but also by vsing the meanes and doing the workes of sanctification both publickly priuatly spending the whole day besides the publicke sanctification and the time which is to bee spent in our preparation before and in our meditation afterwards in the priuat means of sanctification as reading meditation prayer in the priuat works of sanctification as the duties of repentance towards God and the workes of mercy and charitie towards our brethren Which course whosoeuer shal take in sanctifying a fast vnto the Lord he shal be sure to obtaine at the haÌ„ds of God either that particular request for which he is an humble sutor vnto the Lord or that which is better the Lord alwayes hearing his children thus suing vnto him and granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their singuler good 61. HAuing thus set downe the doctrine of fasts according to the rule of Gods word and practise of ours and other reformed churches we are now to take a briefe view of the Popish fast that it may euidently appeare how
do eat at the sixt houre that is at noone therfore custome doth wholly excuse all others 64. Againe their fasts are statarie and obserued at set times Wherefore as they are seldome or neuer vnderdertaken vpon any speciall occasion so are they for the most part vnseasonable and consequently hurtfull euen as new wine in old vessels and yet imposed vpon all vnder the penaltie and guilt of mortall sinne If any man object that the same times are obserued among vs I answer that it is not a fast which is obserued among vs at those set times but an abstinence only from flesh in a ciuile respect viz. that fish and other meats might bee vsed and spent as well as flesh and that flesh being spared and forborne at such times might be the more plentifull and consequently the more cheape And further they are also superstitious standing in the prohibition of meat for religion sake which is a doctrine of diuels And so far are they gone in this superstition as that in their times of fasting they seeme to place the top of holinesse in abstinence from meats forbidden and the height of iniquitie in eating flesh for to eat one morâ—ell of flesh in Lent is a greater sinne and more sharply punished among them than not onely drunkennesse or gluttonie in other meats but also than whordome or idolatrie to say no more Lastly whereas their fast being a more externall fast and yet but a mock-fast in respect of a true outward fast is notwithstanding by them obtruded vpon the Lord not onely as his solemne worship but also as a worke satisfactorie for their sinnes and meritorious of eternall life it it is sacrilegious blasphemous abhominable and in a word Antichristian And so I leaue them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE SECOND TREATISE OF HOLIE INVOCATION ON GODS NAME Psalme 50.15 And call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me THIS Psalme as some of the learned judge was written by Dauid at what time the Angell of God after the three yeares famine and three dayes pestilence mentioned 1. Chron. 21. 22. had shewed vnto him the place which the Lord did chuse for his worship and seruice For after that place was once knowne and prepared for Gods worship the lawes concerning sacrifices and the whole worship of God were more accuratly and fully to be obserued and kept as appeareth Deut. 12. But forasmuch as the greatest part of the Israelits did rest in the performance of the externall and ceremoniall worship as though that in it selfe were acceptable to God the Lord therefore reasoneth with his people concerning his worship from the 7. verse to the 16 teaching and enforming them That howsoeuer he had ordained lawes concerning sacrifices which now were more precisely to be kept yet that he neither required nor esteemed the externall sacrifices in or for themselues but that there are certaine other sacrifices which he farre preferreth before those sacrifices of the law and those are the sacrifice of praise verse fourteene and the sacrifice of a broken and contrit heart poured forth before the Lord in hartie and earnest prayer verse fifteene For we may not thinke that the Lord did wholly condemne sacrifices which himselfe had commanded but so farre forth as men rested in them as though they in themselues did please him For if they were rightly and duly offered namely to testifie the parties humiliation for his sinne and the acknowledgement of his guilt which was signified by laying his hand on the head of his sacrifice secondly to signifie his faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ figured by that legall sacrifice and thirdly to be an obligation for the sacrificing of himselfe vnto God in all thankfull obedience they were so acceptable vnto God that they are called the sacrifices of righteousnesse Neither doth he simply and absolutly reject outward sacrifices but in comparison of those other sacrifices of praise and prayer in respect whereof hee would haue his temple wherein alone the sacrifices were offered to be called the house of prayer and thus these places of Scripture are to be vnderstood Ierem. 7.22.23 Psal. 51.16.17 Hos. 6.6 to wit comparatiuely according to that of Samuel 1. Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of rammes Out of this context therefore and coherence of these words with the former we may for our encouragement and stirring vp our selues to the performance of these duties of inuocatioÌ„ obserue That the calues of our lips as Hosea calleth the sacrifices of praise are preferred before the sacrifices of Buls and the sacrifice of an afflicted soule poured forth before the Lord in prayer before the sacrifices of the law But now let vs come to the words themselues which may be diuided into two parts a precept and a promise The precept enioyneth the faithfull to call vpon God in the time of trouble wherein foure things are to bee considered 1 The first is the person to whom this precept is directed namely the faithfull man as appeareth not onely by the 5. and 7. verses but especially by the words which immediatly follow this text vers 16. But vnto the wicked saith God c. Which plainely shew the words of this text not to bee directed to the wicked but onely to the godly Whereas therefore the Lord commaundeth the faithfull to call vpon him in the time of trouble we gather that the godly haue their times of trouble and that it is the lot of the faithfull to be vnder the crosse and to bee exercised with affliction as the Scriptures elsewhere doe testifie Ioh. 16.20 You shall mourne saith our Sauiour Christ to the faithfull and the world shall reioyce you shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Act. 14.22 Through manifold afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution This therefore our Sauiour Christ said to all that none should think himselfe exempted if any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse day by day and follow me For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth Here therefore first the godly are taught patiently and chearfully to beare their crosse because no strange thing happeneth to them but that which is common to all the faithfull Yea the sufferings of the godly are the sufferings of the body of Christ yea of Christ himselfe For such is the communion of Saintes that when the godly are afflicted with them both Christ himselfe and the church also which is his body doth suffer Secondly those which are not afflicted are taught not to be hasty as many are in censuring
of his life Manasses though the most wicked of all the kings of Iudah yet being in trouble he prayed vnto the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly before God and was receiued to mercie and restored to his kingdome And to omit other particular examples Dauid testifieth of diuerse sorts of men being in diuerse kinds of troubles that when they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble he deliuereth them out of their distresse But for as much as some man may object out of his owne experience That hee being in trouble hath called vpon God and yet hath not bene deliuered and that this is not his case alone but is and hath beene in all ages the case of many thousands It behoueth vs therefore diligently to consider how this promise is to be vnderstood for that is the matter of greatest importance which offereth it selfe to bee considered of in the vnfolding of this text For that the promise is not to be vnderstood absolutly generally of euery prayer of euerie man in euery affliction the experiēnce of all times doth sufficiently declare But by conference of this promise which other places of Scripture it may appeare that it doth admit a threefold limitation or restraint The first in respect of the partie that prayeth the second in regard of the prayer it selfe the third concerning the thing which is prayed for For as touching the first If any wicked man or impenitent sinner shall object against the truth of this promise that hee hauing called vpon God in the time of trouble hath notwithstanding not beene deliuered let him heare what immediatly followeth this promise in the next words of the Psalme verse 16 But vnto the wicked saith God what hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances or to take my couenant into thy mouth as though my promises belong vnto thee For indeed not onely in this place but in many other places of the Scripture the promise concerning the hearing of our prayers is restrained to the faithfull and denied to the wicked Prou. 15 The sacrifice of the wicked is abhomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him And againe The Lord is farre off from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous Likewise Psal. 34 The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cry But the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth The man which had bene blind Iohn 9 deliuereth this sentence as the receiued opinion of the faithfull in those times We know saith he that God heareth not sinners meaning impenitent sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he It is therfore the faithfull man whose prayer is accepted of God the just man who is just before God by faith and before men by repentance Iames 5 The prayer of the righteous man auaileth much Psalme 34 When the righteous cry the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of their troubles The man that feareth God Psal. 145 The Lord will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will beare their cry and will saue them That loueth God Psal. 91 Because he hath loued me therefore will I deliuer him I will exalt him because he hath knowne my name He shall call vpon me and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him That walketh vprightly Psal. 84 For the Lord God is a sunne that is the author of light and all comfortable blessings and a shield that is a protector from all euill the Lord will giue grace and glorie grace in this life and glorie in the life to come and no good thing will be withhold from them that walke vprightly That perseuereth Iohn 15 If you abide in me and my words abide in you aske what you will and it shall be done to you That hath an humble and contrit heart Psal. 34.18 The Lord is neare vnto them that are of a contrit heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Esay 66. To him will I looke saith the Lord euen to him that is poore and of a contrit spirit and trembleth at my words Psal. 51 The sacrifices of God that is that which God esteemeth in steed of all sacrifices is a contrit spirit a contrit and a broken heart ô God thou wilt not despise But as for the wicked the Lord plainely professeth that he will not heare them Mich. 3. Though they make many prayers Esay 1. though they cry loud in his eares Ezech. 8. Wherefore beloued in the Lord if we continue in our sinnes whereby we haue prouoked the Lord to execute his judgements vpon vs and if the Lord seeme not to heare vs neither doth deliuer vs according to our desire we may not object against God either that he is vntrue in his promises or vnable to helpe vs but let vs heare what the Prophet Esay saith in this case Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot saue neither is his eare heauie that it cannot heare but your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Therefore iudgement being farre from vs and iustice not comming neere vnto vs we wait for light but lo it is darknesse for brightnesse but we walke in darknesse for health but it is farre from vs for our trespasses are many before the Lord c. And that we may descend to some particulers If we be guiltie of crueltie and oppression the Lord will not heare vs. Esay 1 When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud or if we bee vnmercifull to the poore for he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also cry and not be heard Prou. 21 or if we refuse to heare and obey the word of God for as Salomon saith He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his prayers shall be abhominable for as in prayer we speake to the Lord so in the preaching of the word the Lord speaketh vnto vs. And good reason it is that the Lord should not heare vs if we will not heare him Therefore it is come to passe saith the Prophet Zacharie That as he cried and they would not heare so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts Or if we be close sinners and hypocrits making faire shewes openly and yet be addicted to secret sinnes for as Dauid saith Psal. 66. If I regard wickednesse in mine heart the Lord will not heare me Wherefore beloued as it is certaine that our sinnes are the cause of our affliction so we must be