Totum Hominis OR THE VVHOLE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN Consisting in Faith and good Life Abridged in certain Sermons expounding PAUL'S Prayer for the Thessalonians Epist 2. Chap. 1. Vers 11 12. By SAMUEL WALES Minister of the Gospel at Morley in York-shire EPHES. 6.16 Above all take the Shield of Faith 2 PET. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 16. cap. 1. They that glory in the Christian Name and yet live wickedly are like unto Cham for they shew forth Christs death by Profession and dishonour it by lewd Conversation LONDON Printed by T.B. For Benjamin Alsop at the George at the lower end of Cornhill over against the 〈…〉 Stâ—â—kâ—-Market 168â— THe Reader is to take notice of the Providence by which the ensuing Treatise and the Epistle before it came to be reprinted so many years after the first Impression and the Reason thereof which was as followeth The Lord Wharton in Sept. 1674 being at Leedes and looking on the Pictures in the room where he dined among the rest there was one of Mr. Wales the Author of both A Gentleman there present spoke highly in his commendation he having been a neighbouring Minister in those parts of great worth and esteem and said he he dedicated a Book to your Lordship which I think I have in my Closet my Lord not remembring any thing of the said Book or Epistle was desirous 〈…〉 so honourable a character of his Lordships Father he begged the said book Afterwards finding also the Treatise it self so useful he communicated the same to his onely Brother Sir Thomas Wharton who both of them thought fit to cause the said Treatise and Epistle to be reprinted both in respect of the memory of their ever honoured Father and for the usefulness of the Treatise it self and they also thought fit to add a few lines of their own to their Children collecting from that word in the Epistle of the worthy and reverend Author That the Domestical Precedent of such a Father was for Admonition and Instruction of the said Lord Wharton that surely it was and they hope and pray it may be no less admonishing and instructive to all those who come out of the loines of the same holy and worthy Progenitor PHILIP Lord WHARTON and Sir THOMAS WHARTON his only Brother wish Grace and Peace unto their Children and their Childrens Children from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ through the Sanctification of the Holy Ghost Dear Children YOU have been acquainted with the Original of the ensuing Discourse and the occasion of its Revival at this time Your especial concernment in it is from the Character and Account given of the Life and Death of your Grand-Father our Father in the Epistle Dedicatory prefixed unto it and although we had not the advantage of knowing him our selves so as then to have had a sense of the things spoken of him he being taken away in our tender Age yet we have a full assurance of the Truth of the Testimony given in the Epistle following unto his Zeal Wisdome and Piety The known Reputation and Integrity of the Reverend Author of that Epistle with the time of his Writing of it being after the Death of our Father and its Direction to one of us then a Child from whom he could expect no Countenance nor Reward do exempt his Testimony from the common Condition of such Epistles and Dedications even when Written by other good men On this Account we do in the first place commend the Treatise it self unto your dillgent perusal and do leave it as a pledge of our concernment for you in the things contained therein For being not designed nor contrived by us nor the Author for any such end the Tender of it being made unto you from that hand of Providence whereof ye have heard it ought to be had of you in especial regard It is a Treasure in and unto a Family to have such a Person as your Grand-father is here truly represented to have been on the Roll of its Progenitors And we have been taught that where Soveraign Grace hath made an entrance into any Family especially in a principal Root of it it doth not utterly forsake that Family at least in some of its branches unless the Covenant whereby it is administred be generally neglected or refused On this Occasion it is not improper for us to add what we each of us know and can with much comfort Witness of the holy and exemplary Lives and Conversations of our dear Mother and of each of our Wives from whom ye have respectively issued on which Account as the Apostle said of Timothy that be called to remembrance the unfeigned Faith that dwelt in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice we can truly say the like of your Grand-mother and respective Mothers and we should rejoyce in nothing more than with the like Confidence to add with the same Apostle concerning you all that we are perswaded the same Faith dwells in you also as we hope we can say of some of you It becomes not us to speak any thing unto you of our selves nor of our endeavours to transmit this Priviledge unforfeited unto you It is sufficient for us which we must abide by that we have not been wanting in any means of Instruction which we thought might conduce unto your good and advantage You that are our own Children immediately are most of you in that State for Age and understanding as wherein you must answer for your selves We therefore leave it in charge with you that there be not an Intercision of the Administration of the priviledge and grace of Gods Covenant in and towards our Family by your Default Your Lot is fallen into Times of great Advantage on the account of the Light of the Knowledge of the Gospel and of great Disadvantage from the abounding of various Temptations in them it requires more then ordinary Diligence so to deport your selves that you neither suffer for abused mercies nor fall into a Course of sin upon urgent opportunities Remember also in point of Honour and Interest that no Families are more contemptible in the World than those who degenerate from pious Ancestors for in that case it is which God himself hath given that express Rule They that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed It is but a little while that we shall be present with you neither have we much more to do for your advantage than we have done Our principal Design now is to leave an abiding sense with you of this our present Advice We are not altogether ignorant of what hath been said by others and of what yet may be said in the way of Advice to Children by Parents who have a Care of their Temporal and Eternal good The substance of all that can be spoken in this Case is comprized in the last words of David to Solomon his Son And
their faith as is by the power of it alone they were able to stand against all blasts resist all temptations for though it 's an excellent grace yet it 's but a creature and imperfect too and therefore in sense and distrust of our own weakness we have need to cry to God that he would shield us with his grace and support both us and our faith by his power Lastly it follows hence Vse 6 that faith doth not justifie by any valour vertue dignity of its own neither as an habit or quality nor as a work but as it is a means or instrument of obtaining that for which we are justified it s not the gift of Faith dwelling in the Heart nor the act of believing as the Novellers teach but the thing holden and possessed by believing which is our Righteousness For that thing by which we are in proper sense absolutely and as I may say formally justified and presented spotless before God must be perfect yea expiate infinite guiltiness answer the Justice of God but this faith cannot do because it is imperfect as we see The second Instruction or Conclusion to be drawn out of these words is Christians must desire the accomplishment and perfection of Faith above all other Graces doct 2 The reason is because Faith of all Graces which exist in us is the noblest for excellency and of necessity it hath the preeminence whether we consider the Glory it brings to God or Profit to Man First Reason 1 no grace exalteth and honoureth God as faith doth For 1. In the cause of Justification and Salvation Faith utterly annihilates man tramples under foot all the glory of nature all goodness all privileges all works of man seeks righteousness and life onely from Gods grace in Christ when a poor sinner seeth himself a condemned rebel and traitour feels nothing in himself but darkness unworthiness wrath and death hath nothing to bring to God but shame and misery Faith leads him to the Throne of Grace and makes him bold to beg and expect pardon in Christs blood for no other cause but because God is gracious yea when his many mighty ugly sins discourage and terrifie him to cleave still to the free and everlasting goodness of God acknowledging the Lords mercies infinitely to surpass his iniquities Thus Faith gives the whole praise of mans salvation to the grace of God 2. Faith believes God upon his bare word if God have revealed or promised this or that though all the world say it cannot be though reason cannot comprehend how or why it should be though many reasons appear why it should not be beleeved none at all why it should but this that God hath spoken faith will still all contrary surmises and subscribe to Gods testimony as more stable and stedfast than the foundation of the earth Thus faith highly honours Gods truth 3. Faith proclaims God to be able to effect whatsoever he hath promised and believeth that though a thousand difficulties stand in the way the overcoming of which flesh and blood judgeth not only a thing improbable but impossible it 's as sure as if it were done already Rom. 4.20 21. Thus it gives glory to the power of God 4. Faith causeth a man denying and renouncing his own judgment wisdom will as foolishness to bless God as well when he denies or takes away as when he gives as well for the worst as the best and to rest perswaded that the worst estate is the best for him when God is the Author of it that poverty is better than abundance when God will have him poor restraint than liberty when God will have him restrained c. that it 's greatest gain to lose all things for Christ that God loves in smiting heals by wounding exalts by humbling thorow the gates of death brings unto life Thus faith extols the wisdom of God 5. Faith makes man justifie God in all his decrees judgements dealings subscribe to the equity of them all even when he conceives not of them adore the unsearchableness of them reverently submit unto them yea when they thwart his desires pronouncing approving all his ways to be pure and righteous when he neither seeth nor asketh any reason thereof but Gods will Is not this a great honour which faith gives to Gods righteousness 6. It beholds him that is invisible every where present perswaded that he seeth and knoweth all things and so glorifieth him in respect of his omnipresence In a word that I be not too long in multiplying particulars Faith if I may so speak gives unto God his whole Divinity and of all graces most sanctifies his Name by acknowledging and confirming as it were by seal all those excellent properties and perfections which the Scripture ascribeth to him Indeed other graces also as love fear joy and the rest do honour God nor do I mean to rob them of their due praises but neither primarily for the cause and foundation of all that honour is in faith nor yet in such ample and full manner as faith Seeing then nothing is so glorious to God as Faith and consequently the more faith any man hath the more he glorifies God doth it not stand every Christian in hand above all graces to labour for perfection of Faith Secondly Reason 2 No Grace is more useful more profitable to man than Faith whether we consider life spiritual or natural For spiritual life 1. Faith espouseth and conjoyneth man to the Son of God in whom he findeth and obtaineth the dignity or prerogative of Son-ship and justification of life which things the better they are known the more they are felt and sealed up in the Soul by believing the more is the heart refreshed with unspeakable comforts 2. Faith purifieth and sanctifieth because 1. Being a gift of an holy and heavenly nature descending from above it will oppose and fight against corruption as light expels darkness heat cold and antidote poison 2. Laying hold on Christ it draweth and deriveth from him the Fountain Vertue and Power whereby corruption is mastered and mortified as a leaden pipe brings water from the spring wherein vessels are washed and cleansed 3. Faith is the mother and root of all other holy graces in a Christian and therefore as faith increaseth the rest will increase the more perfect that Faith grows the nearer the persection is the whole cluster of heavenly gifts in the children of God the more a man knows and believes the love of God to him the more fervently he will love God the more reverently he will fear him burn with zeal of his glory patiently hope earnestly desire to be with him in heaven and so of the rest 3. Faith strengthens 1. To obey God in leading an holy life in performing all duties and doing all the good works he requireth of his people so as they may please him in all things 2. To fight against and foil all spiritual enmity faith makes a poor soul able to resist the Devil
as you increase in days and stature so you may increase in all sanctifying gifts and in favour with God and men flourishing in the Courts of our God as those that are planted in the house of the Lord and bringeth forth more fruit in old age to the glory of his blessed name Amen and Amen from his heart saith To your Honour most addicted SAMUEL WALES Apr. 30. 1627. 2 Thess 1. v. 11 12. 11. Wherefore we also pray always for you that our God would make you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power 12. That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. THE scope of the Apostle in this Chapter is to refresh with the cool water of consolation the faithful Thessalonians now in the fiery Tryal of Tribulation and with Cordials of lively Comforts to confirm their spirits macerated and steeped in afflictions His chief Argument is taken from that righteous recompence of reward which the just Judge of all the world will give in the day of his appearing endless trouble and torment to them that have here troubled and tormented the godly eternal case and refreshment to them who are now hated and vexed for Christs sake And to the end this comfort might sink more deeply and stick more firmly he digresseth a little into a description of Christs coming to Judgement opening as it were the very Heavens and representing him to their eyes with all his glory These two Verses now contain the conclusion of this consolation the sum whereof is a commemoration of the Apostles Christian care and religious practise of carrying the names of these Thessalonians continually before the Lord in holy petition and making suit for them that they might hold out in this noble but painful race and warfare which was indeed the scope of his consolation In them we may consider 1. The act or duty simply propounded 2. The amplification of it 1. From the adjunct circumstance of time when or how often he did exercise it 2. From the moving cause included in the first word Wherefore 3. From the subject or persons for whom the afflicted Thessalonians 4. From the object or person to whom our God 5. From the matter of the prayer that he would make you worthy c. Let us begin with the first The act or duty performed by Paul and two other holy men of God Sylvanus and Timotheus is prayer we also pray that is we do not only give thanks to God for you comfort and teach you the way of salvation both by preaching and writing but moreover we make earnest requests to God in yoor behalf Our lesson hence is Ministers must pray for their People Teachers of the Church must add prayers for the Church to all their other labours prayers I mean both private and publick The sons of Aaron are commanded to bless the Children of Israel Num. 6.23 Deut. 33.10 1 Sam. 12.23 Jer. 18.20 to put incense before the Lord a type of holy prayers Samuel calls the neglect of this duty a sin against God The Prophet Jeremy professeth he had stood before the Lord to speak good for his hearers and to turn away his wrath from them Nothing is more plain or frequent in all the Epistles almost of all the Apostles And good reason For First They are spiritual Fathers of their Congregations and therefore should have paternal affections in them which cannot but send forth Prayers for their Children Will not natural Parents earnestly wish and defire the good of their sons and daughters Secondly Their Prayers may greatly help and advantage the People 1. By diverting threatned and imminent or removing already inflicted and incumbent Plagues Moses standing in thâ— breach turned away the Lords wrath from rebellious Israel and saved them from deserved destruction Psal 106.23 The withered hand of that wicked Jeroboam at the Prayer of the Propher is restored Two heavy Judgements shewed in Vision to the Prophet Amos prepared for Israel at his intercession were stayed at least for a season Read Amos 7.1.2 3 c. 2. By procuring or pulling down from Heaven many blessings upon them spiritual and corporal Elias prayed saith the Apostle James and the Heaven gave rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit If the prayers of private Christians may prevail with God for healing those that are sick in soul or body shall we think the requests of his faithful Messengers who come nearer unto him will do nothing But especially their Prayers may obtain of God that blessed success and fruit of their Ministerial travels in the conversion and sanctification of their hearers than which nothing can be more profitable for the People and which is the Crown of the Ministers rejoycing First then many are worthy to be reproved Some are so sull of Satan that if any of their hearers do but cross or displease them they break our into black and bitter cursing instead of blessing wishing Gods Plagues and vengeance may fall upon them Some are so ignorant they cannot pray some so profane they care not for praying either for themselves or others they have more skill of swearing and swaggering than powring out spiritual prayers Many utter words of prayer in publick who are dumb at home all the week long and trouble not the Lord with one servent and savoury request for the spiritual welfare of the souls of their people I fear when the great Shepherd the Prince of Pastors shall appear these will appear and be found unfaithful Shepherds For as that Christian who never prays for himself but in the Church is convinced to pray only for fashion so that Preacher who never prays for his sheep but in the Pulpit may justly be thought to pray of custom rather than from conscience and zealous desire of their salvation and he that prays of custom only will I warrant him by cold and careless teaching except the wind of praise drive his Mill testifie to the world that he cares not much who carry away their souls so he have their fleeces Secondly therefore let all that are set over Congregations in the Lord provoke themselves to this duty I mean to be as well instant suiters for them to the Lord as constant instructers of them from the mouth of the Lord. Let every faithful Steward of Christ say with Samuel God forbid I should cease praying for the people of God committed to my charge For 1. If we bear them in our hearts 2 Cor. 7.3 as Paul did his Corinthians Philippians if we earnestly long after and love them in the bowels of Christ Jesus as the same Paul did the same Philippians Phil. 1.7 8. and what are we but hirelings if we do not we cannot but remember and mention them to God in our daily prayers as Paul did all the Churches 2.
fall I cannot be taken out of the hands of Christ therefore these outvvard duties are not needful for me the Spirit of grace vvill make no such conclusions It s the Devils Logick not Gods vvhich teacheth to reason from the certainty of Gods grace to the neglect of our ovvn duty Thus of the former instruction Our second Lesson from the same ground is that Godly Mens Prayers promote the salvation of others The hearty supplications of the faithful put up unto God for their brethren are good means furthering and helping forvvard the salvation of their brethren if this were not so our Saviour would not have taught us to pray that Gods Kingdom of grace and glory may come to others as well as our selves that others as well as our selves may know and obey the will of God sincerely chearfully constantly The Apostle would not have said I know this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers my prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved the Lord grant that he may find mercy in that day If a man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death For sometimes the prayers of the godly obtain for others the beginning of actual salvation that is conversion as our Saviours prayer for the Jews who crucified him took effect when so many of them were brought to repentance by Peters first Sermon and Stevens when Paul was converted therefore the Apostle willeth Christians to pray that Heathenish Magistrates may be turned to the Lord and come to the knowledge of the truth sometimes the progress of it that is the continuance and increase of all consequent blessings and gifts which are preparatives forerunners certain prognosticks of perfect salvation as fuller assurance comfort in afflictions spiritual establishment and the like Yet here we must know that we may rightly and soundly understand the point that Prayer is not a cause moving God to save those whom before he did not intend to save or making him more willing to save such whose salvation he formerly willed for Divinity teacheth that the will of God admitteth not intension or remission but a condition commanded and required in us which being fulfilled by us the Lord hath promised to shew and shed abroad upon others that grace which he had purposed before all time to bestow upon them The which doctrine serveth first to teach us what is the best office and greatest good turn we can do to any whom we love or whose kindness we desire to recompence as faithful friends bountiful benefactors kind parents dutiful children loving yoke-fellows Lend them many hearty prayers intreat the Lord for them that they may be delivered from this present evil world their eyes enlightned their sins pardoned their hearts purged their feet guided in the way of peace beg these things for them If thou prevailest in thy suit thou hast done more for them than if thou hadst made them Lords of all that the Iberian Nimrod doth either possess or desire all the Kingdoms of the earth Oh the dignity utility riches of prayer a good man by prayer may do that for his friend which all the wealth and power of the world cannot do The poorest Christian on whom God hath powred the spirit of supplications may be very profitable to the rich helping him to that which all his store cannot purchase For by the Heaven-piercing prayers which ascend daily from the Altar of a pure heart in the Temple of his soul he may be a means of receiving him into everlasting habitations that is of saving his soul Secondly hence we must be stirred up 1. In our daily petitions not only to speak for our selves but to remember also the whole community of them that belong to God wheresoever scattered It s a great fault in Christians not only to omit this duty altogether but to make it as too many do a meer matter of form Indeed our wicked hearts out of sloth or unbelief will be too ready to say Alas wherein can our prayers be profitable to them whose faces and cases are unknown to us But answer them from this Doctrine our prayers may advance the business of their salvation and like a prosperous wind facilitate their course or set themsorward with happy speed towards the Celestial Paradise How are we friends of Gods people if we deny our helping hand to procure them such a benefit as is the furthering of their best preferment 2. To crave the praiers of our Christian brethren We must lightly esteem the intercessions of our godly and religious friends nor think it an idle thing much less condemn it for a Puritanical form of speech to say when we speak or write to them I pray help me with your prayers For the meanest of Believers having received the crying spirit of adoption may be a mean or instrnment of our greatest good by speaking to our common father in our behalf Lastly Vse 3 this instruction breatheth out consolation to such poor souls who because they feel great weakness in themselves and live in places where spiritual meanes are scarce and slender are discouraged and almost despair of attaining salvation Let such know for their comfort that they have part in the prayers of all Saints in all corners of the earth which are ready every day at the throne of grace to speak good for them before the Lord of the whole earth and these prayers cannot be vain and ineffectual but shall like the shoulders of the palsiemans friends in the Gospel bear them into the presence of Christ to be strengthened and healed of their Infirmities support and carry them along in their pilgrimage and minister unto them abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdome of God The third point now followeth v. the persons for whom these ministers pray thus constantly for you saith the text that is for the Thessalonians who at this time were under persecution as appeareth in the fourth verse of this Chapter where the Apostle hath told us that he was glorified of them in the Churches of God because of their patience and faith in all their persecutious and tribulations which they did suffer Whence observe we Doctrine that Christians in their prayers must remember their afflicted Brethren As we must not forget to intercede and call upon God for all his dispersed Israel called uncalled so in special sort we should be mindful of them that travel under tribulation and suffer with Christ or for Christ This duty is included in that general precept remember them that are in bonds The practice of it occurs often in Scripture The sweet Psalmist singeth redeem Israel O God ont of all his troubles that thy beloved may be delivered save with thy right hand and hear me How often do the Faithful in the Psalms complain to God of the Churâ—hes distress and petition for redress Psal 74.79 80. Daniel and Nehemiah
Courtiers both â—n great favour with the greatest Moâ—archs in the world at that time how â—nournfully and earnestly do they inâ—eat for the church then in misery For First Reason 1 they are our fellow-memâ—ers parts of the same body if one â—ember suffer or be diseased will not â—e rest sympathize and seek the best â—elief for it they can if the head ake â—e stomack want meat the heart be â—ained the arme wounded the foot â—outy will not the tongue the souls â—rator by speaking the hand by writing crave supply or reâ—â—dy sure else they were unworthy to have any place in the body or receive life or motion from the head and heart Secondly Reason 2 they greatly need our prayers for their condition is both pityful and dangerous They stand as Gods souldiers in the very heat and heart of the most dangerous battle have not these need to be well backed by our prayers they sigh and groaâ— under oppression and wrong have not these need to be eased and helped by our prayers they are in the furnace oâ— fiery tryal Have not these need of thâ— cooling comfort of our prayers â— they should quail and start back whoâ— the Lord hath now brought into thâ— open field for the maintenance of hâ— truth the enemies would insult Sataâ— be proud of his victory Gods cause â— danger to fall to the ground and maâ— ny weak ones be discouraged Thirdly Reason 3 we may do them muâ— good by our prayers We may knoâ— their persecutors in the head it haâ— been observed that the faithful sighâ— ing against proud and cruel Tyrants with no other weapons but prayers and tears have given them blows after which they could never rise or recover we may move the Lord to give them compassion before those that afflicted them or to raise them up friends and fautors we may obtain for them deliverance as the Church did for Peter or strength to stand invincible under the cross Lastly our own hearts will tell us Reason 4 that were we in their case we would desire and expect this kindness from others We would think them unworthy to be called or accounted our brethren in Christ who hearing of our afflictions would not afford us the help of their prayers Now this is a rule in the royal Law urged also by Christ himself whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them and that which is now their lot may be ours e're long we are subject to the same things they suffer Suppose we were out of all reach of gun-shot yet we are commanded to put our selves in their room and to be affected towards them as if their case were ours as if their afflictions were our own proper burden First then Vse 1 what manner of Christians are those who if they pray at all pray only for themselves many alas too many are of this mind may but they sit and walk in the warm Sun of prosperity sleep in a whole skin line themselves well with wordly wealth suck in the commodities of a fruitful and peaceable land let who will take thought for distressed Churches distressed Christians they will leave that to them who have little else to do To apply this some what more particularly We cannot be ignorant how diverse as dear to God as the best of us are at this day afflicted some pinched and pressed with penury some imprisoned some banished We have heard with our cars our neighbours have told us how some are spoiled of their goods houses children synagogues liberty of worshipping God purely their temple-songs turned into howlings some kept in sore bondage by hard cruel Lords mourning continually and drinking their own tears in abundance by reason of the oppression of the enemy and the avenger some given to be meat to the sword of the furious and sulphurous sons of Babylon who now is grieved for these breaches of Ioseph who lays them to heart the telling or hearing of these things may prove a pang of pity in us for the present but who cries earnestly to God for them who can say his soul bleeds in secret for Zions wounds and thirsts after the peace of her children as if they were his own natural parents and brethren that their miseries lie heavy upon his spirit that he bears them in his heart when he comes to God in prayer give me the man give me the man that I may pronounce him the blessed of the Lord yea one of 10000 who cannot take and find that contentment which otherwise he might and could in his own good fare quiet habitation commodious lodging sweet children to whom the best outward comforts are less pleasant and often sawced with sorrowful sighs because it goes not well with the people and Saints of the Most high Well we may here learn to judge of our selves if our houses our hearts afford no prayers for poor afflicted Christians Zeph. 3.18 if we be not sorrowful for the solemn assembly if the reproach of it be not a burden to us we are as far from a truly Christian disposition as they that are furthest dead lumps in the womb of the Church void of the spirit of Christ unworthy to be reckoned in the mystical body of Christ Secondly Vse 2 let us therefore make conscience of this duty let us never cease to commend unto the Lord his afflicted flock his peeled and persecuted people We ought to lay down our lives for them if God should call us thereunto and shall we be backward to lend them our prayers Is it likely we would spend our blood to do them good for who we will not spend a few tears a little breath a few hearty desires and affectionate suits which we may do without hurt If the Jews in captivity must pray for the peace of heathenish Babylon how much more should the Israel of God for Jerusalem the City of God Is not the Christian Church the Spouse of Christ if we can see Christs own Spouse despightfully used trampled upon wounded and not be troubled not speak a good word for her how dare we say the love of Christ dwelleth in us The Lord no dobut hath just reasons within himself why as yet he sendeth not inlargement and deliverance to his Church but this freeth not them from blame who seeming and calliing themselves the Churches children pray not at all or very coldly for the prosperity of their mother Nay I will say boldly this denying to help the Church against the enemy though they never conspired with the enemy makes them guilty in Gods sight of the Churches desolation as sure as he that looks on while a true man is rob'd and murthered and calls not for aid is accessary to the murther Wherefore let us now begin if hither to we have been supine and careless and continue to be importunate petitioners for the faithful in misery oh let us double our importunity if it be possible giving the Lord no rest till
he arise have mercy on Zion and stablish Jerusalem till he tread down her enemies as straw is trodden for the dunghil and raise up Carpenters which may fray and cast down the horns that have scattered Judah Zech. 1.21 that there may be no more a pricking briar to the house of Israel nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that they may be no more a prey to the heathen but dwell safely and none may make them afraid Let us often set before our eyes their rueful condition think how many good things they want which we enjoy and how little worthy we are to enjoy what they want labour to be affected with a tender sense of their miseries that our hearts melting in compassion may send forth many zealous prayers the fruit and benefit whereof they whom we never knew never saw shall undoubtedly feel and reap in one kind or other The fourth point in order Interpretation is the object of Paul's invocation the Author of the blessings which are afterwards begged thus discribed our God that is the true God who generally is the God of the whole world The Lord of all the earth Zeck 6.5 the God of the Spirits of all flesh peculiarly of his own people Whence let us observe omitting all others only this Instruction The Lord is in special sort the God of the faithful Doctrine The godly and true believers have God to be theirs in a special manner He is my God my Fathers God saith Moses Exod. 15.2 this God is our God for ever and ever saith the Psalmist O Lord thou art my God saith the Prophet in the name of the Church The Lord my God shall come saith Zachary My God shall supply all your needs saith the Apostle And many such places there are through out the Scriptures For First Reason 1 he hath selected them out of the world and separated them from other people to be his peculiar people and embraceth them with such a love as he extendeth not to all Secondly Reason 2 he hath confirmed them to himself by making with them a covenant of life and peace wherein he promised to be a Father and Husband to them removing evils conferring all good things in this and the future life So much is comprised in these few words I will be their God Thirdly Reason 3 they chuse and avouch him to be their God to whom they give themselves and yeild all hearty and willing service duty and obedience as becomes good children and subjects First Vse 1 this serves to controll the sawciness and presumption of wicked men who being the seed of the old serpent and children of the wicked one will needs usurp and intrude into the proper right of the righteous that is challenge God to be their God their Father It can hardly be told how dishonourable intollerable a wrong these men offer to the Lord they most indignly debase his excellent Majesty making him a favourer Patron father of naughtiness the companion of Satan which is most vile impiety yea blasphemy should a known strumpet still in all places be calling the King her Husband would it not be counted impudency worthy to be severely punished by the judges Let such hear the Lord himself if yet they will believe him forbidding him to be so bold with his Name What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth Yea plainly telling tthem to their faces they are not his people not under mercy that he is not their God It 's true even the vilest men in the world have relation to him and dependence on him as a Creator and Conserver but no man can truly call God his by Covenant till he find in himself 1. A sweet mourning in secret for that he hath done him so much wrong and still can serve him no better 2. A sensibleness of his dishonour 3. An earnest striving to give God his heart in all worship Secondly Vse 2 this Doctrine nay comfort the Godly Fear not nor be dismayed thou faithful Christian if he be thy God who is the God of salvation and justifier of repentant sinners thou canst not be condemned if he be time who is greater than all fin shall not hurt thee nor Satan pluck thee out of his hands If God be thine he will keep and care for thee thou art sure of consolation in calamity Esa 43.2 3. preservation in perils supply of all wants his wisdome shall be thy watch his providence thy portion his power thy pillar sustaining thee in heaviest afflictions if God be thine his promises are thine all those Texts which declare what God is or will be to his are as surely thine as if thy name were expressed in them his Christ is thine his kingdome is thine all are thine If friends fail as the brooks in summer kinsfolks grow unkind and old acquaintance stand afar off like strangers if parents or dear yoke-fellows take their leave and drop down into the dust of death if earthly stays and comforts like riches in Solomon take themselves to their wings and fly away grieve not thou as others that have no hope but sing and exult in spirit seeing God who is instead of all things remaineth thy God for ever and ever Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and be thankful for your happiness for blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah This is indeed true felicity to him that hath God for his God no good shall be wanting no evil mortal nothing can make him miserable Thirdly Vse 3 the faithful are here instructed 1. To rest on the Lord with full confidence of heart to appropriate him particularly to themselves boldly to challenge an interest in him When God hath pleased of his rich grace to become mine giving himself to me how can it be presumption to make claim to him as mine and say as holy ones have ever said The Lord is my God from this hold which indeed is the foundation of all our comfort the Devil and the Pope would drive us but we must maintain our title and never suffer our selves to be beaten from it especialy in the evil day in distresses and agonies of conscience imitating our Lord and Master who when his Fathers hand so pressed him that to his own feeling he had forsaken him yet cryed My God my God why hast thou sorsaken me 2. To go boldly to him in praier seeking and asking of him all things needful speak to him with confidence of acceptance and audience if he be our God he will deny us nothing Should we fear being welcome to our own I am the Lord their God and will hear them saith God in the Prophet Zachary 3. With erect and undismayed spirits to profess and confess his name before the sons of men If we call him ours and here the Apostle tells us he is not ashamed to be so called Heb. 11 20. shall we be ashamed of him deny him in the world if