exception against it and to say Behold how hee seeketh himselfe hee hath giuen vs a forme of prayer but it is all or most for himselfe So when the Ministers of Gods word shall shew what duties the people owe to them as they are Gods Ministers they must not scornfully reiect it saying he hath taught vs indeede a good lesson to day but the greatest part of it did concerne himselfe see how wel he can plead for himselfe For doe we not see how the Apostle Paul who was so humble and lowly that hee did figuratiuely applie the faults of others to himselfe and to Apollos 1. Cor. 4.6 that the Corinthians might learne by them not to swell one against another for any cause teacheth the Churches and people of God to pray for him Eph. 6.19 and to reuerence his person as the Minister of Christ and the disposer of the secrets of God also to bestow their worldly goods vpon him for his maintenance 1. Cor. 6.1 yea the maintenance of his wife and children and whole familie if hee had any and doth hee not iustly finde fault with them when they had failed in these things Phil. 4.10 Therefore though many that I say not my selfe doe often wittingly and of purpose passe by such doctrine arising necessarily from the words of their text or doe teach it seldome and very sparingly least any should stumble at this without a cause yet when any such thing is deliuered wee see how it must be receiued and practised The like is to be said of all gouernours in a family And gouernours of families to those that are committed to thē the parents father and mother or the master and mistris or dame may and ought without any imputation from any teach their sonnes and daughters their maide seruants and man seruants what is their dutie not onely and principally to God but to others euen to themselues and these inferiors must paciently heare them and not be offended at it but willing to learne and doe them For besides that they should thus thinke of themselues that they are in place to teach them and so they must receiue instruction at their mouthes the gouernours also do know that in the performance of such duties to them consisteth their good and for the neglect of such God will punish them When as then they shall heare them say you ought to behaue your selues thus and thus to me you ought so to speake euen reuerently your behauiour to mee and your obedience ought to bee so and so they must not proudly and disdainfully cast it behinde their backes but willingly imbrace it and conscionably practise it Yea one man in godlinesse wisdome and christian modesty And one neighbour may thus teach another may tell others what duties they owe to them in respect of their callings yeeres and such like and say you ought to behaue your selfe towards mee thus and thus do you not knowe that I am your elder your better your neighbour your kinseman c without any suspition of foolish ambition For as if wee had an euill debter wee might without suspition of couetousnesse tell him that hee is in our debt and that hee oweth vs so much and require him to pay it so other duties that any owe to vs we may without surmise of selfe-loue require at their hands Therefore in what calling soeuer we be though indeede we should alwaies and in all things be more forwards to doe duties then to require them of others yet we should not impose vpon our selues such a maydenlinesse or Stoical modestie that we should neuer challenge our right of men and shew what duties they owe vnto vs especially seeing wee should teach and admonish one another whilest we haue time and whilest it is called to day and we also doe know Heb. 3.13 that for them to performe such duties vnto vs shall make for their good How hardly men will admit this kind of teaching And this that we haue spoken is the rather to be marked of vs because we shall find naturally that we do more easily admit that kind of teaching wherein we are shewed our dutie to others rather than to those that doe teach vs. As if the Minister of the Gospell should publikely or any other priuatly tell vs what we should doe to God or to our King or to our gouernors or to our parents or to our neighbours we may happely with quietnes heare it yet it were to be wished that all would do so but if he come to shew what God requireth to be done to himselfe and to his ministery then they are ready to take exception against it and they thinke that they may lawfully gainesay it at least wise pause vpon it and say see what a faire taile he hath told for himselfe and so though it be a dutie and God requires it of them and they heare it and the conscience doth sufficiently conuict them of it yet forsooth because it concerneth them that speake they little regard it and though in some cases they will giue a man leaue to speake for his owne profit yet not for duties to be performed vnto them though it be for the profit of others Therefore seeing that wee shall finde this corruption so strong in vs and so deepely as it were to be rooted in the bones that it will not out of the flesh euen that our stomackes will sooner rise against a man when he speaketh to vs of himselfe and of our duty to him then of another and wee can more hardly brooke and digest such kinde of teaching we had need to be put in minde of it and to be made acquainted with it so much the more And thus we conclude by the example of Dauid in giuing this forme of prayer in his behalfe The conclusion and of the people in vsing it for him and so doe willingly performe this dutie of prayer for their King though he taught it them that it is lawfull for the Ministers of God to teach publikely in their Sermons such duties as belong to themselues yea and for all sorts of men priuatly to admonish their neighbours and brethren of the like without any iust suspition of ill meaning and that all inferiours must with meekenes and reuerence receiue such instructions willingly at their mouthes and be swift to heare them and slowe to replie or speake against them and be carefull to follow them in the feare of God and not to thinke much of it that they should come thus neere them as to presse vpon them such duties as they owe not any to other but to themselues seeing God hath ordained one of vs to helpe another as the members of the body doe and the superiours therein seeke their good and not themselues so much and the inferiors also shall finde by experience that it is profitable for themselues to doe such things as are required at their hands THE FIFTH SERMON vpon the first verse
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
heard them and one of them for another as the people of Ierusalem for Dauid their King the Prophet Isaiah for Hezekiah and the rest of the people and the captiued Iewes for Hester the Queene and her for them so will hee doe one of vs for another So that if we daily giue our selues to prayer and make conscience to vse that holy ordinance of God our selues wee may in great faith and hope desire the prayers of others And thus much for him that made the prayer whose name is prefixed in the title of it now for them that vsed it which was the Church of God at Ierusalem which is to be gathered out of the discourse of the whole Psalme but I cannot enter into it at this present I will reserue it vntill the next day THE THIRD SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee The people pray for the King as they were desired THese are the words of the people which they spake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they did as Dauid desired them namely pray for him If they did thus pray for him being desired thereunto and it was their bound dutie so to doe and they knew it to be so and therefore did make conscience of it and it had bin a very great fault for them to haue failed in it then by consequence it followeth of necessitie that whensoeuer any of our brethren or sisters in Christ shall desire this dutie at our hands So must we do for all those that desire our prayers wee must bee carefull to performe it and it were a fault not to be excused in vs both against God and them to faile in it Therefore wee must not thinke that when godly men and women at their parting or otherwise desire our prayers and say I pray you pray for me or remember me in your prayers that these are words of course though I doe not denie but that many doe so vse them and so doing they take the name of God in vaine but wee should be perswaded that out of the abundance of their feeling of their owne wants they speake vnto vs and so be willing by our prayers to helpe to supplie them Especially when they shall make their estate known vnto vs And especially wee should doe it when they shall make knowne their estate vnto vs as here Dauid did to the people giuing them to vnderstand that he should or might be in great daunger of his enemies and so it was a time of trouble vnto him as he called it and as the Apostle S. Iames speaketh Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Jam. 5.16 that ye may be healed that when the sicke should send for godly and graue men and so they should not onely see their estate for bodily health but they should also for their owne further comfort confesse vnto them their speciall sinnes which they finde to haue been the cause of them that then they would bee most willing to pray for them being sent for to that end especially So then if we see plainly that they haue cause to desire our prayers and that they doe it with earnestnes then most of all should we thinke vpon them and vpon their estate to pray for them and it must needes bee a great fault to forget them For as if any should bee in distresse or want and should stand in neede of our helpe for meate and drinke and cloathing or other things and should come and make their moane vnto vs and desire reliefe from vs if we seeing their estate to be so pitifull as indeede it is should not be mooued in compassion to helpe them according to our abilitie it were a token of great hardnes of heart in vs So much more when any shall make knowne their wants vnto vs to that end that we might pray to God for them if wee should forget it or neglect to doe it it should bewray too great want of fellow-feeling and brotherly compassion in vs. Most of all this dutie of prayer ought to bee carefullie performed And most of al when thereupon we haue promised to pray for them Psal 15.4 when wee haue promised it vnto any vpon such notice of their estate for as all promises made to our brethren ought to be kept yea though it bee to our owne hindrance so those most of all that so neerely concerne them And as if when any should desire vs to speak to some great man for them and wee promise to doe it and they trust to it hoping that we will be as good as our words it were a great deceit in vs to faile them and so to frustrate their expectation For all lawfull promises must be kept So when any haue desired vs to speake to God for them and vpon our promise they would comfort themselues ouer it if we should by negligence deceiue them it were a great fault in vs and that which the Lord would require at our hands though they should neuer know of it Therefore as we ought dâ—â—y to pray one for another vnasked as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs O our Father which art in heauen giue vs this day and forgiue vs our trespasses and leade vs not into temptation c so more specially and by name should we do it for them that haue desired it of vs. And so parents especially should not forget their children in their prayers which daily aske their blessing and hope to be blessed of God by their prayers Secondarily if wee should neglect to pray for them that haue desired it at our hands Els they that we trust vnto shal neglect to pray for vs. how could we haue any hope that others whom we haue desired to pray for vs should performe that dutie vnto vs Nay might not wee iustly feare that they would altogether neglect it seeing we doe neglect them and should it not be iust with God so to punish vs according to the saying of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7.2 Looke with what measure you meat vnto others it shal be met vnto you againe And I remember that this was the saying of a reuerend father in the Church who is now fallen asleepe in the Lord when any desired him to pray for them as many did and more then any that I haue knowne he would say vnto them I pray you pray for me and pray that I may remember you and then I hope I shall not forget you Therefore if we would haue others pray for vs let vs pray for them for wee can neuer haue greater assurance that they will doe it for vs than that we are carefull to doe it for them and the more that we doe it for them the more may we hope that they will do it for vs. For the spirit of God that mooueth vs pray and knoweth much more that we doe so it being
made vnto prayer which are infinit in number and vnmeasurable in greatnesse but take one for an example Christ saith in the Gospell Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Matth. 7.7 which hee deliuereth without limitation that we might know that it is not to be restrained to our selues but if wee aske for others wee shall receiue for them Then let vs set before our eyes the manifold and happie experience of the truth of these promises in all the seruants of God And by the experience of them in others who by their prayers haue obtained great things for others as we haue heard alreadie that when wee shall finde this way Gods word and all his promises pure and most certainly to be trusted vnto as siluer that is tried in a fornace of earth Psal 12.6 and fined seuen fold we might relie vpon them and so be willing to pray for others knowing that we shall not lose our labor Thirdly to these wee must adde the consideration of our owne experience But most of in our selues and remember for whom wee haue prayed and how often and what hath been the successe of our prayers As how wee haue prayed heretofore for the life and preseruation of our gouernours and namely of our late Soueraigne Ladie of famous memorie Queen Elizabeth and how God hath often deliuered her from many great treasons intended against her by the Iesuites and other Papists how we haue prayed for others as for the life health and prosperitie of our parents husbands wiues children neighbours and friends in their seuerall griefes of minde and infirmities of bodie and other distresses and what hath followed thereupon as how they haue been recouered and comforted and otherwise holpen and relieued how here in the Church we haue sometimes prayed for those that haue been very sicke euen at deaths doore who haue receiued the sentence of death in themselues and yet they haue recouered and some of them are aliue still that so as Dauid said vpon his former triall The Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lion 1. Sam. 17.37 and out of the paw of the beare hee will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim so wee might vpon our former experience boldly say God that of his mercie and goodnes hath vouchsafed to heare me for such and such wil heare me also at this time for these To this end also wee must wisely obserue and diligently marke for our owne comfort and the good of others what hath followed vpon our prayers and what God hath wrought or done for them Yea all they that desire the prayers of others for any speciall cause whether of the Church generally or of priuate men particularly should signifie vnto them afterwards which few or none doe and it is a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God and man not to doe it what blessings they haue found vpō themselues by such prayers not onely that they might bee thankfull to God for them as they prayed for them before but that being confirmed by such experience they might the more willingly and boldly pray for them and for others at some other time as there shall be neede and for want of this they cannot doe it so cheerefully and so confidently as otherwise they might doe To conclude the summe of all that hath been said in one word How greatly men faile in neglecting to pray for others we see what is here required of vs euen that we bee mindfull to pray for others and what good reason there is for it both in respect of our owne comfort and of their good let vs examine our selues to see whether wee haue been so carefull to performe this dutie vnto them as we should How often haue wee and doe we pray for the good estate of the Church of God in other countries as in France the Netherlands Geneua and such like that God would defend them from their enemies and inlarge the kingdome of Christ among them Nay how often doe wee pray for the Church of God in this land and in the kingdomes vnited How often for the Kings Maiestie the right honourable Councellors Iudges and Magistrates not onely of this land but more specially of our owne countrey How often for our neighbours yea particularly and by name for them of our owne family as for al our children and seruants Yea let vs call into our minds how often wee haue prayed seriously and in good earnest for those that haue desired our prayers and haue as it were made a couenant of prayer with vs by promising that they would pray for vs if we would remember thē whether we haue carefully kept this promise and couenant or no and when we shall finde that wee haue greatly failed this way let vs be sorie that wee haue not done that good this way that we might and that hath been looked for at our hands and therefore that wee cannot haue that comfort in the common blessings of God in church and common wealth and vpon priuate men that others haue And let vs determine for the time to come to be more mindful of others in our prayers and let vs be so indeede especially of all the Church of God and of all those that we haue made this promise vnto and so haue bound our selues to it by a couenant in the Lord that so the Lord may also reward vs with the prayers of others and with the fruit of the same in our greatest neede when wee shall haue carefully performed this dutie vnto them before Especially let vs remember to pray for the King and for all our gouernours as wee are bound thereunto both by the word of God and the lawes of the realme as if wee had made a certaine promise to them for it THE FOVRTH SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble THus the people doe speake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they pray for him The people pray for king Dauid that God would heare him and defend him This practise of theirs must be our imitation for it is the dutie of all subiects likewise to pray for their Princes and gouernours and as wee doe owe vnto them tribute custome feare and honour as the Apostle saith Rom. 13.7 so this dutie of prayer also and most of all and therefore it is a great fault in any to neglect it let vs therefore doe it So should we all doe for our King and that of conscience publikely and priuately Men for the most part are addicted to themselues or to their friends in prayer the King they think is a great way off and so the prouerbe with them is too true Out of sight out of minde or they thinke he is well enough and hath all things at will therfore he needeth not so greatly to be prayed for especially of vs. Surely we cannot
vnlesse we then call vpon him Now at this day there are many troubles in our land as not onely secret practises of traytors against the Kings excellent Maiestie but also great sicknesse and mortalitie in many chiefe places and the same dialy spreading it selfe further and further by reason of the great and dangerous contagion of the pestilence As at this time especially therefore it is high time for euery one of vs in all places to pray earnestly vnto God and as euery day bringeth vnto our eares the reports of new troubles so must we continue in our prayers that God may heare vs at the last as he hath also promised that he will The third thing to bee obserued out of these words is the forme and tenour of their prayer which is this that they pray to God that he would heare the prayers of Dauid which hee should make in the time of his troubles Therfore as it is our duty to seek to others in our troubles for their prayers and the greater that they be to seek vnto them for it the more that they striuing with vs in prayer wee might obtaine So when any shall thus desire vs to pray for them it is our dutie to doe it and so also to desire the prayers of others that in no case we neglect them our selues of which points seuerally wee haue intreated at large before So more particularly wee see from hence how wee may pray for any We may alwaies thus pray for men that God would heare their prayers whether wee are desired or not desired thereunto whether we know their estate perfectly or we be altogether ignorant of it euen that God would heare them and giue them according to their owne prayers For as if one man should haue a suite to another and should desire vs to speake for them or wee know of it otherwise though not in particular what the speciall thing is that hee desireth wee might say I pray you bee good to such a man graunt him his request wee might that wayes doe him some good So this way wee may benefit men alo Though we know not their estate when wee pray to God to giue them their requests though wee know not euery thing that they desire And thus did Hely the Priest pray for Hannah the wife of Elkanah 1. Sam. 1.13 that God would heare her prayer that she made though hee knew them not for she spake in her heart onely her lips did mooue onely but her voyce was not heard and when hee did mistake her as though shee had been drunken As Hely did for Hannah shee said nay but shee was troubled in spirit and did powre out her soule before the Lord but did not tell him for what Then he said Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him And she desireth him still that hee would pray for her And at the last when she had obtained her request she returned to giue thanks and told him the whole matter and said Oh my Lord Vers 26. as thy soule liueth my Lord I am the woman that stood with thee here praying vnto the Lord I prayed for this child which she had brought with her and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him therefore also I haue giuen him vnto the Lord as long as he liueth he shall be giuen vnto the Lord and he worshipped the Lord there Where we see how he praied to God for her that he would heare her praiers and graunt her the petition that she had asked of him though he knew not what it was and so requested him to continue his prayer still for her though she doth not tell him the speciall thing that she prayed for Indeede if wee knew the particular estate of men wee might pray for them more directly and more effectually But if wee know it we may pray for them more particularly Jam. 5.16 according to that counsell which S. Iames giueth vnto all Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Where he willeth vs not only to make knowne the diseases of our bodies to others by sending for them in the time of our sicknes but euen our speciall sinnes that haue been the cause of them that so in great compassion towards vs both of soule and bodie they might pray feruently for vs when they shall see what great neede euery way we haue of their prayers But if we doe not thus confesse vnto them or cannot yet generally and effectually also wee may pray God to heare their owne prayers which they do and should make principally themselues according to the commandement of the same Apostle Vers 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray that God I say would heare them in that trouble that they bee in what and whensoeuer Therefore no man in neglecting of this dutie of prayer for others is to say I would gladly pray for such an one if I knew his estate and what to pray for for it is sufficient that the Lord knoweth it Ye are we not to neglect this dutie of praier for any though wee know not their estate that he knoweth it himselfe and doth pray for himselfe accordingly then may wee safely pray that God would heare those prayers of his And thus did Salomon in the dedication of the Temple which hee built to be an house of prayer for all nations and doth himself pray vnto God for all those that should hereafter come vnto that place there to pray whose prayers therefore in particular what they should be he could not possibly tell and doth not onely desire the Lord to heare them in such and such particular things as hee there nameth as when they should bee ouerthrowne before their enemies and when there should no raine and when there should be famine 1. King 8.33 and such like saying If they then come and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house then heare thou in heauen and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel but more generally saith That what prayer and supplication so euer shall be made of any man Vers 38. Salomon prayed God to heare them whose prayers he could not know or of all thy people Israel when euery one shall know the plague in his owne heart and stretch foorth his hands in this house heare thou then in heauen thy dwelling place and be mercifull and doe and giue euery man according to all his waies as thou knowest his heart for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men And in the end hee concludeth thus These my words which I haue prayed before the Lord Vers 59. let them be neere vnto the Lord our God day and night that hee defend the cause of his seruant and the
to the King and we haue one in the Court to follow it wee hope wee shall not be forgotten especially if wee haue the Prince the Kings eldest sonne to make suite for vs. So seeing Christ Iesus doth deale for vs in heauen wee may bee assured that God will remember all prayers made according to his will in repentance and faith Therefore if wee haue done any thing all this while God will remember vs if wee haue done nothing then God must needes forget to blesse vs for there is nothing done for which he might remember vs. This should make vs forward in prayer and in all good things This should make al men feruent in prayer forward in all duties that so they might leaue thē as it were with God and they might bee before him night and day for a remembrance of them And that as we haue many sinnes for which hee may remember to punish vs so our repentance faith prayer seruice done to his Maiestie obedience to his word of conscience in al his commaundements and that in secret and all the good that we haue done to our brethren might also speak for vs and put him in remembrance of vs for our good That as it is written of Nehemiah that worthie seruant of God who often in the testimonie of a good conscience prayeth Nehem. 13.14 Remember me O my God and wipe not out my kindnes that I haue shewed on the house of God and on the officers thereof Vers 31. And againe Remember me O my God in goodnes So wee may pray for our selues and others in faith for vs that God would remember vs and them according to al the seruice wee haue done to him This I say should make all forward and zealous in Gods seruice both as they be Christians and in their seuerall callings that there might bee something for which they might pray themselues and others for them that God would remember them And whereas they pray for the King that God would remember all his prayers and seruices we see that we may not onely pray to God that hee would remember what wee haue done and that we now doe and what we haue done before the staying of this visitation and hope that he will remember all nay be assured of it Pray for them vnder the Plague that God would remember their former seruices though now they can doe none But pray also for all our brethren in al places that God would remember what they haue prayed and done and the fasts that haue beene in all places and are still and that all our prayers together may still speake for vs. Yea we may pray that God would heare them that are visited with his hand and not only that which they now pray but that that they haue done before when they were in health and though they cannot do as they would nay it may be for paine speake one word as hee requireth yet if they haue done any thing in truth before that he would now in this time of their neede remember that and them for it and so no doubt he will And this is a singular fruite of those that neglect not the time of prayer and of Gods seruice when they may that they shall bee remembred for it hereafter and for that which they haue done before when for the time present they shall be able to doe nothing as Dauid when he was fighting could not alwaies pray as he would and as his need required but hee desireth them to pray that God would remember that which hee had prayed before when he was able to doe it It followeth And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes The second part of this verse This is the second part of the verse where they pray that God would turne his burnt offerings into ashes that is that God would some waies declare that he had heard his prayer and receiued his seruices for where hee speaketh of sacrifices it was according to the manner of Gods seruice in those dayes where they did so offer but these were not without prayer as we see in the fourth verse in this Psalme By which prayer they sought to God that those sins for which they did offer sacrifices might be pardoned in the death of Christ whereof those sacrifices especially whole burnt offerings were a type and figure to shew that Christ should wholy offer vp himselfe to God for vs. Therfore it is said that the Priest when they brought their sacrifices Leuit. 4.20.26.31.35 should make an atonement for them that is pray to God for them to forgiue them So that though he nameth only sacrifices yet he meaneth prayer and other seruices done according to the word And when they pray that God would turne them into burnt ashes that is consume them with fire as it were sent from heauen God turned the sacrifices of Aaron into ashes he hath respect to that that God had done before thereby testifying that he did accept of their sacrifices and prayers For thus did he to Aaron when he was first consecrated to the office of the Priesthood That the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leuit. 9.23 and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the alter the burnt offering and the fat which when the people saw they gaue thankes and fell on their faces Thus when the sacrifice was laid vpon the altar fire came from the Lord and consumed it and so the people when they saw it gaue thanks for by this signe they did see that God did alow of the sacrifice of Aaron and of his Priesthood So they desire of God that he would some way shew that he had heard the prayer of the King And of Salomon So again when Salomon dedicated the temple had made a long and zealous prayer for all those that should pray in that house 2. Chron. 7.1 and had prepared a sacrifice to be offred Fire came from heauen and consumed the burnt offering and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that by this signe God did shew to them all that hee had heard the prayer of Salomon for the hallowing of that house to be the house of prayer for al nations And to conclude this poynt And of Elijah when the Prophet Elijah in the dayes of king Ahab in great zeale to call the people from their idolatry caused all the Priests of Baal to be gathered together 1. King 18.20 and they had two bullocks to be offered one for them and another for himselfe and there should be no fire put to the offerings but that God that should send fire from heauen vpō them should bee taken to bee the true God and worshipped of them The Priests of Baal because they were many began first and continued crying to him for fire vntill noone and could not bee heard Elijah at the time of the euening sacrifice prepared his and caused ditches
oppressions So was it in the time of the Iewes captiuitie when Haman for malice that he bore vnto Mordecay sought his destruction and because his malice was vnsatiable he thought it too litle to lay hands vpon him onely Hest 3.6 but because they had shewed him the people of Mordicay he sought to destroy all the Iewes at once that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahashuerosh to that end vnder the colour of the kings profit he gat a decree to be sealed with his signet That vpon such a day all of thē should be rooted out destroied both young old women children This seemed vnto him very good pollicie to bring his purpose to passe and when the posts with the kings letters were sent out into all places he might haue thought himselfe sure of it but God did not prosper it and so it came to naught and his purpose was disappointed because God did not fulfill it Chap. 5.14 And afterwards when Zeresh his wife all his friends gaue him this counsel That seeing he was in so great fauor with the king the queen as to be inuited with the king vnto a banquet which the queene had prepared and none but he was inuited that he would make a gibbet of fiftie cubites hie and in the morning when hee went vnto the king that he would speake vnto him that Mordecay might be hanged thereon and then he should goe ioyfully with the king vnto the banquet And that also pleased Haman well and he purposed to doe so But this tooke no place neither because God did not prosper it but contrariwise himselfe was hanged on it by the commaundement of the king and thus he could not bring his purposes to passe because God did not fulfill them But on the other side when Hester and Mordecay did heare of this wicked decree and did aduise with themselues what was best to be done for the safegard of the life of the Iewes and at the last did resolue vpon this Chap. 4.8 That the queene should goe into the king and make supplication for her people and she did so This good counsell and the successe thereof they commended vnto God in prayer yea in fasting and prayer three daies and three nights together and this God blessed and brought it to passe so that they had libertie from the king Chap. 8.11 both to stand for their owne liues and to destroy all the power of the people that vexed them both children and women and to spoyle their goods and they did so And truly if all men in all controuersies which they haue with their aduersaries would first take good counsell according to Gods word and then acknowledge that the successe of it is in Gods hand and pray earnestly vnto him for it they might prosper more in their suites at the law than they doe But because they neglect this and for the most part seeke for craftie counsell such as hath no promise of Gods blessing because it is contrarie to the law of charitie and then in such cases they neither doe nor can pray to God for his blessing vpon it that he would fulfill all their counsell therefore it is not so And thus we see why some are ouerthrowne in their good causes namely they seeke not to God that he would fulfill all their counsels but thinke themselues sufficient without his blessing and so God leaueth them to themselues that by experience they might see it to bee otherwise Therefore let vs profit vnto our dutie by other mens harmes Furthermore whereas Dauid was a king and now gone out to warre and willeth the people at home to pray to God for him That hee would fulfill all his purpose and counsell wee must vnderstand thus much that as he was wise himselfe so he had his counsell both for warre and for peace as all kings haue and they were to aduise him in euery action what was best to be done yet he rested not in that We ought to pray that God would blesse the consultations of the king and his counsellors but desireth the people that they would pray That God would fulfill all which by his grace they should determine and they did so So must we doe for the kings highnesse And though he be godly and wise himselfe and hath many worthie noblemen of his most Honourable priuie Counsell who are of great wisedome and long experience as they must not rest in their owne deuices but commend them vnto God in prayer and desire others also that are about them that they would doe so and by this meanes might they greatly prosper so is it our bound dutie to pray vnto God for them that he would blesse their consultations and bring them to passe for the good of his Church and profit of this realme And as they doe weekely meet at the Counsell table and sometime oftner for matters of State so we should continually commend them to God in all our prayers so shall we haue the benefit of our owne prayers when God shall fulfill the good things that they purpose And as we ought to doe thus alwais so especially against the Parliament we should pray that God would fulfill all the good purposes of that great assembly for the rooting out of Poperie and all remnants of superstition Especially all consultations in the Parliament house and all other abuses and for the establishing and enlarging of the preaching of the Gospel and all other good orders in all places Otherwise we see that good counsell may be giuen but not followed and if it be yet not brought to passe and so there shall not that good be done that might and which many good men in the Parliament house intend Therefore as we desire to enioy the common benefit of our time so let vs pray not onely for the King but for all our gouernors in the Church and Commonwealth That God would fulfill all their purposes Then ought we much more thus to pray for our selues if we were a great deale wiser than we are for when we haue taken the best aduice and thereupon do things to one end they may fall out to another And all our own counsels and purposes yea cleane contrarie to that which we purposed and so we shall be disappointed As for example in matters of mariage which is an ordinarie thing some think to ioyne themselues or their children in alliance with such and such hoping thereby to aduance their houses As in matter of mariage but it falleth out otherwise and by that meanes they come to ruine and so God doth not fulfill their purpose And this was the very case of king Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 18.1 Chap. 21.6 who ioyned himselfe in affinitie with Ahab king of Israel by ioyning his eldest sonne Iehoram in marriage with his daughter and though Iehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance yet the king of Israel was greater than he as hauing more tribes