Selah as when he saith The Lord is known by executing iudgement the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah This Psalme was made as a solemne thankesgiuing for the conquest he had ouer the proude Philistim Goliah as appeareth in the title therefore when hee commeth to this to shew how the Lord was knowne by executing iudgement vpon him and euen this iudgement that hee was snared in the worke of his owne hands as many other wicked men are for he was slaine in that combate by little Dauid and that without armour euen with a stone and a sling as it were with the hand of God miraculously in that combat I say whereunto he had proudly challenged all the hoast of the Israelites with blasphemous words tending to the dishonour of God he addeth these two notes Higgaion that is This is worthy to be meditated vpon and thought seriously on of all men that the wicked are snared in the workes of their owne hands Selah As if hee had said yea in deed this is worthy most seriously and with great affection to bee thought vpon But we shall make further vse of this doctrine hereafter THE ELEVENTH SERMON vpon the third verse Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of this word By Selah here they were stirred vp to the affections of Prayer namely that it serued to note out some speciall affection according to the matter where it was vsed Wee are then now to consider what speciall affections were in him and should be in the people here and so what is and was the vse of it in this place Generally it being ioyned vnto a prayer they were to haue the affections meet for prayer and for this thing that here they prayed for Therefore the speciall affections that ought to be in the people when they prayed thus were these or such like First when hee willeth them to pray that God would heare his prayers and shew that he did so and then addeth Selah a note of affection or stirring vp of the mind it was to teach them As namely to pray earnestly that he would haue them affected with it to pray for it earnestly And in requiring this earnestnes here his meaning was not that they should bee colde in the former and negligent but here he required a speciall feruency of the spirit that after a speciall manner they would pray that God would heare his prayers and declare it By which example wee learne that though we ought alwaies to pray from our hearts and neuer with the tongue onely as many doe and haue done not only in Popery when if they had said a certaine number of prayers it was thought sufficient though they knew not what they said it being in an vnknowne tongue and so could not possibly haue any desire at all vnto that which they prayed for and so that was verified of them that Christ speaketh of in the Gospell Matth. 15.8 This people draweth neere vnto me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me but also in these dayes when many though they say Amen at the end of prayers yet haue had their mind occupied about other matters and so though their tongue hath spoken yet their mindes haue desired nothing John 4.24 whereas God is a spirit and wil be worshipped in our spirits and he is the searcher of the hearts which when it is prepared then hee heareth as it is said thou preparest the heart Psalm 10.17 Psalm 57.7 and bendest thine eare thereto So that whensoeuer we pray we must say as the Prophet doth My heart is prepared my heart is prepared O God I will sing and giue thanks Therefore wee must not come rashly to prayer and vnaduisedly on the suddaine but prepare our hearts beforehand as Christ teacheth vs in that forme of his O our Father which art in Heauen c willing vs to consider of Gods fatherly loue and of his almighty power and so pray to him as to one whom wee are perswaded is most willing and able to heare and helpe vs. Greater earnestnes is requisite in some part of the prayer then of other Ephes 6.18 And though wee must alwaies thus pray if wee will bee heard yet we are to striue with our affections in prayer and as something shall be more materiall for vs and wee stand in more need of it so there and for that to pray more earnestly and as we must continually striue with our owne dulnesse in prayer and as the Apostle saith watch thereunto so wee must offer violence as it were to our selues in such things as doe most concerne vs. So that our prayers must not flowe from vs like a still streame which is alwaies like it selfe and neuer standeth still like a poole so wee must not haue alwaies the like desires in prayer yea though they be desires of the heart in deed and the heart bee truly moued with it and not stand still senselesse and dead in the affections of it like a lake which is without motion which yet it were well if all men could come vnto and it is a great worke of the spirit if wee can doe so but our hearts in prayer must bee working like the great Ocean Sea that sometimes commeth with great billowes so that it bringeth vp things that are at the bottome of it So we according to our speciall need and the necessitie of others that we pray for must stirre vp the least desire that we haue euen from the bottome of our hearts and though our hearts were moued before yet when wee come to such a thing they must bee mooued a great deale more that God may see how earnestly we desire them that so hee may fulfill them And this we must doe not onely in our priuat prayers And that is true not only of priuat prayer but of publike according to that that we stand in need of as we all finde that we need something more then other for that wee must bee most importunate though wee must alwaies pray earnestly But also in the publike prayers of the Church as these of the people were as wee must alwaies during the time of prayer marke diligently what is said and haue not onely our minde occupied about it but our desires going with his words that prayeth as it were step by step that thus they may all waite vpon him and as it were hang vpon his mouth as it is sayd the people did vpon our Sauiour Christ but when there is any speciall thing prayed for which concerneth vs neerely Luk. 19.48 or any of ours or the glory of God and Church of Christ there to stirre vp our minds with some more earnest desire to call vpon God for it and as it were to say Selah that is Oh that God would grant that so would it come to passe that God would giue vs our desire Luk. 1.53 as he hath promised to fill the hungry soule with
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
are aliants and strangers from it haue been of opinion that if any of the faithfull seruants of God in his Church would pray for them that God would be mercifull vnto them for their sakes then how much more they that are the true members of the Church of God may verely beleeue that God will heare their fellow brethren for them For as in a familie if strangers can hope that if some seruant of speciall account doe speake to the master for them hee will doe some thing at their request then they that are of the same house may bee assured much more that the intreatie of their fellow seruants shall doe them much good So in the house of God Ephe. 2.12 if they that are strangers from the couenant of promise and haue no hope and are without God in the world yet thinke that his seruants shall be heard for them then how much more may they that are of the household of faith themselues beleeue that God will heare their fellow seruants for them seeing that he hath not onely giuen them leaue but commanded them to speake and intreate one for another and themselues are such alreadie as hee meaneth to doe good vnto And this is that that we reade of in the person of Pharaoh King of Egypt Pharaoh often desired Moses and Aaron to pray for him who though he could not abide Moses and Aaron yet when the hand of God was heauie vpon him hee was many times compelled to seeke to them for their prayers and his owne conscience did tell him that the Lord might happely heare them for him though himselfe was vnworthie once to bee regarded of him As when himselfe and his land was punished with frogs hee called for them and said Pray yee vnto the Lord Exod. 8.8 that hee may take away the frogges from me and from my people and afterwards when they were punished with great swarmes of flyes so that the earth was corrupt with them he said I will let you goe Vers 28. that yee may sacrifice vnto the Lord your God in the wildernesse but goe not farre away pray for me and thirdly when the Lord sent thunder and haile and lightning so that the fire was mingled with the haile he sent and called for them and said vnto them Chap. 9.27 I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders and haile and I will let you goe and ye shall tarie no longer Where at the last hee confesseth himselfe and all his people to bee wicked and to haue deserued these plagues but he prayeth these his seruants to pray to God for them and they doe so and at their prayers the Lord remoueth these seuerall plagues Thus this wicked man when he was in the middest of his deserued punishments and had no heart in them to goe to God himselfe yet sought to others that he was well perswaded of and receiued great good often by their prayers Ieroboam desired the Prophet to pray for him when his hand was withered So did that wicked man Ieroboam King of Israel of whom it is often said to his shame that hee caused Israel to sinne when the man of God came out of Iudah at the commandement of the Lord vnto Bethâ—el where hee stood by his idolatrous altar to offer incense and reproued for his idolatrie and cried out against the altar he hearing it stretched out his hand and said Lay hold on him but his hand which he put out against him dried vp and he could not pull it in againe to him Then the King said vnto the man of God 1. King 13.6 I beseech thee pray vnto the Lord thy God and make intercession for me that mine hand may be restored vnto me And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was afore So though he could not pray himself and say I beseech thee my God with hope that God would heare him yet hee desireth the Prophet to pray to his God and thought that another might be heard for him and so he was Thus did Zedekiah King of Iudah though neither himselfe nor the Princes could abide Ieremy the Prophet Zedekiah desired the prayers of Ieremy neither did they reuerence him or the doctrine that he deliuered vnto them for they would not obey the words of the Lord which he spake vnto them yet when they were in great distresse Jerem. 37.3 because the Chaldeans did besiege the citie hee sent certaine men vnto him saying Pray now vnto the Lord our God for vs. Behold how the most vngodly are driuen to iustifie this holie ordinance of prayer in such wise that they are compelled to seeke to those sometimes for their prayers whom otherwise they doe not loue neither haue any good opinion of but rather hate them and account them their enemies Euen as those in our time who though they neuer cared for the ministerie of the word nor for the assemblies of Gods people nor for his seruants yet when they are in any great miserie or feare and lie at the point of death are inforced to send to them whom they neuer cared for in their life and to intreate them to pray for them whom they would neuer intreate for any thing before Lastly Simon Magus the Sorcerer heard Peter the Apostle iustlie denounce the fearefull iudgement of God against him for his sinne he fearing it Act. 8.24 desired Peter to pray for him saying Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye haue spoken may come vpon me This wicked man who of a long time had bewitched the Samaritanes with his sorceries And Simon Magus of Peter saying that himselfe was some great man hoped that al that euill which his sinnes had deserued and which God had threatned against him might by the prayers of his seruants be turned from him and so hee escape them Shall not wee then much more who haue a desire to please God and to walke in his waies hope that the prayers of others shall be auaileable to turne from vs al those euils which our own consciences tell vs we haue iust cause to feare if wee seeke vnto them for them Let vs then in the feare of God and as we loue our owne wealth determine to practise this Christian dutie much more than we haue done and let vs be heartely sorie that for want of it we haue neglected our own good too much What good we might haue gotten if we had sought to others for their prayers For many great things might wee haue obtained many fearefull troubles might wee soone haue been deliuered out of yea some grieuous things that haue befallen vs might haue bin by the grace of God wisely preuented if we had sought vnto others who might haue intreated the Lord for vs. In which
truth in Christ I lie not that I might vse the words of the Apostle that I haue been desired of many often to pray for them in their seuerall troubles but of very few desired againe to be thankfull for the same which sheweth that though at the first it may be they desired the prayers of others with Selah that is with great earnestnes in the feeling of their owne estate yet afterwards they were not so much moued with it as Dauid was here and so forgat to bee thankfull themselues at leastwise did not desire others to be thankfull for them or not with that feeling that they desired them to pray for them before Let vs then I pray you consider how wee esteeme of this that God heareth our prayers at any time We esteeme it may be of the things themselues that God bestoweth vpon vs at our prayers whether it bee health or wealth or any thing els our owne need driueth vs vnto it but doe we account it to bee so great a fauour of God and confesse our selues to be so vnworthie of it that wee shall be bound to serue him and praise him for it When wee haue it I beseech you doe we enter seriously into the consideration of the mercie of God and of our owne vnworthines to say What a good God is this that hath dealt so gratiously with mee Surely surely we shall finde that few do it either before they pray or when they haue done to say What a thing is this I that am so vilde a wretch that haue no goodnes in me at all that haue so many waies offended God that he should notwithstanding heare my prayers whereas hee might iustly haue brought vpon mee that curse that is spoken off in the Prophet That as the Lord cried vnto me often in his word Zach. 7.13 and I would not heare him so I should crie to him in my prayers and hee not heare me Therefore it was needfull for them by this word Selah to bee stirred vp and wee must learne thereby to make more account of the hearing of our prayers than we doe For though God hath made a promise vnto vs in Christ that if we aske wee shall receiue Let vs stirre vp our selues to make more account of the hearing of our prayers yet when wee consider how many waies for our part wee haue broken the couenant and how weake our faith is wherby we receiue all we may iustly thinke that God may denie vs all things and that it is his great mercie if he heare vs in any thing And namely so must wee doe at this present for this sicknes acknowledge our selues vnworthie of all his former mercies much more that we are vnworthie of any new as Iacob did when he said O God of my father Abraham Gen. 32.10 I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Therefore if it please God to shew vs any merâ—â—â—is way wee must so esteeme it that we binde our selues remember it and to be thankfull to him for it all the daies of our life and then let vs remember what we haue promised and labour to performe it which grace God grant vs for Christ Iesus his sake Amen THE TWELFTH SERMON vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose The meaning of the fourth verse THese are the words of the people vnto God for their King and part of the prayer which they made for him namely that God would grant him according to his hearts desire and fulfill all his purposes that is whatsoeuer his heart did wish and desire that God would giue and whatsoeuer hee purposed God would bring to passe As if they had said O Lord whatsoeuer he desireth in his heart that grant thou and whatsoeuer he purposeth in his minde that bring thou to passe Now Dauid teaching them thus to pray we may presume that he did determine to haue nothing but good desires in his heart and good purposes and the people by the great experience that they had had a long time of his goodnes did thus iudge of him else neither could he haue desired them so to pray for him neither they haue done it in faith First then as in all other things we must approue our selues vnto God from our very heart which is the chiefest thing that he looketh vnto and that especially he requireth of all according as it is written My sonne giue me thy heart Prou. 23.26 so in our prayers most of all that wee desire in our heart nothing but that that is iust and lawfull and according to his will All the desires of our hearts in prayer must be agreeable to the will of God And so againe whatsoeuer we goe about the meanes that we vse must be lawfull and such as God may allow of that so in our prayers we may commend them vnto God Then may wee boldly pray God to fulfill them and desire others also to doe so and they being so perswaded of vs by good proofe may safely and with a good conscience thus pray for vs though they knowe not all our hearts desires and purposes For God hath promised that whatsoeuer wee aske according to his will he will grant it vnto vs. And al the promises that are made vnto prayer are thus to be vnderstood and no otherwise As when Christ saith Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and you shall finde Matth. 7.7 knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened And againe Whatsoeuer yee aske in my name Joh. 14.13 that will I do that is which is good and according to Gods will As it is euident by that which the Apostle writeth to the Romanes Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit And such prayers God will heare for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God So that when a man prayeth by the instinct and motion of the Spirit of God which directeth him to aske according to his will and word then he heareth and such we may boldly desire others to pray that God would grant So likewise it is said in the tenth Psalme Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their hearts thou bendest thine eare thereto Where the Prophet confesseth to the comfort of the Church that God is readie to heare the prayers of his poore Saints but how when their hearts by Gods spirit bee prepared to desire good things according to Gods will then hee is readie to bend his eare and the more that our hearts be thus prepared
the more may we be assured of it Dauid here in this Psalme being priuie to the goodnes of his owne heart that in sinceritie and truth hee desired to please God was bold to commend his desires vnto the people that they might commend them to God And such we may commend vnto men that he would grant them If then we would haue our prayers heard and also haue any comfort in the prayers of others for vs let vs haue no wicked or vngodly desires nothing contrarie to the will of God For such desires wee can neither our selues commend vnto God nor any other for vs neither will he fulfill them if wee should And here that wee might not wander and goe astray in our desires to our owne hearts our Sauiour Christ hath directed vs in that forme of prayer which hee taught his Disciples In which wee are taught first to pray for such things as concerne the glorie of God To this end we must follow that forme that Christ hath taught vs. the aduancement of the kingdome of Christ here vpon the earth and then for all outward things appertaining vnto this life and for life it selfe so farre foorth as they may stand with these and afterwards for the forgiuenes of our sins and for power against our temptations that wee be not ouercome If then wee pray after this manner God will heare vs as it is said in another place Seeke yee first the kingdom of God Matth. 6.33 And seeke for the direction of his spirit to teach vs to pray and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you Therefore it is agreeable vnto Gods will to pray first for heauenly things and then for earthly and such prayers God will heare And yet though wee haue this forme as a direction to guide vs in our prayers many times we may be so distracted especially in some temptation that we shall not know what to aske aright Rom. 8.26 as the Apostle saith then Gods spirit in those that be his helpeth their infirmitie herein and stirreth vp in them at the least sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed which being of the spirit of God and so also according to Gods will hee heareth and granteth the meaning of them Therefore for our further direction we must pray to God for the assistance of his holy spirit in prayer that it may moderate all our desires and teach vs thus to pray according to the will of God that so hee may grant according to our heart and fulfill all our purposes as it is said here Thus did our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe pray who when hee was in such great agonies that hee said Matth. 26.38 My soule is very heauie euen vnto the death he prayed vnto God and said O father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and this hee did three times but in the end hee said Vers 42. O my father if this cup cannot passe away from mee but that I mu t drinke it thy will be done and so God heard him as the Apostle saith Heb. 5.7 That in the daies of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which hee feared Luk. 22.43 Christ in prayer submitting his will to Gods will was heard For there appeared an Angell vnto him from heauen comforting him Thus his hearts desire as at all other times so in this distresse of his being according to the will of God he did grant it So look to al the prayers of Gods seruants in the old and new Testament and we shall see that when they haue submitted their wils to Gods will then he hath granted their desires Now the will of God is that we should absolutely first of all desire those things that might make for his glorie the saluation of our selues and of our brethren but al outward things so farre foorth as they may stand with these and further them and so farre will God graunt them Iacob when hee went to Laban maketh his prayer in the way after this manner Gen. 28.20 The will of God is that we preferre heauenly things before earthly Desiring God that he would be with him and keepe him in that iourney which he went and giue him bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that hee might come againe to his fathers house in safetie and in a word That he would be his God for so doe the best interpreters reade this text So that this he desired principally though it be last named That God would be his good God and continue his couenant of fauour with him to forgiue him his sinnes to increase in him all graces needfull for his saluation c and to shew his fauour this way in protecting him in his iourney though it were but in giuing him things necessarie as meate and drinke and cloathing Now because his prayer was thus agreeable to the will of God that he first desired the continuance of his fauour and then all things needfull for this life so farre as it might stand with that God heard him and hee confesseth it afterwards in his returne that the blessing of God had been greatly vpon him when he saith Chap. 32.10 And he hath heard his seruants that haue thus prayed I am vnworthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordan and now haue I gotten two bandes The like may bee said of the prayer of King Salomon That when in Gibeon the Lord appeared vnto him in a dreame by night 1. King 3.5 and sayd Aske what I shall giue thee and hee prayed thus Giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and euill So that hee asked wisdome that hee might bee fit to serue God in his calling This did so please the Lord that he gaue him this answere Verse 11. Because thou hast asked this thnig and hast not asked for thy selfe long life nor riches nor the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement Beholde I haue done according to thy words loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath been none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy dayes This must teach vs all to knowe the will of God that it might direct vs in all things euen in our prayers that wee doe not rashly hand ouer head aske wee cannot tell what Let vs aske that that may further vs in our saluation as the forgiuenes of our sinnes Thus must we
pray in this time of the plague that all men may profit by it repentance for them strength against them faith in Gods promises the feeling of his loue and all those things that appertaine to the glory of God and those we are sure are according to his will and if wee did aske these more we should receiue more But all outward things as long life health and wealth let vs desire in the second place both with lesse desire and with mindes contented to want them if it bee not Gods will to giue them and so farre wee may bee assured that he will heare vs. And namely for this visitation of the Plague let vs thus pray that all might profit by it to repentance and amendment of life for to that end we are assured that it is sent For as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians when there was great sicknes among them so that many also dyed For this cause meaning sinne 1. Cor. 11.30 whereof he named one that was common among them many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe that is dye for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged but when we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because wee should not bee condemned with the world So that if either wee had not sinned before or hauing sinned we had repented vs in time and iudged our selues God would not thus grieuously haue entred into iudgement with vs. For as Dauid saith he is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger Psalm 103.8 and of great kindnes and will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer though wee offend him continually For if hee should straitly marke our iniquities Psalm 130.3 and deale with vs thereafter who should stand that is no man should be able to abide it But hee deferreth his punishments often to see if men will repent them in time and in deede hee giueth all men sufficient time for that and calleth them to it daily as he did the olde world before the flood by the preaching of Noah Gen. 6.3 giuing them an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in and so did hee to the wicked Sodomites by the Ministery of righteous Lot before they were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen and so did he to the Israelites and to the Iewes by all his Prophets before they were carried away into captiuitie and so hath he this long time and often forewarned vs of his iudgements and called vs earnestly vnto repentance by the ministery of all his faithfull seruants in our time before this plague came vpon vs. So that wee cannot say as the diuell did falsely challenge Christ in the Gospell Matth. 8.29 Why art thou come vnto vs before the time But when for all this men goe on in their sinne and will not bee reclaymed nor iudge themselues one whit hee is constrained to iudge vs. Therefore let vs pray that we may profit by it and all his people also euery where and whosoeuer haue any such good desires in them wee may helpe them with our prayers and pray that God would giue them their desire as the people doe here for the King for this is according to Gods will And wee may safely pray for those that are vnder this visitation that God would giue them patience and strength to beare whatsoeuer it shall please God to lay vpon them for this also is according to his will as the Apostle saith God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10.13 which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you bee able but will giue the issue with the temptation that yee may bee able to beare it And that they may patiently beare it So that if any haue this desire that they are contented to bee tried euen this way as well as any other if it bee Gods will so that hee would strengthen them to beare it we may all of vs further them in their prayers and desire God to giue them their hearts desire And thus farre also wee our selues may bee assured that wee haue our part in all the prayers of our brethren this day and at all times as wee doe desire to profit by this hand of God and to haue patience to doe his will in this and all other crosses of his But as for the remouing of it And how farre for the remoouing of it wee may and ought to pray that it may bee in his good time when it is his holy will and as it shall please him so it may bee and that wee might bee willing to waite vpon his leasure and prescribe no time vnto him nor any measure of his dealing but that his will may bee done and not ours as our Sauiour Christ prayed in his greatest agony Father not my will but thine be done then will hee heare vs as hee did him But if wee shall bee impatient and murmur against God and thinke that hee dealeth hardly with vs in continuing so great a plague so long or haue any such wicked desires in our mindes which flesh and blood is ready to offer vnto vs as wee must not dare to offer them vp vnto God so if wee doe none must further them to desire God that hee would giue vs according to our heart If we submit our wils to Gods will then all the Church prayeth for vs. Therefore let euery one examine his owne heart both for this and for any thing else that hee prayeth for and see what it is that hee desireth and how that if hee findeth it to bee according to Gods will hee might haue comfort in the prayers of the Church for in what case so euer hee bee all the Church prayeth with him and for him Thy will bee done So that if his will bee agreeable to Gods will as it ought then all good men and women pray for him continually in all his troubles both of body and minde And truly this is and may bee a great comfort for vs at all times and in all distresses that in what estate so euer wee bee night and day if wee pray vnto God if wee can bring our hearts to this that the desire of them bee according to his will and though wee would faine haue this and that yet euermore with this condition and no otherwise if it bee his blessed will and wee submit all our desires to his holy will and bee contented that not so much our wils as his might take place then the whole Church euery where prayeth for vs and will doe as they did heere for Dauid and so wee neede not doubt but God will heare vs and them in his good time that so wee might waite patientlie vpon him But many men haue such wicked and vngodly desires Many mens desires are so wicked that they are not to be commended to God or men and the purposes of their heart are so bad as they dare not commend them vnto God but hide them from him as
much as they can And though some do ignorantly presumptuously pray to God to fulfill their foolish and sinfull desires yet none can pray for them neither haue they part in the praiers of the Church and so God heareth them not And this is that which the Apostle saith to the Iewes Yee aske and receiue not because yee aske amisse Iam. 4.3 that yee might lay the same out on your pleasures Where hee saith that because they did aske worldly things first with an vnsatiable mind and then to a wrong end euen to consume them vpon their owne lusts and not that they might glorifie God in doing good and so it was not according to Gods will therefore they had them not for such desires of the heart God will not graunt They that are couetous they haue such desires in their hearts for the world that neither themselues As the desires of couetous men 1. Tim. 6.9 nor any for them can pray that God would graunt them and giue them according to their heart For they that will be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many sorrowes This is a wonderfull yet a true saying For if euery couetous man might haue according to his desire what should become of all the world al should be little enough for themselues Nay what should become of themselues they would aske that that should be hurtfull for them As it is written of one that hee desired that all that hee touched might be gold and it was granted vnto him and by this meanes hee soone starued for want of meate and drinke for not onely his cuppes and dishes at his touching were turned into gold but euen the meate and drinke that was in them and so could neither eate nor drinke any thing and thus his desire through couetousnes was not onely foolish but also noisome and hurtfull as the Apostle said whereby hee was drowned in perdition and destruction Which though it bee but a meere fable and poeticall fiction yet it doth shew the truth of this that wee speake of namely that couetous mens desires many of them are such that they are not to bee desired of God Other men their hearts are so full of hatred and malice And of the malitious that all their desires for the most part tend to the hurt of others and to the good of few especially they desire the hurt of those whom they account their enemies if they might haue their desire I speake not of the Papists onely for then none of vs should be aliue but of some other that professe the Gospell many of their neighbours should bee a great deale worse than they are I pray you what had become of all the nation of the Iewes and of the whole Church of God Hest 3.13 if malitious Haman had had his diuellish desire who sought in one day to kill and to destroy all both yong and old children and women Against these and such like Dauid teacheth vs to pray thus Psal 104.6 Bring not their desires to passe Other haue their hearts full of the lusts of the flesh and the saying of our Sauiour Christ is verified in them They looke on a woman and lust after her Mat. 5.28 And of the voluptuous and so they commit adulterie with her in their heart and they haue many vngodly desires this way which they cannot bring to passe yet can they not themselues or any for them pray that God would grant them their desire and giue them according to their heart and so they consume and pine away in their wicked desire as Amnon did 2. Sam. 13.2 of whom it is said That he was so sore vexed that he fell sicke for his sister Tamar for shee was a virgin and it seemed hard to him to doe any thing to her and that wicked desire continued vpon him that from day to day he waxed leane because he could not accomplish his filthy desire Of these such like the Psalmist saith The desires of the wicked shall perish that is Psal 112.10 God will not fulfill but disapoint them of their wicked desire and so may we pray not for them but against them and so no doubt doth the whole Church of God pray against such continually To be short And of the proud and ambitious some are ambitious and proud and seeke the ouerthrow of others for the raysing vp of themselues as some traitours haue done in our time though they haue not preuailed And so did Absalom conspire against his father Achitophell did help him with counsel in that action but Dauid praeid against thē said O Lord 2. Sam. 15.31 I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophell into foolishnesse and so God did heare his prayer and did ouerthrow his wicked counsell disappointed Absalom of his ambitious desire And not onely by this example but otherwise he hath taught vs generally to pray against all such Fulfill not ô Lord their desire Psal 140.8 These men haue no part in the prayer of others least they be too proud Thus we see that no wicked man that hath his desires disordered in any kind whatsoeuer and will not submit them to the word of God can looke to haue any part in the prayers of the Church generally or of any godly man or woman particularly be they neuer so neere thē or wish they neuer so well vnto them And we our selues must looke to our desires least we be depriued of the benefit of the praier of others For as if our hearts be sound vpright with God and we desire nothing but according to the will of God then all pray for vs euery where by vertue of the communion of Saints we inioy the fruit of the prayer of the Saints so if our hearts be turned from God by our crooked wayes Psal 125.5 we desire things that are vnlawfull then all forsake vs euen our dearest friends and none can pray for vs in any faith And we had need to be put in mind of this doctrine because for the most part our minds are more set vpon earthly things than vpon heauenly we are more readie to lay vp our treasures here on earth than in heauen where the true treasure is and so because where the treasure is there will the heart be also as our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Math. 6.20.21 Nor haue any vnlawfull desires therefore wee desire earthly things aboue heauenly and so our hearts desire being not according to Gods will none can pray for vs that God would graunt them and so through our owne default we loose the comfortable fruit of the prayer of others and whereas prayer is compared vnto striuing when we striue about things
so vnlawfully none can striue with vs. Therefore let vs not haue such running lusts and wandering desires as the men of this world haue who desire earthly things and say as Dauid describeth them VVho wil shew vs any good But let vs pray as he teacheth vs there Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal 4.6 and let vs esteeme of that as he doth there aboue all worldy things saying I shall haue more ioy of heart thereby than they had when their wheat and their wine did abound And then we are sure that our desires be well ordered and so all good men will help vs in their prayers say of vs as the people do here of their King The Lord graunt thee according to thine heart If then at any time we haue asked any thing at the hand of God and haue not receiued it If we aske and haue not let vs examine and correct our desires 1. Pet. 3.9 let vs consider what it is and how we haue asked it if it be any thing that is euill as the destruction of our enemies the curse of God vpon our neighbours whereas we should rather blesse them as the Apostle saith knowing that we are called to be heires of the blessing of God then no maruaile if God do not giue vs our desires Or if it be a lawfull thing yet we desire it not lawfully that is not according to Gods will as for example If we desire earthly things aboue heauenly as most doe or as concerning this visitation of the plague if we more desire that it might be taken away than that we our selues and others might profit by it generally if we more desire health and wealth estimation and worldly prosperitie than faith and repentance and the true feare of God and such like then these desires of our hearts no marueile if God graunt not Or againe if we desire not these outward things so that we can be contented to want them if it be not Gods will to giue them and to say with the Apostle I can be abased and I can abound Phil. 4.12 euery where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry and to abound and to haue want and what state soeuer I am in therewith to be content For otherwise neither can we pray our selues How we shold pray concerning this plague if we will be heard nor other for vs That God would giue vs according to our heart because the desires of the same are not fashioned according to his will Therefore both for the remouing of this plague and for all other things we must be of that mind that Dauid was when by the conspiring of his sonne Absalom he was driuen out of Ierusalem who said 2. Sam. 15.25 Carie the Arke again into the citie if I shall find fauor in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and the tabernacle thereof But if he say thus I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Thus he resigned both his kingdome and life into Gods hands to haue them or loose them according to his will and then he receiued againe of God both the one and the other for Absolon was destroyed and he safely returned into Ierusalem So should we now much more receiue life and health in this great mortalitie if we did pray for them with these minds Heb. 11.17 19. that as Abraham was willing to offer vp his sonne Izaack vnto God and then he restored him vnto life as it were againe so we be willing to haue all if it be Gods will then will he restore all things vnto vs againe Therefore if God giue vs not that which we ask let vs thus profit to the examining and conuerting of our desires But to conclude for this time whereas all men generally desire that they might haue their heart satisfied and that whatsoeuer they haue a mind to they might haue it and this all sorts couet and seek after and therin consisteth great contentation and quietnesse of mind That we haue our desires in all things let vs nourish in vs continually none but good desires for those God wil fulfill The comfort of those that haue good desires and the vexation of them that haue euill But if we haue wicked and vngodly desires in our mind as the Lord will not fulfill them so this shall be no small crosse vnto vs that we are abridged of our desires So that all they that so liue that they make conscience euen of their desires and labour to keepe them within the compasse of Gods word and will their life is most pleasant and comfortable full of contentment for they shall soonest haue the desires of their heart from time to time But if we giue scope to our affections and suffer our desires to range beyond the bounds of Gods word and will as therein we displease him that they are so vnruly so we shall not be quiet for God will crosse them and not suffer vs to prosper in our wicked desires For though the wicked many times doe so for their further condemnation who often haue more than their hearts desire yet this is the ordinarie portion of Gods children that if their desires be good God will fulfill them as these of Dauids were and therefore God did so vnto him as he confesseth Psal 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his harts desire But if they be euill he will keepe them from them and we are to pray that he would doe so to that end that we might seeke to purge our hearts from all such sinfull desires And God graunt that we may thus profit by the not hauing of our desires to examine them whether they be good or ill and to amend whatsoeuer is amisse and so shall it be more profitable for vs to be hindered in such desires than to haue them fulfilled But we shall haue occasion to speake more of this the next day in the meane time let this be sufficient The thirteenth Sermon vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart c. COncerning these words besides that that hath ben obserued out of them alreadie it is further to be considered that whereas hee had willed them in the tenth verse to pray that God would heare his prayers and that he would euidently shew that he had done so and now that he would giue him according to his heart he declareth that as when he prayed vnto God he would doe it not with his lips only but from the bottome of his heart so hee would haue the Lord to take knowledge of his prayer from the desires of the same and giue him thereafter True ptayer is a desire of the heart and so to shew that he had heard his prayer by giuing him his hearts desire From whence we learne what is the nature of true
prayer euen that it is an inward desire of the heart vnto God for some thing which he that is the onely searcher of the heart knoweth and so is able to satisfie VVhich is so to be vnderstood not that we should vse no words at all in prayer for they are sometimes necessarie as not only when many pray together that one should speake out aloud that the rest might heare and say Amen but euen many times when we pray alone by our selues that by our speech our minds might be stirred vp and also kept vpon that that wee speake But euen then the substance of our prayer is in the desire of the heart and our words are but signes to testifie and declare the same Though words be vsed yet the desire of the hart is the chiefest so that there can be no true prayer at all without the desire of the heart but there may be very effectuall prayer without words and when in prayer both doth concurre words and desires God respecteth this later more than the former and the desires of our hearts doe crie lowder in the eares of the Lord of hoasts than all the words that we can vse be they neuer so many and so vehement And though desires without words are effectuall yet words without the desire of the heart is nothing worth and therefore Dauid though he vsed both yet here nameth this onely and after when he giueth thankes to God for hearing of his prayers though hee nameth both yet hee placeth this first Psal 21.2 as the chiefe saying Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lips Therefore when we pray let vs prepare our hearts that they may be full of holy desires and in prayer let vs hold out in them and not suffer them to fall for when they decay and die then doe we cease praying though our lips mooue still neuer so fast And so all they that pray in a strange tongue and know not what they say as is the manner of the Papists and so cannot possibly haue any desire in their heart of that that they speake doe not pray at all And therefore though they boast greatly of prayer and say that they did continually pray because they had their beads about them Without which words are not regarded and their lips were going yet in truth there was not neither could there be any prayer at all among them And besides all they in our daies who in the time of prayer haue their minds otherwise occupied than about that that is prayed for though they kneele downe lift vp their eyes and hands and say Amen with the rest do not pray one whit but are as farre from praying as can be though they seeme vnto others to pray very deuoutly Therefore when we come hether to the house of prayer to pray together and one of vs for another they and they only haue the benefit of common prayer who haue their minds attent vpon that that is said and desire from their heart the same thing with the rest For here we pray to God that he would giue to euery one according to his desire if then either they be asleepe or talking or gazing about or otherwise busie then we pray that God would giue them nothing for they desire nothing And hereunto agreeth that which the virgine Marie saith in her song He hath filled the hungry with good things Luk. 1.53 and sent away the rich emptie VVhere she confesseth that those who desire good things of God earnestly as the hungry and thirstie desire meat and drinke those he filleth and bestoweth plentifully vpon them vnto their contentment but they that are rich and full as it were in their owne opinion and so desire nothing of God as they should they receiue nothing but are sent away as emptie as they come And this is so certaine that in prayer God looketh into the heart wholly that it that be mooued to desire earnestly though we speake not a word it is sufficient he knoweth well ynough what we pray for and will graunt it as soone as though we had vsed all the words that might be to persuade For thus it is said of Hannah when she prayed in the temple because she was barren She spake in her heart her lips did mooue only 1. Sam. 1.13 but her voice was not heard and when Hely thought that she had beene drunken because he saw her lips mooue but heard no voice God heareth the desire of the heart whē there are no wordes and told her of it saying How long wilt thou be drunken she answered and said Nay my lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit and haue poured out my soule before the Lord. Then he praied vnto God for her that he would graunt her this petition that she had made in her heart without words and the Lord did so and gaue her a manchild which she prayed for as her selfe doth afterwards confesse Thus we see that God heareth the desire of the heart when there are no words as on the contrarie he careth not for all the words that can be vsed without this desire After this manner also did Nehemiah pray and was heard for when he was waiting at the Kings table for he was his butler by reason of the ill newes which he heard of the Church of God a little before it was perceiued that his countenance was more sad than it was wont to be in former times and the king asked him the cause of it seeing that he was not sicke and said certainely it was nothing else but sorrow of heart Nehem. 2.1 Then Nehemiah told him the cause of it and the king most gratiously bad him require what he would and so he desired of him as it is set downe there But first of all it is said Verse 4. That he prayed to the God of heauen which must needs be thus vnderstood that he did stoutly lift vp his mind vnto God according as the time and place did then require and desired him to blesse him and to mooue the heart of the king to be fauourable towards him for it was not fit for him then to haue kneeled downe and to haue spoken aloud and so haue made a long prayer when the king was at meat and so he offered vp the desire of his heart vnto God though he spake nothing and God graunted it And this is so vndoubtedly true that God in prayer looketh to the desire of the heart Rom. 8.26 that it is said That when we know not what to pray as we ought the spirit of God it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God So that when we for paine of bodie or griefe of mind cannot speake one word aright then the very sighes and
grones which are stirred vp in vs the Lord acknowledgeth and answereth vs according to them Therefore we must hearken to the exhortation of the Apostle and practise that Ephe. 6.18 Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication so that what kind of prayer soeuer wee vse as he speaketh of all manner prayer whether long or short with words or without publicke or priuat alone or with others it must alwaies be in the spirit and from the heart and that it might be so he giueth vs counsell to watch thereunto that is to haue an eye to our heart and to set a watch vpon the affections of our mind and suffer them not to bee carried away and this we had need to doe carefully because else they will too soone wander suddenly before we be aware as all of vs doe find it to be true by too great experience Seeing then that prayer is a worke of the heart and of the spirit as we haue heard and not of the lips and of the tongue so much euery one that commeth vnto prayer must especially labour in this one point that he may bring his heart vnto God and not to stand so much vpon words If we haue good desires the want of fit wordes must not hinder vs from prayer And this must be no barre vnto any to keep them from prayer to say I haue no fit words I cannot vtter my mind well I haue a good heart but my speech is naught c. For first of all if we be sufficiently touched with the feeling of our wants we shall haue words inough to vtter the same for all experience sheweth that euery one can complaine well inough to the vnderstanding of men of any thing wherein they are grieued be they neuer so simple as the poorest creature that is that is pinched with hunger and thurst can aske bread and meat and no man need to instruct him what words he should vse in such a case and if any be oppressed they cā sufficiently lay opē their wrongs we see that young children can doe that and almost naturall fooles Then assuredly if we had that inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and of the want of the graces of Gods spirit that we should haue we should haue wordes inough to vtter the same vnto God and to poure out our whole mind vnto him and to say Good Lord giue me this and giue me that Therefore let vs first labour for that and then the other will soone follow that is let vs haue the feeling of our own wants and we shall want no wordes in prayer But say that wee want words indeed it maketh no matter one whit God looketh not to that but to the desire of the heart he heareth that sooner than the other For God looketh to the heart nay without the other Hannah sayd nothing spake not a word with her lips no more did Nehemiah as we heard euen now but they both prayed in the spirit and powred out their soules before the Lord and God heard them Therefore if we could say nothing at all nor speake one word yet if we doe but sigh and grone in our hearts that shall be as acceptable vnto God as all the well ordered words in the world King Hezekiah when hee was sicke vnto death prayed most earnestly vnto God for life and he added fifteene yeares vnto it but how prayed he then and what were his words he speaketh thus of it himselfe Isai 38.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue where he confesseth that if God had respected his wordes his paine and feare then was so great that it was more like the chattering of a Crane and the confused noise of a doue than any thing els yet in his heart he had great desires and God satisfied them Let vs pray for our brethren that are visited with the pestilence that God would giue them their hearts desire and therfore that he would put into their minds good and holy desires and according to those when they shall be so weake euen at the point of death all the powers of the bodie shall faile them that he would deale with them in mercy either for comfort or for deliuerance or for both And so must we labour with our own hearts that not onely they be free from ill desires but that they may not be emptie and barren of good that others may pray for vs Giue them according to their heart and we may haue the fruit of their prayers when our desires shall be good and euen then when we shall not be able to speake a word Giue thee according to thy heart Thus he willeth them to pray for him But what was he he was a king It seemeth that all kings may soone haue their desires and so need not pray to God to fulfill them and a mightie prince therefore if any might haue their hearts desire then he most of all For what can a king desire but he shall haue it if it may be bought for money if it may be gotten by sea or by land if it may be compassed by the wit strength of men They can desire nothing but there are ynow that will procure it for them if they be kings and princes all at their commaund and are glad to please them with their desires in all things what needed he then to be so carefull for this that he might haue according to his hearts desire and that they should pray so earnestly for it was there any need of it was there any feare of it if he had bene a meane man it had bin another matter or one that could not haue holpen himselfe nor had had any to doe for him but all seeke to satisfie the desires of kings if it be with the hazard of their owne liues Dauid had experience of this himselfe who when he was in an hold and the garison of the Philistims was then in Bethlehem he longed said 2. Sam. 23.14 Oh that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate Then three mighty men brake into the host of the Philistims and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem and brought it to Dauid who would not drinke thereof but powred it out for an offering before the Lord and sayd O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe this is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues therefore he would not drinke it Thus though he repented him of this rash and foolish desire yet we see how soone he had his desire and how ready his men were to satisfie it euen in a very hard thing and wherein they did hazard their liues for him Hauing then so many worthy Captaines as he had what might not he presume that they would doe for
faith in Gods promises prayeth hypocritically that is more with his tongue than with his heart Seeing then that Gods promise is sure and certaine he would not haue vs so to pray as that we should doubt and call into question whether wee should bee heard or no. And this he sheweth by an excellent and very fit comparison for as the waues of the sea are tossed and carried away so they that beleeue not both are vnquiet alwaies in their minds yea though they haue prayed and are altogether vnworthie to receiue any thing Therefore when wee come to God in our prayers let vs beforehand beleeue that hee will heare vs and so pray in faith and say as this people doth here I know that God will heare and helpe so shall our prayers be acceptable vnto God so shall we receiue that that we aske of him and so shall our minds bee pacified and quiet Few pray in any assurance that God doth heare them Let vs then examine our selues and see whether alwaies when we haue come to prayer we haue had this faith and assurance that God would heare vs and helpe vs and then we shall find that some haue beene so farre from it that they haue neuer once thought of it but they haue come to prayer neither knowing any such thing nor regarding it And thus haue they done not only in the dayes of ignorance superstition whē they held it an error for a mā to think that he might be assured of any thing from God though he prayed for it neuer so earnestly and when they prayed in an vnknowne tongue and so knew not themselues what they said and therefore could not by prayer haue any assurance that they were heard but also in this cleare light of the gospell many haue and do still both in their priuat prayers and in these publicke come so coldly to God and as it were for fashion that they neither know nor desire to know nor thinke it possible to know that God will hear them And so these wauering minded men being vncertaine in their minds and tossed too and fro like the waues of the sea may be assured That they shall obtaine nothing of God Iam. 1.7 And so obtain nothing of God as the Apostle saith But let vs endeuour to put that in practise which the people did here that euery one of vs may say I know that God will heare so shall we obtaine such things as we aske Matth 17.17 For if the disciples of our Sauiour Christ could doe nothing for the fathers child possessed with a deuill when there was most need because of their vnbeleefe then shall wee also for the same vnbeleefe of ours obtaine nothing neither for our selues nor for others when there is most need And as on the other side hee said againe vnto them That all things were possible to him that beleeueth so shall we find it to bee true in our selues then when wee pray in faith it shall be possible for vs to obtaine all things according to Gods will euen those that vnto the vnbeleeuers shall seeme impossible Now though this place of Scripture doth not so properly require to shew how wee shall come to this faith and assurance in prayer that God will heare it but rather onely that wee ought to haue it and not to pray without it yet that I might not leaue this doctrine vnperfect it is necessarie to say somewhat of it First therefore as euery good and perfect gift is of the spirit of God Iam. 1.17 and commeth from aboue euen from the father of lights so doth this most of all Act. 16.14 And as the Lord by his spirit opened the heart of Lydia that she beleeued that which Paule preached so Christ Iesus is he vpon whose shoulders as the Prophet speaketh is laid the key of the house of Dauid that is Isai 22.22 of the whole Church of God so that he onely openeth and no man can shut and he shutteth and no man can open that is he onely by his holy spirit openeth our hearts that we may beleeue and giueth vs assurance in all things of the fauour of God How this assurance of being heard is wrought in vs. therefore we must pray to him that hee would giue vs that assurance and so open our hearts that we may beleeue that he doth heare our prayers But because this is wrought in vs by meanes and our faith is grounded specially and onely vpon the promises of God and all assurance of being heard ariseth from thence we must know and beleeue and meditate vpon them before we pray that so by them we may be assured that he will heare vs according to the vndoubted truth of the same And the more that wee can doe thus the greater assurance of being heard shall we haue when we pray vnto God And besides this we must know that the same assurance is confirmed and encreased by our former experience dayly so that when we haue marked how God hath at other times and in other things heard vs we may assure our selues from thence that he will doe so now also For as among men when we haue oftentimes made triall of a friend in the time of our need wee goe to them afterwards as any necessitie shall be vpon vs with great confidence and doubt not before wee come to them but we shall speed if they haue it so vpon our former experience with the Lord we ought much more boldly to come vnto him in times of need who hath not onely promised and so is willing but being almightie is also able and being true and iust in his promises will helpe vs. And according to experience of former times some doe read this text that we haue in hand although I approoue of the other rather which I haue followed after this manner Now know I that the Lord hath saued his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie and so they confirme their hope by the time past in that they haue marked the goodnesse of God towards their king in sauing him before in other dangers as he was in many and so doubt not but that hee will heare them for him now and still saue him But to returne to that that we spake of before namely How we shal come to this assurance of being heard First of all we are to consider of the promises of God First by meditating vpon Gods promises vpon which our faith must be grounded and which must giue vs assured knowledge of being heard we may see how to this end the holy Patriarch Iacob did meditate vpon them to strengthen his faith and in his prayer did as it were put God in mind of them and comfort himselfe in hope of them when he prayed thus O God of my father Abraham Gen. 32 9. and God of my father Izaack Lord which saidest vnto me Returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I
betweene saying Surely thou wilt heare mee O God because God gaue him then to beleeue it more fully VVhich full persuasion if he had had before in that measure that he had then we may be assured that he would sooner haue professed it to the glory of God and his owne comfort A fourth example of it in Dauid I will conclude this point with that which is in the eight and thirtie Psalme which Psalme was made when he was in some great distresse of sickenesse as some think or some other at the least And the whole Psalme is full of grieuous complaints as may appeare to them that will but read it when he beginneth thus O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 38.1 neither chastise me in thy wrath for thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lieth vpon me there is nothing found in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne and so forth for the whole Psalme is too long to be set down yet it is necessarie for thē to read it ouer who desire to see the truth of this that we speak to be in the Prophet He first complaineth of the heauie wrath of God that was vpon him and of his sinnes which he acknowledgeth to be the cause of his punishment of the infirmitie and great weakenesse that he found in himselfe both of soule and bodie and of this also that he was forsaken of his friends and left desolat of the mallice of his wicked enemies all which made him as hee saith to poure out his whole desire before the Lord so that his sighing was not hid from him Vers 9. And then at the last he commeth to haue some good assurance that the Lord would heare him and doth openly professe it in these words On thee O Lord doe I wait Vers 15. thou wilt heare me O Lord my God and so from this assurance hee endeth the Psalme somewhat more comfortably than he began it saying Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord Vers 22. my saluation Thus we see how by continuing in feruent prayer and striuing against all things within him and without him that might discourage him the spirit of God did so encrease in him that hee gat some small assurance at the least and more than he had before that the Lord would heare him and so endeth with a more peaceable and quiet mind than he began And though I am not ignorant that some of the learned doe read that fifteenth verse somewhat otherwise yet they agree with me in this point for which it is brought That in the same he professeth his faith that the Lord would heare him All these examples doe not onely shew vs the truth of this doctrine namely that the seruants of God praying vnto him in their seuerall troubles as this people did here haue by little and little growne in a further assurance to their owne comfort and the glorie of God By this experience in another we see what assurāce God may worke in vs if we vse the same meanes that he will heare them but they shew vs the same by great experience which is the best tracts and able to instruct the most simple for wee haue heard how Dauid oftentimes professeth it of himselfe which sheweth vs what we may looke for that the Lord should worke in vs also for there is no respect of persons with him if we pray in that feeling of our wants and that humilitie vnder the crosse and that feruencie vnder hope and that continuance by patience that he did Therefore let vs labour after it euen that we may find the spirit of God so working in our hearts by prayer that it may certainly and comfortably witnesse to our spirits that the Lord doth heare vs and that the same testimonie of the spirit may encrease in vs aswe encrease in praying And it may come to passe that as in the morning we see the Sunne arise higher and higher whereby we haue a greater feeling of the heat of it as the day encreaseth so we might see the sonne of righteousnesse so arising in our hearts Malach. 4.2 dispersing all the mysts of ignorance and vnbeleefe that we may haue the comfortable feeling of the fauour of God in our hearts encreasing more and more to cheere them vp with the light and heat of it as it were as we shall continue longer in prayer Let vs labor after it I say because that few doe know what it doth meane because they doe not so much as once seeke and inquire after it Obiect The best seruants of God complaine that they haue no assurance that God heareth their prayer Now if any doe seeke this and cannot find it and so they still complaine as many of the best seruants of God haue done that he heareth not their prayers neither haue they any assurance of it for when as in their troubles they pray vnto God this grieueth them much that they haue no persuasion that God heareth and will helpe them for if they had this they could bee contented to wait vpon him and to tarry his leisure but they pray and pray and can haue no assurance that hee doth heare them Ans And a reason of the same To satisfie all those and to strengthen them in this weaknesse of theirs we must consider That they that haue had the greatest assurance at any time that the Lord did heare them haue had it but in time and in measure and not alwaies alike but sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes not at all as the spirit of faith or their owne vnbeleefe hath preuailed in them For in these forenamed places we see that in some of the Psalmes hee professeth greater assurance than in other and so is it with all men Euen as with the eyes of our bodie we sometimes see a thing more clearely than at other times and our eyesight is not alwayes alike no more is our faith whereby wee behold Christ and in him the fauour of God it is not alwaies in the same brightnesse Besides as the ayre is not alwaies alike for our sight but sometimes more troublesome and souring yea darke which hindereth vs from the sight of that that we looke vnto when our eyes are at the best so we haue sometimes in our mind greater and more violent temptations than at other as it were thick mystes or rather darke clouds in the aire to hinder our faith from beholding the cheerefull countenance of the Lord as it were the light of the Sunne which shineth alwayes alike though we by reason of these cannot alwaies see it alike So the Lords loue is alwaies one and the same but we are not alwaies alike disposed in our selues to behold it in that brightnesse that it shineth in it owne nature Therefore we must not be dismaied if we haue not alwaies this assurance in our prayer after the same manner but see what
cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth or as the words are the things of a day in the day meaning that as euery mans neede was at all times and God knew it to bee so so hee would heare his praier and giue him accordingly So that he prayeth vnto God here for all those that should pray in or towards that Temple that whatsoeuer they should pray to God for according to his will in their seuerall needes hee that was the searcher of the hearts and knew them he would from time to time heare them continually And this prayer of his God did heare for all such For he did not onely in the sight of al the people giue an euident demonstration of it as it is said that when Salomon had made an end of praying fire came downe from heauen 2. Chron. 7.1 and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices and the glorie of the Lord filled the house but afterwards he did signifie the same priuately vnto Salomon in expresse words for it is written in the same place that the Lord appeared to Salomon by night and said to him I haue heard thy prayer Vers 12. and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice If I shut the heauen that there be no raine or if I command the grashopper to deuoure the land or if I send pestilence among my people if my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land Thus may wee pray continually for them that be absent for though new troubles of soule and body may befall them dayly which wee know not Thus may we pray continually for them that are absent or will not make their estate known and so wee cannot alwaies haue a fit prayer for euery change in them yet if they pray for themselues as charitie bindeth vs to hope that they doe this generall prayer of ours shall doe them good that we desire God to heare their prayers and say as Salomon doth what prayer and supplication soeuer shall be made of them heare them in heauen and defend their cause alwaies as the matter requireth So that whether some mens case be such that it is not meete that it should be knowne vnto many yet many may be desired to pray for them thus farre forth that God would heare their prayers or whether they bee loath themselues to make it knowne though it bee for their good yet may they thus farre desire the prayers of others that God would heare them And we againe our selues if for want of knowledge we cannot tell how to pray so particularly for men as wee would yet wee must not wholy neglect prayer for them for it shall be sufficient when we can do no more to pray thus that God would heare their prayers For when as many times wee knowe not our owne wants euery one of them Rom. 8.26 and yet generally commending them all vnto God knowne and vnknowne he supplieth them in particular aboue al that we named or could think of for he knoweth the meaning of his owne spirit in vs and giueth according to the same So then also though wee knowe not the particular necessities of our brethren and friends or of the whole Church yet praying for them God will giue according to the meaning of his spirit in our selues and them As for those that are v sited with the Plague There are many now that are in great sicknesse in diuers places vnder this heauy hand of Gods visitation and some in great feare of it because of the infection and some in great sorrowe for the losse of their friends we knowe not neither can we their speciall troubles or what paines they haue in their bodies what want of outward comfort what inward temptations of their minde yet let vs pray for them and desire God to heare their prayers so shall wee doe them good And thus may we pray to day and alwaies for the Church of God and for the seueral parts of it especially vpon the Lords day that he would heare the prayers of the Church in all places and that wee our selues might haue our part in them and they shall be auailable for them and for our selues It followeth in this verse The meaning of these words The name of the God of Iacob defend thee In these words the people continue their prayers for the King and therein come to this particular that God would defend him For by the name of God they meane God himselfe who hath by his name made himself knowne vnto vs and by Iacob they meane either that particular person and holy Patriarke to whom God had said that he would be his God and so had renued the couenant with him that was first made with Abraham and Isaac his father and grandfather and vpon whom he had bestowed many great benefits and deliuerances or by Iacob he meaneth the posteritie of Iacob that is the Israelites with whom also as with their seede hee had couenanted to be their God and that they should be his people and to whom he had made himselfe knowne to be so by his word Sacraments and works and vpon whom also he had bestowed many great deliuerances in Egypt in the red sea in the wildernesse and in their owne land or by it hee meaneth them both And so they pray that hee that was the God of Iacob and so their God and had giuen himselfe that name and by it had shewed how good and gracious he was and would still be vnto them would defend him from his enemies by his mightie power and great goodnesse So then as they had before generally prayed God to heare his prayers whatsoeuer they should be so here particularly because he was in trouble The doctrine of the same or like to come vnto it they pray for Gods defence in it that hee might not miscarrie but happily come out of the same and haue a blessed issue therein Therefore as we may and ought to pray generally for others when wee no otherwise know their estaâ—â— We must name in our prayers such things a◠〈…〉 neede so when we doe know it wee must accordingly direct our prayers and those not onely for ourselues but for others For though God need not to be put in minde of any thing that wee neede who knoweth all our necessities better than we doe our selues and therfore when we are ignorant of the estate of any Church we neede not feare that for want of naming things in our prayers God should forget them yet he would haue vs name hat wee desire and so make our requests knowne vnto him in â—â—pplication and prayer Phil. â— 6. as the Apostle speaketh and to powre out our whole desire before him Psa◠〈…〉 as the Psalmist saith that
might be strengthened and haue a good heart in Gods defence and so hee might not faint in his troubles First then he sheweth that he beleeued that all his confidence in trouble and courage in danger should come from the meanes of Gods worship and without theÌ„ he should be as faint-hearted as might be but by them hee might bee made confident and bold to behaue himselfe in the midst of trouble Commeth all strength of faith as he should doe And this is most true and that which all of vs must beleeue and shall finde to be true by experience that into what trouble or danger so euer we shall come we shal haue no more heart to beare any thing than as we haue profited by the word and Sacraments and prayer to beleeue the promises that God hath made vnto vs in his word For as Dauid confesseth of himselfe I had perished in my trouble if my hope had not bin in thy word Psal 119.92 so thereby we see what did vphold him and this must vphold all men As from the word of God the hope that they haue of Gods protection deliuerance as it is promised in the word So that take away the word and there can be no hope without hope we haue no strength to beare any thing and so we must needes perish in any trouble And hereunto agreeth the Prophet when he saith Psal 130.5 My soule hath waited on the Lord and I haue trusted in his word he was in great trouble and prayed vnto God confessing his sinne beleeuing the mercie of God and so waiting vpon him for it but how trusting in the word so al his hope was from that And indeede what hope can we haue but from it For if God had promised vs nothing or we knew it not how could we haue any hope and without hope there is nothing but impatiencie and so no strength to beare any thing So that al our strength is from the word and in that respect from Sion that is the place where it is publikely taught vs that we might beleeue it and so be strengthened by it Few beleeue that all their strength to beare things is from Gods word Thus though it be most true yet few beleeue it that when trouble comes all their strength to beare it must come from the knowledge and faith which they haue gotten from the word But without this they imagine that they shall beare things well enough for they haue good hearts and stout and are not fearfull as they say they will not be daunted for a little they haue such and such meanes to trust vnto and they will be merrie and haue good companie and passe away things lightly and they shal not come neere their hearts greatly to trouble them and so they will beare them out well enough And therfore wee see that when trouble comes few giue themselues to thinke of that which God hath promised in his word or doe determine to come more diligently vnto the word than before as though they beleeued that all their strength must come from thence But whatsoeuer men imagine of their owne strength this will be found true at the last that all our courage is from the meanes of our saluation and that all other confidence that men haue from any thing els sauing from them wil deceiue them For though they may stoutly beare out things for a time yet in the end they will fall into great impatiencie and despaire or els into hardnes of heart and blockishnes but as they shal be strengthened by the free promises of God made in his word Ephes 6.16 For it is onely faith that will quench all the firie darts of the diuell as the Apostle saith whether he tempteth vs for our sinne in the time of our trouble as the tempter will do for he is not so called without a cause or he tempteth vs vnto sinne in all these temptations only by faith we stand and that shall be as a shield wholy to defend vs 2. Cor. 1.24 and to quench the firie darts of the wicked that is euen those grieuous temptations which otherwise are able to set soule and bodie on fire But what faith can we haue but from the word and the free promises therein contained therfore all our strength is from thence and from the rest of Gods worship in Sion The want of this faith hath pulled downe the hearts of the stoutest as al the Canaanites seuen great and mightie nations The want of saith in Gods word hath pulled downe the hearts of the sâ—outest their hearts fainted them for feare of Ioshua they had no means from Gods word to strengthen them in his defence And Saul the King of Israel though he was a goodly man of stature and of great courage yet when by the meanes of a witch he heard what should become of him he died away for feare 1. Sam. 28 20. and there was no strength in him This made Achitophel and Iudas 2 Sam. 17.23 Matth. 27.5 both of them traytors to their masters to destroy themselues when in their wicked proceedings the feare of Gods wrath was vpon them they could haue no strength from God by meanes of his word Gen. 4.14 This also made Cain to become a vagabond and a runnagate so that his conscience would not let him be quiet in any place because he had committed a most horrible sinne and did not repent him and so could looke for no fauour or protection from God in that case And this causeth many of the wicked to tremble and shake as a leafe Dan. 5.6 as the King of Babylon did when he was in the middest of his prophane cups drinking and swilling Act. 24.26 and Felix also in all his great pompe and brauerie because they were void of faith wheÌ„ the one saw the iudgmeÌ„ts of God against him and the other heard of them and so they could haue no strength from his word which they did neither beleeue And is the cause of all weaknes and feare in Gods children nor know And this want of the knowledge and faith in the word of God is the cause of all the weaknesses and impatiencie that hath appeared in Gods children and of all their feares euen that they haue not been sufficiently perswaded of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and of Gods fauour and that hee hath a care of them and will diminish their griefe and paine in his good time and giue them patience and lay no more vpon them than they shall be able to beare and that he will turne all vnto their good in the end and so they haue not bin sufficiently strengthened by the word For when they haue come to this by hearing and reading and meditating vpon Gods word and by praier then haue they felt themselues strengthened to beare all things and not before and then onely in that measure that they haue attained vnto this perswasion and
his seruice they haue fayled or that they haue not trembled at his word nor been pricked at the heart when they heard their sinnes laid open as those did that are spoken of in the Actes of the Apostles but that they haue been hard hearted rather and not so moued as they should So that they haue had a godly feare that their best seruices might haue been refused And Dauid this holy man of God it seemeth being priuie to the corruption of his owne heart was somewhat afraide that all that seruice which he had done was not as it shuld be whē he so earnestly desired the people and by this note Selah did pricke them forward thereunto that God would accept with fauour his seruices and shew by the euent that he had done so And this is that godly ielousie that Iob had of his children in the dayes of their feasting together which caused him to doe as it is written of him Iob. 1.5 And when the dayes of their banqueting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob thought it may be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts thus did Iob euery day When they had done feasting the next day hee called them to the sacrifice and seruice of God but that they might doe it as they should hee bad them sanctifie themselues that so they might come holily to it as they ought so that he would not haue them come suddenly from feasting to the sacrifices as though it made no matter how they serued God but bad them prepare themselues and besides he saith it may be they haue not blessed God in their hearts that is they haue not so serued God and giuen thankes to him from their hearts as they should haue done So that the best seruants of God knowing what an hard thing it is to serue God haue been desirous to doe all things so that they might be approoued vnto him and when they haue done best they haue somewhat feared that they haue not done so and so haue earnestly desired to see some way that God had accepted of their seruices and prayers Contrarie to this the hypocrites and all formall men The hypocrites thinke that any kinde of seruice is good enough for God who know not what Gods seruice doth meane they thinke that if they doe any outward seruice to him here in the Church or elsewhere hee is bound to take it let it bee done after what manner it will be and they thinke that they haue great wrong offred if it be not And this is that which the Prophet Malachi speaketh of Ye offer vncleane bread vpon mine altar Malach. 1.7 and you say Wherein haue we polluted thee In that yee say The table of the Lord is not to be regarded and if yee offer the blind for sacrifice it is not euill and if yee offer the lame and sicke it is not euill offer it now vnto thy prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hostes Where hee complaineth that for the seruice of God they brought the worst things and they said it made no matter if they brought not of the best where all things in and for the seruice of God should be of the best Where besides that hee saith that this way they brought the seruice of God into contempt he bids them goe and carrie it to their gouernour or any meane man of authoritie and see if hee will take such gifts if they will refuse such presents and thinke themselues abused with such gifts as are not meete for them then the high maiestie of God much more doth not only not receiue such seruice of men as is done carelesly but hee is displeased with it Therefore if it be an hard thing to present the King with any thing that hee may like of and they that vndertake such a matter will vse all diligence to that end then we much more must be perswaded that it is a very hard thing to doe any seruice of prayer or otherwise vnto God so as may be acceptable vnto him and so prepare our selues for it and be carefull to do all things in that manner Yea and when we haue done all let vs pray vnto God to forgiue the weaknes and imperfection of our seruices and to accept them in the righteousnesse and perfect obedience of Christ Which also that they might be they must be according to his word with all our heart being sorie that we can doe no better than we doe For herein consisteth the perfection of our obedience that wee acknowledging with sorrow the imperfection of it and labouring daily after a greater measure of perfection do present it vnto God in the perfection of Christs sacrifice wherein not onely all our sinnes but our imperfections much more are pardoned and not imputed vnto vs. He did esteem the hearing of his prayers as a great fauour of God Thirdly and last of al when to this prayer that they make that God would heare the prayer of the King and some waies shew it he addeth this note of affection Selah it was to shew how he did esteeme of this and how all they should also esteeme of it as of a speciall benefit and great fauour of God if he would so doe and so for it they should be thankfull vnto him As if they had said Let God heare his prayers c. Oh what a great blessing of God were that how should we be bound to him for it what great cause should we haue to be thankfull So then when they prayed for it hee would haue them esteeme it as no common benefit and haue that affection to it Therefore when God had thus done hee doth not onely make another Psalme for the Church to be thankfull to God for it but when in the same hee commeth to make mention of this very thing that they pray for here namely that God had shewed that he had heard his prayer he addeth this Selah againe As Psal 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his harts desire and hast not denied him the requests of his lips Selah As if they had said Oh how much are we bound to him for this what great cause haue wee to bee thankfull what a singular benefit is this worthie alwaies to bee remembred that God hath heard our prayers Here then wee are taught to make great account of this that God at any time doth heare our prayers whatsoeuer we pray for And as wee must make this account before hand when we doe pray so afterwards also If we pray for any thing for soule or bodie for our selues or any of ours for the Church or Common-wealth wee must thus thinke Oh if God will heare my prayers and giue me this thing how shall I be beholding to him for it al the daies of my life So did Iacob also
to fulfill our desires And thus doth Dauid euen for this very thing confessing openly that God had satisfied his desires when he saith Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire Psal 21.2 and hast not denied him the request of his lips where hee speaketh of himselfe and made that Psalme as a forme of publicke thanksgiuing vnto God for giuing him his desire in the ouerthrow of his enemies VVe in our time haue desired many things in our hearts and we haue not been disappointed of our desires but haue we in all of them so considered God to be the author of them that we haue giuen thankes vnto him for the same If we doe rightly examine our selues But most men faile greatly in this praise and call to mind the time past we shall find that for many things for which we haue prayed O Lord giue me according to my heart we haue not returned with this thankfull confession O Lord thou hast giuen me my hearts desire and hast not denied me the request of my lips And this is that that our Sauiour Christ complaineth of in the Gospell Luke 17.12 That when ten lepers did meet him they stood a farre off and all of them lift vp their voices and said Iesus master haue mercie on vs and all of them were healed But one of them when he saw that he was healed turned backe and with a loud voice praised God and fell downe at his feet and gaue him thankes And Iesus said are there not ten clensed but where are the nine There is none found that returned to giue God praise saue this stranger Thus though all of them had a great desire to be cleansed of that foule disease and did crie out earnestly vnto Christ for it yet but one of them did testifie his faith that he had receiued this benefit of Christ And this is a common fault in the world that scarce one among ten when they haue their desires and that of God and when they haue asked the same of him that are mindfull to giue thanks vnto God that gaue them their desire Many in their wants come to Christ and say Miserere to haue their desires satisfied but few afterwards returne with Alleluia to giue praise vnto him for the same This is that then which the Psalmist not without iust cause so often so earnestly calleth vpon men for and all sorts of men That when they haue bene in great affliction some one way some another and so for their reliefe and comfort they haue desired this and that according to their seuerall estates that when God hath deliuered them and giuen them their desire they would as well by giuing thankes vnto him declare that they beleeue that he onely did satisfie their desire as they did before by praying vnto him For hee saith That some haue bene in captiuitie Psal 107.3 and scattered into the enemies land and there they haue wandered in the wildernesse and desert out of the way found no citie to dwell in both hungrie and thirstie and their soule hath fainted in them Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuered them from their distresse Let them therefore saith he confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men for he satisfied the thirstie soule and filled the hungrie soule with goodnesse VVhere he prouoketh them to be thankefull acknowledging of the goodnesse of God with prayse when they haue found by experience how he hath satisfied their desires and would haue them shew that they beleeued that God gaue them their desires by a thankfull acknowledging of the same And so afterwards in the same Psalme he speaketh of others whereof some are deliuered from sickenesse and from death and some from prison and yrons and some from extreme hunger and all these according to their owne desire for he saith of all them Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble Verse 13. and he deliuered them from their distresse and would haue all of them likewise confesse to the glory of God and the good of others That God had giuen them their desire when he saith thus Verse 21. Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men and let them offer sacrifices of prayse and declare his workes with reioycing Verse 23. and let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the Elders VVhere we see that though he confesseth that all of them in their seuerall troubles doe cry vnto God for helpe as beleeuing that he onely can giue them their desires yet he doth not say that all after their deliuerances doe declare their faith in Gods prouidence by giuing him thankes but this he exhorteth them vnto and wisheth that it might be so saying Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse or oh that they would thus doe So must we do when he shall giue vs our desires in taking away the plague Shewing that though it be mens duty yet many of them are so farre from it that it is rather to be wished and desired than to be looked for at their hands Therefore if it shall please the Lord to be mercifull vnto vs and this way to giue vs our desire by taking away this grieuous rod from our backes and causing this pestilence to cease which hath a long time walked in the darkenesse Psal 91.6 and destroyed at noone day and of which there hath fallen a thousand on the one side and ten thousand on the other we must remember to bee thankefull vnto him for it and let him haue as many prayses from vs for giuing vs our hearts desires as now he hath prayers for it and let vs remember it the rather because we are more prone to crie vnto God in our troubles as others haue done than we are afterwards to confesse his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men and to exalt him in the congregation of the people and to praise him in the assembly of the Elders as we haue heard euen now out of the Psalme And let vs be heartily sory that for so many desires of ours both for soule and body for our selues and ours we haue bene so vnthankefull which might iustly moue him to abridge vs now and to cut vs short of our desire in this thing which doth so greatly concerne the good of vs all and of many thousands of our brethren And this is that which we haue to obserue out of the first part of this verse Fulfill all thy purpose or counsell The second followeth after this manner And fulfill all thy purpose This latter part of the verse conteineth almost the very same petition that the former did sauing that here is somewhat more namely that whereas men when they haue a desire vnto a thing and would faine
or any of ours if we had from time to time marked and remembred in all these how God hath answered vs gratiously we might now when we meet to pray for the remouing of this visitation haue had greater hope of being heard than we haue and greater assurance of Gods goodnesse towards vs. But seeing we haue beene so vnprofitable in times past to our owne hinderance let vs make the best vse of the time present that we can And therefore now seeing in this mortalitie of the plague we see so great fruit of our prayers at the last And namely how God hath lessened the plague at our prayers that as in other places it is greatly diminished so in the chiefest citie of this land it is fallen from three thousand and foure hundreth a weeke to lesse than two hundred for the which Gods name be praysed let vs profit by this experience to know what hee will doe for vs at all times when we pray And thus much out of these wordes both for the assurance of faith in which we should pray and for the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it The nineteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. I Shall not need to call into your remembrance the doctrine of the last day gathered out of this verse Now know I. concerning the assurance of being heard that we should pray in which is so necessarie that without it we cannot pray acceptably to God comfortably to our selues nor profitably to others I am now to proceed and here to consider of these words where hee saith Now I know for seeing this faith that God will heare vs is so requisit in prayer it may be demaunded VVhy he did not begin with it at the first and to say in the beginning I know that God will heare but that he commeth to it so slowly and as it were at the last to say I know VVhat did he the author of the Psalme euen Dauid did he not know it vntill now that he sayth Now I know did he not know it before this time VVas all the former part of the prayer with doubting or without knowledge of this Or would he haue the people whom he taught thus to pray and left this forme for them not to haue this knowledge or not to labour for it till they come to this Yes vndoubtedly both himselfe did know in the beginning that the Lord did and would heare him els to what end did he pray and he would haue them euen at the first and before they began or spake one word to beleeue that God would heare them otherwise they could not pray in faith and so neither please God therein nor looke for any thing at the hand of the Lord for him VVhy then doth he himselfe say and teach thē also to say not onely VVe know but Now I know that God will helpe Surely to this end to shew that as he hath faith in the goodnesse of God that hee would heare him indeed so he had it in measure and it encreased in him by degrees By continuing in prayer our assurance of being heard encreaseth as it doth in all other men Therefore as hee was directed to make this prayer by the spirit of God so when he came to this part of it it did specially shew forth it selfe in the assurance of faith which hee had thereby and so caused him to breake out into these wordes Now know I because that by continuance in prayer he attained vnto a greater measure of faith and assurance than he had at the first And this great affection of the mind in prayer he was willing to commend vnto them to that end that they might both labour for it and looke to come vnto it euery one in their measure namely that the longer and the more earnestly they prayed for him the greater assurance they should haue by the spirit of God that the Lord did and would heare them And therefore though they did know at the first that God would heare them according to his will as hee had promised which promises they were not ignorant of yet by continuing in prayer or after their prayer they might looke to be further assured of it from God by his holy spirit that was in them For the Lord God vseth thus to worke by his spirit in those that be his that when their hearts are prepared aright to serue him As in all the parts of Gods seruice the longer wee continue in thē the more doth his spirit by them work in vs. the longer that they continue vnder the meanes of their saluation the more effectuall is the operation of his holy spirit in them thereby As for example in the hearing of the word of God they are more affected in the middest than they were at the beginning and many times most of all in the ending if they be diligent and attentiue hearers and not drowsie and carelesse and labour to stirre vp the spirit of God in themselues So is it in praying also when they come to it with due preparation of the heart the children of God doe often find that though they had some good measure of faith in Gods promises and feeling of his loue in the beginning yet by continuance in prayer the same was greatly enlarged and encreased in them so that it was more at the middest than at the first in so much that then they could say with greater freedome of the spirit and assurance of faith Now know I indeed that the Lord will helpe me and doth heare me from heauen and in the end they haue had more assurance and sometimes after they haue done praying most of all Thus their faith knowledge and assurance that the Lord did hear them it hath growne by degrees and encreased till it came to the full when they haue prayed feruently And hereupon it commeth to passe that we find in the Psalmes that very often they breake out into some sudden passion of ioy or glorying in the Lord and as it were boasting of the goodnesse of God towards them as though they had then euen alreadie obtained their desire because they felt and found that the Lord did giue them some good assurance of it As wee see how besides that which they professe here in the end of the Psalme they vtter these words of great confidence as though the victorie were alreadie gotten which if it had been it had beene in vaine to pray for defence against enemies they speake I say thus confidently They are brought downe and fallen but wee are risen and stand vpright And this is that which wee may obserue and most clearely see first of all in the third Psalme where hee beginneth his prayer very vncomfortably Thus Dauid beginning his prayer somewhat doubtfully endeth with great assurance Psal 3.1 and greatly complaineth of the multitude of his aduersaries that rebelliously were risen vp against him saying Lord
for dispight and sunke in because of all mine enemies Here we see that in these seuen first verses he complaineth most grieuously of his owne estate prayeth most feruently vnto God for deliuerance and no man can say more either to expresse the griefe of his mind or his feruent desire to haue releefe and comfort See then I pray you in the words following what a great alteration there is made in him of the sudden and what a wonderfull great change he findeth in himselfe when he sayth thus Away from me all ye workers of iniquitie Vers 8. for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayers All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddenly VVhere he sheweth what gteat comfort the Lord gaue him at the last in this trouble of his euen that he should be deliuered out of it when his enemies looked that he should perish and be swallowed vp in it and he attaineth vnto so great assurance of this that he is not able to containe himselfe but againe and againe professeth that the Lord had heard his prayers and the voyce of his weeping And not onely that is to be marked but especially this that he commeth vnto this assurance not vntill the end of many long and feruent prayers and that in the beginning either he had it not at al or nothing in that measure that there he professeth it for then no doubt he would haue done it sooner and not so long haue fed himselfe with such grieuous complaints and lamentable outcries as there hee doth And so may we do for God giueth it by ordinarie meanes So is it possible for vs in what trouble soeuer we shall be in if we pray vnto God in all humilitie and sorrow for our sinnes as he did euen with great aboundance of teares for he saith That he watered his couch and made his bed to swim with them by which hyperbolicall kind of speech he meaneth That he wept very much not only in the day but euen in the night also and if we did pray with that feruencie that he did not fainting nor giuing ouer but stretching out our affections and desires according to our present need it is possible I say for vs to attaine by degrees vnto that measure of persuasion of Gods goodnesse towards vs that may suffice vs. And though wee come not to that great measure that was in this holy man because we pray not in that feruencie and zeale and tendernesse of heart that hee did yet in some acceptable measure and more than we had in the beginning For I am not of that opinion that this was inspired into him as he was a Prophet who had many things extraordinarie neither that any man can come to haue any assurance or full persuasion either of their saluation or that God heareth their prayers or of any other fauour from him without some reuelation and so it should be thought presumption in a man to say he is assured of such things but that God giueth this assurance and increaseth it by ordinarie meanes and namely and especially by prayer For seeing prayer is very fitly compared vnto wrastling or striuing as we haue seene heretofore by which we labour with all the power of our soules and bodies A comparison to shew the truth of it to obtaine some thing of the Lord as by bodily striuing men seeke to obtaine some masterie among men and thus the Apostle speaketh of it to the Romanes Rom. 15.30 Desiring them to striue with him by prayers to God for him as in striuing a mans strength is not alwayes greatest at the first neither can himselfe or others perceiue so well whether he shall ouercome but sometimes yea most vsually when after some paines taken his bodie is well heat he increaseth in strength of bodie and agilitie of lims whereby it commeth to passe that he findeth that in himselfe which giueth him greater hope of preuailing against his aduersarie than he had before So is it when we pray to God and as it were striue with him that though wee put all our strength vnto it at the first that is pray with all the desire of our hearts yet when by continuance in praier the spirit of God in vs is well heat as I may say and the heat of it increased we shall find that both our desires are greatly increased also our assurance from thence of being heard is inlarged So that in the middest or ending of our prayers we shall perceiue our minds more pacified and quiet and our selues more readie to submit our wils to the will of God and to rest in the hope of his defence and deliuerance than before VVhereof if we were asked though we could giue no great reason from outward things for all things are still with vs as they were before yet we find it to be true by experience and must account it a fruit of our prayer in that the Lord hath giuen vs greater assurance than wee had before and so we are contented to wait vpon him The like may bee shewed in many other Psalmes Another example of this in the person of Dauid as indeed that one booke as it is full of godly prayers so of notable examples of this kind of the working of the spirit of God in his children and seruants but for breuitie sake I will content my selfe with one or two now In the seuenteeth Psalme he prayeth vnto God to be preserued from his enemies either Saul or some other for indeed he had many and saith thus Heare the right Psal 17.1 O Lord that is my righteous cause consider my crie hearken vnto my prayer of lips vnfained Let my sentence come forth from thy presence and let thine eyes behold equitie Thou hast proued and visited mine heart in the night thou hast tried me and foundest nothing for I was purposed that my mouth should not offend Concerning the workes of men by the words of thy lips I kept me from the paths of the cruell man Stay my steps in thy path that my foot doe not slide Then he breaketh out into these wordes of comfort Vers 6. I haue called vpon thee surely thou wilt heare me O God incline thine eare to me and hearken vnto my wordes VVhere after many prayers and reasons to mooue the Lord to heare him as the goodnesse of his cause the vprightnesse of his mind the feruencie of his prayer and such like he saith that he did then assure himselfe that God would heare him and so doth continue his prayer vnto him in that assurance of faith But it is to be noted for this purpose that we haue in hand for which this is alledged that though in the beginning he prayed and then againe returneth to his prayer vnto the Lord that hee would heare him yet he putteth this in
food and there were in the ship at that time two hundred threescore and seuenteene soules among whom was Paule a prisoner and some other Christians with him At which time we may be assured that he and the rest that feared God prayed earnestly vnto him that they might be saued and God did not onely heare them but gaue vnto Paule assurance thereof by a vision of an Angell that appeared vnto him in the night and said vnto him That for his sake all should be saued onely the ship should be lost and this as hee did beleeue so hee most confidently auoucheth it vnto them and exhorteth them earnestly to eat their meat Verse 36. and to be comforted and doubt not but the Lord would saue them all Then it is said that all of them began to pull vp their hearts and to be of good courage and also to take their meat So that here we see how in a common calamitie that was vpon a multitude God gaue assurance of deliuerance but vnto one who could say as he did I know that God will helpe but all the rest had the benefit of it for thereby their hearts that so failed before that they could not eat their meat now began to bee of good courage Moses at the red sea by prayer was assured for all the rest that God would helpe them So was it with the children of Israel when they came out of Aegypt and were now in the wildernesse and Pharoah and his hoast so pursued them that he had them at this disaduantage that the great mountaines were on both sides of them the terrible red sea was before them to hinder all passage and he and his great armie marched after them to destroy them Exod. 14.10 as it is set downe in the booke of Exodus whereupon they were all sore afraid when they saw them and cried vnto the Lord but yet they had no assurance that he did heare them and would deliuer them but rather they looked to be destroyed and so through impatience and vnbeleefe did murmure against Moses that he had brought them out of Aegypt Moses also he crieth vnto the Lord for helpe and he receiueth assurance of it for them all that God would saue them and destroy their enemies For the Lord spake vnto him and told him how he should diuide the sea and goe through it and so escape and the Aegyptians should follow them and be drowned and thereupon he speaketh comfortably vnto them Feare yee not stand still Verse 13. and behold the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew to you this day for the Aegiptians whom yee haue seene this day yee shall neuer see them againe the Lord shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace and so it came to passe as appeareth in the same chapter Thus in this great multitude of many thousands when all were partakers of all common danger and feare and so prayed all together for one thing God gaue to one of them for the rest euen to Moses for all the people this assurance of faith that he could and did say I know that God doth heare vs and will helpe vs and the rest though they could not attaine vnto it themselues yet they were partakers of the fruit of his prayers not onely in that they were deliuered as well as himselfe but they had some assurance of it before-hand from him otherwise they could not haue done as they did so confidently to aduenture through the sea So may it come to passe with vs if we be in any common danger with others and haue some excellent men among vs to pray with vs God may giue them that assurance of deliuerance according to the greatnesse of their faith which we in our weakenesse cannot attaine vnto and yet such is the fruit of the communion of Saints that we shall inioy the benefit of it and be comforted by it whereas if we were without them we could not haue it at all as the Israelites could not haue had any comfort here in their distresse if they had bene some few of them or many together for the Lord reuealed it onely to Moses though it were for their sakes also Elias by prayer obtained assurance of rain for all the rest in his time And here againe for this purpose we may very fitly remember the example of the Prophet Eliah how in the daies of king Ahab when there was such a great drought in the land of Israel by the space of three yeares and an halfe that there was neither water nor grasse almost to be found in all the countrey either for man or beast at that time there was this Elijah and a godly widow of Sarepta with whom he did soiourne and diuers others godly men and women For Obadiah one of the kings seruants had hid from the persecution of Iezabell one hundred of the Lords Prophets All these we may be assured at this time did earnestly desire raine and often prayed vnto God for it yet onely the Prophet Elijah obtained it by his prayer for himselfe and for the rest And though euery one of the other might do somewhat in their measure to further it yet the Apostle ascribeth this benefit onely to his prayers Iam. 5.18 saying Elias prayed and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit So that here a multitude praying together for one thing one receiued it for all the other and not onely so but he had an assurance of it before it came for the comfort of the rest the glory of God which by feruent prayer he obtained For when hee had prayed in the top of mount Carmel seuen times for raine he knew assuredly at the last that it was comming and therefore did not onely tell Ahab 1. King 18.41 that there was a sound of much raine but afterwards sent his seruant vnto him and bad him make readie his chariot apace and goe downe quickly least the raine should stay him and in the meane while the heauen was blacke with clouds and wind and there was a great raine Thus we see what great benefit all they in those dayes had by the prayer of Elias praying with them The like may we attaine vnto in our measure and for them both for the obtaining of raine and for the assurance of it beforehand The like benefit may we haue in measure by others that shall pray with vs in such cases if they pray in the spirit and faith and continue as he did For the Apostle in speaking of him least we should thinke that this example of his did not appertaine vnto vs one whit for as he was a Prophet and a rare man not one such more to be found in the world saith thus Iam. 5.17 Helias was a man subiect to the like passions that we are and he prayed c. giuing vs to vnderstand that as he preuailed for others so may we doe also for he bringeth it in