woman that hath good desires and so farre God will fulfill them Therefore that we might pray in faith vnto God for all our desires we must liue righteously and looke that all our desires be only good For though he doth sometime giue the wicked their vngodly desire and that in many things as we haue seene it in Ahab and Iesabell and might haue seene it in many more yea they haue more than their hearts desire yet it is no blessing at all but a punishment of God vpon them to be giuen vp to their owne lusts to desire euill things and then to haue their desires though I say he dealeth thus often with the wicked yet no man can pray for any such thing in faith neither can he looke for it at Gods hands and if it should come vnto him vnlooked for he cannot take it as a blessing from God VVe are rather to pray that in all our wicked and vngodly desires he would crosse vs and neuer suffer vs to thriue in any of our vnlawfull desires and that shall be a great blessing of his vpon vs to haue our vngodly desires denied vnto vs. But we shall find it to be true by all experience that when we haue liued in the best course and haue had most godly desires then the Lord hath most often and soonest fulfilled them so this must teach vs to liue well and to desire good things of God that he may still fulfill them And the rather that we might beleeue God can hinder men of their greatest desires that God only can and doth fulfill the desire of all men we must consider that he can also and doth many time hinder them from their desires that though they haue had neuer so great a desire to a thing yet they could neuer obtaine it And this is threatned to the vngodly as a punishment from God that they shall not haue their desire He shall gnash with his teeth and consume away Psal 112.10 the desire of the wicked shall perish And all experience doth shew that many times he hath frustrated the desires of the wicked Hester 3.6 2 Sam 17.2 1. King 19.2 Exod. 5.7 8. As the desire that Haman had to root out the Iewes that Achitophell had to ouerthrow Dauid that Iesabel had to take away the life of the Prophet Eliah that Pharao had to oppresse the Israelits with cruell bondage and to keepe them still in his land Act. 12.6 that king Herod had to kill Peter how was he disappointed of his purpose when he thought all was sure for Peter was in prison the night before that he thought to haue brought him out to the people he slept between two souldiors bound with two chaines and the keepers before the dore kept the prison so that it seemed all was sure ynough but God sent an Angell Verse 11. and deliuered him out of the hand of Herod and from all the waiting for of the people of the Iewes and so disappointed them all of their vngodly desires And all the enemies of Dauid that sought to keepe him from his kingdome wherof he complaineth Why did the Heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine c. Psal 2.1 God did laugh them all to scorne and would not suffer them to haue their desire of him but said I haue set my king vpon Sion m ne holy mountaine as if he had said hee shall be king in despight of you all How were all the great and mightie tyrants and cruell persecuting emperours disappointed of their diuellish desires to destroy the poore Christians So that though they were many and their persecutions extream and very long enduring certaine hundred yeares yet therein they so little preuailed that the number of them still encreased whereupon arose that prouerbe That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church that is the more that they did put to death the more did rise vp in their stead So that the two last cruell persecutors being tyred with the slaughter of the Christians and fretting at this that they could not haue their desires of them in great discontentment gaue vp their empire and led a priuate life VVhat should I speake of the Papists and of their holy league who were not yet able to satisfie their desire against the professors of the Gospell in that wicked practise which began at the bloodie massacre in Fraunce And how were all that crue of Papists disappointed of their wicked desires in the end here in England by the death of Queene Marie And what should I say of some of those bloodie blasphemous persecutors who so greedily desired the death of Gods Saints that they openly threatened that they would see them burnt but themselues by a sudden death of the hand of God were taken away before their blessed martyrdome So that all the wicked be they neuer so many and mightie they cannot haue their desires alwaies but God can hinder them as it pleaseth him that onely must giue to all men their desires Therefore when men threaten that they will haue their wils of men and they will doe so and so 1. King 19.2 Gen. 4 23. as Lamech did saying I will slay a man in my wound and a young man in my hurt that is if any man touch me I will doe so and so vnto him we see that they must first aske God leaue or els they shall neuer haue their desires Nay Dauid hath taught vs to pray in faith against all the vngodly desires of wicked men Let not the wicked haue his desire Psal 140.8 O Lord performe not his wicked thought least they bee too proud Selah The fourteenth Sermon vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose THat which should haue beene added the last day concerning the former part of this verse is this That wheras we haue heard alreadie how we ought to shew our faith in this point that we beleeue that God can and doth giue to euery one their hearts desire by praying vnto him beforehand for euery thing that we doe desire Now it remaineth further to consider That if we do beleeue indeed that God only doth giue to all men their desires Wee must praise God for all our desires that haue ben fulfilled and that without him they cannot haue them then we must declare this faith of ours after that we haue our desires by acknowledging that for all things which we haue desired in the whole course of our life and haue had them that we are wholly beholding to the goodnesse of God for them and so praise his holy name for the same For if we desire any thing of a mortall man and he bestow it vpon vs we are bound to confesse so much and to be thankefull vnto him for the same then much more vnto God who mooued the heart of that man towards vs and made him an instrument of his goodnesse vnto vs
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
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
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
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
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
him and so why needed he to doubt of any of his desires The like may be sayd of Ahab the king of Israel when he desired the vineyard of Naboth and could not get it at the first whereupon he was greatly displeased and laid himselfe vpon his bed and would not eat How soone was there a way deuised for him by his wife Iesabell 1. King 21.4 to satisfie his desires though it was vnlawfull And first of all she comforteth him ouer it Verse 7. and sayd Doest thou now gouerne the kingdome of Israel c. as if she had sayd what I perceiue thou knowest not who thou art Thou art a King thou mayest haue what thou wilt one way or other by might or by wrong thou needest but desire and haue Vp eat bread and be of good cheere I will giue thee the vineyard of Naboth c. And then she wrote letters that he might be accused condemned of treason that so it might fall to the king by law as it did and as it followeth in that storie But this is that which principally for our purpose is to be obserued that she was of this mind That a king might haue whatsoeuer he desired And so many foolish people thinke that kings And so doe many worldlings thinke of themselues and of others noblemen rich men those that haue wealth inough they may haue all things after their harts desire so haue nothing to crosse them in their desires so that if they were in their case they would liue at their hearts ease for look whatsoeuer they desired they would haue who shold hinder them from it and so they would set their heart at rest and liue as merrily as the day is long and broad and they maruell why others should not do so and that they should at any time complaine that they haue not their desire Luke 12 16. VVherein they are like vnto that Epicure that is spoken of in the Gospell whose ground when it brought forth fruit so plenteously that he could not tell where to lay it vntill he bethought himselfe to enlarge his barnes and then he said to himselfe Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eat drinke and take thy pastime so that he thought because he had wealth ynough that he might haue his hearts desire in all things and be beholding to none but to himselfe for it no not vnto God for he speakes as one that neuer thought of him But the Lord did disappoint him of it and said O foole Verse 20. this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided And thus will he say and doe to all such foolish worldlings or worldly fooles For it is added So is he that gathereth riches and is not rich in the Lord. But Dauid here sheweth that he was of another mind for though his desires were neuer so good and lawfull in this action and he had neuer so many means to accomplish them as indeed for his desire in warre he had as many as could almost be desired for he had many worthie captaines 2. Sam. 23.18 and we read not of any the like as their courage and great valour is set downe in the Scripture yet he beleeued and would haue his subiects to beleeue also that neither himselfe nor they for him could accomplish his desires but as God should graunt them and therefore he willed them to pray to God that he would so doe saying Graunt thee according to thine heart This then is that But only God giueth to all men their desires that from hence we must beleeue that it is God onely that doth and must accomplish the desires of all men and women and none is sufficient of themselues to doe it be they neuer so great and mightie nor any other for them And this is the first article of our faith That we beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is that he made all things of nothing and doth still bring al things to passe and therefore as nothing is done without him so he only doth all things Psal 135.6 as it is said in the Psalme He hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and in the earth and in all the deepes So that whatsoeuer good any hath desired in time past if they haue obtained it they must confesse to the glorie of God that it was not thēselues or any other for them but God alone that gaue thē their hearts desire For though they had these meanes And this we must confesse in all things that we haue receiued yet God could haue hindered them all that they should haue done them no good And therefore that which Moses forewarned the people of Israel of when they should come into the land of Canaan That they should take heed that they did not ascribe any to themselues but all vnto God who was the only giuer of the same is true of all other things Deut. 8.17 when he saith thus vnto them Beware least thou say in thine heart my power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance but remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giueth thee power to get substance to establish his couenant which he sware vnto thy father as appeareth this day VVhere he forbiddeth them not onely proudly to boast of themselues but not so much as to suffer it once to enter into their thoughts Say not in thine heart c. Thus did Dauid confesse of himselfe that God had giuen him his desire in that Psalme that he maketh of thanksgiuing for the victorie he teacheth the people to praise God for it vnder this title That God had brought to passe his desires and that he saw his desire vpon his enemies he ascribeth it neither to himselfe nor to his worthie captaines Psal 21.2 but to the Lord saying Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire As if he had said O Lord I desired such and such things in my heart but I could not procure them to my selfe therefore I prayed vnto thee for them and I desired others also so to doe and thou hast giuen vs the thing that wee desired and therefore wee giue thankes vnto thee for it And this is that also which the Psalmist saith of the Israelites whilest they were in the wildernesse they longed for flesh but they could not satisfie their owne desires though they were neuer so many but the Lord he sent them meat ynough and so did satisfie their desires He rained flesh vpon them as dust Psal 78.27 and feathered foule as the sand of the sea and he made it fall in the middest of their campe euen round about their habitations so they did eat and were well filled for he gaue them their desire So must we all say of our selues for all things that we desire and
haue euen our meat and drinke Euen in our meat drink wherewith we are satisfied that it is God that giueth vs our desire For when as many in the world doe want and are pinched with hunger and doe eat and drinke by measure and by weight because they haue not ynough when as in the meane season we eat and drinke of the best and are well filled must we not needs confesse to the praise of God that he hath giuen vs our desire For many haue as great desires to these things and yet are in extreame want and so might wee haue beene too but that God hath prouided better for vs and giuen vs our desires and denied them vnto others Besides some that haue much haue not the heart to bestow it vpon themselues and so they desire haue not and this is one of the vanities of the world that Salomon cōplaineth of There is one alone and there is not a second Eccle. 4.8 which hath neither sonne nor brother yet is there none end of his trauaile neither can his eye be satisfied with riches neither doth he think For whom doe I trauaile and defraud my selfe of pleasure this also is vanitie and this an euill trauaile Therfore he saith that this is all that a man can haue of all that he possesseth chap. 2.24 To eat and drinke and to take his part of them and yet to doe so is the speciall gift of God all haue it not And to conclude thus doth the Prophet confesse of others of himselfe Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore where Psal 10.17 by poore he meaneth the humble and lowly and so also doe some translate it that is those that are afflicted and humbled that way so that all men rich and poore must confesse that it is God that must giue them all their desires And therefore whether we desire health or wealth long life or any thing els or we desire an end of this grieuous calamitie of the pestilence And in taking away of this plague and that the places where it is might at the last be set free from it and that all places might haue their accustomed health to the comfort of vs all God alone is he that must giue these things or els we shall neuer haue our desires We must shew this faith in praying to God to fulfill our desires This doctrine though it be so euident and cleare as it is yet few do rightly beleeue it for if they did then they would doe as Dauid did here in the like case that is they would in all things pray to God that he would giue them their desires But the most part couet and desire many things and neuer aske them of God as though they imagined that they could haue them without him So saith the Apostle and chargeth the Iewes out it Iames 4.2 saying Ye lust and haue not ye enuie and desire immoderatly and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre and get nothing because ye aske not That is they trusted greatly for these worldly things one for one thing and another for another and they had a world of desires in their mind and they enuied also others that went beyond them and had that which they had not and they did striue and take all the paines that they could to get more and yet they had not according to their desire because they asked not those things of God who onely could fulfill all their desires So that if a man beleeueth that it is God onely that must giue him all his desires else he shall desire and desire in vaine as these did he must commend his desires vnto God in prayer that he might so doe and the want of prayer in all our desires argueth the want of faith in them All those then that haue their heads occupied about the world that they haue a multitude of desires in their mind to this and to that and to they cannot tell themselues what do not from time to time aske of God that he would fulfill them do not rightly beleeue that he onely can doe it but trust to their own wit and policie to their owne strength and power to thēselues or to some other And yet God many times disappointeth them of their desires when they think themselues surest of them that they might by experience see that in themselues which they will not heare out of the word Yee lust and haue not because you aske not And that I might applie this to the time present And namely our desire to haue the plague taken away and to the occasion of our meeting all men desire and haue done a long time that God would stay his heauy hand and that wee might not thus still heare continually of the death of our brethren in so many places But none of vs all can haue our desires herein but as God shall giue it Therefore let vs pray vnto him and aske it of him as the Apostle willeth vs and the more earnestly we desire it the more feruently let vs pray vnto God for it so will the Lord graunt it vnto vs in his good time and so shall it appeare that wee doe not onely say in word but beleeue in heart that he onely can giue vs our desire And let vs remember for the further humbling of vs how many desires wee haue had in our mind in time past and neuer thought vpon God or sought to him for the accomplishment of them and so no maruaile if we haue mist of many of them for God thereby hath punished our vnbeleefe that we did not by prayer the fruit of faith acknowledge that hee was the onely giuer of all our desires yea and that we haue desired many great things and such as haue concerned vs verie much and yet haue not asked them of God and therefore worthily haue gone without them And seeing God giueth all men their desires and we must pray to him for them it behooueth vs to liue well and to serue him and to desire nothing but good continually that so he may from time to time giue vs our hearts desire euen as Dauid did here And then God hath promised to giue vs our desire Prouer. 10.24 as Solomon saith That which the wicked feareth shall come vpon him but God will grant the desire of the righteous What we must doe that God might fulfill all our desiers VVhere he saith that the wicked shall be so farre from hauing their desire that euen that very thing which they feare most and would most willingly escape God will bring vpon them but hee will giue the righteous man his desire So that if we serue God and doe liue well then he will giue vs all our desires that is so farre as they be good and agreeable vnto his will And thus also is a righteous man described in the word of God namely That he is a righteous man and she a righteous
there was great sorrow among the Iewes and fasting and weeping and mourning and many lay in sackcloth and ashes but they all prayed vnto God and he deliuered them and saued them from their enemies Chap. 9.17 and turned the dayes of famine into the daies of feasting and ioy So let vs giue our selues vnto continuall prayer that the Lord may be entreated of vs at the last and so in his appointed time it may come to passe that whereas many of the chiefe cities and townes amongst vs haue beene a long time in great perplexitie by reason of this grieuous pestilence and contagious mortalititie and in all places of this realme besides whither tidings of their estate hath and doth weekely come they haue been in sorrow and great heauinesse and in weeping and mourning and fasting now there may be cause of reioysing and praysing God and these dayes of sorrow and fasting may bee turned into the dayes of great ioy and feasting That so we may as this people wish for themselues here reioyce when he shall fulfill all our petitions VVhich the Lord of his infinit mercie graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen The sixteenth Sermon vpon the fifth verse That we may reioyce in thy saluation c. AS they bring this for a reason in their prayer to mooue the Lord to bestow vpon them this benefit so here they professe that if hee will vouchsafe so to doe they would reioyce indeed and bee glad and as they should haue cause From whence wee may learne how we ought to be affected with the common benefits of our time We ought to reioyce in the common benefits of our time as here they speake of publicke blessing namely victorie ouer their enemies and so of common peace and tranquilitie that should follow namely that we should take them from God as matter of great ioy And as when there is any common affliction and plague in the land of what kind soeuer wee should be affected with it and be sorrowfull for it and not haue that stoninesse and hardnesse of heart that is in too many whereby it should come to passe that wee should make light of such things and not be mooued with them as we ought So we should be touched with the consideration of the common benefits to reioice in them because we haue our part in them and the greater that those benefits be the more should we reioyce in them and the more should be our ioy for them or else we cannot be so thankefull vnto God for them as we ought VVee should not then be so carelesse that we should not marke the common benefits of our time nor so blockish and hard hearted that in marking of them we should not reioyce in them For we see that the seruants of God in their seuerall ages and times haue not onely greatly reioyced in the common benefits of the Church and Commonwealth wherein they haue had their part with the rest of their brethren but they haue openly professed it to the glorie of God and the good example of others As when they returned from the captiuitie of Babylon where they had beene long not onely in a strange countrey but vnder idolaters now when they come home and haue the freedome of their conscience in Gods seruice and that in their own countrey they were not onely filled with ioy but they speak of it among themselues to their mutuall comfort and as when they went out they wept and were touched with the common miserie of that time and put away all tokens of ioy from them Psal 137.2 For by the waters of Babylon they hanged their harpes vpon the willowes and said that they would not sing the Lords song in a strange land so in their returne they speake otherwise of themselues for as the benefit was so great and so vnlooked for of many Psal 126.1 That when the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion they were like them that dreame so their ioy was so great that they say Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy and they say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce The Lord hath vouchsafed vs and our forefathers the like mercie in deliuering vs long ago from the tyrannie of the Pope As that we are deliuered frō poperie and of his idolatrie and giuen vs this freedome of the gospell in our owne countrey we must so consider of it That as those holy men that wanted it so prayed for it that they might reioyce as this people doth here for another benefit so now we that haue it might reioyce in it indeed and not to be so sencelesse and void of feeling as many are not at all or very little to be mooued with so great cause of ioy The like may be said of all other common benefits whatsoeuer as when Salomon was appointed to be king in his father Dauids roome and this was done with the common consent of all the nobles and chiefe men of the realme it is said they gaue thankes vnto God and were exceedingly glad 1. Chron. 29.20 For Dauid said vnto them Now blesse the Lord your God and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the king And they did eat and drinke before the Lord the same day with great ioy and they made Salomon the sonne of Dauid king the second time So this great benefit to haue one good prince to succeed another peaceably And then wee haue one good prince to succeed another was vnto them matters of great ioy In which respect we haue no lesse cause to reioyce than they that after the death of our late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie by whom we did enioy many great benefits who did restore religion and tooke order for the seruice seruants of the Lord as Dauid did we haue one in Gods great mercie to succeed that maintaineth the Gospell and that he is peaceably come to the Crowne as Salomon was then so that neither we are fallen into the hands of our enemies nor giuen vp vnto Popish idolatrie as both of them were greatly feared But as this benefit was greatly desired of many before and they thought that then they would reioice and otherwise they could not so we that enioy it must reioyce in it and so consider of the greatnesse of it that our hearts may be made glad with it and that wee may eat and drinke before the Lord and vse other of his benefits as in his presence with great ioy So is it said afterwards in the dayes of this Salomon when he had builded and made an end of the temple of the Lord and had with solemne prayers and sacrifices dedicated it vnto his seruice all the people of the land that came vp to Ierusalem to the dedication of that house when all things were finished The king sent away into their tents
the ease and release of the affliction of our brethren that we may reioyce Here then we haue another reason to persuade vs to pray for those that are and haue beene a long time visited with the pestilence and the grieuous hand of God Wee should pray that the plague might cease from our brethren that we might reioyce for which they are in great heauinesse and feare night and day entreating the Lord that when it hath wrought his good worke in the hearts of all for which it is sent to commaund it to cease and to take it cleane away not onely that their sorrowfull hearts might be cheered vp and comforted after this long sorrow and so some light might arise vnto them after this darknesse but that all we our selues and the rest of our brethren in all parts of this land might reioyce in their saluation That so we might take into our mouths the words of the Psalme which were vttered after a great deliuerance Others said of them Psal 126.2 The Lord hath done great things for them but they said The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce So we should not count our selues strangers from our brethren and from their good and speake of them as it were aloofe off when we should heare how the plague is stayed in such and such a place The Lord hath done great things for them but as though it were our owne case say The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce and so we to reioyce in their saluation we accounting the good that is done to them as done to our selues And truly if all men did thus it were to be hoped that God would soon heare vs. This affection was in Paule when he wrote vnto Philemon and entreated him for his seruant Onesimus who had stollen something from him and was come away and cast into prison for it and Paule had conuerted him and then desireth him to pardon him and to receiue him againe not onely that his poore seruant might bee comforted who was now greatly troubled for his sinne but that Paule himselfe might reioyce in this great blessing bestowed vpon him when he sayth thus yea brother let me obtaine this pleasure of thee in the Lord Phile. 20. comfort my bowels in the Lord where he entreateth him that in pardoning and receiuing his seruant againe he would bestow that great benefit vpon himselfe comfort him in the Lord for so he would account of it and thus he preuailed for it and so might we with God much more for our brethren VVhether then we looke to this visitation of the pestilence or to any other calamitie that our neighbors shall be in we in their preseruation or deliuerance must thinke our selues greatly comforted in the Lord and therefore in all things pray for their good that wee might reioyce so God may heare vs if not for their sakes yet for our owne And this is that which we haue to obserue out of the fifth verse it followeth in the next The interpretation of the sixt verse Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his sanctuarie by the mightie power of his right hand In this verse Dauid professeth beforehand that he did beleeue that God would heare him and would defend him from his enemies according to his prayers for hee was the authour and penner of this Psalme And in teaching the people thus to pray for him he would haue them also beleeue that God would heare them concerning these requests which they made in his behalfe that so they likewise might pray in the same faith And this faith of them all is expressed and declared not onely when they say that they did know that God would heare and send helpe but especially and most significantly in changing the number For whereas in the former verse they spake as a multitude euen the whole Church together saying That wee may reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banners in the name of our God where three times they speake in the person of many Here as though there were but one that prayed they say I know and this they doe according to the nature of true faith which is to applie Gods promises and his merciful deliuerances particularly to euery man and woman and so say as it is in our Creed I beleeue in God and not we beleeue that is I am persuaded that hee is the God not onely of others but of me And so here though many did vse this praier together yet euery one was to haue this faith in themselues that they did know that God would heare them And what doe they or should they beleeue That God will helpe his annointed that is their king Dauid so called because he was by the commaundement of God annointed by Samuel the Prophet vnto that office 1. Sam. 16.13 and that he would heare his prayers and graunt his requests from his sanctuarie that is from heauen And thus they beleeue that God would doe by or with his right hand that is by his great power that he hath in himselfe whereby hee is able to doe all things and by the mightie helpe thereof that is that great helpe which he shall and will giue which none is able to resist And thus for the further strengthening of their faith they set before their eyes the great power of God whereby hee is able to defend all those that put their trust in him in all dangers whatsoeuer as also in the verse following they doe by comparison of the confidence of their enemies more fully expresse it saying Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God that is whereas others did trust in outward meanes as chariots and such like they did trust onely in the power and grace of Almightie God This teacheth vs to come so prepared vnto prayer that wee beleeue beforehand that God will heare our prayers We must pray in faith beleeuing that God will heare vs. and that we shall not pray in vaine but he will giue vs the thing that we aske And this faith is so requisit and necessarie that without it neither are our prayers acceptable vnto God neither can wee looke to receiue any thing at his hand Heb. 11.6 For without faith it is impossible to please God as in no other duties that we doe so not in prayer And faith is requisit in all those that aske any thing of God euen as all they that came vnto Christ in the dayes of his flesh to receiue any thing of him hee required of thē this first That they should beleeue For as it is said of them of his owne countrey when he was among them Matth. 13.58 Marc. 6.5 He could not doe many great workes there for their vnbeleefe sake he could haue done ynough his diuine power was sufficient but they had not faith to
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
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
receiue them and as himselfe said to his disciples That they could not cast the deuill out of the child that was brought vnto them Matth. 17.20 because of their vnbeleefe So there vpon that occasion he sheweth what great things by faith might be obtained Without faith we can receiue nothing of God in these words Verely I say vnto you if yee haue faith as much as a graine of mustard seed ye shall say vnto this mountaine Remooue hence to yonder place and it shall remooue And then he giueth this generall doctrine That nothing shall be impossible to them that beleeue And S. Marke the Euangelist reporteth that storie thus That when the father of the child laying out the pitifull estate of it as how the deuill did oftentimes cast the child into the water and into the fire to destroy it at the last burst out into these passionat words Marc. 9.22 But if thou canst doe any thing helpe vs and haue compassion on vs. Christ made him this answere If thou canst beleeue it all things are possible to him that beleeueth shewing that he was able and willing if there wanted not faith in him for faith is as it were an hand whereby we doe receiue all things from God Therefore as without the hand of our bodie and vnlesse we hold it out we can receiue nothing from men though it be offered vnto vs so though God of his infinit goodnesse bee rcadie to giue we for our part cannot without faith receiue that is not so plentifully as otherwise we might and by that we may receiue all things that we need and therefore that they might obtaine something for him Dauid teacheth them to pray in faith when they say I know that God will helpe c. But the time will not suffer me to finish this doctrine at this present wee shall heare more of it the next day by the grace of God The eighteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. THe last day By faith onely we enioy all Gods promises besides the generall meaning of the whole verse this first point of doctrine was deliuered out of it That by the example of this people wee must learne alwayes to pray in faith if we will receiue any thing at the hands of God and now for the further confirmation and vse of the same we must consider that all the promises of God are made vnto vs vpon this condition only and not otherwise namely That we beleeue them and then God will verifie them As when he promised to Abraham that in his seed all nations in the world should be blessed by faith he obtained this promise though his wife was barren and both of them so old that by the course of nature they were past children For the Apostle sayth of him Rom. 4.18 That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that that was spoken to him So shall thy seed be and so likewise whereas it was promised vnto Sarah That shee should haue a sonne Gene. 18.10 Heb. 11.11 shee by faith did enioy that aboue the course of nature as it is written of her also That through faith Sara receiued strength to conceiue seed and was deliuered of a child when she was past age because shee iudged him faithfull which had promised And thus haue all holy men and women enioyed the promises as is shewed at large in the eleuenth chapter to the Hebrewes And therfore Christ himselfe Matth. 1.21 Christ required faith of all that came vnto him as he was promised to be a sauiour and so come into the world according to his name Iesus to saue his people from their sins so all they that came to him for health of soule or bodie so many did receiue it as did beleeue and in that measure that they beleeued And therefore it was said to the Centurion that came and sued for his seruant that lay sicke of the palsie and was grieuously pained Goe thy way Matth. 8.5 and as thou beleeuest be it vnto thee and the seruant was healed the same houre Hee had beforehand professed his faith sufficiently when he said That Christ needed not to come but might speake the word and doe it neither was he worthie that Christ should come vnder the roofe of his house Thus he asking in faith receiued not onely for himselfe but for another And so in the next chapter following it is said That two blind men followed Iesus Matth. 9.29 crying in the way O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs when he came into the house hee said vnto them Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this and they said yea Lord then touched he their eyes saying according to your faith be it vnto you and their eyes were opened Thus praying in faith these men obtained also And in the same chapter he said to the woman that was healed of the bloody issue by touching the hemme of his garment Verse 20. Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole for she had said in her selfe before If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole Thus we see that as all that had faith comming to him they did receiue so on their part faith was the only cause that they did receiue and therefore the health of their soule and bodie is imputed vnto their faith Thy faith hath made thee whole Now all these things as the rest of the Scripture Rom. 15.4 and whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope I meane hope that if we pray thus in faith as these did we shall obtaine whatsoeuer wee aske according to Gods will We cā receiue nothing vnlesse we aske it in faith though the matter be neuer so great As we see also that this people did here for in the next Psalme they giue thankes for that which here in their praiers they assure themselues that they should receiue And so all men shall find that to be true in praying vnto God which the Apostle speaketh of asking wisedome That if they lacke any thing let them aske it of God who giueth liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him Jam. 1.5 but then he addeth this caueat saying But let him aske it in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea tost of the wind and carried about neither let that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. VVhere he sheweth what is the right manner of praying namely that as we cannot pray at all for any thing vnlesse wee haue Gods word and promise for it so before we doe pray we must beleeue it Therefore as by prayer wee doe shew that we beleeue and hope for the grace promised so he that hath not this