so farre forth as may make for his glory and their good And so wee must not thinke alas our poore prayers can doe them no good as the diuell is ready to put this into our heads to discourage vs from prayer for the Lord who hath commaunded vs to aske one for another hath also promised to giue Therefore if we cannot otherwise profit our friends and those whom we wish well vnto yet this way by our prayers we may be beneficiall vnto them and this way alwaies euen the meanest of vs when we want opportunitie or abilitie to doe it otherwise And thus Dauid in this Psalme teacheth them to pray for him beleeuing that God would heare them for him Vers 6. when they say Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annoynted and wil heare him from his Sanctuarie by the mighty helpe of his right hand where he sets downe this part of the prayer in the singular number though many did vse it together to shew them that euery one particularly should beleeue that God would heare them for their King and would at their prayers defend him against his enemies and so they should not pray for him in vaine And the Apostle exhorteth men in their sicknesse to send for the Elders of the Church to pray for them and that both the one and the other might doe it in faith the one send for them and the other be willing to come he maketh a gracious promise in the name of the Lord vnto their prayers and saith that they shall thus obtaine for the sicke both health of body and forgiuenesse of sinne Is any sicke among you Jam. 5.15 Let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and annoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall raise him vp and if hee hath committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him And in the next words he willeth vs all to confesse our sinnes one to another and pray one for another that so wee might receiue health for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much euery way when it is feruent And for whom Not only for himselfe but for another as he proueth by the example of Helias in whose dayes though that godly man Obadiah and the hundreth Prophets whom hee hid in caues from the persecution of Iezabel did pray for raine in that great drought as we must needs presume of them yet he only by his prayers obtained that benefit for himselfe and for them and for all the rest of the people of that time Helias saith he was a man subiect to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine Vers 17. and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite And here if vpon this occasion I should enter in this treatise What great benefits men haue gotten by the prayer of others to shew what great benefits men haue obtained by their prayers not for themselues but for others the time would not be sufficient the examples both in the old and new Testament are so many to declare it As how the Lord heard Abraham for his sonne Ishmael when he said Oh that Ishmael might liue in thy sight Gen. 7.18 so that he became a great man in the world and was multiplied exceedingly so that not onely twelue Princes came of him but a great nation And how Izhak prayed for his wife because shee was barren Chapt. 25.21 and the Lord was intreated of him and she conceiued and brought forth twinnes twentie yeeres after they had liued together in marriage before And what Moses obtained for the Israelites by his prayer at the red sea and oftentimes in the wildernes Exod. 14.15 And how Elias raised vp from dead by his prayers the sonne of the widow of Sarepta with whom he soiorned 1. King 17.28 And Elisha did the like for the good woman of Shunam who gaue intertainement vnto him as he passed that way 2. King 4.33 and many such things else might be shewed to haue been obtained by prayer All which are written for our instruction to teach vs that we should be willing to pray for others not doubting but that God will heare vs for them and this way we may doe them good if we can doe it no other waies As for example if in the loue and loyalty we owe to our soueraigne King hearing of the treasonable practises malitiously intended against his royall person and noble progeny we would be willing to doe him the best seruice for his defence that we could what shall we doe Counsell can we giue none neither are we in place to doe it we haue no strength to resist his enemies of our owne selues yet we may pray for him that Christ Iesus who ruleth in the middest of his enemies would bring things to light and confound them in their diuelish deuices and not doubt but that God will heare vs as they say confidently here Vers 6. I know that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie This should moue vs to pray for the Church of God vniuersally dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth This way euery one may be beneficiall to the Church of God and more particularly for that part of it wherein we liue and for all our gouernours in the same high and lowe and for others also not doubting but that the Lord will heare vs in all things for them agreeable vnto his holy will and so this way wee may in all callings bee profitable vnto them in our time So that no man can iustly complaine that God hath so disabled him that he can do no good vnto others for if we were as poore as Iob if as full of sores as Lazarus if we lay sicke in our beds and in great weakenes of body yet by our feruent and godly prayers we might doe much good vnto many And thus I remember a godly wise Father did comfort his weake brother who continuing a great while in a lingering sicknesse and weakenesse of body complained vnto him that there he spent away his time vnprofitably and was able to doe no good yes saith he very much for you may pray for the Church of God and that was true though he did not then see it For whatsoeuer wee aske in the name of Christ according to the will of God shall be graunted vnto vs which is true whether we aske for our selues or for others We may bee perswaded that God will heare vs for others by the largenes of his promises And the rather that wee might bee confirmed in this faith namely that the Lord of his bountifull goodnes will heare vs when we pray for others let vs first of all consider the promises that God hath
sheweth what hee would then doe namely flee to God for succour pray to him and call vpon his name that he might heare him and defend him He would vse all good meanes fit for that purpose but he would not neglect this knowing that all they were nothing without this for they must haue their successe and blessing from God by prayer For he knew that though he had men and horses and munition fit for war yet as he saith in another Psalme I trust not in my bow Psal 44.6 33 16. neither can my sword saue me and againe The King is not saued by the multitude of an hoste neither is the mightie man deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength for as Salomon saith when the horse is prepared against the battell Prou. 21.31 yet then saluation is of the Lord who is truly and properly called the Lord of hostes because hee is aboue all and commandeth al and therefore as King Asa confesseth in his prayer it is nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power 2. Chron. 14.11 Therefore he was determined especially to pray to God in all his troubles that he might saue him and so he did as appeareth by Psalm 21. So did King Hezekiah when the hoste of the King of Ashur came vp to Ierusalem against him Jsai 37.16 So haue other good Kings done saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the heauē the earth incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see c. Saue thou vs out of the hands of Sanecherib that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. Thus also did good King Iehosaphat one of his predecessors when the Ammonites came to battell against him and did not onely seeke to the Lord by prayer but proclaimed a fast 2. Chron. 20.3 that he might pray the more feruently and the forme of his prayer is set downe there And in thus doing hee followeth the example of his good father King Asa Chap. 14.9 who when Zerah of Aethopia came out against him with an hoste of ten hundreth thousand chariots hee went out also before him and set the battell in aray but then hee cried vnto the Lord his God saying Helpe vs O Lord our God for wee rest on thee and in thy name are wee come foorth against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee So that it appeareth that this which Dauid did now hath been the common practise of all the godly Kings when they haue been in feare of their enemies and so it hath been a day of trouble with them as it was now with him So must all men seeke to God in all kinde of troubles Now that that is said of this kinde of trouble and of these kind of men is true of al other both sorts of trouble and degrees of men that whatsoeuer troubles or daungers not onely Kings but al others shall fall into at any time great or small if they will haue comfort in them or looke for any deliuerance out of them they must seeke for it at the hand of God by supplication and prayer who onely can giue it of whom alone commeth al the means of our deliuerance and the whole disposition and wise vsing of them and the whole successe and blessing vpon them from whom also may come that that we seeke for without all meanes and without whose aide all things will doe vs no good For as it is said man liueth not by bread onely Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and as Christ saith in the Gospel no mans life consisteth in the abundance of that that he possesseth Luk. 12.15 that is in all things it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon them that must doe vs good So that in all troubles wee must put that in practise which the Lord speaketh of Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are readie to seeke to this bodie and to that and to call vpon them for help but God saith Call vpon me and that we might doe it he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he will heare vs and deliuer vs. And this Dauid beleeued when he saith in the words following Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will heare c. And vnto this agreeth that which the Apostle Saint Iames setteth downe Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13 let him pray where he speaketh vnto all and in what kind of affliction soeuer they be Therefore as prayer is alwaies requisite and necessary according to the doctrine of the Apostle who saith 1. Thessal 5.17 Pray continually and in another place Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance so most of all in the time of trouble For as Peter when he walked on the water to go to Iesus and saw a mightie winde so that hee was afraide and began to sinke cried saying Master saue me Matth. 14.29 The time of trouble is the speciall time of prayer so all men the more euident and dangerous their trouble is the more earnestly should they pray vnto God for helpe For the lesse able that they are to helpe themselues or others to doe any thing for them the more should they seeke for help from God who is able sufficiently to affoord it And truly many times God doth of purpose bring vs into trouble that wee might call vpon him and so hee might heare vs in the day of our trouble So that no trouble should so dismay vs that it should hinder vs from prayer but rather quicken vs vp vnto it and to a greater feruency in it Psal 10.1 For when the Church saith Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction it sheweth that as that is the fittest time for the Lord to heare and helpe vs so for vs to pray vnto him and to seeke for helpe at his hands Therefore let vs not onely not thinke that trouble doth exempt vs from prayer or that it is so great that we cannot pray and if wee were out of it and so might haue our mindes quiet we would pray as that we beleeue rather that God at no time looketh for so much prayer at our hands as when hee laieth affliction and trouble vpon vs. Both publike and priuate So that if our troubles bee priuate wee must often and earnestly pray priuately and if they be publike wee must haue publike prayer thereafter that so God may heare vs euery way in the day of our troubles which he cannot doe
vs no good and so deceiue vs but if wee trust in God and in his helpe whether we haue meanes or haue them not that will be an anchor that shall not confound vs for we trust in him and in his defence from whom onely commeth all help Now if we say we haue this faith it must appeare by the fruites and namely that if we haue all good meanes as Dauid had here we be not secure and trust in them but pray earnestly vnto God as though wee had them not much more when we haue them not in deed Prayer then is a special token in all things that we goe about that we look for our help from God and therefore if we beleeue that it is God that must stay this mortality and sicknes and that he must defend others and our selues in it we must pray earnestly and continually for our selues and them but if we let prayer alone or vse it seldome whatsoeuer we say with our mouth we do not so beleeue it in hart as we should For faith must appeare by the fruits of it els it is a dead faith and as a body without a soule which hath no actions of life and prayer is one principall fruit as the Apostle saith How shal they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 2 Cor. 4.13 shewing that as there can be no prayer without faith so faith doth necessarily bring forth prayer Therefore let vs stir vp our selues vnto prayer and neuer cease calling vpon God euen as we do beleeue that all our helpe must come from him And here by the way we see the nature of true faith Faith seeth helpe in heauen when there is none in earth that it causeth vs to see help in heauen so to pray for it when there is none to be seene in the earth And this is the difference between faith vnbeleefe that the very vnbeleeuers can by reason conceiue of help so long as they haue any meanes to help them but if they fayle they can see none at all so they are like vnto those that are pore-blind who can see nothing but neere at hand But faith seeth a farre off euen into heauen so that it is the euidence of things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 for it looketh vnto the power of God who hath all meanes in his hand or can worke without them who made all of nothing and calleth the things that bee not as though they were So that as the holy Martyr S. Stephen Rom. 4.17 Act. 7.54 when his enemies were ready to burst for anger and gnash at him with their teeth looked stedfastly into heauen and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to defend him so faith in the promises of the word doth see help in heauen ready for vs when there are no meanes in earth For as Abraham did not cōsider his own body Rom. 4.19 nor the deadnes of Sarahs womb but considered what God had promised and what he was able to doe so if we look to the promises of Gods word which are many and most true wee shall see helpe from heauen if no where else Let vs labour then for that faith which may comfort vs from heauen for it may be in the extremity of this sicknesse wee shall see none in earth so when others are dumbe or not knowing what to say our mouthes shal be opened to speake vnto God and say Send vs helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen Strength from Sion It thus followeth And strengthen thee out of Sion Before they prayed for helpe from heauen now they pray for strength out of Sion where by Sion they meane that part of Ierusalem called mount Sion where afterwards the tēple was built where now the Arke the visible signe of Gods presence was where they worshippe God in the word sacrifice and prayer and by strength thee meaneth not the strength of men and munition meet for war for help which was prayed for before but inward strength of the mind courage which was meet for the enemy that he might trust in the defence of God might not be dismayed by any power of the aduersary but that he might beare his estate as was conuenient And this was very requisit for if he had had neuer so many meanes Courage of mind is needfull in all troubles and had had no heart he should not haue vsed them or vsed them to no purpose and how should he haue strength of heart vnles God gaue it and how should God giue it vnles he asked it of him Therefore he taught them to pray for that also This sheweth that as in war so in all other afflictions which cause feare there is requisite an inward courage of the mind to vphold a man for if he haue a good hart he shall beare many things and if he haue no hart the least thing will dismay him Prou. 18.14 Therefore Salomon saith The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it 2. King 7.5 6. The Aramites on the suddaine heard a great noyse when they besieged Samaria and they all fled away for feare and left their tents and all things standingf as they were and so the Israelites came and spoyled them they had men enough but they wanted courage So is it said of all the Kings of Canaan which were many and mighty that their hearts fainted and so they could not stand before Ioshua Iosh 2.12 5.1 So is it in all other afflictions that we be subiect vnto we had need of strength according to the measure of it to beare it for if we haue no faith or confidence in God what shall become of vs Iob in al his great afflictions because he had a good hart and trusted in God bore them al paciently and said Iob. 13.15 Especially in this mortality of the plague If the Lord kill me I will trust in him At this time especially in respect of this great sicknes it is most needful to haue strength of faith to beleeue Gods gracious prouidence that things come not by chance but by his fatherly disposition and to beleeue that he hath a care of vs and that nothing commeth by fortune for if a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without his wil Matt. 10.29.30 then much lesse do men dye especially seeing the very heyres of our head are numbred that so we may cōmend our selues vnto him and take all things as from him and be contented with it I say as this faith is alwaies requisite because we know not what may befall vs on the suddain so most of all at this dangerous time And this is necessary not only for our selues but for our brethren also that accoridng to the measure of the sicknesse and paine and temptations of their minde so they might haue strength to beare al. For the very want of this strength
to the King and we haue one in the Court to follow it wee hope wee shall not be forgotten especially if wee haue the Prince the Kings eldest sonne to make suite for vs. So seeing Christ Iesus doth deale for vs in heauen wee may bee assured that God will remember all prayers made according to his will in repentance and faith Therefore if wee haue done any thing all this while God will remember vs if wee haue done nothing then God must needes forget to blesse vs for there is nothing done for which he might remember vs. This should make vs forward in prayer and in all good things This should make al men feruent in prayer forward in all duties that so they might leaue thē as it were with God and they might bee before him night and day for a remembrance of them And that as we haue many sinnes for which hee may remember to punish vs so our repentance faith prayer seruice done to his Maiestie obedience to his word of conscience in al his commaundements and that in secret and all the good that we haue done to our brethren might also speak for vs and put him in remembrance of vs for our good That as it is written of Nehemiah that worthie seruant of God who often in the testimonie of a good conscience prayeth Nehem. 13.14 Remember me O my God and wipe not out my kindnes that I haue shewed on the house of God and on the officers thereof Vers 31. And againe Remember me O my God in goodnes So wee may pray for our selues and others in faith for vs that God would remember vs and them according to al the seruice wee haue done to him This I say should make all forward and zealous in Gods seruice both as they be Christians and in their seuerall callings that there might bee something for which they might pray themselues and others for them that God would remember them And whereas they pray for the King that God would remember all his prayers and seruices we see that we may not onely pray to God that hee would remember what wee haue done and that we now doe and what we haue done before the staying of this visitation and hope that he will remember all nay be assured of it Pray for them vnder the Plague that God would remember their former seruices though now they can doe none But pray also for all our brethren in al places that God would remember what they haue prayed and done and the fasts that haue beene in all places and are still and that all our prayers together may still speake for vs. Yea we may pray that God would heare them that are visited with his hand and not only that which they now pray but that that they haue done before when they were in health and though they cannot do as they would nay it may be for paine speake one word as hee requireth yet if they haue done any thing in truth before that he would now in this time of their neede remember that and them for it and so no doubt he will And this is a singular fruite of those that neglect not the time of prayer and of Gods seruice when they may that they shall bee remembred for it hereafter and for that which they haue done before when for the time present they shall be able to doe nothing as Dauid when he was fighting could not alwaies pray as he would and as his need required but hee desireth them to pray that God would remember that which hee had prayed before when he was able to doe it It followeth And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes The second part of this verse This is the second part of the verse where they pray that God would turne his burnt offerings into ashes that is that God would some waies declare that he had heard his prayer and receiued his seruices for where hee speaketh of sacrifices it was according to the manner of Gods seruice in those dayes where they did so offer but these were not without prayer as we see in the fourth verse in this Psalme By which prayer they sought to God that those sins for which they did offer sacrifices might be pardoned in the death of Christ whereof those sacrifices especially whole burnt offerings were a type and figure to shew that Christ should wholy offer vp himselfe to God for vs. Therfore it is said that the Priest when they brought their sacrifices Leuit. 4.20.26.31.35 should make an atonement for them that is pray to God for them to forgiue them So that though he nameth only sacrifices yet he meaneth prayer and other seruices done according to the word And when they pray that God would turne them into burnt ashes that is consume them with fire as it were sent from heauen God turned the sacrifices of Aaron into ashes he hath respect to that that God had done before thereby testifying that he did accept of their sacrifices and prayers For thus did he to Aaron when he was first consecrated to the office of the Priesthood That the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leuit. 9.23 and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the alter the burnt offering and the fat which when the people saw they gaue thankes and fell on their faces Thus when the sacrifice was laid vpon the altar fire came from the Lord and consumed it and so the people when they saw it gaue thanks for by this signe they did see that God did alow of the sacrifice of Aaron and of his Priesthood So they desire of God that he would some way shew that he had heard the prayer of the King And of Salomon So again when Salomon dedicated the temple had made a long and zealous prayer for all those that should pray in that house 2. Chron. 7.1 and had prepared a sacrifice to be offred Fire came from heauen and consumed the burnt offering and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that by this signe God did shew to them all that hee had heard the prayer of Salomon for the hallowing of that house to be the house of prayer for al nations And to conclude this poynt And of Elijah when the Prophet Elijah in the dayes of king Ahab in great zeale to call the people from their idolatry caused all the Priests of Baal to be gathered together 1. King 18.20 and they had two bullocks to be offered one for them and another for himselfe and there should be no fire put to the offerings but that God that should send fire from heauen vpō them should bee taken to bee the true God and worshipped of them The Priests of Baal because they were many began first and continued crying to him for fire vntill noone and could not bee heard Elijah at the time of the euening sacrifice prepared his and caused ditches
proofe of it The great power of God in bringing hard things to passe For he is euery where called God Almighty and All sufficient and Lord of hoasts and Lord of lords King of kings maker of all things and preseruer of them in whom we and all things else liue mooue and haue our being c. And in a matter that seemed impossible to Sarah as that she should haue a child when she was so old and all naturall strength fayled her for it ceased to be with her after the manner of women the Lord sayd to Abraham Gen. 18.14 Shall any thing be hard to the Lord as if he had sayd Nothing at all is hard to him but he by his power is able to ouercome all difficulties be they neuer so many and so great And to Moses also in the lik case when he doubted how the Israelites should haue flesh ynough in the wildernesse according to their owne desire Num. 11.23 and as the Lord hath promised he sayd Is the Lords hand shortened Iob. 9.19 that is is his power so weake that he is not able to bring that to passe No. Therefore we may say of him and of his power as Iob doth if we speake of strength Behold he is strong and not onely confesse as the angell did to the virgin Marie when she inquired how she being a virgin should bring forth a child and know no man With God shall nothing be impossible Luke 1.37 Chap. 18.27 but with our Saujour Christ in the same Gospell The things that are impossible with men are possible with God And indeed the great power of God against his aduersaries and for the defence of his seruants might be shewed by infinit examples in the Scriptures as how Pharaoh and his great host was drowned in the red sea when his owne people had a passage through it on drie foot which we spake of euen now Ioshu 6.20 how he caused the walles of Iericho when the Israelites layd siege to it to fall flat downe without any batterie onely at the sound of trumpets how he ouerthrew in the hoast of proud Saneherib one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in one night and by many such like things But this is or should be well knowne vnto vs for this is the first article of our faith That wee beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth that is who by his mightie power hath made all things in heauen and in earth of nothing and therefore he can bring them all to nought againe and without him they can doe nothing How by the consideration of it we ought to strengthen our faith as hee without them and against them can doe all things Onely we had need to be put in mind to make that good vse of it in the time of our trouble that Dauid doth here namely that thereby we labour to strengthen our faith in the defence of God and that we beleeue that as he doth heare vs so he can and will helpe vs. And the more that any thing is against vs to weaken our faith the more must we by the meditation of the mightie power of God indeuour to strengthen the same knowing that his power shall be made perfect and more cleerely be seene in our weakenesse 2. Cor. 12.9 And thus did Abraham the father of all the faithfull when the Lord had promised vnto him that his wife Sarah should haue a sonne when they were both old and stricken in yeares and was past hope of any by the course of nature For the spirit of God beareth witnesse of him That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope Rom. 4.18 that he should be the father of many nations as it was said vnto him And hee did not by vnbeleefe reason against this by considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie being almost an hundred yeare old nor the deadnesse of Saraes wombe but gaue glorie to God That he that had promised As the seruāts of God haue done was able to performe it Thus hee considered of the mightie helpe of Gods right hand and stayed his faith vpon that and so must we doe in all things that God hath promised Matth. 9 29. and then wee shall find That as Christ sayth in the Gospell it shall be vnto vs according to our faith But more fitly for this purpose may wee consider what great vse that good king Hezekiah made of the knowledge that hee had of Gods omnipotent power euen that it did maruellously strengthen his faith in prayer against the mightie power of the great hoast of Saneherib which was come vp against him and against all the desperat and blasphemous threats which he gaue out against him Jsai 37.16 as it is set downe by the Prophet Isaiah where hee thus prayeth O Lord of hostes thou are very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth Incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Saneherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God Truth it is O Lord that the kings of Asshur haue destroyed all lands and their countrey and haue cast the gods in the fire for they were no gods but the worke of mens hands euen wood and stone therefore they destroyed them Now therefore O Lord our God saue thou vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou onely art the Lord. Thus the serious consideration of Gods great power did make him not onely not to be daunted by the power of his aduersarie but caused him with great hope of preuailing to pray earnestly vnto God against it And vnto this may bee ioyned the example of that worthie king Asa one of his predecessours who in like case to vphold his faith against the feare of his mightie and many enemies did meditate vpon the omnipotent power of Gods right hand 2. Chron. 14 9. For when the king of Aethyopia came out against him with ten hundred thousand men besides chariots and horses he went out also against him and did meet with him and did set the battell in array and then cried vnto the Lord his God Considering Gods power not so much in himselfe as for their owne defence that is prayed earnestly and in faith saying Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy name are we come against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee VVhere we see how he doth not consider of the power of God as shut vp in himselfe but as that which was readie to be shewed in their defence against their enemies as Dauid doth here And indeed therein cōsisteth true faith in the power of God That we beleeue that he is almightie to helpe vs and therefore that we
but reposeth his whole confidence in Gods defence therefore hee prayeth to him before he beginneth any thing and determineth further in the whole course of his proceeding stil to pray vnto God for direction and aide And not onely to doe it a little at the first as may appeare out of the verse Dauid did desire the people to pray for him 1.3.4 but because it concerned not himselfe alone but all the people and finding his owne insufficiencie in prayer and beleeuing the promises of God made vnto the prayer of other especially of the Church he desireth them to pray for him and namely to pray that God would heare his prayers which what they were or should be in particular they knew not but generally they might presume that they were good and such as did concerne that action and so whatsoeuer they were he would haue them pray to God that he would heare them as appeareth vers 4. The people doe according to this direction and commaundement of his The Prophet did vse this forme of prayer for him for they vsed this forme of prayer which hee had prescribed and so did pray earnestly for him that God would both heare his prayer and defend his person and to that end send him helpe from heauen and declare by the euent that hee had heard his and their prayers in giuing them victorie ouer their enemies and God heareth them all and saueth the king confoundeth their enemies causeth them to returne home with victorie and great triumph as appeareth by the next Psalme wherein he and they together giue thanks vnto God for the victorie attributing it onely to God and not to their owne strength or any power of man as in this Psalme they had professed that they did not trust in chariots and horses and such warlike defence as men vse to doe and namely their enemies did but only in the protection and defence of God which by calling vpon his name they sought for And so this is the generall argument and summe of this Psalme both in respect of Dauid who made this prayer and of the people who did vse it for him By the inscription then it appeareth that Dauid making this prayer for the people to vse in his behalfe was desirous that they should pray for him and did as it were seek it at their hands If he in so good a cause did not rest in the confidence of his own prayers but desired others to pray for him and if he did it then when he had so many means to accomplish his desire because he knew God to be aboue them and so as without him they could doe nothing and hee was able to hinder and to frustrate all and if hee that was so well able to pray for himselfe and others yet did desire the prayer of others of those that were inferiour vnto him Kings ought to take order that the people should publikly pray for them Then no King Prince or Potentate is exempted from this to stand in neede of the prayer of others and therefore they ought to take order in their seuerall realmes and dominions that the people may vsually pray for them in their publike places and assemblies and more seriouslie and particularly to doe it as there shall bee any speciall occasion as here was in the time of Dauid Therefore this order that is among vs established by lawe that in all Churches the Minister and people are willed to pray continually for the Kings most excellent Maiestie both in common prayer and in preaching and that as warre or other thing shall fall out so some speciall formes of prayer are set out by publike authoritie to bee vsed in such cases is according to Gods word and to the example of godly Princes I speake not now of our duties to pray for them but of theirs that they should thinke that they neede it and so require it of the people Al men ought to desire others to pray for them according to their seuerall neede And if Kings are bound thus to doe then Noblemen and other inferiour persons much more who haue not so many meanes to accomplish their owne desires or it may be are not so well able to pray for themselues at leastwise as Dauid was And so generally all men for this as well as the rest of the Scripture is written for our learning are bound as at all other times to desire others to pray for them so also as they shall haue any speciall cause to desire them to doe it a great deale more and not only to pray themselues for themselues continually because prayer in all things is our speciall refuge and succour but to desire others to pray God that he would from time to time heare their prayers And as Dauid doth it here in this speciall neede of his as being in danger and feare of his enemies so if we be in sicknes and feare of death we should in the feeling of our own weaknes and in the faith of the prayers of others desire thē to pray for vs and not only to pray our selues And this is the aduice and commandement of the Apostle Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13.14 let him pray is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Now seeing sicknes is but one kind of crosse and the Lord hath many waies else to afflict vs in any of them we ought to do the like yea and not only when affliction is vpon vs that it might be remoued and taken away but when wee haue iust cause to feare it that it might be preuented and so we escape it And not onely in outward affliction but all inward much more by how much they are more dangerous and grieuous as if wee shall be distressed in minde being tempted by Sathan either vnto sinne or for sinne for if they be auailable in other cases then in these And so to conclude this one point in a word in euery matter that is of any importance either for our selues or for any of ours wee ought so to commend the same and the whole successe of them vnto God in prayer who must onely bring them to passe as that we rest not therein but desire also the prayers of others to helpe vs in the same This ordinance of his By this God would haue vs vnited in loue one to another the Lord in much wisedome and mercie hath left to vnite vs in brotherly loue one to another that when we shall see by experience how much we are or may be beholding one to another in that by their prayers wee haue been holpen in so great distresses wee might from the bottome of our harts vnfainedly loue one another Thus the greatest Monarch may be beholding to all his subiects as Dauid was here to his people and the rich this way may thinke that they faire the better for the poore and the Minister for the meanest
heard them and one of them for another as the people of Ierusalem for Dauid their King the Prophet Isaiah for Hezekiah and the rest of the people and the captiued Iewes for Hester the Queene and her for them so will hee doe one of vs for another So that if we daily giue our selues to prayer and make conscience to vse that holy ordinance of God our selues wee may in great faith and hope desire the prayers of others And thus much for him that made the prayer whose name is prefixed in the title of it now for them that vsed it which was the Church of God at Ierusalem which is to be gathered out of the discourse of the whole Psalme but I cannot enter into it at this present I will reserue it vntill the next day THE THIRD SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee The people pray for the King as they were desired THese are the words of the people which they spake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they did as Dauid desired them namely pray for him If they did thus pray for him being desired thereunto and it was their bound dutie so to doe and they knew it to be so and therefore did make conscience of it and it had bin a very great fault for them to haue failed in it then by consequence it followeth of necessitie that whensoeuer any of our brethren or sisters in Christ shall desire this dutie at our hands So must we do for all those that desire our prayers wee must bee carefull to performe it and it were a fault not to be excused in vs both against God and them to faile in it Therefore wee must not thinke that when godly men and women at their parting or otherwise desire our prayers and say I pray you pray for me or remember me in your prayers that these are words of course though I doe not denie but that many doe so vse them and so doing they take the name of God in vaine but wee should be perswaded that out of the abundance of their feeling of their owne wants they speake vnto vs and so be willing by our prayers to helpe to supplie them Especially when they shall make their estate known vnto vs And especially wee should doe it when they shall make knowne their estate vnto vs as here Dauid did to the people giuing them to vnderstand that he should or might be in great daunger of his enemies and so it was a time of trouble vnto him as he called it and as the Apostle S. Iames speaketh Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Jam. 5.16 that ye may be healed that when the sicke should send for godly and graue men and so they should not onely see their estate for bodily health but they should also for their owne further comfort confesse vnto them their speciall sinnes which they finde to haue been the cause of them that then they would bee most willing to pray for them being sent for to that end especially So then if we see plainly that they haue cause to desire our prayers and that they doe it with earnestnes then most of all should we thinke vpon them and vpon their estate to pray for them and it must needes bee a great fault to forget them For as if any should bee in distresse or want and should stand in neede of our helpe for meate and drinke and cloathing or other things and should come and make their moane vnto vs and desire reliefe from vs if we seeing their estate to be so pitifull as indeede it is should not be mooued in compassion to helpe them according to our abilitie it were a token of great hardnes of heart in vs So much more when any shall make knowne their wants vnto vs to that end that we might pray to God for them if wee should forget it or neglect to doe it it should bewray too great want of fellow-feeling and brotherly compassion in vs. Most of all this dutie of prayer ought to bee carefullie performed And most of al when thereupon we haue promised to pray for them Psal 15.4 when wee haue promised it vnto any vpon such notice of their estate for as all promises made to our brethren ought to be kept yea though it bee to our owne hindrance so those most of all that so neerely concerne them And as if when any should desire vs to speak to some great man for them and wee promise to doe it and they trust to it hoping that we will be as good as our words it were a great deceit in vs to faile them and so to frustrate their expectation For all lawfull promises must be kept So when any haue desired vs to speake to God for them and vpon our promise they would comfort themselues ouer it if we should by negligence deceiue them it were a great fault in vs and that which the Lord would require at our hands though they should neuer know of it Therefore as we ought dâ—â—y to pray one for another vnasked as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs O our Father which art in heauen giue vs this day and forgiue vs our trespasses and leade vs not into temptation c so more specially and by name should we do it for them that haue desired it of vs. And so parents especially should not forget their children in their prayers which daily aske their blessing and hope to be blessed of God by their prayers Secondarily if wee should neglect to pray for them that haue desired it at our hands Els they that we trust vnto shal neglect to pray for vs. how could we haue any hope that others whom we haue desired to pray for vs should performe that dutie vnto vs Nay might not wee iustly feare that they would altogether neglect it seeing we doe neglect them and should it not be iust with God so to punish vs according to the saying of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7.2 Looke with what measure you meat vnto others it shal be met vnto you againe And I remember that this was the saying of a reuerend father in the Church who is now fallen asleepe in the Lord when any desired him to pray for them as many did and more then any that I haue knowne he would say vnto them I pray you pray for me and pray that I may remember you and then I hope I shall not forget you Therefore if we would haue others pray for vs let vs pray for them for wee can neuer haue greater assurance that they will doe it for vs than that we are carefull to doe it for them and the more that we doe it for them the more may we hope that they will do it for vs. For the spirit of God that mooueth vs pray and knoweth much more that we doe so it being
vnlesse we then call vpon him Now at this day there are many troubles in our land as not onely secret practises of traytors against the Kings excellent Maiestie but also great sicknesse and mortalitie in many chiefe places and the same dialy spreading it selfe further and further by reason of the great and dangerous contagion of the pestilence As at this time especially therefore it is high time for euery one of vs in all places to pray earnestly vnto God and as euery day bringeth vnto our eares the reports of new troubles so must we continue in our prayers that God may heare vs at the last as he hath also promised that he will The third thing to bee obserued out of these words is the forme and tenour of their prayer which is this that they pray to God that he would heare the prayers of Dauid which hee should make in the time of his troubles Therfore as it is our duty to seek to others in our troubles for their prayers and the greater that they be to seek vnto them for it the more that they striuing with vs in prayer wee might obtaine So when any shall thus desire vs to pray for them it is our dutie to doe it and so also to desire the prayers of others that in no case we neglect them our selues of which points seuerally wee haue intreated at large before So more particularly wee see from hence how wee may pray for any We may alwaies thus pray for men that God would heare their prayers whether wee are desired or not desired thereunto whether we know their estate perfectly or we be altogether ignorant of it euen that God would heare them and giue them according to their owne prayers For as if one man should haue a suite to another and should desire vs to speake for them or wee know of it otherwise though not in particular what the speciall thing is that hee desireth wee might say I pray you bee good to such a man graunt him his request wee might that wayes doe him some good So this way wee may benefit men alo Though we know not their estate when wee pray to God to giue them their requests though wee know not euery thing that they desire And thus did Hely the Priest pray for Hannah the wife of Elkanah 1. Sam. 1.13 that God would heare her prayer that she made though hee knew them not for she spake in her heart onely her lips did mooue onely but her voyce was not heard and when hee did mistake her as though shee had been drunken As Hely did for Hannah shee said nay but shee was troubled in spirit and did powre out her soule before the Lord but did not tell him for what Then he said Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him And she desireth him still that hee would pray for her And at the last when she had obtained her request she returned to giue thanks and told him the whole matter and said Oh my Lord Vers 26. as thy soule liueth my Lord I am the woman that stood with thee here praying vnto the Lord I prayed for this child which she had brought with her and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him therefore also I haue giuen him vnto the Lord as long as he liueth he shall be giuen vnto the Lord and he worshipped the Lord there Where we see how he praied to God for her that he would heare her praiers and graunt her the petition that she had asked of him though he knew not what it was and so requested him to continue his prayer still for her though she doth not tell him the speciall thing that she prayed for Indeede if wee knew the particular estate of men wee might pray for them more directly and more effectually But if wee know it we may pray for them more particularly Jam. 5.16 according to that counsell which S. Iames giueth vnto all Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Where he willeth vs not only to make knowne the diseases of our bodies to others by sending for them in the time of our sicknes but euen our speciall sinnes that haue been the cause of them that so in great compassion towards vs both of soule and bodie they might pray feruently for vs when they shall see what great neede euery way we haue of their prayers But if we doe not thus confesse vnto them or cannot yet generally and effectually also wee may pray God to heare their owne prayers which they do and should make principally themselues according to the commandement of the same Apostle Vers 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray that God I say would heare them in that trouble that they bee in what and whensoeuer Therefore no man in neglecting of this dutie of prayer for others is to say I would gladly pray for such an one if I knew his estate and what to pray for for it is sufficient that the Lord knoweth it Ye are we not to neglect this dutie of praier for any though wee know not their estate that he knoweth it himselfe and doth pray for himselfe accordingly then may wee safely pray that God would heare those prayers of his And thus did Salomon in the dedication of the Temple which hee built to be an house of prayer for all nations and doth himself pray vnto God for all those that should hereafter come vnto that place there to pray whose prayers therefore in particular what they should be he could not possibly tell and doth not onely desire the Lord to heare them in such and such particular things as hee there nameth as when they should bee ouerthrowne before their enemies and when there should no raine and when there should be famine 1. King 8.33 and such like saying If they then come and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house then heare thou in heauen and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel but more generally saith That what prayer and supplication so euer shall be made of any man Vers 38. Salomon prayed God to heare them whose prayers he could not know or of all thy people Israel when euery one shall know the plague in his owne heart and stretch foorth his hands in this house heare thou then in heauen thy dwelling place and be mercifull and doe and giue euery man according to all his waies as thou knowest his heart for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men And in the end hee concludeth thus These my words which I haue prayed before the Lord Vers 59. let them be neere vnto the Lord our God day and night that hee defend the cause of his seruant and the
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
Christ Father into thy hands I commend my spirit but also with S. Paul Luc. 23.46 Philip. 1.23 21. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for that is best of al for me for hee is vnto me euen in death aduantage And thus wee see what comfort wee may haue in this vncomfortable time of the pestilence if wee rightly beleeue that God is our defender as they professe here of themselues and of their King in saying The name of the God of Iacob defend thee The name of God Now for these words whereas they say The name of the God of Iacob therby they meane God himself but they thus speak of God because al the knowledge that we haue of God ariseth of the knowledge of his name and as to that end he hath giuen himselfe in the Scriptures sundrie names that thereby we might know not only what he is in himselfe so far as it is meet for vs to know but especially what he is to vs so by them by them principally we know him to be as he is not onely in himselfe but vnto vs. As when hee calleth himselfe a spirit we are not bodily to conceiue of him as the Papists doe By it we know what God is vnto vs. Jsai 26.4 and when he saith of himselfe I am that I am and calleth his owne name Iah and Iehoua that is hee that so is of himselfe alone that all other things haue their being of him and for him and as the Apostle expoundeth it in the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glorie for euer Amen And when he is called God almightie Gen. 17.1 Nehem. 9.6 2. Cor. 1.3 and all sufficient Creator of heauen and earth the preseruer of all things most mercifull the God of all comfort and father of all consolation euen our father and our God who hath made a sure couenant with vs in Christ Ierem. 33.20 more sure than that of the day and of the night which cannot bee broken as to that end hee calleth himselfe the God of Abraham and of Isaack and of their seede and here the God of Iacob c. So wee by all these and the rest of his names and titles giuen vnto him know certainly what he is and will be vnto vs and what we are to look for from him And from this knowledge of the name of God ariseth confidence in prayer as when they know him From hence ariseth confidence in prayer and here call him the God of Iacob that is hee that hath made a couenant of mercie with him and with his posteritie that he will be their God and they shall be his people they may be bold to flee to him for succour and confidently call vpon him in the day of their trouble to heare them and to helpe them as they doe And the more that they know of his name that is of his goodnesse mercie truth power wisedome iustice c so may they the more boldly pray vnto him not doubting but that hee will be answerable to his name For if a mortall man stand so vpon the credit of his name that he will do many things to those that seeke him to preserue it then God will much more shew himself to vs to be such as he hath manifested himself vnto vs by his name And thus our Sauiour Christ to incourage vs to call vpon God hath in that forme of prayer that he hath taught vs to vse set before it the name of God and willeth vs to begin thus O our Father which art in heauen that we beleeuing him to be a father in affection to vs and almightie that is to haue all power in his hand to help ruling not only in earth but in heauen we might be bold to pray vnto him and to aske not doubting but that of his fatherly goodnes infinit power he will heare vs help vs. For as among men according to the good name that they haue for liberalitie and pitie As men that haue a good name are most sought vnto so will men bee readie to come vnto them in their neede and the poore will say I will goe to such an house for they haue a good name and are counted good to the poore and mercifull al men speak well of them for their liberalitie and this name of theirs giueth thē incouragement to come boldly often So when wee know God thus by his name it will make vs bold to come vnto him in prayer But if a man haue an ill name in the countrie and be accounted hard-hearted couetous a miserable wretch and one that will part from nothing vnmercifull like the rich glutton in the Gospell Luc. 16.19 1 Sam. 25.20 and euen a very churle as Nabal was then few or none will come vnto him for his very name driueth them away they know by the report that goeth of him what he is The ignorāce of Gods name hindreth men from prayer and what they may looke for from him before they come Or if a man be neuer so mercifull and others know it not and so they are ignorant of his good name that hee hath and that hee is worthie of they cannot with any good hope come vnto him for they know not what he is they haue heard nothing of him at all So when by vnbeleefe we hardly conceiue of God of his goodnes or for wāt of knowledge are ignorant of his good name euen of al his mercie of his truth pitie Deut. 28.58 and compassion that is in him and so know not his great and glorious name we can haue little or no hart at al to come vnto him in trouble and seek vnto him for help by prayer as these did here And this maketh some so forward vnto prayer they are so well acquainted with the name of God that they doubt not of speeding and others again are so backward vnto it they are so wholy ignorāt of his name Therefore as if wee had any dealing by the way of petition and supplication with a great man wee would inquire after his name and what report hee had in the countrie and according to that wee would proceede or stay So that wee might come to God in our neede with confidence as Dauid and the people doe here let vs inquire after his name that is let vs in the Scripture see how he is called mercifull yea the God of all mercie and the father of all consolation Psal 65.2 the hearer of prayers our father and our God and all good is spoken of him there that so we may come boldly hoping that wee shall finde him as good as his name and so pray Exod. 32.11.12 Numb 14.13.14.15.16.17.18.19 as Moses doth often in the wildernes for the people of Israel that God would heare him and be mercifull vnto them euen for the glorie of
thus Psal 144.15 Blessed are the people that be so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and not onely deliuerance from eternal destruction but from all other enemies and dangers so farre foorth as may make for the glorie of God Now God hath renued or rather confirmed the same couenant with vs and with all beleeuers in Christ They pray in the faith of Gods couenant made vnto Iacob and to his posteritie Heb. 1.2 and for his sake and is therefore called God the the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is not only his father but of all that beleeue in him And so look whatsoeuer was included in the first couenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob wee are heires of them by faith in Christ who is heire of all things and in whose bloud the couenant is established who is also the Mediatour of it Heb. 9.15 1. Cor. 3.21 and so if Christ be ours as the Apostle saith all is ours Therefore wee are to direct all our prayers vnto God in the faith of this most merciful couenant and looke to be heard for Christs sake As they consider here not only of God and so pray to him but as one that had made a couenant with them in Iacob and pray the God of Iacob to defend him So wee are to pray vnto God as to our father who hath so reuealed himselfe vnto vs in Christ for whose sake it is said that whatsoeuer wee aske of God according to his will shall bee graunted vnto vs. Therefore though God be in heauen Joh. 14.13 Eccles 5.1 and we in earth though he be iust and we sinfull and so we can looke for nothing from him in our selues yet because of his couenant wee come vnto him So must we in the faith of his couenāt made with vs in Christ and pray him for Christs sake to be good vnto vs to saue vs and to defend vs calling him not God onely but the father of our Lord Iesus Christ so in him our father Part of which couenant is that if we offend him or as it is said by God himselfe if they breake my statutes Psalm 89.31 and keep not my commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stroakes yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from them nor falsifie my truth my couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And according to this part of his couenant we must pray him to deale with vs that is that though he doth iustly chastise vs with this plague for our sinnes yet he would not take his louing kindnes from vs and so play as Dauid doth O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath Psal 6.1 where hee doth not simply refuse to be chastised for then he should haue been out of the couenant but not in the anger of God Euen in this time of the plague so must we be willing to beare this visitation of the Lord so long as it shall please him to trie vs with it only let vs desire that his wrath may cease from vs and that his louing kindnes may not be taken away and let that be sufficient for vs. Therefore to conclude this point that we might now and alwaies pray in faith let vs looke to Gods couenant made with vs and to the promises included therein and to Christ in whom only the couenant is stedfast and in whom onely all the promises are Yea and in him they are Amen to the glorie of God 2. Cor. 1 20. It followeth in the second verse Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary strengthen thee out of Sion In which they continue to pray for their King that God would defend him frō all euil The interpretation of the second verse as before and namely to that end they pray that God would send him helpe from his Sanctuary and giue him strength and courage against his enemies to that end from Sion Where by Sanctuary he meaneth heauen In the Hebrue it is Holy namely place that is heauen which is the holy place of Gods abode and in the sixt verse both are expressed namely heauen and holy place And it must needs be then takē here for from whence should God heare vs and helpe vs but from heauen Doe wee not when wee pray lift vp our mindes our eyes and our hands vnto heauen and Christ hath taught vs to pray O our Father They pray for helpe from heauen which art in heauen c. He teacheth thē then to pray that God would send them helpe from heauen and thus he sheweth his owne faith and taught them also so to beleeue that all his help in all dangers must come from heauen Therefore as it is God that i◠all troubles doth defend vs so the meanes that we haue are of him and the successe and blessing of them and so all our helpe is from heauen And this is that that wee must beleeue in all dangers that what meanes so euer we haue as wee must acknowledge them to be of God so vnlesse hee blesse them they will doe vs no good for all our help is from heauen If we want all meanes yet God can send vs help without them therefore whether we haue them ascribe them to him with thankes and pray to him to blesse them or if wee haue them not pray yet that he would send helpe from heauen where and when there is none in the earth We see then with what minde Dauid goeth to the battell he was a valiant man himself Though they had many helpes for warre yet they looke for all their helpe from heauen 2. Sam. 23.8 as appeared in his combat with the great giant Goliah hee had a great armie also and all things meete for warre and had gotten many great victories before and so he knew by experience what he and his companie were able to doe and hee had many worthie Captaines whose exploites and valour are highly commended in the Scripture and yet they goe not on confidently and presumptuously thinking that they should bee able to make their part good enough against their enemies for they were able to doe so and so one of them had slaine eight hundreth at one time another of them defended a place against the whole hoste of the Philistims and another slew three hundreth at once and three of them did breake through the armie of the Philistims to fetch water for Dauid and returned safely and such like things they might haue boasted of But as though they were no bodie nor euer had done any thing or had no means to help themselues they pray that God would send them helpe from heauen acknowledging that all that they had or that they could say for themselues was nothing without him and his helpe Contrarie to the common course of our time Contrary to the common
course of captaines and souldiers in which men runne on desperatly to the warre and neuer thinke of God or of his helpe especially if they be any thing well prouided against the enemie and so God forsaking them whose aide they do not seek they speede thereafter As Benhadad King of Aram boasted of himselfe and of his power and thought that he might do what he list and therefore casted out blasphemous threats saying The gods do so to me more also if the dust of Samaria be enough for all the people that follow me 1. King 20.10 for euery man a handfull and after when his enemies came out against him he thought hee might commaund them and said Whether they be come out for peace take them aliue Vers 18. or whether they be come out to fight take them yet aliue but what came of it in the end The King of Israel came out against them and made a great slaughter This became of his proud boasting of his owne power before the victorie as he was warned of it before when King Ahab sent him this message Let not him that girdeth his harnes boast himselfe as he that putteth it off And as Dauid doth teach them thus to pray for helpe from God so in the next Psalme he acknowledgeth that it was God that had saued him Who therfore commonly speed thereafter saying The King shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation If all Princes did thus when they send out their souldiers and if the Captaines themselues did looke for all their helpe from heauen and pray for it accordingly they might haue had better successe many time than they haue had And the want of this faith and of prayer the fruite of it as it hath brought great losse of men among other people and made long warres so also vpon the English men both in Ireland in the Low Countries and so wee see how these euils by the grace of God may be preuented for the time to come Now that that is said here of this particular as of warre is true of all other troubles and dangers whatsoeuer that our helpe in them must be from heauen and therefore we must by prayer seek for it at the hands of God as these do here if we will haue it but first of al we must beleeue that it is so And that wee might so doe let vs consider that that which Salomon saith of this thing is true of all other The horse is prepared against the day of battell Prou. 21.31 but saluation is of the Lord that is what meanes so euer wee haue to preserue vs from danger All helpe in al dangers and troubles is only from heauē yet our help and saluation both of soule and bodie that must be frō heauen And this is that which the Church of God confesseth by the mouth of the Prophet and ascribeth all their great deliuerances though they had meanes to bring them to passe which they also speake of vnto God when they praise him after this manner We haue heard with our eares Psal 44.1 c. O God and our fathers haue told vs the workes that thou hast done in their daies in the old time how thou hast driuen out the heathen and planted them how thou hast destroyed the people and caused thē to grow For they inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou fauouredst thē Thou art my King O God send helpe vnto Iacob Through thee haue we thrust back our aduersaries by thy name haue we troden down them that rose vp against vs. For I do not trust in my bow neither can my sword saue me but thou hast saued vs from our enemies and hast put them to confusion that hate vs therfore will we praise God continually and will confesse thy name for euer In all which words we see that they attribute all their former deliuerances from dangers vnto God and professe also that they looked for helpe from none but from him and put their trust in him and so desire him to send helpe vnto Iacob that is to them that were of his posteritie and so the people of God And thus Dauid again and all the people with him when they fought against the Aramites did confesse and thus they did pray Psal 60.11 Giue vs helpe against trouble for vaine is the helpe of man where they doe not onely beleeue and so acknowledge that all their helpe is from God but all other helpe without it is vaine and to no purpose neither can it doe them any good THE EIGHTH SERMON vpon the second verse Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary WE heard the last day that not onely in warre but in all other troubles generally all our helpe must be from God and so we must seeke to him for it as these doe here And this is that faith that we must labour for in this dangerous time of the pestilence as in all other sicknesses and diseases This faith wee ought to haue in this time of the pestilēce that it is God that must send helpe from heauen to our brethren and to our selues and that neither we nor they can haue any helpe at all but from thence and that there is helpe to bee had when there is none in the earth but all helpe and all meanes of help faile here below For though there be means to serue Gods prouidence for euery purpose yet all they are of God and the blessing of thē also As now at this time the Magistrates in the places infected should take good order that the sicke be well looked vnto and prouided for and that there bee care had that they come not abroad and that the whole may be kept from the sicke as by the law of God the leapers were put apart from the societie of men because their disease was contagious and when they came abroad they should crie out alowd Leu. 13.45.46 I am vncleane I am vncleane that all men might auoide them And there are meanes of phisick for the preseruation of those from the contagion that are necessarily to be imployed about the sick and that must come into dangerous places yet these cannot be had nor vsed vnlesse God giue men this wisedome and when they haue them as Dauid here had all good meanes for the warre yet helpe and succour commeth from God as it shall please him to blesse the meanes Thus true faith will make vs place our trust and hope where wee should and where it will not deceiue vs and truly that is no small thing in any danger And shew it by prayer for our selues and others nay it is all in all For if wee trust to these meanes besides that it may be that wee cannot haue them if wee haue them they may doe
shall lay vpon thē and further to pray that the seed of Gods word that hath been sowen in the furrowes of their harts may now appeare in them to their owne comfort and the incouragement of others and all patience and hope and ioy of the holy Ghost And also that they might be stirred vp to reade it diligently and carefully to meditate vpon it and haue wisedome to applie it to themselues that so they may haue sufficient strength thereby Thus shall it come to passe that though wee cannot visit them that are sicke according to our desire for feare of the infection to comfort them in presence by the word of God in our mouthes yet we may pray for them that God would through the inward working of his holy spirit strengthen them by that good word of his which they haue heard before That if it shall please God to take thē out of this world that they may walke in the strength of that spirituall foode which they haue already receiued vnto the kingdome of heauen 1. King 19.8 euen as Elijah the Prophet walked in the strength of his corporall foode fortie daies and fortie nights vnto Horeb the mount of God And though in speaking of the strength that is to be had in Sion wee haue specially stood vpon the strength that wee haue from the word yet we exclude not the Sacraments prayer This strength also is increased by the Sacraments and by prayer publike and priuate but include them rather as parts of Gods worship and meanes also from whence wee must receiue strength against trouble For the Sacraments are as seales to confirme vs in the truth of Gods promises and we must vse them to that end and by the prayers of the Church both the Word and the Sacraments are fruitfull and of force to strengthen vs therefore whilest wee may wee must vse them also and make this account of them that by them wee may get sufficient strength for all troubles that shall befall vs. And let vs know assuredly that how much we haue or shall faile in the vse of either of these so much may we iustly faile of strength and the more we vse them the more shall we haue strength and be able to beare any thing In this respect againe I beseech you that you would come diligently to the Church that yee may bee partakers of common prayers there that so by them also yee may be strengthened For God hath made a speciall promise vnto many that he will be in the middest of them and besides these wee must giue our selues vnto priuate prayer in our families that we and they may haue strength thereby to beare all afflictions and euery man and woman pray often by themselues for this is a speciall meanes to haue faith and all other good gifts of God increased in vs for Christ hath promised to giue to thē that aske Matth. 7.7 therfore now all should stirre vp themselues to all kinde of prayer that wee might doe as the Apostle willeth vs namely Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for this is one of the parts of the spirituall armour whereby we are strengthened against our spiritual enemies and this is placed last as the greatest and as that from whence al the other haue their force And he speaketh of all manner of prayer to that end that we might vse them all as publikely and priuately with our selues and with others that so God might blesse some or all of them for the strengthening of vs. And let vs pray for them that are sick who it may bee now in great paine and weaknes cannot pray for themselues that they might haue the fruite of their owne former prayers and of others for them that so they might be strengthened from Sion that is from the means of Gods worship there vsed Which God grant for Christ Iesus his sake Amen THE NINTH SERMON vpon the third verse Let him remember all thine offerings and turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Selah HEre the people continue to pray for their king The interpretation of the third verse namely that God would remēber al his offerings and turne his burnt offerings into ashes In which their meaning is that hee would fauourably accept the prayers that hee had made and the sacrifices that he had offered and al the gifts and oblations that according to the manner of those times he had brought vnto God and generally what seruice soeuer he had done for the successe and blessing of God in this action before he went to the warre that he would graciously receiue it and that now he would by the effect and by his defence successe and blessing shew that he had done so in deed This verse consisteth of two parts So that there are two parts of this prayer in the former they pray that God would fauourably remember what seruice he had done to him and accept of it in the latter that he would shew by his dealing in this matter betweene him and his enemies in the course of his prouidence that he had done so in deed For in praying that he would turne his burnt offrings into ashes they haue respect vnto that which God had done in time past namely with fire from heauen he had consumed the offrings of some that haue been made to him whereby he did sufficiently declare as by a demonstratiue token that he allowed of them and had heard their prayers that they offered with them According to this the people pray here that God would by some signe or token shew that he had receiued them Let him remember that is They pray that God would remember his seruice and offerings we would to God that he would remember or we beseech him to remember what seruice hath been done to him for the obtaining of his fauour and not only remember but with fauour and acceptation wherein they speake according to mans capacity for all things are present with God and he forgetteth nothing that is done to him yea all things that all men euer haue done are continually before him But as among men if we haue a suite to some great person and when we make it that we might speede the better we bring some present vnto him also and afterwards when wee are gone we wish that he would remember vs and our suite and our gifts Or that he would smell them deale with vs accordingly So they desire that God would think vpon him and vpon his suites that he made and the gifts that hee brought and deale with him in mercy thereafter Some doe reade this text otherwise but it tends all to one ende namely that God would smell his gifts Because that in the time of the lawe vnto their oblations there was by the commandement of God some incense adioyned burnt as Moses setteth it down
to be made round about the altar and to be filled with water and then he prayed vnto God and the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones the dust and licked vp the water in the ditch and when the people saw it they fell on their faces and sayd the Lord is God the Lord is God Thus the Lord also in those daies by this token did apparantly shew that he had heard the prayer of his seruant the Prophet Hauing then respect vnto these things which were well knowne to them that were acquainted with the Scripture he teacheth them to pray that as in former dayes he did sufficiently declare that he had receiued the sacrifices and heard the prayers of his people when with fire from heauen he did turne the burnt offerings into ashes so hee would now or in his good time some way or other testifie that hee had heard the prayer of the King but the time will not suffer me to goe any further THE TENTH SERMON vpon the third verse And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of these words They pray that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and the reason of this kind of speech that they desire the Lord to turne his burnt offerings into ashes The thing that they pray for is this that God would some way shew that he had heard his prayers He did not then so pray as though hee cared not whether hee was heard or no resting in the bare worke of prayer but he was very desirous that God would heare him so that hee willeth them to pray that God would shew it to him and them that hee had heard them in deede It is not enough then for vs to pray vnto God and to beleeue that he doth heare vs but to waite vpon him for the performance thereof and to be desirous to see it so shall wee be comforted and God shall be praised Many come hether to the Church so carelesly to pray that when all is done they doe not so much as knowe what hath been prayed for so farre are they from this of desiring to see or marking how their praiers are heard and so either they receiue nothing or if they doe they see it not or if they see it they do not obserue and marke it to bee thankfull vnto God and to bee confirmed thereby in hope of his goodnes for the time to come Dauid prayeth in this faith that he doubted not but that God would heare him and so desireth them to pray that he would shew it to him sensibly and plainely as hee did to those whose sacrifices he consumed with fire and turned into ashes by causing it to come downe from heauen vpon them We must so pray that we be desirous to see that God hath heard our prayers So must we doe in all things that we pray for not only beleeue that God will heare vs according to his promises but also pray him that hee would some way in his good time euidently shew by the euent that he hath heard vs. When we put vp our suites vnto princes and great men if they say they shal be granted we neuer leaue vntill we haue the things that wee sue for or that there be some act done for vs that it may appeare that they haue heard vs in deed The Lord hath commanded vs to aske and hath made a promise that he will giue Matth. 7.7 saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Say then that wee haue asked of God and sought vnto him and that we beleeue also that we shall receiue from him according to our asking let vs then come againe vnto him the second time that either by granting the thing or some thing for it or supplying the want of it or some way or other as it shal please him that we might see that he hath heard vs. And namely that he hath heard the prayers of all for this plague As for example and this very time doth put vs in minde of it wee haue prayed long and often for the remouing of this grieuous visitation of the pestilence God no doubt hath heard so many all this time as haue called vpon him in truth haue departed from iniquitie and hee doth well remember what they haue said and done vnto him and hee will in time blesse them for it accordingly this is that that al of vs should beleeue But wee must now with new suites and supplications second these prayers of ours to this effect that God would shew vs that hee hath heard vs either by causing this contagion and mortalitie to cease or some way extending fauour vnto vs in it And wee must desire to bee partakers of the prayers of our brethren that by the benefit of their praiers we might see that God hath heard vs as Dauid here was desirous and willed the people to pray for him to that end And as they doe thus pray for the King that God would shew that hee had heard his prayers so we also are to pray for them that are in trouble and namely vnder this hand of God that he would shew to them that he hath heard their prayers They that pray for fashion and coldly cannot thus doe All they that pray coldly and for fashion and so care not whether they bee heard or no or marke not what they haue prayed for but vtter words of custome without desiring or feeling cannot with any comfort make this second prayer for any thing namely that God would shew them that he hath heard their prayers But al those that pray in the inward sense and feeling of their wants and in the faith of Gods promises and so not onely know what they pray but are desirous to haue their requests granted and look for the fulfilling of them when they haue prayed most earnestly they must come againe vnto God the second and third time and desire him that he would shew by effect that he hath heard their prayers Seeing then that God is the hearer of prayers as Dauid calleth him O thou that hearest the prayer Psalm 65.2 to thee shall all flesh come and hee hath made many promises to those that seeke vnto him in their need that they shall not returne away emptie let vs neuer cease calling vpon him both for the taking away of this great iudgement and for all things that we want vntill he shew that he hath heard our prayers so shall wee see it in the ende as this people did for in the next Psalme they giue thanks for that which here they pray for Now whereas hee teacheth them thus to pray That wee might see how God heareth our prayers we must markâ— what followeth vpon them that God would some way as it pleased him declare that hee had heard their prayers it was
our owne experience and incourage them to cal vpon God with good hope by our own example for we shall be able to say vnto them that wee haue obserued how God hath dealt with vs in the like case of theirs and this shall be no small comfort to them to heare it or to our selues from others to heare at their mouth how God hath dealt with them in former times And so doth Dauid to this end speake to other of his owne experience which he had gotten by marking how God dealt with him after his prayers when he saith This poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles And a little before Psal 34.6 Vers 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he deliuered me out of my feare they shall looke to him and runne to him and their faces shall not be ashamed saying This poore man cried and the Lord heard him We see how confidently hee speaketh vnto others and assureth them that if they pray to God he will heare them for hee had well marked how the Lord had so dealt with him before Let vs then in all things wherein we haue prayed vnto God so marke his dealing towards vs that we may see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how he hath declared vnto vs that he hath heard our prayers that so we may reioyce in Gods benefits the more and hee may bee praised for them and our selues and others be confirmed in hope by experience through them Turne thy burnt offrings into ashes Lastly concerning these words wheras in them he teacheth generally to pray We must not limit the hearing of our prayers to any one particular thing that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and doth not limit it to any particular thing as to say shew it by doing so and so but that concerning the things that be prayed for hee desireth that hee would shew which way it pleaseth him that hee had heard them and that hee and they might as euidently see it as those did who had their sacrifices consumed with fire from heauen It teacheth vs that in al outward things especially we should not tye the fauour of God and the hearing of our prayers to any one speciall thing as to say If God would giue me such a thing that I haue prayed for or deale so and so with me I would beleeue that he had heard my prayers but vntill I haue that I cannot be perswaded of it For in all things we ought to pray that God would giue vs such and such things so farre foorth as it is his holy will as he knoweth it to be good for vs and for his glorie and with these conditions also must wee pray for others So then if the Lord see it not expedient for vs and so doe not giue it vs at all or when we would haue it or in that manner that wee would yet wee must desire this that hee would some way shew that he hath heard our prayers by giuing vs minds readie to submit our wils vnto his patience to beare things and that hee would giue vs some thing els for recompence or supplie of it and that hee would turne all to our good and that we might also see it to be so and this must be sufficient for all Rom. 8.26 For we many times know not what to pray as wee ought but the spirit of God in vs maketh request then for vs vnto God with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed and the Lord who is the searcher of the hearts For God will giue not according to that that we name but that his spirit in vs meaneth knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for it maketh request for the Saints according to that that they asked or named which in temptation thēselues knew not well but according to the meaning of the spirit in them For euen as those that are sicke of some hot pestilent burning feuer or some other disease that distempereth their braine when they aske any thing those that attend vpon them will not giue them that which they haue named but some other thing in steed of it which is better for them in that case and in so doing they giue them according to their meaning for they did meane that that was best for them though they erred then through distemperature or ignorance in the particular and so when they are well and can iudge of things themselues will confesse So doth the Lord deale with his seruants so must we be contēted to be ordred by the Lord that whatsoeuer we aske he would giue vs that which hee knoweth to bee best for vs and so giue vs according to the meaning of his spirit in vs that so wee may see that hee hath heard our prayers 2. Cor. 12.8 Saint Paul prayed three times that the messenger of Satan which buffeted him might depart away from him and the Lord heard his prayers but how he gaue him this answere My grace is sufficient for thee Vers 9. for my power is made perfect through weakenes So that when in all temptations of the diuell hee held out in a good course and God did vpholde him in his weakenes As he did to the Apostle Paul that he was not ouerthrowne though the messenger of Satan did not depart from him according to that which he had named in his praiers yet he saw wel enough that God had heard his prayers by giuing him strength against him This is worthy to be diligently obserued because we are giuen wholy to tie the hearing of our prayers vnto the receiuing of that particular we aske and cannot for the most part otherwise discerne of it as for example if we aske health and wealth and God giue them then will we beleeue that he hath heard our prayers and otherwise not whereas the Lord may no lesse shew that he hath heard our prayers and deny vs both of them when hee shall giue vs minds contented with our estate and to waite vpon his blessed will in all our wants We haue now a long time prayed vnto God for this sicknes and mortalitie and wee desire to see that God hath heard our prayers and so we may also though it be not lessened but increased yea though it should come among vs and bee vpon our owne bodies So will he doe in this visitation of the Plague For in that he hath not begun with vs at the first according to our deserts nor is come vnto vs with this visitation as yet but sheweth himselfe slowe to anger and vseth great patience towards vs yea that hee daily warneth vs by the harmes of others and not maketh vs a spectacle vnto others therein hee hath sufficiently shewed that hee hath heard our praiers And now further if he should come and deale with vs in our owne bodies and then with all should giue vs grace to
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
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
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
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
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