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
his name And this is the rather to bee marked because that the Lord when hee would make himselfe best knowne vnto Moses Exod. 34.6 and so did to that end proclaime his name as it is said speaketh thus The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious God is answerable to his good name though men be not so alwaies slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne c. See what a name the Lord giueth to himselfe that wee might be incouraged to come vnto him And hee not onely hath this name but he is answerable vnto it and is so indeeded and wee shall finde him to be so Many men haue better names than they deserue though some haue worse for they are said to be pitifull and gentle and courteous but when we come to deale with them wee finde it otherwise for men in iudging are oftentimes deceiued and some speake according to their owne opinion But the God of truth speaketh of himselfe as he is therefore as hee is called mercifull so he is and hath alwaies bin found to be so and shall be to the end of the world Therfore as among men to confirme vs in their good name wee consider how they haue often bin beneficiall vnto others to our selues how they haue oftentimes holpen others in their need so that we might know God to be so wholy agreeable vnto his name consider how he hath in former times bin good vnto men that haue prayed vnto him yea to our owne selues As how hee heard the crie of the Israelites in Egypt Exod. 3.8.9 when they were oppessed with his tyrannie and came downe to deliuer them and how he heard Moses for them at the red sea Exod. 14.15 and made a passage for them thorow it that they might escape their pursuers and how often he heard him for them in the wildernes both for water and for flesh Exod. 17.4 Numb 11.11 Gen. 28.10 32.9 and for deliuerances from many plagues how he heard Iacob when he fled from his brother Esau and when he met him again and deliuered him from him how he heard all the Iewes in the daies of Queene Hester and deliuered them from the mischieuous practise of Haman their enemie Hest 8.16.17 yea how he hath heard our selues praying to him publikely and priuately that so by experience we might know him to be according to his name so this name of his might incourage vs to prayer for he hath a good name most deseruedly But because of the time I must leaue this somewhat vnperfect I wil proceed in it by the grace of God the next day for I see that all things cannot be spoken at once THE SEVENTH SERMON vpon the first verse and part of the second The name of the God of Iacob defend thee COncerning the name of God spoken of here I am further to adde this That seeing neither we nor any other can pray vnto God but according to the knowledge that we haue of his name As Salomon saith in his prayer that the very stranger a farre off hearing of the name of God should be moued to come to the temple and pray there and desireth God to heare the prayers of such as well as of the Iewes 1. King 8.41 moreouer as touching the stranger that is not of thy people Israel who shall come out of a far countrie for thy Names sake when they shall heare of thy great Name and of thy mightie hand and of thy stretched out arme and shall come and pray in this house We are to pray that all nations might know the name of God that so they might seeke to him heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place and doe according to al that the stranger calleth for vnto thee that all the people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as do thy people Israel c where wee see what should moue them to come to the Temple and pray euen the knowledge of Gods name· seeing then I say without this men cannot call vpon God we are to pray that all the Nations in the world euen the Iewes and the Turkes and those that are a far off might know the great and glorious name of God that they might ioyne themselues vnto the visible Church and with them pray vnto God serue him For according to the name of God so is our feare of him and loue to him and faith in him and also prayer vnto him Especially we are to pray for our afflicted brethren at this time and those that are visited with the pestilence that God in the midst of their troubles would make knowne vnto them his name euen how mercifull he is to al that repent as our Sauiour Christ hath most comfortably shewed in the parable of the prodigall sonne who after hee had forsaken his fathers house and had wasted all his goods with riotous liuing at the last returned vnto his father Luc. 15.13 Especially they that are visited with the plague and said Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne Then his father did not only willingly receiue him and bad his seruants bring foorth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feete and kil the fat calfe and make a feast for his safe returne but when he was a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him And as he hath also shewed the same mercie of God in his manifold gracious promises most louingly calling vnto him all those that truly repent as Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burden is light And againe the Lord saith Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee And Psal 50 1◠Ioel. 2.32 Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued and such like that so according to the greatnes of his name they might be moued to come vnto him in this trouble of theirs that God might heare them and help them For it is to be feared that many whose case is to bee pitied for want of this sauing knowledge of the name of God That by it they may know his name and so pray vnto him Hos 7.14 roare and crie out for the extremitie of their paine but doe not vnfainedly and from the bottome of the heart with true repentance and a liuely faith pray vnto God as the Lord complaineth of the Iewes They haue not cried vnto me with their hearts when they howled vpon their beds They are so ignorant that they know not
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
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 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
meete and conuenient and this must necessarily be presumed that after prayers they should waite vpon God and marke the course of his prouidence and consider what should follow that so thereby they might beleeue that God had heard them in deed Els it might wel come to passe that God for his part should sufficiently shew that hee had heard him but they should not regarde it and so they should make this prayer in vaine that hee would shew that hee heard heard him for he hath done it already but they see it not For to make this poynt more plaine in that very comparison that is here vsed if when the sacrifice was offered and God did with fire from heauen burne it vp cleane and so turne it into ashes as he did it to Aaron to Salomon to Elijah as we haue seene before he that was there present being blind could not see it or if he turned himselfe from it another way So if we be wilfully or carelesly blind in the works of God do not mark what followeth vpon our prayers good or euill wee shall vse this prayer in vaine to pray that God would shew that he hath heard our prayers for he hath done it sufficiently but we doe not regard it Therfore it is meet for all men not only to know and to wey what they pray for and to marke it well and to thinke of it afterwards but to waite vpon God for the same and to consider what followeth that so they may see how God heareth them For as when a man putteth vp a supplication to the King he is not quiet then but his minde is running as wee say vpon it and he is very inquisitiue what is done in that matter and he marketh all things that follow to see whether they make with him or against him that so he might see whether it bee graciously receiued or no So ought wee to doe in our prayers vnto God haue our minds as it were lingering after the things prayed for and marke how euery thing that followeth may put vs in hope that God hath heard vs. And this is that that Dauid professeth of himselfe in his prayer Psalm 5.3 Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning will I direct mee vnto thee and I will waite where hee saith that hee would doe as sutors doe they put vp their suite and then giue their attendance for an answere so hee would pray to God speedely and carefully and then he would consider what followed that so he might see how God did heare him Thus should we doe when we pray at morning and at euening Psal 40.1 So must wee all doe when wee haue prayed to God for any thing we must waite vpon him and consider what followeth And Dauid confesseth that in so doing hee did see plainly that God had heard him For so hee saith I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie and so shall we doe if we continue to pray vnto him and waite vpon him So that when we pray to God in the morning we should consider how things fall out all the day after well or ill that wee might see how God in bestowing many blessings vpon vs hath heard our prayers Likewise at night when wee goe to bed and pray to God that hee would defend vs from daungers and giue vs quiet rest and we awake in the morning and haue our strength renewed for the workes of our calling and al things well within the doores and without these things though they be ordinarie we should wel marke that so we might see and confesse that God did heare our prayers and so be thankfull vnto him for the same And so in al iourneis that we take in hand or matters that we go about wherein we haue commended our waies vnto God as we should alwaies doe because vpon his blessing dependeth the successe of all things we should mark how they succeed and prosper with vs that so we might see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how hee heareth our prayers So likewise for this sicknes And in all the prayers that are and haue been made for this pestilēce that hath been a long time amongst vs wee haue prayed vnto God to be mercifull vnto vs in it and to shew vs some token of his fauour and wee are desirous also to see that hee hath heard our prayers now then let vs consider if the extremitie of it be staied from increasing any where or if it be kept out from many places where it was likely that it should come as out of this countrie and out of this towne that so we might confesse to the glorie of God and our owne comfort that God hath heard our prayers And this is one speciall vse of the newes that we heare weekly from London Norwich and other places infected how many died this weeke how many the last how many of the plague and how many of other diseases how many parishes infected and how many are cleere that so we might see from week to week and from day to day that the Lord heareth our prayers that so by experience wee might bee moued still to call vpon him for that that remaineth Or when wee pray in the Church for any that lie sicke So when wee haue prayed here in the Church for any particular person as we haue done for diuers and doe daily whereof some haue been at deaths doore and yet haue been recouered wee should haue kept a register of them and haue marked them a great deale better than we haue done and it had been happie for vs at this time if we had done so that so we might haue by great experience been confirmed in the truth of this that God doth heare our prayers And to be short if any of vs haue bin in pouertie or in any want and haue prayed to God to helpe vs then we must marke and consider how he stirreth vp some to haue a care of vs Or who haue been in pouertie or in any need Rom. 1.20 and how some do pitie vs or any way how wee be prouided for and thus wisely obserue all Gods dealing according to our prayers in euery estate of ours That as the inuisible things of God as his eternall wisedom and power and mercy and truth are to be seen in the gouernment of the world are in his creatures as it were written in great capitall letters for the most ignorant to see and reade to leaue them without excuse so wee might in the same wisely discerne and see them and be accordingly affected with the same to beleeue in him and to bee thankfull vnto him that thus from time to time sheweth that hee doth heare our prayers And truly if wee had thus done all the daies of our life and in euery thing that we haue praied for we might haue seene better than now wee doe or can
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
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
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