declare thy name unto my brethren in the middest of the Church will I sing praises unto thee Christ in the middest of the Church sings praise to God When people meet to praise God Christ praiseth him It is a mighty encouragement in praising God So in prayer when we meet to seek God Christ seeks him for he is at the right hand of the Father making continuall intercession for the Saints Christ himself joynes with them in the work that their prayers may be heard and answered Again it is the stile and title that God glories in to be a God hearing prayer therefore he will hear and answer Again prayer is the pouring forth of the spirit to God the spirit that is so be beautified with the graces of his own spirit now the pouring forth of such a precious spirit to God so beautified and principled with the graces of the holy Ghost certainly this cannot but be answered by God Indeed the Scripture saith of the heart of the wicked that it is little worth Let their heart be poured fourh God doth little mind or regard it but the heart of the righteous is much worth it is very precious before God therefore when their hearts are poured out and God sees the beauty and glory of his graces on them it is exceeding delightfull to him and such pouring out of their hearts are heard and answered If God have a bottle for all their tears he hath a bottle also for all their expressions and pouring out of their hearts in prayer Further the exceeding delight that God hath in his Saints must needs cause God to regard their calling unto him They are his darlings now there is no man that loves to deny a suit to any that he delights in Lastly it were not for the honour of God that his people should call unto him and not be answered nor receive that comfort they pray for It is reported of Titus though he were a heathen Emperour yet he would not that any man should go sad out of the presence of the Prince God accounts it an honour that none should go sad out of his presence Therefore those are called on to rejoyce that seek the Lord. Let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek the Lord Psalm 105.3 not onely let the heart of them rejoyce that find the Lord that obtain that they seek but those that seek the Lord while they are seeking should rejoyce in seeking him But now I will onely take away that great objection and reasoning that is in the hearts of many men against this point and then come to the application You tell us that the prayers of Gods people are not in vain But when they call unto him he will answer them and by Gods mercy now and then we have found some comfortable hearing from heaven but ordinarily we find it otherwise How many prayers have we put up to God and find not the issue we pray and pray and the enemies prevail though now and then God give us help Now for the taking away of all unbelieving reasonings against this point I will not go from the Text at this time Therefore the first answer is this You say you have sought God and have not what you would have and therefore God hath not answered when you have called Though perhaps this that you now say is something yet it makes not the text void Remember what hath been before heretofore you have sought God and God had answered your seekings remember the times of old let that for the present a little stay you It was that that stayed the Psalmist he began to reason as you do that he had sought God without answer Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore c. Psalm 7 8. here seems to be as much unbelief as in your reasoning but mark what follows v. 10. And I said this is my death but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high O it is my sinne and weaknesse that I should reason thus I consider not what to do when I reason thus but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high vers 11. I will remember the works of the Lord sureâ—y I will remember the wonders of old v. 12. I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God Thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people v. 14. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Iacob and Ioseph v. 15 Mark at length he recovers himself with this though present things seem to go hard yet he remembred what God had done so do thou in this case In this book of Isaiah you have a complaint of unbelieving hearts as if God had been sought in vain Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Iacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Art thou one of the seed of Iacob and hast sought God and sayest thou hast had no answer God reasons the case and will confute their unbelief Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding He giveth power to the faint to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall v. 28 29 30 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk not faint Hath not God done great things heretofore in 88. and in the powder plot and at other times and though we be in some streights remember what God did before This should appease your hearts what though thou have not present audience for the thing thou seekest yet think I deal with a God that hath an understanding that I cannot search God it may be lets the adversary prevail sometimes I cannot tell what glory God may get by it I cannot conceive how God can bring his own glory about when Israel flees before the Philistines But why sayest thou so O Iacob there is no searching of Gods understanding God sees further then thou canst see that thing that thou thinkest will make against his name may make for it therefore lay thine hand upon thine heart He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might God stayes till men have no might till they faint and are ready to fail and then he comes and helps them That is the meaning of that Scripture in Luke where Christ saith God will avenge his elect that cry night and day to him though he tarry he will
you all I will onely give you a hint or two that you know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second person in Trinity 2. it is such a portion as is fit and suitable to an heire of life glory an heire of Heaven and Earth yea it is such a portion as God doth give men to this very end to declare what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happinesse what think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happinesse glory this must be somewhat Again it must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great designe that he had from all eternity in making of Heaven and Earth which was to magnifie the riches of his grace to a Company that he had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guesse you what this must needs be Yea it is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a creature to bear the weight of that glory and all this must be now to all eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his Father tell what a blessing he had given unto Iacob he fell a weeping O that God would so strike unto the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the world Thou hearest but a few words to what the Lord hath reserved to all eternitie for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you 'l have to weep if you consider the last thing and that is what is like to be the end of all thy portion in this world if indeed thou could'st ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat O but there is somewhat else remains afterwards as 1. O the perplexity of spirit that any worldly man will have when death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house farewell lands and farewell friends farewell acquaintance and all merry meetings and joviallities I shall never have comfort more in you as it was the speech of Pope Adrian when he was to die O thou my soul my soul whither art thou going whither art thou going thou shalt never have more jests nor be merry nor be jocund any more where art thou going so may a man that hath his portion in this world say at his death where is this poor soul of mine going I have lived here thus many years and I have had many merry meetings I have eaten with the strongest and have drunk the sweetest and gone in brave array but now my day is gone what shall become of me what peace have I now when all is gone I remember Latimer hath a story in one of his Sermons that he preached before King Edward of a rich man that when he lay upon his sick bed there came one to him and tells him that certainly by all reason they can judge he was like to be a man for another world a dead man assoon as ever he hears but these words what must I die send for a Phisitian wounds sides heart must I die wounds sides heart must I die and thus he goes on and there could be nothing got from him but wounds sides heart must I die must I die and go from all these here was all here was the end of this man that made his portion in this world Another rich man that lived not far from the place that I my self lived in heretofore when he heard his sicknesse was deadly he sends for his bags of money and hugs them in his arms O must I leave you O must I leave you And another lying upon his sickbed layed a bag of gold to his heart and then bids them take it away it will not do it will not do Another when he lay upon his sickbed his servants came to him said what lack you would you have any beer what do you want O saith he I want onely one thing peace of conscience that I would have it is not beer nor friends nor an easy pillow I want but ease of conscience O consider whether there be not like to be perplexitie in your spirits And then brethren you must be called to an account for all though as I told you before not to account for the right to use but for not right using and do but think with your selves if you now have so much as you cannot reckon how then will you be able to reckon for it if now you cannot count how will you be able to give an account at the last day especially when you have had no thoughts of this before hand There will be a dreadfull portion indeed at the day of judgement O the shame and confusion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world in that houre when they shall see their poor neighbours have their portion with Christ in glory perhaps a poor servant in the house advanced to glory and they stand on the left hand to be cast out perhaps some of these poor hospitall boyes shall be advanced to eternall glorie when as some of you that are their great masters shall be cast out eternally what an infinite shame and confusion will this be to you O now I see what it is to trust in God and not to trust in him those are happy that would trust for the future but I miserable that dar'd not trust in him The Lord will rain snares and fire and brimstones here is the portion of the ungodly at last appoint him his portion with hypocrites saith Christ where there is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth that is the portion of hypocrites in the conclusion Now here thou seest the end of all what dost thou think then of thy portion now think but of one Text and I have done What hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained when God takes away his soul Mark there are many hypocrites that aymed to get estates in the world but cannot thrive God crosses them well but suppose thou aymest to gain and hast got all thou wouldst desire what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained though he hath grown never so rich and got all he desires when God takes away his soul this time is coming it will be ere long and it may be suddenly the portion of some that are here present and perhaps this Text of mine may then ring in their ears when they lie upon their sick beds perhaps within a month or six weeks when Gods time shall be and then conscience
so shall all the just they shall shine as the Sun every glorified Saint by the reflection not onely of their mind but if their ocular body upon one another by a mutuall reciprocation of their beams every one shall shine in every one The glory of the soul shall transfuse it self and redound to the body Saint Paul in effect speaks as much as it is sowen a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body As the soul here is swallowed up of the body to the body as it were shall be swallowed up of the soul in a word both soul and body shall be turned into glory and the glory shall be to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS MANS REFVGE Ieremiah 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great mighty things which thou knowest not THe Prophet Ieremiah in this the foregoing Chapter layes down sundry and eminent mercies that he intends for the good of his elect people notwithstanding their provoking of God by their severall relapses sundry backslidings though their enemies also did threaten them with utter desolation and that they should be desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast yet the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the Bridegroom the voice of the Bride the voice of them that shall say praise the LORD of hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever this voice shall be to the inhabitants of Ierusalem But by what means shall these mercies be bestowed on then in this Text he tells them where ever they are afflicted or in any great distresse call unto me and I will answer thee And as Christ in the Gospell having the book of the Prophet Esaias delivered unto him when he was in the Synagogue read apart of it then closed the book and began his sermon to the people this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luke 4.21 So may I say of this Text that we have out of this Prophecy read unto you Behold this day hath the Lord fullfilled this word of his in our ears before our eyes And therefore is it that we are all here this day met before the Lord that we may witness unto this his good word and promise Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not In the two last Verses of this Chapter the Lord promiseth to establish a Covenant with David and raise up a deliverance to the seed of Iacob and cause them to return out of their captivities he will have mercy on them That which he saith to his people he speaks it plainly and openly I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth The heathen Gods did speak darkly and ambiguously to their worshippers that they knew not what to make of their words but I have not done so to you saith God They would have you worship them but they cannot help you when you have so done it is not so with me Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seed of Iacob that is the Church of God the Saints You will say Why are the people of God called the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or the seed of Isaac the seed of Iacob The reasons may be these two First because that all Iacobs posterity were the Church of God all Iacobs children the Patriarchs were every one of the Church All that came from Abraham were not so Ishmael was not so All that came from Isaac were not so Esau was not But all Iacobs children were therefore speaking of the people of God of the Church that should be to the end of the world they are said here to be the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or of Isaac Then secondly the seed of Iacòb because the Lord is here speaking of the blessing of his seed namely in the hearing of their prayers Call unto me and I will answer thee Now because Iacob was the most eminent in prayer though Abraham and Isaac no question were mighty with God in prayer yet the Scripture doth not put such an eminency either upon Abraham or Isaac for prayer as upon Iacob You have the most eminent expression for prayer that ever was spoken of any man never the like Gen. 32.28 And he said thy name shall be called no more Iacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed O how eminent was he in prayer Therefore it is rather said the seed of Iacob then of Abraham or Isaac But you will say then they should rather have been called the seed of Israel for his name of Israel was given him upon his prevailing with God We must not be too inquisitive These names are used promiscuously But this is one reason that is given and it seemeth to have probability with it In Scripture when God speaks of the Church in a low condition he puts the name of Iacob on them rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob and it follows ye men of Israel Isa 41.14 He puts them in mind of their low condition by this name rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob For before Iacobs name was changed ye know what a low condition and what streights he was in So here the Lord speaking of his Churches deliverance out of distress he calls them the seed of Iacob that they might see how by their prayers they were brought from their streights as Iacob was brought from his streights by prayer When he was Iacob before he was Israel he was in great streights so shall the Church be till they seek God Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not That is first I did require it of them and my requiring did prevail with them I did not exhort them to it or require it and my words fell to the ground and they did not call unto me but what I required of them was effected in them When God speaks to a people and they do not what he requires his word may seem to be slighted there being no efficacy in his words to prevail But saith God Call unto mee and I will answer thee that is I called not on my people to call unto me and they went their own way but what I spake to them prevailed with them and in them and they did that which I required This is a blessed thing that we do that which the Lord requires of us to be done That is the first observation Secondly call unto me and I will answer thee that is I did not onely command but I did promise to answer them They calling unto me in a right manner by
manifested his regard to them Therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to call unto the Lord much lesse is it in vain for the seed of Iacob the elect of God to call unto him Yea the Lord heareth the cry of the very Ravens the beasts Psalme 147.9 and Psalme 104.21 27 28. Therefore the people of Niniveh would have the beasts eat nothing that they might cry unto God Ionah 3.7 8. Surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry it is good for the people of God to call unto him There is very great reason that we should call unto God because the people of God that have been wise and have conversed with God and have known much of the mind of God have given up themselves and all their strength to the duty of prayer Now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength all his might to that which in reason we could not expect and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained It is said of Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20.3 that he feared and set himself to seek the Lord. It is translated composuit faciem suam he set his face he gave himself up fully to seek the Lord. They know what they doe that give up themselves wholly to seek God Indeed carnall hearts condemn the people of God because they see them so earnest in those things that they think to be frivolous For it argueth weaknesse in any man to give up himself with all his strength to things that are vanity and have no strength in them Therefore because carnall men look upon the way of Religion as a thing that hath no end they think it foolish for men to be so earnest to give up their strength their whole souls for it But the Saints of God know what they do when they give themselves up to seek the Lord they know if they call unto him he will answer them Again this is an evidence that there is much advantage by prayer because men that were wise and holy have so prized the prayers of the Saints and made such high account of them Mark the expression of the Apostle writing to the Saints for their prayers Rom. 15.30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that you strive together in prayer with me in your hearts to God for me The Apostle Paul so great a man and one that had a mighty spirit in prayer writing to private Christians in the Church of Rome he beseecheth them for the Lords sake and for the love of the Spirit that they strive in prayer for him He knew that there was much to be had this way Yea further God is found of them that sought him not Isaiah 65 1. then surely the people of God that call upon him shall receive answer from him Yea yet further God when he intends to shew no mercy giveth a streight charge to his people not to pray or he shutteth up their hearts that they are not able to pray This is an argument that prayer is prevalent because when God will not shew mercy he would not have such a precious thing lost and spent to no purpose Lastly it is not in vain because if it should then a praying heart were not alway a mercy from God but certainly it is Therefore though perhaps you cannot find the thing granted that you pray for yet to have a continuall praying heart know that it is a great mercy from God And those that are spirituall prize more the continuance of a praying heart many times then the granting of the thing they pray for All these put together are full evidences that it is not in vain to call unto the Lord. There be many other evidences which I passe by one purpose that I may have as much time as may be for application But now wherein doth it appear that it is not in vain to seek the Lord what doth prayer do First it is not in vain to seek God if there were nothing else in prayer but the right exercise of the faculties of our souls and of our graces this alone were worth our time The graces of our souls must be exercised about somewhat Now prayer serveth for the exercise of all graces Secondly it is not in vain if it were nothing but the performance of our duty as creatures to God There are many people that are weary of prayer because they have not that by it that they expect But know that there are two arguments to prayer the performance of duty and the obtaining of mercy If there were but onely the former that alone should suffice to keep thee praying as long as thou livest Thirdly it were not in vain if it were nothing but the tendering that homage and worship that we owe to God Prayer is not onely a duty but a great part of the worship that God hath in the world While we are worshipping of God it is worth the time Again it is not in vain if there were nothing but this that we come and shew what side we are of that we joyn and side with God against his adversaries and for his people But these are not the things here intended Further it is not in vain because there is no faithfull prayer that ever was made but God accepts of it in heaven There was never one of the seed of Iacob that ever put up a faithfull petition to God but God took it in his hand and read it A King or any superiour when you come with a petition may refuse to take it but God never refuseth to take any petition from a faithfull soul Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 6.9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer He will take it and look on it and read it and not onely so but he will also accept it and take pleasure in it A Prince may take a petition and look on it and after frown and shew anger in his countenance but God doth not so with the prayers of his people The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15.8 he never reads a petition that his people tenders but with a smiling countenance If it be a faithfull petition he accepts it of them and receives it graciously It is an expression of Luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart The least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise that there is no noise of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noise of prayer Certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of God very much yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven You keep your letters upon the file that you may readily find them when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey so God hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record As Princes
dwell in safety alone the fountain of Iacob shall be upon a land of Corn and Wine also his heavens shall drop down dew Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and who is that sword of thy excellency and thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places Here are promises to the Saints of God They shall have all things that are good and God will manifest himself especially against his enemies There must be a mighty efficacy in such a plea when there are such large promises So in the 14. Chapt. of this book of Isaiah there are diverse promises for Gods people For the Lord will have mercy on Iacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land the stranger shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the house of Iacob and the people shall take them and bring them to their place and the house of Israel shall possesse them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids and they shall take them captives whose captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressours And it shall come to passe that in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve c. I make no question but some of the people of God have been pleading this promise in prayer where the Lord hath promised to have mercy on Israel and to give him rescue from his sorrows and fears and hard bondage It was hard bondage that we were made to serve in not long ago here is a promise that God will give us rest from it and upon the pleading of this promise God hath made it good to his people And in Isa 41.8 there are large promises in that Chapter to the Saints of God But thou Israel my servant Iacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend Thou whom he have taken from the ends of the earth Here are promises for prayer to set foot upon no marvell if it hath so much power and efficacy There are divers others and many things behind of the efficacy of prayer as it depends upon the promise covenant that God hath made with his people for every promise is but a severall branch and expression of the covenant of God therefore we are to referre them all to the Covenant I will give you but one Scripture Ier. 30.10 11. Therefore fear thou not O my servant Iacob neither be dismaied O Israel for lo I will save thee from a far and thy seed from the land of their captivity and Iacob shall return and be in rest and quiet and none shall make him afraid For I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished There is somewhat that God doth but yet still he remembers his promise in the middest of affliction that he will leave nothing of that undone therefore though his people be under great afflictions the Lord will be good to them according to his promise Now again the Lord will regard the prayers of his people the efficacy of their prayers depends upon this because it is Gods own work That which is the work of God is not in vain God made none of his works in vain Now all their calling upon God it is from God it is Gods own work and a most glorious piece of the work of God Every prayer that comes from the poorest Saints of God every gracious and faithfull prayer it is a glorious piece of Gods work It is a work of the holy Ghost and therefore it is not in vain Again as their prayers come from God they seek God from God so they seek God for God they seek the Lord for himself If the people of God seek God onely for Corn and Wine and Oyle if they did seek him onely for their own ease and outward liberties and accommodations and for the lives of their enemies perhaps they might seek in vain No but when they seek God they seek God for God thence they prevail so much with God Ye ask amisse that ye may spend it on your lusts Iames 4.3 You pray to God oft to be delivered from enemies and you think your prayers if it be in such a time as this they come in vain No marvell if so you pray that you may have liberty to trade and deliverance from taxations these may be sought but the house of Iacob seeks God for his name that that may not be dishonoured and for his Gospell that that be not taken away and the power of godlinesse trodden as dirt in the street When they seek God for God no question but God will hear and answer But the great efficacy of prayer is this it is part of the purchase of the bloud of Christ that God might hear the prayers of the Saints it comes from the merits of Christ it is a part of his purchase that God should regard them it is in his name that we pray so we are taught It is by Christ that we have accesse to the throne of grace our priviledge of seeking God is that which Christ hath purchased by his bloud So that our seeking of God is not onely a duty and beneficiall to us but it is a high priviledge purchased by the bloud of Christ by him we have accesse with boldness the word is with liberty of speech liberty of speech is by the bloud of Christ that we may come before the Lord and open our minds fully certainly there is a great deal of efficacy in prayer Whatsoever our prayers are as they are from us though they be vain as they are from us yet take them as Christs purchase here lies the great efficacy of prayer Think not that the efficacy of prayer lies in earnestnesse or enlargement though it be a comfort and an evidence that God enlargeth us by his Spirit it is not parts that enlarge but the Spirit but the virtue of prayer lies not here the strength whereby prayer doth great things it lies in secret in the purchase of Christ Again Christ takes all the prayers of his people and tenders them up to his Father for acceptance We have a more glorious way of coming to God then Adam had in innocency yea in some respects then the Angels themselves by having such an Intercessor that takes all our prayers and carries them to his father Yea not onely so but he joins with us to the Father There is a place in the Hebrews quoted out of the Psalms that shews that Christ praiseth God in the congregation it is not onely the Saints that praise God but Christ himself Heb. 2.12 I will
flesh before the spirituall priviledges of the Saints But how shall I know that I am one of the seed of Iacob How do you know such an ones child but by his likenesse to his father One that hath the spirit of Iacob is of the seed of Iacob There are manie things that the Scripture speaks concerning Iacob and see if you do answer them First Iacob was a mightie man in prayer he was a wrestler with God he wrestled till the day broke was as strong at the last as at the first hast thou the spirit of thy father Iacob art thou not discouraged in prayer though mercy come not presently yet dost thou wrestle all night resolve whatsoever come if thou die thou wilt die wrestling here is a child like the father therefore thou art of the seed of Iacob Secondly Iecob was one that feared God when God appeared to him he looked on the presence of God as dreadfull How dreadfull is this place Genesis 28. because God was there So dost thou look on the presence of God as dreadfull that thou canst say the fear of the great God is on thy soul when thou comest into his presence mark for this is that expression in the Psalm Ye that fear the Lord praise him all the seed of Iacob glorifie him and fear him all ye seed of Israel Psalm 22.23 If you will be sure not to seek God in vain but that you may praise him in seeking him fear the Lord all the seed of Iacob Thirdly Iacobs heart was disingaged from the creature a little of the creature would serve his turn Gen. 28. Lord saith he if thou wilt give me meat to eat raiment to put on He looked no further he minded no great matters Therefore in Ps 24. there the generation of Iacob is set out and one thing is he that hath not lift up his soul to vanity The men of the world have great things in their eyes they are vanitie in Gods eye though they be great in theirs and they lift up their hearts to them Now the sons of Iacob do not lift up their hearts to vanitie though the things of the world be present their hearts stirre not they rise not but if God and Christ and heavenly things be presented their hearts are lifted up If thy heart be lifted up to vanitie if thy heart be as iron and the vanities of the world come and draw it up thou art not a son of Iacob a little would serve Iacob though he were a great heir He was a plain man and dwelt in tents Genesis 25. and had a plain spirit he did not look after great things whereas Esau looked after great things abroad Again he was one of a tender spirit therefore where it is said he prevailed with the Angel it is said he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel there he spake with us That storie of Iacob concerns us how God dealt with our Father If now thou have a tender spirit as he had if when thou goest into the presence of God thou find thy spirit yield and melt and relent thou art one like thy father Iacob Again further Iacob did in the time of his streights repair to the covenant that was a great satisfaction to his heart he looked to the covenant he fastned on that and there he held as the main support of his spirit Gen. 32.9 And Iacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me return unto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee c. He heard that Esau was coming against him with a great company what doth Iacob he gets him to God O God of my Father Abraham of my Father Isaac the Lord which said unto me return into thy countrey c. He repairs to the Covenant Remember thy Covenant with Abraham and Isaac and with me to I went on thy word Here was the guise of Iacob canst thou in a straight get thee a word and a promise and brood thy soul over it and clasp it close and say this is the promise that must and will do me good Again Iacob was of an humble spirit I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies He admired at the mercy of God that he had any thing Gods mercies made him more humble this is an excellent disposition we are many times humble and lowly when we are under the hand of God in affliction but when mercies make us humble that the more God is gracious the more vile we are in our own eyes this is excellent And he looked back to his former condition he looked upon his poor beginning and gives God the glory I passed over this Iordan with my staff Many of you came with your staff and God hath given you two bands you are grown great are you willing to think of it and to acknowledge the poor estate that once you were in and to give God the glorie I was thus thus of poor parentage and see how God had dealt with me Another thing remarkable is that Iacob contented himself with God alone he accounted that he had enough in God alone though all were taken from him he did not look upon himself as undone but he had that that might make him for ever In Gen. 33. compare the 9. and 11. verses you shall find a notable difference between Esau and Iacob yet the word in our books is the same but this Scripture is much wronged by the translation In vers 8. Esau when he comes to Iacob when Iacob would have given him his present saith he what meanest thou by all these droves which I met he said these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord and Esau said I have enough my brother It was a strange speech of Esau A covetous wretch that is alway pyning and murmuring for having no more and thinks he shall want before he dye he doth not come so farre as Esau and Esau could say I have enough are there not many of you that never say you have enough I pray thee take my present saith Iacob for I have all things nay saith Esau I have enough The one saith I have enough the other saith I have all things for â—o the word is Col Esau had enough he did not want he had meat and drink and he saw none to interrupt him he was satisfied with his estate as his portion he had enough he cared for nothing more they might talk of other things but that was enough to him Iacob comes and saith I have enough but this was another manner of enough Esaus enough is his estate but Iacobs enough is God for he saith I have all Iacob was meaner for his outward condition then Esau for he had nothing but what he had gotten in hard servitude Now Esau saith I have enough Iacob saith I have all that is God
is enough in the want of all if Esau should strip him of all he had yet he had all in God Now one that is of the seed of Iacob in the time of want as some of you may be plundered and then all is gone you say no if thou be of the seed of Iacob if thou have God thou hast all There is such a promise He that overcometh shall inherit all things How is that and I will be his God Revel 21.7 Therefore whatsoever thou wantest if God be thine if thou be Gods child thou hast all Further one of the seed of Iacob is one of the Church of God for all Iacobs posterity was so therefore the blessing in Ruth is The Lord blesse thee like Rachel and Leah which two did build up the house of Israel Why is it not the Lord blesse thee as Rebeccah or Sarah but as Rachel Leah It was a blessing upon a marriage condition the reason is because from Rachel and Leah came onely those that were of the Church that were members of the Church of God but there came others from Rebeccah of Sarah came onely Isaac but Abrahams posterity was otherwise And that Church that was then was but a type of that which should be after that is of a company of people elected and called out from the world to be partakers of the Priviledges of Iesus Christ The people of the Iews the seed of Iacob were the Church of God as the seed of such an one And this typified the Church that should be after a company that are taken out of the world to partake of the priviledges of Iesus Christ Canst thou say that thou art of the Church The word that we translate Church is a company that is called out from the world Canst thou ever tell of a work of God separating thee from the world that when thou wentest according to the world God gave thee a mighty call that made a separation between thee and the world For it is said so of the seed of Iacob Numb 23.9 From the tops of the rocks I saw him and from the hills I behold him lo the people shall dwell alone they shall not be reckoned among the Nations All the seed of Iacob are called out of the world they are separated from them by a mighty work of God to partake of Christ and be a member of him And upon this such an one mightily longs after all the outward priviledges of the Church to enjoy all the outward ordinances of Christ after his way those that are of the seed of Iacob they prize the excellency of Iacob as the greatest excellency their hearts are towards it and they rejoyce in that above all the excellency in the world If you ask what this excellency of Iacob is it is the joyning of Gods people in the way of ordinances and duties of Gods worship in the purity of them This in Scripture is called the excellency of Iacob Psal 47.4 He shall chuse our inheritance for us the excellency of Iacob whom he loved It is an excellent Scripture O it is a blessed thing to give all to God to let God chuse our inheritance What is our inheritance The excellency of Iacob whom he loved What was that The worship of God and his ordinances joyning with the people of God in the way of his ordinances in his temple those were the things that were the ordinances of God in those times those are called the excellency of Iacob and so it is now the excellency of a people to enjoy Gods ordinancies You have another expression to the same purpose And I will bring forth a seed out of Iacob and out of Iudah an inheritour of my mountain and mine elect shall inherit it and my servants shall dwell there Isaiah 65.9 What is the mountain of God Gods Ordinances in his Church I will bring a seed out of Iacob and Iudah and they shall inherit my mountain So that the greatest inheritance of the seed of Iacob is the mountain of the Lord communion with the Church of God and his ordinances if you be of the seed of Iacob your hearts prize and rejoyce in this and that you have in Psalm 24. vers 3 4 5. you shall find how the seed of Iacob prize the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances Who shall ascend in to the hill of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Iacob It is so in the book but the particle O is not in the originall and therefore it may be read thus That seek the face of Iacob it may be read in the Genitive case as well as in the Vocative This is the generation of them that seek him even of Iacob and then he turns to God that seek thy face but because his heart was full of this of seeking Gods face though he intend to mention what generation it was the generation of Iacob he puts in that before the generation of Iacob that seek thy face that is this is the generation that so prise God in his ordinances and account it such a blessing of God that joyn themselves to the Church of God and set up his ordinances and wayes this is the blessed generation these are those that seek God truly We seek not God truly unlesse we seek him in his own wayes unlesse we seek him in all his ordinances we cannot comfort our souls that we seek him in truth For as in the way of obedience we cannot have comfort in our obedience that it is true except it be universall to all Gods commandments so we cannot have comfort in our seeking that it is true except it be in all his ordinances and wayes therefore we must be of the generation of them that seek the face of the Church that seek thy face O Iacob So it follows in that place lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in Where should the King of glory come but into his Church Who is the King of glory The Lord strong and allmighty still the Church is called on to entertain Christ in his glory so this is spoken of the Church Thus you may know whether you be of the seed of Iacob Again if you be the seed of Iacob you have the inheritance of Iacob account it your inheritance What was Iacobs inheritance Deuter. 33.2 The Lord came from Sinai and from his right hand came a fiery law The law of God is a fiery law yet in verse 4. Moses commanded us a law even the inheritance of the congregation of Iacob So that though the law be a fiery law a strict law a severe law
the red sea They say that Moses had learned of the Egyptians and they were great Astronomers and Moses knew when it would be a low tyde and what constellations there would be at that time and that the tyde would prove low then more then ever in the age of man and Moses took the nick of time end lead them through the sea Thus atheists would darken the works of God put them of to naturall causes So I find it related of the old Prophet in Ieroboams time Iosephus hath it related of him he sent to Ieroboam to stretch out his hand he tells us that this was by accident he was wearied all the day long and now he had the Palsie and after it was restored again that which was done by prayer he would have it by naturall means Iust thus it is when God hath so magnified his mercy to England and wrought such wonders yet manie carnall atheisticall spirits say this was an accidentall thing and the policie of such men brought it to passe they attribute all to naturall causes it is a sign of wretched profane heart For if God ever magnified prayer he hath done it in these dayes There are 2 or 3 Scriptures that since the world began were never more magnified then by Gods working at this day One is in Exodus 13. In the thing wherein they dealt proudly God was above them Never since the world began was that more fulfilled A second is that in the 10. Psalme The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands If ever there were a fulfilling of that Scripture since the beginning of the world it is as this day A third is this in the Text. I said not to the seed of Iacob seek ye my face in vain God as I said hath raised a spirit of prayer among the seed of Iacob more then ever any in the world knew there was never the like spirit of prayer raised nor never the like things done for prayer And the Lord the rather honoured the ordinance of prayer now because men so dishonoured it before and persecuted it that the people of God could not meet and assemble to fast and pray but presently it was a conventicle and they were persecuted as factious people Because God saw this way despised he hath honoured it and the former and the latter mercies that we have received we are to attribute to the goodnesse of God by prayer they were obtained by prayer Let us still be incouraged to call unto God for what we would have for God hath said call upon me and I will answer thee There are many of us now that can do little else if God have delivered you from sicknesse and other evils know that God hath delivered you to pray the lesse you can do otherwise the more you should do in prayer I have read of a heathen Nuâ—a Pompylius that he would never go about any thing but he would go to the temple and pray you that are instruments intrusted with our lives and liberties you had need to pray much go into your closets and sanctifie all your thoughts and resolutions by prayer that your help and assistance may not be in vain to us And all others had need to assist you in seeking God in prayer This incouragement we have that there is not any of us that seek God alone but we joyn with thousands why should our place be found empty why should not our prayers joyn with the rest We shall meet manie prayers in heaven the prayers of our forefathers the prayers of those that are dead and gone that did not live to enjoy the fruit of their prayers yet when we pray for mercies our prayers meet with theirs in heaven therefore let us be incouraged to call unto the Lord. And if mercies should come what a daunting would this be to our hearts that mercies are come but we have not sought them and if mercies come not conscience will flie in our face that we have been sensuall carnall creatures and it is for our neglect of calling unto God that God hath denied us the mercies that we expected And then it should be a use of rebuke to those that begin to seek God and continue not O wretch why hast thou left whether wilt thou go Is it in vain to serve the Lord certainly thou wert never acquainted with God and his wayes thou wilt find it a dreadfull change when it shall appear that thou had left God the fountain of living water and hast sought after vanitie and forsaken thine own mercy But the main of all should have been for the applying of it to the present occasion The Lord hath made good his word this day call unto me and I will answer thee· This day testifies it to be true that they are great things that prayer hath done I have heard manie years ago by credible testimonie that on this fifth of November when we had such a great mercie so manie years ago that verie day it was known that a great manie godly people in the citie kept in fasting and prayer so as it was eminently known and delivered from hand to hand of them in the city at that time and you know what God did But what hath he done of late If our fathers should rise out of their graves and we should tell them that now the high commission that they were so troubled with is down that there shall be no more star-chamber that cutting off of ears is gone they would wonder how this should come to passe And whereas Parliaments were wont to be snapped in sunder that this Parliament is to continue by as firm an Act as any thing in the land is made by And for oppressours all the Courts and Bishops Chanceries they are down and gone God hath extirpated them they were first cast out of the house and now out of the Kingdome And though an armie did rise and seek to bring us into slaverie yet God hath given us victory though some have suffered hardly and brought the adversaries very low to surrender their towns and castles and arms And here we are to rejoyce in God and to blesse him for all If many of our ancestours should rise and hear what we speak how we hold up our hands and blesse God with what hearts would they joyn in the praising of God and wonder that ever such things should be done Let not the grace of God be in vain as God hath not said to us seek my face in vain What use shall we make of it Let us give him reall praise and not onely come to repeat it and tell God of it but make his praise glorious put a glorie on it and then we do it when we make a right use of his mercies when we receive not his mercies in vain What is to make use of the memoriall we celebrate First the remembrance of these mercies must humble us that is a sweet humbling it is better to be