or any of ours if we had from time to time marked and remembred in all these how God hath answered vs gratiously we might now when we meet to pray for the remouing of this visitation haue had greater hope of being heard than we haue and greater assurance of Gods goodnesse towards vs. But seeing we haue beene so vnprofitable in times past to our owne hinderance let vs make the best vse of the time present that we can And therefore now seeing in this mortalitie of the plague we see so great fruit of our prayers at the last And namely how God hath lessened the plague at our prayers that as in other places it is greatly diminished so in the chiefest citie of this land it is fallen from three thousand and foure hundreth a weeke to lesse than two hundred for the which Gods name be praysed let vs profit by this experience to know what hee will doe for vs at all times when we pray And thus much out of these wordes both for the assurance of faith in which we should pray and for the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it The nineteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. I Shall not need to call into your remembrance the doctrine of the last day gathered out of this verse Now know I. concerning the assurance of being heard that we should pray in which is so necessarie that without it we cannot pray acceptably to God comfortably to our selues nor profitably to others I am now to proceed and here to consider of these words where hee saith Now I know for seeing this faith that God will heare vs is so requisit in prayer it may be demaunded VVhy he did not begin with it at the first and to say in the beginning I know that God will heare but that he commeth to it so slowly and as it were at the last to say I know VVhat did he the author of the Psalme euen Dauid did he not know it vntill now that he sayth Now I know did he not know it before this time VVas all the former part of the prayer with doubting or without knowledge of this Or would he haue the people whom he taught thus to pray and left this forme for them not to haue this knowledge or not to labour for it till they come to this Yes vndoubtedly both himselfe did know in the beginning that the Lord did and would heare him els to what end did he pray and he would haue them euen at the first and before they began or spake one word to beleeue that God would heare them otherwise they could not pray in faith and so neither please God therein nor looke for any thing at the hand of the Lord for him VVhy then doth he himselfe say and teach thē also to say not onely VVe know but Now I know that God will helpe Surely to this end to shew that as he hath faith in the goodnesse of God that hee would heare him indeed so he had it in measure and it encreased in him by degrees By continuing in prayer our assurance of being heard encreaseth as it doth in all other men Therefore as hee was directed to make this prayer by the spirit of God so when he came to this part of it it did specially shew forth it selfe in the assurance of faith which hee had thereby and so caused him to breake out into these wordes Now know I because that by continuance in prayer he attained vnto a greater measure of faith and assurance than he had at the first And this great affection of the mind in prayer he was willing to commend vnto them to that end that they might both labour for it and looke to come vnto it euery one in their measure namely that the longer and the more earnestly they prayed for him the greater assurance they should haue by the spirit of God that the Lord did and would heare them And therefore though they did know at the first that God would heare them according to his will as hee had promised which promises they were not ignorant of yet by continuing in prayer or after their prayer they might looke to be further assured of it from God by his holy spirit that was in them For the Lord God vseth thus to worke by his spirit in those that be his that when their hearts are prepared aright to serue him As in all the parts of Gods seruice the longer wee continue in thē the more doth his spirit by them work in vs. the longer that they continue vnder the meanes of their saluation the more effectuall is the operation of his holy spirit in them thereby As for example in the hearing of the word of God they are more affected in the middest than they were at the beginning and many times most of all in the ending if they be diligent and attentiue hearers and not drowsie and carelesse and labour to stirre vp the spirit of God in themselues So is it in praying also when they come to it with due preparation of the heart the children of God doe often find that though they had some good measure of faith in Gods promises and feeling of his loue in the beginning yet by continuance in prayer the same was greatly enlarged and encreased in them so that it was more at the middest than at the first in so much that then they could say with greater freedome of the spirit and assurance of faith Now know I indeed that the Lord will helpe me and doth heare me from heauen and in the end they haue had more assurance and sometimes after they haue done praying most of all Thus their faith knowledge and assurance that the Lord did hear them it hath growne by degrees and encreased till it came to the full when they haue prayed feruently And hereupon it commeth to passe that we find in the Psalmes that very often they breake out into some sudden passion of ioy or glorying in the Lord and as it were boasting of the goodnesse of God towards them as though they had then euen alreadie obtained their desire because they felt and found that the Lord did giue them some good assurance of it As wee see how besides that which they professe here in the end of the Psalme they vtter these words of great confidence as though the victorie were alreadie gotten which if it had been it had beene in vaine to pray for defence against enemies they speake I say thus confidently They are brought downe and fallen but wee are risen and stand vpright And this is that which wee may obserue and most clearely see first of all in the third Psalme where hee beginneth his prayer very vncomfortably Thus Dauid beginning his prayer somewhat doubtfully endeth with great assurance Psal 3.1 and greatly complaineth of the multitude of his aduersaries that rebelliously were risen vp against him saying Lord
of his flocke And it were well that this way wee were all of vs a great deale more beholding one to another than we are in that we would in brotherly loue acquaint others with our estate and desire their prayers and then they would pray for vs according to the counsell and aduice of the Apostle Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another Vers 16. that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent If we should for our owne benefit and good acquaint other with some speciall sins that haue been the cause and so consequently that may bee the cause of some great crosse that they vpon the knowledge of it might in greater feeling and faith pray for vs that they might bee forgiuen and wee deliuered from the punishment of them then should wee make them acquainted with other of our necessities to that end much more As in other things wee need the help one of another so in prayer and therefore should desire the same And that wee might bee perswaded vnto this duty of crauing the prayers of others in the feeling of the great need that we haue of them let vs first of all consider how the Lord hath so made vs all that he would haue vs helpe one another and know that we neede the help one of another both for soule and bodie and euery way else and therefore that we should seeke for it one of another as in the naturall bodie all parts doe need the mutuall helpe one of another as the eyes of the feete and the belly of the hands and doe in a sort seeke vnto them for it and by a naturall instinct as it were begge and craue it And all experience teacheth vs that in all other things none of vs is sufficient of our selues and therefore we craue the help of others as in counsell in labour and in all worldly affaires why then should it not be so in praier also Yet such is our corruption that we rather seeke helpe in any thing as distrusting our selues sauing in this wherein wee most neede it But we haue found the other true by our owne experience and so doe vse it if we did beleeue this and would doe thereafter wee might finde the fruite of it as sensible We desire men to sue for vs to Princes so should wee do vnto God Secondly when we haue suites vnto Princes or great men we desire those that are in fauour with them to further our suites and those especially that are most gracious with them and wee rest not in our selues though we be well knowne vnto them especially if the matter that wee sue for bee of any moment why should wee not then much more speak vnto others that they would pray to God for vs and commend our suites vnto his high Maiestie For though Gods loue be not partiall as mans is Matth. 18.20 but his promise is to all alike yet experience sheweth that some are more acquainted with prayer then other and so haue more accesse vnto God as it were and come oftner into his presence and neerer vnto him and so there is more hope that they should bee sooner heard Especiallie when God hath made a speciall promise that when two or three bee gathered together in the name of his sonne hee will be in the middest of them and therefore when diuers or the whole Church pray for vs there is more hope of being heard than when wee pray our selues alone The Papists pray to the Saints that are dead that they would pray to God for them that hee would heare their prayers for which there is no warrant in the Scripture but the whole word of God is rather against them but here is an example to desire the prayers of the Saints on earth that are liuing with hope of great fruite and few do follow it Thirdly when we pray When wee wrastle with men we desire help so should wee when wee striue in prayer with God Gen. 32.24 we doe as it were striue with God to obtaine some thing as was shewed to Iacob in the vision of an Angell wrastling with him all night long to teach vs that when we pray we must not come coldly or sleepely vnto it but with all earnestnes of desire and not giue ouer vntill the Lord blesse vs as Iacob would not let the Angell goe vntill he blessed him and then the Lord will assuredly blesse vs if we perseuere as he did Iacob and as Christ hath shewed in the parable of the wicked Iudge who was ouercome by the importunitie of the widow Therefore as when we wrastle or striue with a man Luk. 18.2 we knowing his great strength and our owne weakenes and so how hard it is to ouercome we would gladly haue others to helpe and to striue with vs against him and so we may more easily do that by the helpe of others which alone hardly or not at all we could do So when we striue with the Lord God in prayer being priuie to the weakenes of our owne faith and how many sinnes there are to hinder vs and what an hard thing it is to obtaine any thing in respect of our great vnworthinesse we should desire others to helpe vs with their prayers and therein as it were to striue with vs. And in this respect it is a singular great blessing if it were rightly esteemed and accordingly vsed to haue many in a familie or in the Church to pray with vs and for vs. Thus speaketh the Apostle and thus did hee practise when hee so earnestly intreated the Romanes to pray for him Rom. 15.30 32. saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me that I may come to you with ioy by the will of God and may with you bee refreshed He had often and of a long time purposed to come to them Chap. 1.10 as he professeth in the first chapter and prayed that by some meanes one time or other he might haue prosperous iourney by the will of God to come vnto them Paul desired the Church to striue with him in prayer now at the last he desireth them also not only to pray but to pray earnestly and to striue with him in their prayers that he may come with ioy and doth beseech them that they would doe so euen for the loue of Christ and of the spirit If hee then after so many and earnest prayers did desire them to striue with him how had we need much more to doe it who pray seldomer and more coldly And truly as great things may be done when many striue together which none of them could seuerally doe so by the prayers of many great things are obtained which by the prayers of one alone are not so easily gottē So the same Apostle writeth to the Corinthians that
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
it and as for prayer they know not how to pray one word aright So did hee also heare the man of God that prayed for Ieroboam the idolatrous king of Israel when his hand was dried vp as we haue seene euen now so that both these were deliuered from their seueral plagues that were vpon them by the prayers of others when they neither knew how to pray themselues neither had any desire to learne The like may be said of the prayers of Abraham which hee in great compassion made for the filthie wicked Sodomites Gen. 18.32 that the Lord did heare him sixe times praying for them though they were so beastly minded that they could haue no care to pray for themselues Therefore though they who in faith and loue to their brethren pray for others may hope to be heard for them that doe not neither can pray for themselues at all as the Israelites were willed to pray for the prosperitie of the King of Babylon in the time of their captiuitie Ierem. 29.7 and Paul willeth the Church to pray for the Romane Emperours 1. Tim. 2.1 who were Heathen and wee doe pray according to the will of God for the Iewes Turkes and all Infidels yet they that desire others to pray for them But wee can haue little comfort in the prayers of others if wee pray not for our selues and looke for some benefit by their prayers must be sure that they pray themselues for themselues otherwise they can haue little comfort in them For euen as when wee stand in neede of the helpe of some great man and hee not onely pitieth our estate but mindeth to doe vs good and therefore willeth vs to come to him and to make our estate knowne vnto him and yet we should neglect to doe that but goe and desire others to speake for vs and they also should doe so would not he say vnto them wherefore doth hee not come and speake for himselfe Will he set other men aworke and take no paines for himselfe And so many times their speech for vs when wee refuse to open our mouthes for our selues shall not onely not further our suites but rather hinder them where if wee did first intreate our selues and then they come after vs or with vs they might greatly further vs So when wee come vnto the Lord to make our requests knowne vnto him in supplication and prayer as hee calleth all men thereunto indifferently without respect of persons saying Iam. 1. ◠If any man lack wisedome let him aske it of God who giueth to all men liberally c and for all this in our great need we will not pray our selues or not as wee should but desire others to pray for vs and trust only to that it shal be said vnto vs by the Lord Why do you not pray your selues I haue commanded you to call vpon me in the time of your trouble Psal 50.15 and I wil heare you deliuer you whereas if we do pray earnestly our selues and others at our request doe second our prayers the prayers of many euē of two or three shal greatly preuaile further our prayers Thus wee see what intent and purpose we must haue whē we desire others to pray for vs namely not to neglect our owne prayers because of that Dauid desired the people to pray for him and did pray himselfe also We haue a notable example of this euen in this Psalm in the person of Dauid who desiring many men euen the whole church of God at Ierusalē to pray for him did not only himself in all his actions from day to day vse feruent prayer but openly professeth it vnto them before hand desiring them to further his prayers So did that good King Hezekiah when he was in feare of the hoste of Senacherib 2. King 19.1 hee went himselfe first into the house of the Lord to pray to him for his defence and then hee sent messengers to the Prophet Esay Vers 4. and desired him to pray for him and for the remnant of the people that were left and so he did So did Hezekiah when he desired the prayers of Isaiah and therefore it said that both of them did pray euen Hezekiah as well as Esay the King that sent vnto him as well as the Prophet whose prayers were desired and he rested not in this that hee had sent to the Prophet Esay a man of God who was well able and willing to pray for him and for all the rest for thus it is written that when the Captaine of the hoste of the King of Ashur had spued out his blasphemie against God and against Hezekiah in the eares of the people that Hezekiah the King 2. Chron. 32.20 and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amoz prayed against it and cried to heauen So did the Apostle Paul not neglect to pray himselfe for the obtaining of those benefits wherein he desired the help of the Romanes and of the Corinthians For he thus writeth of himselfe God is my witnes Rom. 1.9 whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwaies in my prayer And Paul when he craued the prayers of the Romanes and Corinthians Chap. 15.30 beseeching that by some meanes one time or other I might haue a prosperous iourney by the will of God to come vnto you And afterwards Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayers to God for mee that I may come vnto you with ioy by the will of God And to the Corinthians We trust in God that hereafter he will deliuer vs so that ye labour together in prayer for vs. 2. Cor. 1.10 So that in both these places he insinuateth thus much that as hee had often prayed for himselfe so he would do still willing them not onely to striue but to striue with him in their prayers for him For to shew it in that comparison which the Apostle vseth as if one should bee striuing to obtaine some great thing and then should desire others to put to their helping hand he would not giue it ouer himselfe and lay the whole burden vpon them but striue still with them so did S. Paul here and so must we doe But the example of Queene Hester is most fit for this purpose And Queene Hester when she desired the Iewes to fast and pray for her Hest. 4.16 who in that great and common calamitie of the Iewes which Hamans malice had brought vpon them shee was determined to make suite to the King for them she commanded that all of them should not only pray but fast for her and that three daies and three nights she did not purpose to take any libertie to her selfe thereby but said plainly that she her selfe and her maides would doe so likewise And thus when all prayed together God
doe how many times God hath heard vs for our selues and for others day night at home and abroad Then might we often haue seen how God did heare our prayers in the Church and in our houses And for want of this diligent obseruation the more is our losse and the greater should be our griefe though God hath done many great things at our prayers and hath declared by blessed euents that he hath heard vs yet we haue not considered of it and so haue not seene it and so doe want the comfort of this that they doe pray for here euen that God would turne their burnt offrings into ashes that is shew that he did heare their prayers Now that wee might come to a more conscionable practise of this we may consider what will follow first of all when we doe desire to haue our prayers heard and will accordingly marke the dealing of God towards vs If we marke how God heareth our prayers we shall the more esteeme of the benefits that we receiue Psalm 21.3 it will come to passe that we shall greatly esteeme of those benefits that are thus bestowed vpon vs and be much affected with them and so wee shall be the more thankfull to God for them For though wee ought highly to esteeme and make great account of the goodnes of God in the benefits that he bestoweth vpon vs vnasked in that he preuenteth vs with his liberall blessings as the Ps lmist saith and I cannot tell whether wee should not doe it a great deale more yet such is our nature for the most part that we esteeme of things the more the more hardly that wee come by them and the more paines that we take for them Hereupon it commeth to passe that when we haue prayed earnestly vnto God and so haue gotten things that way and haue taken some paines for them then shall wee thinke our selues the more beholding to God for them Euen as when a man hath obtained a thing by long suite and it hath cost him much then if it bee granted to him at the last he will esteem of the thing the more and think himselfe the more beholding to him that hath granted it Therefore we our selues when in the morning wee pray to God to blesse vs in his waies that day and to prosper vs in al our actions and then obserue how the Lord preserueth vs from much euil that might befall vs and doth much good to vs that wee were vnworthie of shall wee not greatly reioyce in this goodnes of his and be thankfull vnto him for the same And likewise at night when wee commend our bodies and soules and all that wee haue to his blessed protection that hee would keepe vs waking and sleeping and finde in the morning that he hath done so indeed shall we not in the obseruation of this mercifull prouidence of God towards vs bee confirmed in his goodnes to be thankfull vnto him for it And so in any trouble and danger that we shall be in much more wherein we do pray to him to preserue and blesse vs As in this time of the plague as when wee pray to him in this deadly sicknesse of the plague for some fauour in it and then marke how things fall out that they are better rather than worse and so therein see the goodnesse of God towards our selues and others shall wee not reioyce in Gods deliuerance and be so much the more thankfull vnto him for the same Euen as wee see Dauid and this people doe here for they are not onely thankfull to God for it but they say that they doe greatly reioyce that God had heard their prayers Psal 21.1 2. The King shal reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation for thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lips And so did that godly woman Hannah the wife of Elkanah when she prayed in the temple for a sonne and God gaue her one for she went home and presently conceiued though she had been barren a long time before she did so marke the issue and what followed vpon her prayers and the prayers of Hely the Priest for her that she confesseth to him that God had giuen her that that she desired saying O my Lord 1. Sam. 1.36 I am the woman that stood with thee here praying I prayed for this child and the Lord hath giuen me my desire and therefore she did not only consecrate him vnto God as the best gift that she could bestow vpon him but maketh a solemne thanksgiuing vnto God for him and in the same she confesseth that she did esteeme of him as if she had had seuen saying Chapt. 2.1 Vers 5. My heart reioyceth in the Lord my heart reioyceth in the Lord c. And then after They that were full are hired foorth for bread and the hungrie are no more hired so that the barren hath borne seuen and she that had many children is feeble See what estimation of Gods benefits and thankfulnes to him for the same followeth vpon the diligent obseruation of them after our prayers Whereas on the contrarie when wee neglect this many great things which God giueth vs either we regard not at all or at the least not as we should and so God hath not that praise from vs for them that is due By this obseruation we shal grow in hope of Gods goodnes for the time to come Rom. 5.4.5 Secondarily by this obseruation of Gods dealing towards vs after our prayers it will come to passe that wee shall grow in faith and hope of Gods goodnesse towards vs for the time to come and so wee shall be imboldened to pray to him afterwards because we haue seene and marked how hee hath heard vs before For as the Apostle saith experience breedeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost that is former experience shal confirme vs in Gods loue and so giue that hope for the time to come that confoundeth not And truly if wee had marked all our former experience this way publike and priuate how many times and for what God hath heard our prayers what great hope might wee haue had of it now in this time of our neede When we could haue said 1. Sam. 17.37 as Dauid did God that deliuered mee from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the beare will deliuer me frō this vncircumcised Philistim that is God that hath heard me at such and such a time I hope will heare me now But for want of this we are new to seeke in any great danger as though God had neuer giuen vs any thing at our prayers before and that maketh vs also to haue so little hope now And by the same we shall confirme others in their hope Thirdly we shal be able to confirme others also by
Selah as when he saith The Lord is known by executing iudgement the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah This Psalme was made as a solemne thankesgiuing for the conquest he had ouer the proude Philistim Goliah as appeareth in the title therefore when hee commeth to this to shew how the Lord was knowne by executing iudgement vpon him and euen this iudgement that hee was snared in the worke of his owne hands as many other wicked men are for he was slaine in that combate by little Dauid and that without armour euen with a stone and a sling as it were with the hand of God miraculously in that combat I say whereunto he had proudly challenged all the hoast of the Israelites with blasphemous words tending to the dishonour of God he addeth these two notes Higgaion that is This is worthy to be meditated vpon and thought seriously on of all men that the wicked are snared in the workes of their owne hands Selah As if hee had said yea in deed this is worthy most seriously and with great affection to bee thought vpon But we shall make further vse of this doctrine hereafter THE ELEVENTH SERMON vpon the third verse Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of this word By Selah here they were stirred vp to the affections of Prayer namely that it serued to note out some speciall affection according to the matter where it was vsed Wee are then now to consider what speciall affections were in him and should be in the people here and so what is and was the vse of it in this place Generally it being ioyned vnto a prayer they were to haue the affections meet for prayer and for this thing that here they prayed for Therefore the speciall affections that ought to be in the people when they prayed thus were these or such like First when hee willeth them to pray that God would heare his prayers and shew that he did so and then addeth Selah a note of affection or stirring vp of the mind it was to teach them As namely to pray earnestly that he would haue them affected with it to pray for it earnestly And in requiring this earnestnes here his meaning was not that they should bee colde in the former and negligent but here he required a speciall feruency of the spirit that after a speciall manner they would pray that God would heare his prayers and declare it By which example wee learne that though we ought alwaies to pray from our hearts and neuer with the tongue onely as many doe and haue done not only in Popery when if they had said a certaine number of prayers it was thought sufficient though they knew not what they said it being in an vnknowne tongue and so could not possibly haue any desire at all vnto that which they prayed for and so that was verified of them that Christ speaketh of in the Gospell Matth. 15.8 This people draweth neere vnto me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me but also in these dayes when many though they say Amen at the end of prayers yet haue had their mind occupied about other matters and so though their tongue hath spoken yet their mindes haue desired nothing John 4.24 whereas God is a spirit and wil be worshipped in our spirits and he is the searcher of the hearts which when it is prepared then hee heareth as it is said thou preparest the heart Psalm 10.17 Psalm 57.7 and bendest thine eare thereto So that whensoeuer we pray we must say as the Prophet doth My heart is prepared my heart is prepared O God I will sing and giue thanks Therefore wee must not come rashly to prayer and vnaduisedly on the suddaine but prepare our hearts beforehand as Christ teacheth vs in that forme of his O our Father which art in Heauen c willing vs to consider of Gods fatherly loue and of his almighty power and so pray to him as to one whom wee are perswaded is most willing and able to heare and helpe vs. Greater earnestnes is requisite in some part of the prayer then of other Ephes 6.18 And though wee must alwaies thus pray if wee will bee heard yet we are to striue with our affections in prayer and as something shall be more materiall for vs and wee stand in more need of it so there and for that to pray more earnestly and as we must continually striue with our owne dulnesse in prayer and as the Apostle saith watch thereunto so wee must offer violence as it were to our selues in such things as doe most concerne vs. So that our prayers must not flowe from vs like a still streame which is alwaies like it selfe and neuer standeth still like a poole so wee must not haue alwaies the like desires in prayer yea though they be desires of the heart in deed and the heart bee truly moued with it and not stand still senselesse and dead in the affections of it like a lake which is without motion which yet it were well if all men could come vnto and it is a great worke of the spirit if wee can doe so but our hearts in prayer must bee working like the great Ocean Sea that sometimes commeth with great billowes so that it bringeth vp things that are at the bottome of it So we according to our speciall need and the necessitie of others that we pray for must stirre vp the least desire that we haue euen from the bottome of our hearts and though our hearts were moued before yet when wee come to such a thing they must bee mooued a great deale more that God may see how earnestly we desire them that so hee may fulfill them And this we must doe not onely in our priuat prayers And that is true not only of priuat prayer but of publike according to that that we stand in need of as we all finde that we need something more then other for that wee must bee most importunate though wee must alwaies pray earnestly But also in the publike prayers of the Church as these of the people were as wee must alwaies during the time of prayer marke diligently what is said and haue not onely our minde occupied about it but our desires going with his words that prayeth as it were step by step that thus they may all waite vpon him and as it were hang vpon his mouth as it is sayd the people did vpon our Sauiour Christ but when there is any speciall thing prayed for which concerneth vs neerely Luk. 19.48 or any of ours or the glory of God and Church of Christ there to stirre vp our minds with some more earnest desire to call vpon God for it and as it were to say Selah that is Oh that God would grant that so would it come to passe that God would giue vs our desire Luk. 1.53 as he hath promised to fill the hungry soule with