but reposeth his whole confidence in Gods defence therefore hee prayeth to him before he beginneth any thing and determineth further in the whole course of his proceeding stil to pray vnto God for direction and aide And not onely to doe it a little at the first as may appeare out of the verse Dauid did desire the people to pray for him 1.3.4 but because it concerned not himselfe alone but all the people and finding his owne insufficiencie in prayer and beleeuing the promises of God made vnto the prayer of other especially of the Church he desireth them to pray for him and namely to pray that God would heare his prayers which what they were or should be in particular they knew not but generally they might presume that they were good and such as did concerne that action and so whatsoeuer they were he would haue them pray to God that he would heare them as appeareth vers 4. The people doe according to this direction and commaundement of his The Prophet did vse this forme of prayer for him for they vsed this forme of prayer which hee had prescribed and so did pray earnestly for him that God would both heare his prayer and defend his person and to that end send him helpe from heauen and declare by the euent that hee had heard his and their prayers in giuing them victorie ouer their enemies and God heareth them all and saueth the king confoundeth their enemies causeth them to returne home with victorie and great triumph as appeareth by the next Psalme wherein he and they together giue thanks vnto God for the victorie attributing it onely to God and not to their owne strength or any power of man as in this Psalme they had professed that they did not trust in chariots and horses and such warlike defence as men vse to doe and namely their enemies did but only in the protection and defence of God which by calling vpon his name they sought for And so this is the generall argument and summe of this Psalme both in respect of Dauid who made this prayer and of the people who did vse it for him By the inscription then it appeareth that Dauid making this prayer for the people to vse in his behalfe was desirous that they should pray for him and did as it were seek it at their hands If he in so good a cause did not rest in the confidence of his own prayers but desired others to pray for him and if he did it then when he had so many means to accomplish his desire because he knew God to be aboue them and so as without him they could doe nothing and hee was able to hinder and to frustrate all and if hee that was so well able to pray for himselfe and others yet did desire the prayer of others of those that were inferiour vnto him Kings ought to take order that the people should publikly pray for them Then no King Prince or Potentate is exempted from this to stand in neede of the prayer of others and therefore they ought to take order in their seuerall realmes and dominions that the people may vsually pray for them in their publike places and assemblies and more seriouslie and particularly to doe it as there shall bee any speciall occasion as here was in the time of Dauid Therefore this order that is among vs established by lawe that in all Churches the Minister and people are willed to pray continually for the Kings most excellent Maiestie both in common prayer and in preaching and that as warre or other thing shall fall out so some speciall formes of prayer are set out by publike authoritie to bee vsed in such cases is according to Gods word and to the example of godly Princes I speake not now of our duties to pray for them but of theirs that they should thinke that they neede it and so require it of the people Al men ought to desire others to pray for them according to their seuerall neede And if Kings are bound thus to doe then Noblemen and other inferiour persons much more who haue not so many meanes to accomplish their owne desires or it may be are not so well able to pray for themselues at leastwise as Dauid was And so generally all men for this as well as the rest of the Scripture is written for our learning are bound as at all other times to desire others to pray for them so also as they shall haue any speciall cause to desire them to doe it a great deale more and not only to pray themselues for themselues continually because prayer in all things is our speciall refuge and succour but to desire others to pray God that he would from time to time heare their prayers And as Dauid doth it here in this speciall neede of his as being in danger and feare of his enemies so if we be in sicknes and feare of death we should in the feeling of our own weaknes and in the faith of the prayers of others desire thē to pray for vs and not only to pray our selues And this is the aduice and commandement of the Apostle Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13.14 let him pray is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Now seeing sicknes is but one kind of crosse and the Lord hath many waies else to afflict vs in any of them we ought to do the like yea and not only when affliction is vpon vs that it might be remoued and taken away but when wee haue iust cause to feare it that it might be preuented and so we escape it And not onely in outward affliction but all inward much more by how much they are more dangerous and grieuous as if wee shall be distressed in minde being tempted by Sathan either vnto sinne or for sinne for if they be auailable in other cases then in these And so to conclude this one point in a word in euery matter that is of any importance either for our selues or for any of ours wee ought so to commend the same and the whole successe of them vnto God in prayer who must onely bring them to passe as that we rest not therein but desire also the prayers of others to helpe vs in the same This ordinance of his By this God would haue vs vnited in loue one to another the Lord in much wisedome and mercie hath left to vnite vs in brotherly loue one to another that when we shall see by experience how much we are or may be beholding one to another in that by their prayers wee haue been holpen in so great distresses wee might from the bottome of our harts vnfainedly loue one another Thus the greatest Monarch may be beholding to all his subiects as Dauid was here to his people and the rich this way may thinke that they faire the better for the poore and the Minister for the meanest
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
exceedeth the naturall loue of the most tender parents Therefore as they are willing to doe any thing for them when they see their children sad and heauie to cheere them vp and the very bowels of the mother yearneth vpon them to bring them out of their heauinesse so doth the Lord God of his infit compassion in whom that is sea-full whereof we haue but one drop And we may desire of him our comfort and the meanes of our comfort and therefore pray that he would giue vs this and that according to our particular need euen that we might reioyce whereas now and and without them we are full of griefe Therefore if a man be in feare of some trouble as these were of enemies which maketh him sad at the least he cannot reioyce as he would he may pray to God as these doe and say O Lord heare mee and helpe me And we may pray God to helpe vs to that end Iohn 16.21 that I may reioyce now I am heauie and haue no ioy bat if I were out of this feare then should I reioyce O Lord make me to reioyce A woman in trauaile as Christ saith in the Gospel when her paines are on her is in great heauinesse but soone after all is forgotten for ioy that a manchild is borne And he compareth the afflictions of the Church generally of euery one particularly vnto them Heb. 12.11 Now because as the Apostle saith no affliction for the time present is ioyous but grieuous but after the fruit of it is ioyous to them that are exercised therein and their deliuerance also Therfore as a woman in her trauaile may pray to God Lord make an end of my paines and deliuer me that I may reioyce so may all those that are in any distresse pray for deliuerance out of their aduersitie that they might reioyce and God in his good time will giue them cause of ioy For as the prophet saith ioy is sowen for the righteous Psal 97.11 and gladnesse for them that are vpright in heart and therefore if they tarie the time they shall reape it Psal 126.5 for they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy as it is said of the Israelites when they were caried captiues into Babylon They went weeping and caried pretious seed but they did returne with ioy and brought their sheaues with thm Besides if any be in sorrow and griefe for their sinne As when we are grieued for our sinnes that by the forgiuenesse of them he mould make vs glad 22. 1 2. Psal 32.3.4 Psal 6.6.7 or for the want of the feeling of Gods fauour they may pray to God to giue them their hearts desire that they may reioyce and say now there is nothing but heauinesse in me but if God would assure me of his fauour how should I reioyce As Dauid complaineth that he roared out night and day the hand of God was so heauie vpon him and that his handes were wringing wet with the teares of his eyes that he watered his couch with teares and that he mingled his drinke with his teares and that his eyes were sunke into his head with griefe yea that his eyesight fayled him and many such grieuous complaints he vttereth but if God would forgiue him his sinne and assure him of his fauour then he should reioyce exceedingly As he saith Psal 4.6 Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me and I shall haue more ioy than if I had all the goods in the world So in another place when he was troubled for his sinne he prayeth to God to forgiue him that he might reioyce Haue mercie vpon me O God Psal 51.1 according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities wash me throughly c. VVhere we see how vncomfortably he beginneth and how hee confesseth his sinnes with great griefe and prayeth earnestly for the forgiuenesse of them and what reason vseth hee to him this one euen that he might reioyce Vers 8. For he saith Make me to haue ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce that is that I may reioyce who am now wounded in my mind with the conscience of my sinnes and for fear of those iudgements which thou by thy seruant hast denounced against me Vers 12. And a little after Restore me to the ioyes of thy saluation where he desireth that he might haue that ioy in his saluation that he had before Thus in all griefe of mind especially for our sinnes or for any iudgement of God vpon vs or like to befall vs wee may pray That God would be mercifull vnto vs To this end we may pray that God would remoue this plague that we might reioyce As now this great mortality euery where hath been the cause of much sorrow to some for the great losse of their friends and to others for feare of that that might befall them and theirs and none can reioyce any where in this time of heauinesse as before Now we may pray to God that he would make an happie and a speedie end of it not onely for the glory of his name but for the ioy of his seruants that they who a long time haue ben in heauinesse might now at the last be comforted reioice And no doubt as this wold be a matter of exceeding great ioy to the greatest part of this land so in that respect let vs not cease praying vnto God that we might reioyce in his saluation that is in that health that he should bestow vpon vs and the rest of his people And let vs doe it the rather Psa 30.5 because he hath promised That though heauinesse bee in the euening yet ioy shall come in his morning that is in his most blessed time which let vs wait vpon him for For it is said of the people of God in Aegypt That God did certainely see their trouble Exod. 3.7 and knew their sorrowes and heard their crie and so was come to deliuer them shewing that he would haue them in sorrow no longer and so it appeared in the end that they went out with great ioy That our brethren in all places might reioyce loaden with the spoyle of the Aegyptians So we may be sure that he is not ignorant of the trouble and sorrow that many in this land a long time haue been in and he hath heard the cries that they haue beene driuen to make let vs beseech him for them that it would please him in his good time to deliuer them from it and from the cause of it especially seeing he is so mercifull that it is truly said of him Psal 103.9 He will not alway chide nor keepe his anger for euer And as in the dayes of Hester it is written Hest 3.15 Chap. 4.3 That not only the chiefe citie Shushan was in great perplexitie but in euery place whether the kings commission came
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
betweene saying Surely thou wilt heare mee O God because God gaue him then to beleeue it more fully VVhich full persuasion if he had had before in that measure that he had then we may be assured that he would sooner haue professed it to the glory of God and his owne comfort A fourth example of it in Dauid I will conclude this point with that which is in the eight and thirtie Psalme which Psalme was made when he was in some great distresse of sickenesse as some think or some other at the least And the whole Psalme is full of grieuous complaints as may appeare to them that will but read it when he beginneth thus O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 38.1 neither chastise me in thy wrath for thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lieth vpon me there is nothing found in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne and so forth for the whole Psalme is too long to be set down yet it is necessarie for thē to read it ouer who desire to see the truth of this that we speak to be in the Prophet He first complaineth of the heauie wrath of God that was vpon him and of his sinnes which he acknowledgeth to be the cause of his punishment of the infirmitie and great weakenesse that he found in himselfe both of soule and bodie and of this also that he was forsaken of his friends and left desolat of the mallice of his wicked enemies all which made him as hee saith to poure out his whole desire before the Lord so that his sighing was not hid from him Vers 9. And then at the last he commeth to haue some good assurance that the Lord would heare him and doth openly professe it in these words On thee O Lord doe I wait Vers 15. thou wilt heare me O Lord my God and so from this assurance hee endeth the Psalme somewhat more comfortably than he began it saying Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord Vers 22. my saluation Thus we see how by continuing in feruent prayer and striuing against all things within him and without him that might discourage him the spirit of God did so encrease in him that hee gat some small assurance at the least and more than he had before that the Lord would heare him and so endeth with a more peaceable and quiet mind than he began And though I am not ignorant that some of the learned doe read that fifteenth verse somewhat otherwise yet they agree with me in this point for which it is brought That in the same he professeth his faith that the Lord would heare him All these examples doe not onely shew vs the truth of this doctrine namely that the seruants of God praying vnto him in their seuerall troubles as this people did here haue by little and little growne in a further assurance to their owne comfort and the glorie of God By this experience in another we see what assurāce God may worke in vs if we vse the same meanes that he will heare them but they shew vs the same by great experience which is the best tracts and able to instruct the most simple for wee haue heard how Dauid oftentimes professeth it of himselfe which sheweth vs what we may looke for that the Lord should worke in vs also for there is no respect of persons with him if we pray in that feeling of our wants and that humilitie vnder the crosse and that feruencie vnder hope and that continuance by patience that he did Therefore let vs labour after it euen that we may find the spirit of God so working in our hearts by prayer that it may certainly and comfortably witnesse to our spirits that the Lord doth heare vs and that the same testimonie of the spirit may encrease in vs aswe encrease in praying And it may come to passe that as in the morning we see the Sunne arise higher and higher whereby we haue a greater feeling of the heat of it as the day encreaseth so we might see the sonne of righteousnesse so arising in our hearts Malach. 4.2 dispersing all the mysts of ignorance and vnbeleefe that we may haue the comfortable feeling of the fauour of God in our hearts encreasing more and more to cheere them vp with the light and heat of it as it were as we shall continue longer in prayer Let vs labor after it I say because that few doe know what it doth meane because they doe not so much as once seeke and inquire after it Obiect The best seruants of God complaine that they haue no assurance that God heareth their prayer Now if any doe seeke this and cannot find it and so they still complaine as many of the best seruants of God haue done that he heareth not their prayers neither haue they any assurance of it for when as in their troubles they pray vnto God this grieueth them much that they haue no persuasion that God heareth and will helpe them for if they had this they could bee contented to wait vpon him and to tarry his leisure but they pray and pray and can haue no assurance that hee doth heare them Ans And a reason of the same To satisfie all those and to strengthen them in this weaknesse of theirs we must consider That they that haue had the greatest assurance at any time that the Lord did heare them haue had it but in time and in measure and not alwaies alike but sometimes more sometimes lesse and sometimes not at all as the spirit of faith or their owne vnbeleefe hath preuailed in them For in these forenamed places we see that in some of the Psalmes hee professeth greater assurance than in other and so is it with all men Euen as with the eyes of our bodie we sometimes see a thing more clearely than at other times and our eyesight is not alwayes alike no more is our faith whereby wee behold Christ and in him the fauour of God it is not alwaies in the same brightnesse Besides as the ayre is not alwaies alike for our sight but sometimes more troublesome and souring yea darke which hindereth vs from the sight of that that we looke vnto when our eyes are at the best so we haue sometimes in our mind greater and more violent temptations than at other as it were thick mystes or rather darke clouds in the aire to hinder our faith from beholding the cheerefull countenance of the Lord as it were the light of the Sunne which shineth alwayes alike though we by reason of these cannot alwaies see it alike So the Lords loue is alwaies one and the same but we are not alwaies alike disposed in our selues to behold it in that brightnesse that it shineth in it owne nature Therefore we must not be dismaied if we haue not alwaies this assurance in our prayer after the same manner but see what
bestow this benefit vpon me then I will praise him for it As we should doe thus for all Gods benefits We should more specially praise God for those benefits which we haue asked of him so most of all for those which we haue asked of him as they say here When he shall fulfill all thy petitions they had prayed before that God would heare them and now they promise this That they will set vp their banners in his name And there is great reason of this for besides the benefits that we receiue which deserue prayse we haue thereby experience of the goodnesse of God in hearing our praiers Thus we read in the Gospell that when ten leapers were cleansed all of them hauing begged it of Christ before saying Iesus master haue mercie vpon vs Luke 17.17 but one returned to giue thankes and Christ asketh for the other nine and so sheweth what was their dutie also namely that as they had asked this benefit with him so they should haue returned with him to giue thankes And to this end is it sayd so often in the Psalme where he sheweth how in sundry afflictions men crie vnto God and he heareth them and deliuereth them Psal 107.8.15.21.31 Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men where he exhorteth all to praise God for those benefits which hee hath bestowed vpon them at their prayers But indeed this doctrine is so well knowne that it needeth no great proofe there is none so ignorant or so vnthankefull that will denie it onely we had need to examine our selues how we doe practise it whether we haue endeuoured to praise God for all his benefits and especially for those that we haue most desired when we haue had thē whether we haue ben any whit the more carefull to set forth the prayse of God for them than before Now if we find by this triall that the more that God hath giuē vs the more we haue glorified him then may we haue comfort and hope of the continuance of them but if in the abundance of all Gods benefits Let vs examin whether as Gods benefits encrease so we set foorth his glory the more we take our ease and set out our selues to the world and grow more proud and be lesse carefull to glorifie God as most commonly it falleth out then we prouoke God to take them away or to punish vs in them Therefore let euery one consider what good he doth with all that he hath and how by Gods blessings as wealth and such like not his owne name is aduaunced but what good he hath done since for the seruice and glory of God If he see they goe together the increase of Gods benefits vpon him and the increase of Gods glory in him it is well and he hath cause to reioyce but if the one increase greatly and the other decay or stand at a stay then it is the next way to loose all As we are taught in the parable of the Talents Matth. 25.24 he that hid that one that he had in a napkin and did no good with it nor vse it to his masters aduantage it was taken from him and he is called an euill and vnprofitable seruant So all are vnprofitable that in their seuerall callings vse not that which God giueth them to his glory and this shal be the end of them That all that they haue shall be taken from them and they shall haue their portion with the wicked That we may reioyce c. As they haue desired helpe of God for the glory of his name and promised to prayse him for it so more particularly they say that they shall reioyce in the saluation of the king They pray for this benefit that they might reioice namely if God would helpe him out of the hands of his enemies and giue him victorie ouer them For in the preseruation of the king was the good of the whole Church and common wealth therefore if he did well they should reioice and in his hurt and losse was the losse of them all and so they should haue cause to sorrow Therfore they vse this also as a reason to persuade the Lord to hear them That wheras now they were doubtfull or rather in great feare he by the victorie would giue them cause to reioice And though they shew whereunto their ioy should tend namely to the prayse of God singing vnto him of his saluation and setting vp their banners in his name yet they exclude not this but rather include it namely the common ioy of all the people and of the whole Church of God So that we may lawfully desire of God such things as we want to this end euen that we might reioyce and this one thing is sufficient to moue the Lord to giue them euen that thereby we might haue cause to reioyce as we must confesse that then we shal haue cause so to doe For besides the comfort of the thing that he giueth which may cleere vp the outward and inward man the inuisible things also of God are to be seene in his creatures and benefites as his wisedome power Rom. 1.20 goodnesse and mercie c. and so in the sight and feeling of the same we may reioyce much more especially when we haue prayed to God for them we may reioyce that God hath heard our prayers And so we may desire God to heare vs that so not onely for his benefits but for his goodnesse towards vs in them and especially in hearing our prayers for them we may reioyce God is willing to blesse his people that they might reioice Behold then I pray you the wonderfull goodnesse of our God who desireth our ioy and comfort and giueth vs things to that end that we might reioyce and would haue vs aske them of him to that end as this people doth here For as among men this often moueth them to heare vs that we professe to them and they see it also that if they shall doe so and so for vs we shall haue great case to reioyce and be glad and whereas now wee for the want of it are in heauinesse and sorrow this will cheere vp our hearts And this is sufficient to moue them that are of any good disposition that in doing for them that are in need we see that we shall make them and theirs right glad and the poore when they sue to them they vse this as a reason and it is accepted Then may we vrge this vnto the Lord much more and we may be assured that it will moue him As parents are willing to doe good to their children to that end For so good is the Lord to all that are his that he delighteth not in their sorow and griefe no more than parents doe in the griefe of their children nay a great deale lesse by how much his loue infinitely without all degree of comparison