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
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
have their paper offices where transaction between one State and another are kept so the Lord hath his prayer-office where he keeps all the prayers of his Saints that ever were put up to him Revel 8.3 Another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints Where were those prayers of all the Saints that he must take a censer and offer incense with God had them recorded with him and now they were to be offered to him And see what great things follow upon the offering of the prayers of the Saints vers 4. The smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And the Angel took the censer c. and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake These followed upon the prayers of the Saints It signified the time wherein all should come in remembrance before the Lord as if an Angel were offering yea Christ the Angel of the Covenant hath a time to take the prayers presented long ago and to offer them to God with his own incense They are all recorded in heaven therefore they are not in vain When a petition is taken and put upon record the petitioner petitioneth not in vain his petition is not thrown out God doth take all the petitions of the Saints and recordeth them they are all filed up in heaven Yet further there is no faithfull petition but God puts his fiat to the bottom of it at the instant that it is put up to him There is a decree in heaven issued out for mercy at the very instant that the petition is put up God dealeth not with us in this kind as men do who are counted very gracious if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition no but your petition is presently granted A petitioner when there is time taken to consider of his petition trembles and shakes for fear it should not be granted but the petitions of the Saints of God are granted presently When Daniel had been seeking God at the evening sacrifice an Angel comes to him and tells him that at the beginning of his prayer there was a decree to grant it and that he was sent to him at the beginning of his prayer Dan. 9.23 Psa 56.9 When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me Did not David cry oft and yet his enemies did not turn their backs when he cryed He cryed oft when his enemies prevailed yet he saith When I cried then mine enemies turned back and this I know why for God is for me The meaning must be this that at that instant that he cryed there was a decree in heaven the thing was done He looked on it as done even as certainly as if he had seen it with his eyes This is the reason that the Saints after they have prayed though the thing be not actually done fall to praising and blessing of God We have a notable example in Iehoshaphat of whom we read 2. Chron. 20.3 that being in a great fear bad set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah He did not seek God slightly but set himself to seek the Lord. And what his prayer was ye may see from vers 6. to 12. And Iehoshaphat said O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest over all Kingdomes Mark how he pleadeth with God for the Covenant he had made vers 8. Speaking of the Sanctuary they had built for his names sake If when evil commeth upon us as the sword judgement or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help He urgeth the promise made to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple For that prayer of Faith which Solomon made and God accepted hath the strength of a promise in it O our God saith he wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Though he profest that his enemies were so many that he knew not what to do and that they had no might to resist them yet after his prayer was done and before the battell began when he had consulted with the people he appointed singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercie endureth for ever vers 21. Mark he had not yet gotten the victory the battell was not fought yet as soon as he had ended his prayer he praised the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever He made account that the thing was done It was decreed in heaven Therefore surely the people of God are answered when they call upon him Nay it is not onely decreed but ere long God will satisfie his people fill their longing souls with goodnesse Psal 107.9 A time shall come when they shall they say their prayers are heard and that they have enough Yea the Lord giveth more sometimes then his people mention in their prayer they ask temporall blessings and he bestoweth spirituall yea he giveth them himself and that is all in all Surely then the prayers of the Saints are heard and answered But wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer What makes prayer so powerfull with God One thing is because God delighteth in mercy and in communicating himself to the children of men He taketh more pleasure in doing good then any can in seeking it yea then any can in enjoying it from him Our hearts cannot be so strongly set to seek for any mercy from God as he is to communicate mercy to us Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 Another thing that rendreth prayer so effectuall is Gods Covenant and promise to his people It was the speech of Alchimedes Give me a place to set my Engine in and I will shake the whole earth Let prayer have a sure foundation to set foot on and it will do mighty things Now the promises are the foundation of prayer whereof we have great abundance Numb 23. You shall find abundance of promises to the Saints of God when Balaam was brought to curse the people But in Deuter. 33. there are admirable promises There is none like unto the God of Iâ—shurun who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and on the skie in his excellency The eternall God is his refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say destroy them Israel then shall
avenge them he will hear their prayers he will answer their requests But it follows upon it notwithstanding when the Sonne of man comes shall he find faith on earth I verily think that that want of faith hath reference to that very promise specially that God will hear his elect that cry but God may stay so long as that the very time when God shall come to perform it and shall intend to do it it may be a time when their faith is overcome and fails in the promise that they begin to give over and think they have sought God in vain And usually the time when God comes to fulfill his promise and to answer the prayers of his people it is that very time when they fail and are ready to sâ—ck Therefore that may be another argument it may be thou hast not believed this promise Thou sayest thou hast prayed and thou thinkest thou hast not answer hast thou believed this promise in the Text hast thou relyed on it God hath commanded it and hast thou done as he commanded with belief Call unto me and I will answer thee The word of God shall be made good but how upon our faith it shall be made good to us upon our believing though we be never so godly and pray never so well yet if we will have the promises made good it must be upon believing If thou hast not laid the weight of thy soul on the promise thou hast no cause to say that God hath not made his word good it may be thou hast not faith learn to believe the word and then thou shalt have it fulfilled Thou wouldest have it made good and then thou wouldest believe it no thou must first believe the word and then expect that God should fulfill his promise Again God is a great God that we call unto and it is fit for us to wait and to wait long He is great and we call for great things and we are poor mean vile wretches God hath his prerogative sometimes to answer presently sometimes not so Elias was a great praying man he is set for an example of prayer he prayes at one time for fire to come on the sacrifice and fire came down presently another time he prayed for rain and then he prayed seven times and bowed his head between his knees and sent his servant and sent him again and again At one time God comes in at the first at another time not till the seventh hour it is Gods prerogative And take this note it is a true sign of a gracious spirit though God defer yet still for the soul to cling to God to think well of God and of the wayes of God and of the duty of prayer it is an excellent sign and the ready way to find favour with God You have sometimes two beggers follow you for alms one perhaps hath true need pure need and is of a soft tender spirit the other is a sturdy rugged beggar you deny them both he that hath pure need and hath a soft tender spirit he thinks he is unworthy that the other man should be bountifull to him and he falls a weeping yet he thinks well of the man and will be ready to beg of him upon another occasion he hath good thoughts of him But the sturdy begger rails breaks into an angry passionate mood and he will ask no more who of them is like to prevail the soft spirit that hath an ingenious disposition or the sturdy spirit that soon breaks off Thus there are many passionate hearts that are not froward with men but with God they come and ask mercy of God but their hearts are stiff and froward and sturdy if they have not that they would they presently break off and say why should we wait on God and cry it is in vain to seek the Lord. But now a gracious tender ingenious disposition though the thing come not that he prayes for he justifies God in all and speaks well of God and well of prayer and loves that still and waits on God in that way this is the soul that is likely to prevail But further to answer from the Text it may be thou hast not called unto God Call unto me saith God It may be it is somewhat else that thou hast sought in prayer then God though thou name God in thy prayer it may be thy heart hath been after creature-helps and thou hast made more account of the help of the creature of Armies and strength thou hast made account that they would do it rather then prayer and if there be no help but prayer thou thinkest it but a dry businesse A carnall hearted man when he hears of an army of twenty thousand men well clothed and the like he thinks much may be done but for the prayers of Gods people they think they be nothing Now if thou have sought help by creatures rather then by God thou hast not sought God all the while Or if it have been but outward safety that thou hast sought and not the face of God thou hast not sought God Seek my face saith God Psalm 27. This is the generation of them that seek thy face O Iacob Psalm 24. Thou seekest not God without thou seek Gods face without thou seek God for himself And ordinarily God is not sought but thy estate is sought and thou cryest out for the danger thou art in Therefore thou hast no cause to say it is in vain look to thy prayers take up thy prayers again Do as the fishermen do if they find that there comes nothing up that they do not catch they take up their net it may be there is a hole a rent in the net And so the Angler if the fish do not bite he takes up the bait it may be there is somewhat wanting on the hook So look to thy prayers it may be it is not God that thou hast sought take them up and see what is amisse in them Another answer is this it may be thy prayers have been vain and therefore no marvell if nothing but vain come of them Surely God will not hear vanity Iob 35.13 If there be nothing but vanity how canst thou expect that God should hear them Our prayers are ordinarily without form and void that is there is nothing but vanity in them Not that God regards so much the setting of a mans words in form handsomely for the grones and sighs of the spirit of God are accepted though they be not methodicall as the making of a speech to men God looks not to that Many pray and they know not why but because others do but they propound not the true end of prayer I appeal to thy conscience when thou hast gone to pray to God hast thou propounded this end I am going to tender up that worship and homage that I a poor creature owe to to the infinite glorious first being of all things you call your families sometimes to come to prayer and
mervaile why Christ doth come and opens the great sluce of Gods infinite grace and mercy to them as for the men of the world they have but a little of the drislings of Gods generall bountie through some crannies but the floud-gates of Gods grace are opened in Christ therefore till divine justice be satisfied there can be no further good for poor man but meerely the fruits of Gods generall bountie and patience There are some creatures whom the Lord hath left to the course of justice they shall have what they earne and no more others there are whom God hath set his heart upon and whether they earn or no God intendeth eternal mercies to them here is the difference of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace and therefore the one is left to himself and the other Christ the head of the Covenant comes to undertake for him what he cannot do they who are not children and must not expect childrens portions as many of you rich men when you die you will leave your servants some legacy perhaps you 'le give every servant in your house 5. l. or so but when you come to your children to write in your will what such a son and such a daughter shall have that is another manner of businesse then 40 s or 5. l. Great things you leave to them So the world may be divided between children and servants for though the truth is all men are at defiance with God yet God maketh them servants one way or other and there is some little legacy that servants shall have but they must not expect the childrens portion therefore they have it here but must not have it hereafter Thus saith the Lord if the Prince give a gift unto any of his sons the inheritance shall be his sons but if to his servant then it shall be but till Iubilee this was Gods law that if a Prince gave a gift to his son his son should inherit it for ever but if he give it to a seruant it should continue with him but for a while Here is the difference of Gods administration of all his gifts he giveth some to servants and these shall continue for a time with in a little while all will be called for again all the good and all the comfort thou hast God will call for it again but now that which he gives to his children they shall have for ever their pleasures are durable and their mercies everlasting Again the portion that the world hath here comes from Gods patience now there will be an end of the manifestation of the glory of patience in this world as there are some graces of the Spirit of God in the Saints that shall have an end in regard of their exercise in this world so there are some attributes of God that shall have an end in regard of the manifestation of them in that way that God doth now manifest them in this life and that is the patience of God towards ungodly ones now if they hold all upon patience mark they hold all upon patience when that expires then all their good is at an end And ungodly men shall have to deal with God immediately in the world to come I beseech you observe but this answer now they have to deal with God through creatures and while they have to deal with God through creatures they may get a great deal may make shift for much but when they shall come to have to deal with God immediately then it will be otherwise with them as for example there are a great many hang-byes at great mens houses perhaps when they come to have to deal with the servants they get some bits and scraps and many things of the servants but if they know they can have nothing but from the very hand of the Knight or Lord of the house himself then they will expect no great matter so wicked men in this world they are as hang-byes and all that they have are but as scraps from the servants they have to deal onely with creatures they look no further But hereafter things shall be setled another way and all things shall be weighed by God himself in a ballance of justice distributed by the hands of God himself immediately and then things will be carried after another manner the Lord himself will come to dispose of things Then it was a speech of a German Divine though he were a good man and lived very innocently when he lay upon his sick bed and apprehended death he was in great terrours of spirit mightily troubled and some of his friends came to him asked him why should you be so troubled that have lived so good a life as you have done this was his answer The judgements of God are one and the judgements of men are another I have now to deal with God it is true I lived thus before men and men gave their verdict of me as good and thought I was in a good condition but O I am now to go to God and to deal immediately with him and Gods judgements and mans judgements are different things when God shall come to weigh all mens portions out as it will be then so much righteousnesse so much happinesse you 'l say then Lord what shall become of us all all our righteousnesse is as the menstruous cloth I but for the Saints the righteousnesse of Christ will be put into one scoale and their portion into the other and their portion will be weighed by the righteousnesse of Christ Now when thou comest to God thou must come to the scoale and thou wilt put in thy good servings of God and thy coming to Church and some good civill actions and morall things thou hast done thou wilt put them in the scoale God will say that thou hast had already weighs down all those Hast thou nothing to put into the scoales but this thou hast had thy reward already for all this and much more then if there be nothing to put into the scoale but this thou art undone and there is nothing for thee for eternity and these are the 2. first things now then some Corollaries from hence and then we will proceed unto the other Is it so that wicked men have a portion here and that is all they shall have 1. then we may see a reason why the men of the world are so cuning in the things of the world why they can make a better shift for themselves in the world then other men can why here is their portion their very happinesse and good is here no mervail though they speed so well as they do We have not received the spirit of the world saith the Apostle we cannot tell how to shift in the world so as other men doe for indeed we look further then these things you know a swine though it goes away abroad all day wandering up and down it knows the way to the trough at night but if a
may repeat in your ears I heard such a day there were a generation of men that have their portion in this world and now I am afraid I am one of them and there is an end of my portion onely I must go to my other portion that will be very dreadfull I but who have you spoke too all this while who is the man that hath his portion in this world it is a poor portion as you have set out to us but every one will go away and say I hope it is not I I hope God hath a better portion for me then this therefore give me leave to speak in the name of God to you and out of his word to point out the man and woman that is like to have their portion here living and dying in such a condition First that man to whom God gives in this life nothing but what belongs to this life that is the man apparently if God give thee thy estate and if he gives thee not somewhat besides thy estate that is a principle that is a seed of eternall life in thee certainly he never intends good to thee in the world to come There are many men have a great deal in this world they say they hope God will be mercifull to them in the world to come Now this is a certain truth that man to whom God denies spirituall mercy in this world God will deny eternall mercy to him in the world to come this therefore should be thy care doth God increase my estate in this world O that the Lord would give a proportionable measure of grace or else it is nothing Lord thou givest me here a great estate if thou givest not to me together with it a proportionable measure of grace to use it to thy name I had better have been without this Is this thy care I put it to thy conscience as thy estate encreases art thou solicitous at the Throne of grace that the Lord would give thee a proportionable measure of grace to manage thy estate for his glory then peace be to thee thou art not the man You may further examine it by the workings of your hearts about your present portions As. 1 whether you enjoy what you have for it self and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy one that is godly hath his portion beyond these things he enjoyes the creatures I but it is God that he enjoyes in them that is sweet to me that I can see and taste the love of God in I but a Carnall heart enjoyes the creatures and runs away and is terminated there looks much at the creature but at little in God as divers of your hospitall children here look more at the men that were their friends to bring them into the hospitall when they were Fatherlesse and Motherlesse and shiftlesse then they look at the founders of the Hospitall they little think of them to thank God for them but if they meet with him that was the next cause to bring them in they will thank him for his kindnesse so it is with most men they look at outward means and secondary causes but a godly heart looks at the root of all things I remember one that came into the Treasurehouse of Venice where he saw Tables of gold and silver and he pointed down looking at the bottom of the Table whereupon one asked him why is your eye so at the bottom O saith he I am looking at the root of all this Alas it is a small matter for a man that hath a great trade to have a great stock A godly man though he hath but a little yet he looks at the root at the love of God and the Covenant of grace which is the spring of all and the chief thing that satisfies his heart it is the goodnesse of God that satisfies a gracious heart and not the bare creature Therefore examine how your hearts are set upon these things of the world whether your hearts go out with full strength to them if you make your bellies to be your God then your end will be destruction That man that hath his heart swallowed up in the world like Corah Dathan and Abiram that were swallowed in the earth if the things of the earth be a gulfe to swallow thy heart up there is another gulfe to swallow thee up hereafter Consider how do the losse of the things of the world take thy heart dost not thou account thy self an undone man when thou had lost some comforts dost thou not come home to thy wife and children I say I am an undone man why what is the matter I have lost some part of my estate O carnall heart one that is Gods child may have some crosses but no losses at all because he enjoyes all in God and hath God still The truth is if thou wert truly Godly whatever afflictions thou meetest with all as we say a man may put all his gain in his eye so you may if you be godly put all your crosses in your eyes you are so far from being undone Examine then whether these things of the world be not the onely suitable things to your hearts whether you blesse not your selves in these as in your happinesse the Ivie will claspe about a rotten tree and cannot be taken off it without tearing and so the heart of a worldling will clasp about these rotten comforts as the onely agreable things You may hear them sometimes tell with joy that we were in such a place and were so merry had the bravest meeting and what was there there was singing and drinking and blaspheming of the name of God yet it was the bravest meeting that could be When did you ever come from an ordinance of God and say O it was a brave day to me the Lord hath spoken to my heart this day did you never go from the word with as merry a heart and rejoyce of it amongst your friends as you did from a merry meeting you may fear you are the man that have your portion here If I were to give but one evidence whether a man hath grace or no I would give this assoon as any one Suppose thou hast got some estate in the word I put this to thee what dost thou account to be the chiefest good of thy estate more then thou didst before A man that hath got an estate more then he had before thinks with himself now I may live at a better fashion then I could now I may have more freedom then before now I may have more credit in the world then I had now I may have my own mind and satisfie my lust more then I did or then another man can do is not this the thing thou most rejoycest in nay is not this a truth that some of your hearts if your hearts were ripped up this would be the language of them most rejoyce in because hereby you have most fewel for your lusts a
regard when he goes to his sport he may have a mean house to lodge in for a while but his pallace where he shews his Majestie and honour that is more glorious So the people of God and the Church is called the house of Gods honour it is not a mean house but a house of honour Further it is that house that he means to dwell in for ever he loves it so well This is my house I will dwell in it for ever I am so well pleased with it I will rest in it for ever Surely we have cause to rest our hearts in Gods people when God finds rest there and for ever It may be some of you are sometimes acquainted with the people of God at the first delight in them but your hearts being carnall you soon grow weary of them It is not so with God he delights in his people and rests there and rests there for ever But you will say how is God present with his Saints more then in other places why is God said to dwell among his people his Saints I answer in two regards God is said to dwell among his people in a speciall manner First because he makes himself known to his people more then to all the world besides There are none that know the counsell and mind of God so as his Saints do God is known in Iudah Psal 29.9 There God opens himself In his Temple every man speaks of his glory Secondly because God communicates himself most among his people God is said to be in heaven Why but because there he manifests his glory more then in other places therefore heaven is his habitation If that be his habitation where he manifests himself more then his people are his habitation because he manifests himself most there Secondly heaven is the place of Gods residence because he communicates himself most there then also Gods people are his residence he communicates himself there And he communicates himself to them in a speciall manner in four regards 1. He communicates to his people more choise mercies 2. He communicates mercies more fully 3. He communicates mercies more powerfully 4. More universally then to others 1. He communicates goodnesse among his people and Saints more choisely more choise mercies of God There is a remarkable place in the Psalmes The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psalm 143. ult He saith not the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee either out of heaven or earth but out of Zion as nothing that the choise mercies that God hath to communicate are out of Zion among his people joyned together in the way of worship Would you desire that God should blesse you with the chief mercies that he hath look upon God as blessing out of Zion out of Zion God communicates his choisest mercies therefore it concerns all to be in Zion that they may have God to blesse them out of Zion there runs the sweetest of Gods mercies indeed in Zion Again God communicates his mercies more fully among his people then any other way Psalm 36.7 8. How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures They shall be abundantly satisfied how not with the creatures but with the fatnesse of thy house Neither with thy communication to them alone God hath abundance of mercies for his Saints alone but when they are among the Saints jointly together then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he shaâ—l make them drink of his rivers of pleasures While they are alone in corners they may have many sweet drops of pleasure from God but when they are joyned with the Saints there are rivers of pleasure and delight that come to their hearts therefore there is great delight to be had in the Saints of God when they are joyned together Thirdly he communicates them more powerfully mark in Psal 133.3 As the dew of Hermon and the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life for ever more There was blessing the Lord commanded it there went a powerfull work of Gods grace upon the hearts of people there when they were joyned together in Zion there God commanded the blessing If you would have God speaking powerfully to command a blessing on your souls you must be among his people you must joyn in a holy fellowship with his people there God commands it In the last place more universally all the goodnesse of God is communicated among his people therefore the Church is called the perfection of beauty Psam 50. that some translate the universality of excellency and beauty There is a universality of all among the Church and people of God And in another place All my springs are in thee Psam 87. speaking of joyning with the people of God that is all my springs of truth that are revealed to me all the springs of comfort that I have communicated to my soul all the springs of grace that I have to quicken me they are all in thee in the joynt society and communion with Gods people I find all Thus we see the presence of God among his people in regard of the communication of himself to them and therefore what a great deal of cause there is to joy and delight in the Saints jointly together Again further there is abundance of cause to delight in them joyned together in regard of their admirable priviledges as they are joyned together They have priviledges as they are alone but as they are joyned they have committed to them the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 all the ordinances by which God conveyes himself To them are committed the seal of the covenant you cannot singly have the seal of the covenant but joyned with the people of God closing with them To them is committed the very power of Iesus Christ saith the Apostle When ye are together with the power of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 a glorious priviledge Yea further take this one thing they are inheritours to all the promises that ever God made to the Church from the beginning of the world There is no society of Saints that joyn in Christian fellowship but they are so See a remarkable place for that in Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the LORD That promise that God made to the Churches before this is their heritage And conceive of this one now that is of great use that all that is said in Scripture concerning Gods delight to be among his people and in Zion all were but to type out the excellent
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
former times and then to pray onely in affliction it is a dangerous condition but this temptation comes upon such as have sought God before I now you seek God but this is in your affliction and will God regard you now I speak it onely to comfort such as are carefull to seek God in the time of their health yet if thou hast been negligent it is possible that God should regard thee in the time of affliction Ionah prayed and said I prayed and cryed by reason of mine affliction to the Lord and he heard me Ionah 2.2 But suppose it be affliction for sin for so the objection may arise It is true if I did call unto God in the time of affliction that God did send for tryall it may be God would hear me but suppose Gods hand be on me for sin will God hear my prayers That one notable example of David may help the people of God against such a temptation Gods hand was on him for his sin when he fled before Absolom God threatned that warre should not depart from his house yet David then prayed against that wicked politition and counsellour that the Lord would turn his counsell to folly and God heard Davids prayer in his affliction that was for sinne And the Lord turned the counsell of Achitophel to folly Let us not be discouraged though polititians work never so craftily though Gods hand be on us and we have conscience accusing us and say I this is for your sins that God leaves you thus in the hands of your enemies that God gives them such power that they find such favour with the Prince as they do though this be for our sins yet let us seek to God to turn the counsell of Achitopell to folly It shall not be nor hath not been in vain we have found it so that in our affliction and affliction for sin yet crying to God to turn the counsell of Achitophel to folly God hath done so graciously hath incouraged us more and more to cry and call unto him for that end But what need I seek to God God hath decreed and determined what he will do what God intends to do he hath decreed from eternity therefore whether we pray or no it shall come to passe if we do not pray it shall come to passe If God have intended to deliver me out of a sicknesse it shall be done whether I pray or no when any ones time is come they shall die and so when the time of a Kingdome is come it shall be destroyed and not till then therefore what good can prayer do Though I suppose you cannot but be satisfied and think that this objection hath little weight yet for answer I will give you a Scripture or two Psalm 2. I will declare the decree The decree of God concerning the advancement of Christ in his resurrection and so of the successe of the work of Christs mediation I will declare the decree the Lord hath said thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession Gods giving of Christ the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession it was decreed of God yet Christ must ask it of his Father notwithstanding Gods decree And another Text remarkable is in the prophesie of Daniel where the Text saith Dan. 9.2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Ieremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish 70. years in the desolation of Ierusalem And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications Mark Daniel understood by books what God had determined concerning Ierusalem what need Daniel go further he knew Gods mind what he would do whether he did pray or no but mark vers 3. I set my face to seek the Lord. After he knew what God had decreed and what he would do and what he had promised Now we know not Gods decree but if we did certainly know the decree of God in shewing mercy to the Land yet it could no way hinder us but encourage us to set our faces to seek the Lord and to seek him more earnestly therefore that is a vain objection Again it is not in vain to call unto the Lord if we examine all we have had already though we have not all we would have yet if we consider the supporting mercies the preventing mercies and the guiding mercies that God hath granted us we shall find that it is not in vain that we have sought him There are abundance of mercies that thou hast had already It is an evill thing to complain of Gods grace when God hath bestowed such mercies Thou thinkest thou hast nothing because thou hast not all thou wouldest have as a froward child because it hath not every thing to its mind casts away all God hath been exceeding gracious to us other souls would have adored God and have blessed him with their faces to the ground if they had had but the hundred part of those mercies that we have yet because we have not all we desire we are ready to think it is in vain O let us take heed of dishonouring the grace of God Again further thou thinkest it is in vain because God sometimes denies in granting and grants in denying Many times God grants that we pray for in denying it and denies that we pray for in granting it our denyals are grants to us Wo to us if all were granted to us that we pray for Much good may be gotten out of Gods denyalls and God denyes us to do us good and to prepare us for mercies therefore it is not in vain that thou hast fought God because it is not in vain that thou art denyed But further it may be God delights more in thy praying then in thy praising voice therefore though thou have not that thou hast sought for give leave to God to delight in thee which way he pleaseth There is the praying and the praising voice of Gods people thou delightest that God should hear thy praising voice it may be God delights to hear thy praying voice and it may be he should not if thou haddest what thou wouldest have Saith God to the Church Let me hear thy voice for it is sweet There is no man that will think the King denies his petition as long as the King loves to read it If one present a petition to the King he doth not say he will presently do it but if he read it and when he hath read it calls for it again and again will any man think it in vain that he hath put up that petition as long as the King hears it and delights to read it it is not in vain So as long as God loves to hear thy voice and to read thy petition it
is not in vain As for thy praising voice God shall have enough of that in heaven but he shall have none of thy praying voice therefore why shouldest thou not be willing that God should have more of thy praying voice here All that ever God shall have of thy praying voice it is in this worln and after a little time God shall never hear us pray more Therefore let us be willing to go on and continue in prayer and not to wonder why God keeps us on in a way of praying because all the time that ever God shall have to delight himself in the praying voice of his people it is in this world and for our praising voice we would fain spend all our dayes in praising God for his mercies but that is reserved for another world Further it may be Gods way to stay till he bring a great deal of mercy together and not by bitts and drops As when men deal with great merchants they expect not to have payments by six pences or shillings or Crowns at once but though there be two or three or ten pounds due they stand not on that but stay for a greater summe Now little traders that deal by retail they take it in by pence and little summes Christians that are to deal with God they deal for great things and there are great transactions between God and a gracious heart therefore think not much that God stayes with a greater summe For as God deals with the wicked in the way of justice so he deals with godly men in a way of mercy He lets wicked men go on a great while he comes not to judgement for sin but stayes till all come together till a great summe of wrath and judgement come together So he deals with the saints he comes not with lesse mercies but he stayes till abundance come and when Gods time is come mercies will come to the full indeed Further it may be God hath so much mercy that thou hast not a vessell capable of it Onely know that heaven and earth and all are working for thee Is the plowing and the sowing of the husbandman and all the showers in vain because the corn is not in the barn we account it not so so we must not account our prayers lost because the thing we pray for is not presently graunted and owe prayers answered Now for Application First if it be so that God saith call upon me and I will answer thee certainly there are great things for the Church to build on God is to do marvelous things for his people in these latter dayes Why because all the Saints from the beginning of the world have been seeking God not onely for their own times but for the Church to this very day all their prayers are upon the fyle and must be answered one day O what a glorious harvest will it be blessed are they that shall live to partake of it We have a little but certainly there are glorious things for the Church because everie prayer shall be answered Secondly you that are the Saints of God know your honour though you be never so poor otherwise God hath given you that which makes you rich you have the key of heaven you may open the treasures in heaven and it shall never be in vain Gods people are such as are exceeding honourable in the eyes of God and in this regard that they have credit in heaven that their prayers shall be heard and answered Bathsheba saith to Solomon 1 King 2.20 I desire one petition of thee I pray thee say me not nay It is translated by some Ne confundas faciam confound not my face Indeed the denying of a petition it is a dishonour and a confounding of the face but God will not confound the faces of his people O here see your priviledge and your riches all the prayers that you have made in your life time they are all trading in heaven they are not lost If a man have ventured a stock abroad to the Indies and do not hear of it in a great while he thinks it is lost gone but if he hear certain news that all his stock is safe in the place where he would have it and those that are there faithfully improve his stock he is revived by this it rejoyceth his spirit and he can say blessed be God I hope to be a rich man for all this I say to thee be of good comfort thy stock is not lost it is trading in heaven and everie prayer that thou hast put up is there We should account our prayers as riches as adventures sent to heaven and not as children that shoot arrows and do not mind them And then learn this it is a great priviledge to have a praying friend a praying companion Manie of you love friends that are delightfull of a cheerly nature and merry but are they praying ones praying friends are the speciall friends because prayer can prevail with God To have a friend in the Court that can obtain any petition we think it a priviledge to have one great friend in heaven is a great priviledge Many people when they lie on their sick beds they send to such and such to pray for them why do they not send to their companions that they did drink with and swear with to pray for them O they dare not Here is enough to convince anie mans conscience who are the best men whatsoever they say Suppose thy condition were thus that thou diddest lie on thy death-bed and thy life did depend upon the prayers of four or five men If God should speak thus from heaven thou art at the brink of destruction onely this favour thou shalt find thou shalt have leave to choose where thou wilt four or five men to pray for thee and according as they pray so it shall be with thee thou hast liberty to choose through the world whom thou wilt I appeal would a drunkard choose four or five drunkards or a swearer choose swearers or unclean ones that they most delighted in all their life time If all should depend upon it thou wouldest not choose such therefore thou art convinced in thy conscience thou knowest that those are not precious in Gods eyes however thy lust have prevailed but that the other are better men that are gracious and have more credit in heaven Learn to prise praying friends that can prevail with God And let us set the crown upon prayers head in the mercies we have from God in publick mercies and private deliverances of friends attribute it not to second means to fortune and chance take heed of denying God his glorie It is a sign of a carnall spirit when God hath glorified himself in answering the prayers of his people to attribute it to any other means As I remember I read of the Porphirian atheists that followed the atheisme of Porphyrie they darkned the work of God in delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt thorough
that way means which I directed them I promised to answer their desires when that they should call unto me I suppose that the principall scope of the holy Ghost is that which the words plainly present to our view That we must call upon God before he will hear and answer our requests God requires his people to call unto him and he is pleased to be found of them and not onely to answer them but to do abundantly for them So then this point ariseth plainly out of the words When God requires a people to him he will make it good to them that he will answer them Before I open this point I will give you a Scripture or two one in the old Testament and another in the new Deut. 4.7 For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Here is an experiment of the fruit of calling unto God and it is spoken to shew the honour of Gods people the priviledge of the seed of Iacob and the eminent condition they were in God is nigh to them in all things they call upon him for therefore they are not required to seek God in vain So Matth. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive A very strange expression Here might seem to be a tautologie One would think that it had been large enough to have said Whatsoever ye shall ask ye shall receive but here is all things whatsoever We would not speak so in ordinary language I will give you all things whatsoever Yet it may be this may be intended and I believe it is And all things here is the generall promise that all things that ye ask ye shall receive and whatsoever may referre to particulars every particular thing that ye ask ye shall receive You will say any one that understands reason or Logick knoweth that particulars are included in the generall But there is this illogicall reasoning of unbelief that though we agree to the premises in generall yet when we come to particulars we think they will not be made good to us I suppose you find your unbelieving hearts so irrationall that though they believe the generall promise yet when it comes to particulars and you cannot but say that such a particular is in the generall yet your hearts will not come up to it Therefore our Saviour saith not onely all things in generall but also whatsoever in particular So Jam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much There is but one word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the working prayer but it is translated by two effectuall fervent Surely then prayer and seeking of God is the ordinance which he hath appointed for the turning about of the great affairs of the world Tâ—… is the engine that doth it inwardly there are indeed a great many outward wheeles used but the spring of all is within prayer turns all about God never made use of any created power so much as of this He never did such great things by any created power as by the ordinance of prayer The Word is appointed for the converting of souls but a great part of the blessing of the Word dependeth on prayer In the opening of this point I will first give you some evidences of it Secondly shew you what great things prayer will do Thirdly wherein the efficacy and power of it lyeth Fourthly the objections of troubled unbelieving spirits against it And then come to apply all The evidences hereof are first the many famous records in Scripture of the noble and glorious exploits of prayer If any of you should come to me to ask as that King did of the prophets servant 2. Kings 8.4 What great things hath thy master done so what great things hath prayer done in the world truly we might spend houres and dayes in returning you an answer a great part of holy Scripture being spent in this very argument And it is a very good exercise for you in the night when you cannot sleep or at other times when you are troubled to do as that King did Esther 6.1 call for the book of the Records of prayer You that read the Scriptures mark what you read The word of God will tell you how prayer hath stopped the Sunne in the firmament opened heaven and shut it again raised from death to life opened the prison doores and what not Secondly all Gods people are able to tell you great stories of what they have gotten by prayer This poor man cryed saith David of himself Psalm 34.6 and the Lord heard him Who is it that cannot tell histories of Gods gracious dealing with him upon his calling unto him to be sure our Nation hath many things to say this way and every particular godly soul hath many things to say they would not lose their income of prayer for all the world Thirdly surely it is not in vain to call unto God for there was never any soul that ever would leave off but would continue as long as he lived seeking him he would seek his face evermore if he had had no answer he would have left off When we see a Bee stick on a Flower and will not be driven off or if she be driven off she will come again we conclude certainly it finds honey there So all the Saints of God that have ever sought God truly they would never be beaten off this way Let the world do what it will persecute them set spies to watch them in their meetings of prayer let it punish and imprison them let all the malice and rage of men be against them yet they cannot hinder them either from praying in their closets or from injoying the benefit of the communion of Saints in prayer Daniel had rather lose his life then be kept from his prayers though but for a day but pray he would and that openly yea three times a day as he was wont he would not forbear one time He did stick to prayer finding honey sweetnesse in it Oh how unlike are we to Daniel though the performance of this duty was exceeding hazzardable to Daniel yet he would not be deterred from it but every light trifle taketh off our hearts It is not in vain for wicked men to call upon God though they are not able to seek God as they ought The prayer of the wicked is abominable saith Solomon Prov. 15.8 That is not to be understood of the prayer of every man that is unregenerate wickednesse is not so to be taken in that place For we know that God hath regarded the prayers of men unregenerate The prayers fasting of Niniveh were regarded of God the praying fasting of Ahab was regarded of God God hath granted the wicked some mercies he hath looked on them as his creatures Though God seeth enough in their prayers to cast them off yet God hath