At one time God comes in at the first at another time not till seven times it is Gods prerogative And take this note it is a true sign of a gratious spirit though God defer yet still for the soul to cling to God to think well of God and of the wayes of God of the duty of prayer it is an excellent sign 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 hath a soft tender spirit he thinks he is unworthy that the other man should be bountifull to him and he fals a weeping yet he thinks well of the man 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 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 ask mercy of God but their hearts are stiff and froward sturdy if they have not that they would they presently break off 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 sought God Seek ye 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 Jacob. 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 〈…〉 fore no marvell if nothing but vain come of them Surely God will not hear vanity Job 35.13 If there be nothing but vanity how canst thou expect that God should hear them The word here in vain it is the same word in Genesis 1. At the first all was without form and void a confused chaos So ordinarily our prayers are without form and void that is there is nothing but vanity a confused lump a chaos 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 But they are without form and void that is that is a vain thing that hath no end or not a good end 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 ow to the infinite glorious first being of all things you call your families sometimes to come to prayer never think what you do what you aim at I and my family are now going to seek the great God in prayer I am now going to joyn with my father or my master now that we are altogether in this family to tender up that worship and homage that we poor creatures ow to that infinite glorious first being of all things whereby to testifie our high respect and esteem of him Now if thy prayer be a customary way of prayer it is vanity it hath not a right end It may be thou goest to prayer meerly to satisfie conscience Or some have this by end in prayer a wicked end that is they think to satisfie God for their former sinfull wicked wayes They take libertie in company to drink and please the flesh and as they served themselves then so now they will serve God and set one against another Sometimes they will give liberty to the flesh to take contentment that way but they will not alway do so sometime they will be devout and serve God There is no man so wicked as to be alwayes in the acts of wickednesse but they think God must have his turn and they must have their turn sometimes And this is the prayer of many people to put their sinnes in one scale and so many devout prayers in the other scale and the one shall poize the other This is vanity this is not the end of prayer Then a thing is vain when it is empty when there is not substance in it Now when the heart is empty in prayer there are words and they are wind the Lord sees not the strength of thy spirit thou dost not set thy self before the Lord in prayer thy expressions are meerly empty God doth not see thy expressions filled with the graces of the Spirit this is vanity Take heed of vain expressions when there is nothing but nature in prayer though there be never so much earnestnesse in prayer if there be but a naturall spirit it is vanity we must pray in the spirit as the Scripture speaks And take heed of sluggishnesse in prayer that makes it vanity The breath that comes from life
wonders yet many 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 a 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 at this day A third is this in the text I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain God as I said hath raised a spirit of prayer among the seed of Jacob 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 seek God for what we would have for God hath said it is not in vain to seek his face 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 Numa 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 neeâ— 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 many 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 seek 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 wil flie in our face that we have been sensuall carnall creatures it is for our neglect of seeking God that God hath denyed 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 seeve 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 hast left God the fountain of living water and hast sought after vanity 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 that he hath not said seek ye me in vain This day testifies it to be true that they are great things that prayer hath done I have heard many years ago by credible testimony that on this fifth of November when we had such a great mercy so many years ago that very day it was known that a great many godly people in the city kept it 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 army did rise and seek to bring us into slavery 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 heare 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 glory 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 it 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 melted by the beams of the Sunne then by the scorching of the fire You will say humbled for what There are three things that we have cause to be humbled for upon the consideration of the mercy of God towards us First the sinne of unbelief consider when we were straitned at any time when we heard ill news that our armies fled and came to danger how our spirits were down as if all were gone Let us check our hearts God rebuked us in a kindly manner we might have had a furious rebuke Secondly be humbled for all our murmuring and repining and discontent O we did not think that the warres would have held so long and O what taxations are upon us and all our estates are rent away And how many are there that had rather that all the good that God hath done for his people since these times should never have been done then
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 sinnes yet let us seek to God to turn the counsell of Achitophel 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 and hath incouraged us more and more to cry 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 not 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 and 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 yeare of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish 70. years in the desolation of Jerusalem 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 Jerusalem 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 seek 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 evil 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 hundreth 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 sought 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 is may 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 thâ— King loves to reade it If one present a petition to the King he doth not say he will presently do it but if he reade 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 reade it it is not in vain So as long as God loves to heare thy voice and to reade 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 world and after a little time God shall never heare 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
JACOBS SEED Or The Generation of Seekers And DAVIDS DELIGHT Or The excellent on earth By The late reverend preacher of the Gospel JEREMIAH BURROUGH Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie of Cambridge 1643. To the Reader Christian Reader THou art presented here with a small Treatise of this reverend authour deceased who by his worthy works as Abel by his faith being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 The work is but of small bulk yet hath many excellent truths contained in it concerning two of as necessary duties as fall within the compasse of a Christians course The seeking of Gods face a thing so needfull in these troublesome dayes and yet so generally neglected As also concerning the excellency in and the high esteem that true saints have of their fellow-saints which is so rare to find in these disjoynted and divided times The work had come abroad ere this had not the private ends of some been an obstacle in the way I am confident that of all the works of this worthy authour that have been published since his death there is none can so justly challenge him for the father as this both for matter and form as any one that used to heare him may perceive The former part of this work was delivered by him in two severall Sermons though now thought convenient to be joyned as one The former before the Right Honourable the Earl of Warwick in his own house The latter at Cree-church in London upon Novemb. 5. the annuall commemoration of our deliverance from the Gunpowder-plot it happening also to be a day of publick humiliation The last was preached in another church in London Accept the work then with the same candour as it is intended there and that thou mayest be furthered in holy walking by it is the desire of Thy Christian friend ¶ The contents of the ensuing Treatise The first part on ISAIAH 65.19 THe scope of the words page 1 Why the people of God are called the seed of Jacob page 2 The words opened page 5 Doctrine When God requires a people to seek him he will make it good to them that it shall not be in vain page 7 I. Evidences that it is not in vain to seek God 1. The great things recorded of prayer page 10 2. What the Saints have gotten by prayer page 11 3. No faithfull seeker of God will leave off ibid. 4. Wicked men seek him not in vain page 12 5. Godly men have given up themselves to it page 14 6. Godly men prize the prayers of others page 15 7. God is found of them that sought him not ibid. 8. God forbids prayer when he will shew no mercy page 16 9. Else a praying heart were not alwayes a mercy ibid. II What great things prayer doth 1. It is the right exercise of our faculties and graces page 17 2. It is the performance of our duty is creatures page 17 3. It is a tendring of homage and worship to God page 18 4. It shews we are on Gods side ibid. 5. God accepts every faithfull prayer ibid. 6. God grants every faithfull petition page 21 III. Wherein the efficacy of prayer lieth 1. God takes pleasure in doing good page 25 2. God hath made a covenant with his page 26 3. Prayer is Gods own work page 32 4. Right prayer seeks God for God page 33 5. It is part of Christs purchase page 34 6. Christ tenders them up to his Father page 35 7. God is a God hearing prayer page 36 8. It is a pouring out the spirit to God ibid. 9. The seed of Jacob are dear to God page 37 10. It is for Gods honour to heare his people page 38 IV. Objections against prayer answered Object 1. We have prayed and find not the issue page 39 Answ 1. Remember the times of old ibid. 2. God makes good his promise on believing page 43 3. God is great and we must wait page 44 4. We must seek God in prayer page 46 5. God answereth not vain prayers page 47 What makes prayers vain page 50 Object 2. It is in vain to pray page 54 Ans God heareth the seed of Jacob ibid. 1. Jacob was mighty in prayer page 56 2. He feared God ibid. 3. His heart was loose from the creature page 57 4. He was of a tender spirit page 58 5. He repaired to the covenant in his streights page 59 6. He was of an humble spirit page 60 7. He looked to his former condition ibid. 8. He was content with God alone page 61 9. Jacobs posterity were all of the Church page 63 10. Those of Jacobs seed have his inheritance page 68 11. Those of Jacobs seed are faithfull in their place page 70 12. They are taught of God page 71 13. They are carefull of their families ibid. 14. They are carefull of the Churches good when they be gone page 72 Object 3. I am a poore wretched creature page 73 Ans God hears the prayer of the destitute ibid. Object 4. The things we need are great page 74 Ans Not to great for God to give ibid. Object 5. But I pray in the time of affliction page 75 Ans Yet God will heare prayer ibid. Object 6. But my afflictions are for sinne page 76 Ans Yet God will heare prayer ibid. Object 7. But God hath determined what he will do page 77 Ans Yet God must be sought by prayer ibid. It is not in vain to pray 1. Because we have had many mercies already page 79 2. God denyes in granting grants in denying page 80 3. God delights in a praying as a praysing voice page 81 4. God stayes to bring a great deal together page 82 5. Our vessels are not sometimes capable page 83 Application 1. There are great things that God will do for the Church in these latter dayes page 84 2. The honour of those that are the seed of Jacob ib. 3. It is a great priviledge to have a praying friend page 86 4. To set the crown on prayers head in the mercies we have from God page 88 5. Reproof to those that begin to seek God and continue not page 92 What God hath done of late and the use of it page 93 1. To be humbled page 95 1. For our unbelief ibid. 2. For our murmuring ibid. 3. For being discouraged in Gods wayes page 96 2. To love prayer page 97 3. To be resolute in Gods cause page 99 4. To give God reall praise page 100 5. Not to let God call on us in vain page 102 The second part on PSAL. 16.3 The scope and dependance of the words page 105 Doctrine 1. The saints of God are the excellent in earth page 108 The doctrine opened page 109 They are excellent 1. Because they have holinesse the image of God page 111 Grace expressed in Scripture by
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 Again it is not in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek the Lord for it is not in vain for wicked men to seek him though they are not able to seek God as they oughâ— The prayer of the wicked is abominable 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 and fasting of Niniveh were regarded of God the prayer and 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 manifested his regard to them Therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to seek the Lord much lesse is it in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek him Yea the Lord heareth the cry of the very Ravens and 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 Jonah 3.7 8. Surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry it is not in vain for the Seed of Jacob to seek God Again it is evident that it is not in vain 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 this duty Now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength and all his might to that which were vanity and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained It is said of Jehoshaphat 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 do 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 vain 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 and 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 it is not in vain 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 Jesus 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 it is not in vain for the seed of Jacob to seek 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 in vain 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 seek the Lord. There be many other evidences which I passe by on 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 ow to God Prayer is not onely a duty but a great part of the worship that God hath in the world While we are worshiping 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 Jacob 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 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 â—enders 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 noyse of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noyse 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 transactions between one State 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 voyces 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 petitionis not thrown out If a petition be presented to the Parliament and they take it and tell you it shall be kept on record and charge the Clerk to keep it there and say they will take due time to consider of it you will not say such a petition is in vain God doth so to all his people he takes their petitions and recordeth them they are all filed in heaven Yet further there is no faithfull petition but God puts his fiat to the bottome 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 gratious if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition no but your petition is presently gtanted 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 seed of Jacob are granted presently When Daniel had been seeking God at the evening sacrifice an Angel comes to him 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 Jehoshaphat of whom we reade 2. Chron. 20.3 that being in a great fear had set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah 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 Jehoshaphat 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 commeth 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 and that should praise for the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercie indureth 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 do not seek him in vain Nay it is not onely decreed but ere long God will satisfie his people and fill their longing souls with goodnesse Psal 107.9 A time shall come when they shall 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 not in vain But wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer What makes prayer so powerfull and present 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
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 Well because I would sain get to the application of the point I passe by other things and will onely take away that great objection and reasoning that is in the hearts of men against this point You tell us that the prayers of Gods people are not in vain 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 the 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 it is in vain though perhaps this that you now say is vain yet it makes not the text void Remember what hath been before heretofore you have sought God and that was not in vain 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 in vain 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 is 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 I 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 surely 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 Jacob Joseph 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 Isaiah you have a complaint of unbelieving hearts as if God had been sought in vain Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord my judgement is passed over from my God Art thou one of the seed of Jacob hast sought God and sayest it is in vain 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 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint be weary the young men shall utterly fall v. 28 29 30 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shal renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and 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 Jacob 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 sail and then he comes and helpes 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 avenge them he will hear their prayers it is not in vain But it follows upon it notwithstanding when the Sonne of man comes shall he find faith on earrh 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 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 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 sink Therefore that may be another argument it may be thou hast not believed this promise Thou sayest thou hast prayed and thou thinkest it is in vain hast thou believed this promise in the text hast thou relyed on it God hath not said to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain 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 seek to and it is fit for us to wait and to wait long He is great we seek 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 7. times and bowed his head between his knees and sent his servant and sent him again and again
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 in vain because the thing is not attained we pray for There are many other answers but the time is so much gone I come briefly to the application First if it be so that God saith not to the feed of Jacob seek my face in vain certainly there are great things for the Church that we may build on God is to do in these latter dayes Why because all the seed of Jacob ever since Jacobs time have been seeking God not onely for their own times but for the Church to the end of the world 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 every prayer shall be answered Secondly you that are of the seed of Jacob know your honour though you be never so poore 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 they shall never seek God in vain 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 he never saith to them seek ye me in vain they are honourable ones Now as it is said of their father Jacob he prevailed as a prince with God so it may be said of the seed of Jacob they prevaile as Princes with God they can do great things with God it may be they cannot do other things that vain spirits can do but they can do much with God in prevailing 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 and gone but if he hear certain news that all his stock is safe and 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 every 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 Many 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 any 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 foure 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 foure 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 foure 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 conscâ—ence thoâ— 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 prize 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 glory 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 Porphirie they darkned the work of God in delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt thorough 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 and lead them through the sea Thus atheists would darken the works of God and put them of to naturall causes So I find it related of the old Prophet in Jeroboams time Josephus hath it related of him he sent to Jeroboam 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 Just thus it is when God hath so magnified his mercy to England and wrought such
but though God have such a house in heaven yet he is not as it were contented with that house but he desires another house he hath a desire to Zion to be his habitation and the house where his honour dwelleth You know a Prince may have some houses of meaner 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 and 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 Judah Psalm 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 foure regards 1. He communicates 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 Psal 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 noting that the choyse 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 rivers 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 joyntly together then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he shall 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 Psalm 13â— 3 As the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life for evermore There was blessing and 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 Psalm 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 Psa 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 joyntly 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 Jesus Christ saith the Apostle When ye are together with the power of Jesus 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 inheritance of the servants of the Lord. That promise that God made to the Churches before this is their heritage And conceive of this