respect wee haue great cause to be sorie The great losse when the good die whose prayers we had whē the Lord taketh away any good mā or woman for then we want so many that might stil haue prayed for vs and for the Church and so wee are left the more destitute of helpe And if wee ought to lament the death of those who haue been beneficial to vs for worldly things whose helpe wee see now that wee want to our great hindrance then especially should wee be grieued that wee are depriued of the comfortable presence of those to whom in all distresses of bodie or minde wee might resort and communicate our whole estate as Dauid did to Ionathan and might boldly haue desired their prayers and might with great facilitie haue obtained them for vs. Thus much for this part of the title that this Psalme being a prayer of the Church for Dauid hee made it for them and committed it to the singer that he might take order that it should be vsed publikly and so by vertue of it did require that thus they should pray for him One thing more of Dauid is to bee obserued out of the title and the discourse of the whole Psalme namely with what minde and purpose or to what end he desired their prayers Not as purposing to neglect prayer himselfe Dauid in desiring their prayers did not purpose to neglect prayer himself or to grow any whit more slacke in it because of that and so to put off this as a burden from himselfe as one that had other great matters in hand and so to commit it to them that should haue leisure enough As if hee should haue said you know that I must goe out to battell against the Ammonites and in warre wee shall haue our hands full and our mindes taken vp euery way I shall haue no leisure to pray to God there though I know it to be necessarie and would faine doe it I would haue you therefore to pray for me and so trusting to them should neglect this dutie himselfe and so they might haue prayed very doubtingly for him but that they might be the more willing to pray for him in this case hee telleth them and professeth it openly that he would pray to God himselfe and as he should be in any speciall trouble so he would doe it much more earnestly and therefore he would haue them pray to God for him that he would heare those prayers of his So then in requiring this of them hee did not leaue them in suspense to thinke thus he willeth vs to pray for him indeede and so it is our bound dutie to doe and wee will doe it but wee cannot tell whether hee will vse any prayer himselfe which if hee doe not ours shall doe him the lesse good But as hee required their prayers so hee bound himselfe to the like practise No more must kings when their subiects doe pray for them and would haue them also to know it before hand that so they might pray accordingly that God would heare his prayers So that first of all Kings and Princes be they neuer so great must not so require their subiects to pray for them that they shuld thinke it were not needfull for themselues to pray at all for they had enow that daily did it for them euery where And all others that desire the prayers of their brethren must not for that bee any one whit the more remisse and sparing in their owne prayers which is diligently to bee marked of vs because it is contrarie to the common practise of the Church of Rome and of diuers others For the Romish Synagogue maketh Emperours Kings The practise of the Papists is otherwise and great men to beleeue vpon their credit that prayer doth not so necessarily belong vnto them or to such kind of men that doth peculiarly belong to the Clergie and Church-men as they cal them they could pray enough for them and for al the world if they may be wel paid for their labours Therefore if such men as they will but giue some lands and reuenewes to an Abbey or erect a Monastery or some religious house there to be prayed for they shall haue so many continually to pray for them that it maketh no matter though themselues very seldome or not at al pray This kingly prophet or propheticall king was of another minde and so ought all godly and religious not onely Princes but men and women to be But to leaue these men And of some Gospellers and their religious practises to themselues we shall finde this corruption to be in some that are not of the worser sort that when they know that others doe pray for them in sicknesse or otherwise they can be contented to let passe their owne prayers now and then in hope of that and to become somewhat remisse themselues But as Dauids desire was here not onely that they would pray for him but after this manner euen that God would heare his prayers which hee had and would make euery day so doth the Apostle ioyne these two very fitly together and requireth them both of all men alike Jam. 5.13.14 saying Is any man among you afflicted Let him pray Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him where he would haue al men to pray for themselues in their seuerall afflictions and to send for others that they might pray for them likewise We must not seuer our own prayers from the prayers of others And as he would not haue them in some cases to content themselues with their owne prayers but send for others to pray with them so hee would not haue them passe ouer their owne prayers in hope of that but begin with them first and pray themselues and if they cannot that way preuaile sufficiently then to call for the aide of others among whom it may come to passe that the prayer of some one righteous man or other might bee so feruent that it might auaile much for them Therefore those things which the Lord by precept and by the practise of his seruants hath ioyned together so neerely let no man put asunder Yet God heareth his seruants for those that neither doe nor can pray for themselues And yet we doe not denie but that such is the goodnes of God to all sorts of men to leaue them without excuse and that hee hath made so many gracious promises vnto the prayers of his seruants that hee often heareth them praying for those who neither pray for themselues at all neither can pray nor haue any purpose to doe it So did he diuers times as hath been declared before heare Moses and Aaron praying for Pharaoh King of Egypt for his Princes and for his people all which had no purpose at all to serue God themselues neither knew how to doe it but did hinder as much as lay in them his people from
truth in Christ I lie not that I might vse the words of the Apostle that I haue been desired of many often to pray for them in their seuerall troubles but of very few desired againe to be thankfull for the same which sheweth that though at the first it may be they desired the prayers of others with Selah that is with great earnestnes in the feeling of their owne estate yet afterwards they were not so much moued with it as Dauid was here and so forgat to bee thankfull themselues at leastwise did not desire others to be thankfull for them or not with that feeling that they desired them to pray for them before Let vs then I pray you consider how wee esteeme of this that God heareth our prayers at any time We esteeme it may be of the things themselues that God bestoweth vpon vs at our prayers whether it bee health or wealth or any thing els our owne need driueth vs vnto it but doe we account it to bee so great a fauour of God and confesse our selues to be so vnworthie of it that wee shall be bound to serue him and praise him for it When wee haue it I beseech you doe we enter seriously into the consideration of the mercie of God and of our owne vnworthines to say What a good God is this that hath dealt so gratiously with mee Surely surely we shall finde that few do it either before they pray or when they haue done to say What a thing is this I that am so vilde a wretch that haue no goodnes in me at all that haue so many waies offended God that he should notwithstanding heare my prayers whereas hee might iustly haue brought vpon mee that curse that is spoken off in the Prophet That as the Lord cried vnto me often in his word Zach. 7.13 and I would not heare him so I should crie to him in my prayers and hee not heare me Therefore it was needfull for them by this word Selah to bee stirred vp and wee must learne thereby to make more account of the hearing of our prayers than we doe For though God hath made a promise vnto vs in Christ that if we aske wee shall receiue Let vs stirre vp our selues to make more account of the hearing of our prayers yet when wee consider how many waies for our part wee haue broken the couenant and how weake our faith is wherby we receiue all we may iustly thinke that God may denie vs all things and that it is his great mercie if he heare vs in any thing And namely so must wee doe at this present for this sicknes acknowledge our selues vnworthie of all his former mercies much more that we are vnworthie of any new as Iacob did when he said O God of my father Abraham Gen. 32.10 I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Therefore if it please God to shew vs any merâ—â—â—is way wee must so esteeme it that we binde our selues remember it and to be thankfull to him for it all the daies of our life and then let vs remember what we haue promised and labour to performe it which grace God grant vs for Christ Iesus his sake Amen THE TWELFTH SERMON vpon the fourth verse And graunt thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose The meaning of the fourth verse THese are the words of the people vnto God for their King and part of the prayer which they made for him namely that God would grant him according to his hearts desire and fulfill all his purposes that is whatsoeuer his heart did wish and desire that God would giue and whatsoeuer hee purposed God would bring to passe As if they had said O Lord whatsoeuer he desireth in his heart that grant thou and whatsoeuer he purposeth in his minde that bring thou to passe Now Dauid teaching them thus to pray we may presume that he did determine to haue nothing but good desires in his heart and good purposes and the people by the great experience that they had had a long time of his goodnes did thus iudge of him else neither could he haue desired them so to pray for him neither they haue done it in faith First then as in all other things we must approue our selues vnto God from our very heart which is the chiefest thing that he looketh vnto and that especially he requireth of all according as it is written My sonne giue me thy heart Prou. 23.26 so in our prayers most of all that wee desire in our heart nothing but that that is iust and lawfull and according to his will All the desires of our hearts in prayer must be agreeable to the will of God And so againe whatsoeuer we goe about the meanes that we vse must be lawfull and such as God may allow of that so in our prayers we may commend them vnto God Then may wee boldly pray God to fulfill them and desire others also to doe so and they being so perswaded of vs by good proofe may safely and with a good conscience thus pray for vs though they knowe not all our hearts desires and purposes For God hath promised that whatsoeuer wee aske according to his will he will grant it vnto vs. And al the promises that are made vnto prayer are thus to be vnderstood and no otherwise As when Christ saith Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and you shall finde Matth. 7.7 knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened And againe Whatsoeuer yee aske in my name Joh. 14.13 that will I do that is which is good and according to Gods will As it is euident by that which the Apostle writeth to the Romanes Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit And such prayers God will heare for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God So that when a man prayeth by the instinct and motion of the Spirit of God which directeth him to aske according to his will and word then he heareth and such we may boldly desire others to pray that God would grant So likewise it is said in the tenth Psalme Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their hearts thou bendest thine eare thereto Where the Prophet confesseth to the comfort of the Church that God is readie to heare the prayers of his poore Saints but how when their hearts by Gods spirit bee prepared to desire good things according to Gods will then hee is readie to bend his eare and the more that our hearts be thus prepared
God had deliuered him from great dangers and would doe so still 2. Cor. 1.8 so that they would pray earnestly for him Brethren saith he we would not haue you ignorant of our affliction which came vnto vs in Asia how we were pressed out of measure passing strength so that we altogether doubted euen of life Yea we receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead Who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. Thus he beleeued that hee might get great good by the earnest prayers of others and therefore doth desire them Great things may be obtained when many pray together euen to bee deliuered by the power of them from many great dangers And it may bee if wee haue marked the experience of our selues and others that we may well remember what great deliuerances haue been graunted when others haue laboured in prayers for vs or wee for them if not wee may see it by the grace of God in time to come But very few account prayer such a labour or striuing as it is and so go to it coldly and trust to their own strength and so obtaine nothing Pauls hope was in this that others should striue with him in prayer so we might haue greater hope if wee sought for helpe at the prayers of others and did not trust to our owne too much If thus in all matters of moment we desire the prayers of others according to our neede it will come to passe What comfort we may haue when we haue desired the prayers of others that wee should not want the fruite of them seeing the Lord hath promised to heare them but howsoeuer things fall out with vs we shal haue this comfort of a good conscience that we haue neglected no means that God hath appointed for our good But if wee bee carelesse of the prayers of others and so doe not seeke for them besides that it may come to passe that wee shall faile of our purpose through our owne default as when one striueth alone he cannot ouercome because he hath none to ioyne with him or at least hee shall not obtaine it so soone as otherwise hee might as when one is about a thing alone hee is the longer a doing it we shall haue the lesse comfort or more griefe because we neglected some meanes that might haue done vs good We must then be perswaded that the prayers of others may doe vs good and that wee neede them and so accordingly desire them In the daies of ignorance and superstition men gaue much to haue a continuall Masse for them that is In Poperie they maintained others to pray for them to pray for their soules and there were Beadmen also as they called them appointed for that purpose to pray for the liuing and for the dead and were maintained by the goods of the Church to that end which prayers of theirs because they were in an vnknowne tongue and so without vnderstanding and also not according to the word of God and so without faith could doe them no good yet this truth they aimed at though in darknes and as blind men that the prayers of others were so auaileable for them that euen in that respect onely they gaue much yeerely vnto those that should pray for them And truly if they had prayed aright they might by their prayers haue giuen more than they receiued for they might haue obtained great things of the Lord for them But here was another great abuse of that time in these prayers also that they hauing others thus to pray for them they rested in that and so neglected their owne prayers the more and thought that they might doe it with the lesse danger for they had others that prayed for them continually and so that that was wanting in themselues was supplied by others Dauid was of another minde for heere by his practise we haue an example of one that so desireth the prayers of others as that hee purposeth not to neglect prayer himselfe or to vse it any whit the lesse for that but to vse it rather the more willing them to pray God to heare his prayers so that if he did not pray himselfe their prayers should do him no good but it should be al one with him as if one should desire a man to set his hand to a blank and so he should preferre that as a supplication for him to the Prince So we are to desire others to pray for vs but in the meane season we must not neglect to pray for our selues Obiection But it may seeme superfluous and more then needed that Dauid should thus desire the prayers of the people for they were his subiects and therefore as in that respect they did owe other duties vnto him so this of praier most of all according to the exhortation of the Apostle who willeth 1. Tim. 2.1.2 that supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men and namely for Kings and for all that are in authoritie therfore it is like that they would not neglect it though he had not admonished them of it Besides it was a publike cause that hee dealt in euen against the open enemies of the whole realme against whom he went to warre and so it concerned them as well as himselfe for the enemies came not against his person onely but against them all and so they could not forget him their King vnlesse they forgat themselues Answere Yet because he knew that men naturally are forgetfull and so if they were not put in minde of it they might either wholy neglect it or not doe it so throughly as they should hee put them in minde to pray for himselfe and giueth them a forme of it and so telleth them what they should say This should moue vs to put our dearest friends in minde of vs and call vpon them to pray for vs Our dearest friends had neede to be put in mind to pray for vs. yea when they know our estate best and what great neede wee haue of the prayers of others for they may forget vs sometimes though they wish vs well And as through forgetfulnes they may neglect other duties which yet they are willing generally to performe as not to visite vs to send to vs to write to vs as often as they should and wee looke for at their hands so much more not to pray for vs for many times they that doe the former in great measure neglect this wholy or in a great part Wee finde by experience that many times yea when wee are spoken to of our friends wee remember not all but forget many things why should we not think then that others may forget vs if they be not put in minde Parents are bound to pray for their children and they should
know it well enough yea their children kneele downe and aske them blessing and put them in minde of it and notwithstanding al this many doe forget it and though they cast out certaine words of course yet they doe not thereupon determine seriously to pray for them what would they doe then if their children by asking them their daily blessing should not put them in minde of it at all Therefore euery manner of way we see what great reason there is of this to desire others to pray for vs and so much for this present THE SECOND SERMON vpon the inscription To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid THat I might prosecute that argument which I began the last day as you heard wee want not examples in the Scripture for the practise of this dutie Example of those that haue desired others to pray for them 1. Sam. 1.6 in the faithful seruants of God men and women of al sorts who haue wel seene in how great need they haue stood of the prayers of others and haue accordingly desired the same Hannah the wife of Elkanah a very godlie woman as appeareth in her storie being barren and thereby being vpbraided of her aduersarie was troubled in her minde and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore and she prayed for a manchild not so much for her self as for the glory of God for she vowed him vnto God in her prayer Hannah desired Hely to pray for her Hely the Priest sitting in the Temple before her and perceiuing her lips onely to moue but not hearing a word thought she had been drunken and told her so but she said no and told him what she did then Hely prayed God to heare her prayers Vers 17. saying Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Then she said againe Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight that is I beseech thee pray for me still as now thou hast done that God would grant me my petition for what grace or fauour else could she meane seeing that in other things as for the ill opinion hee had conceiued of her she had satisfied him before and so God heard them both as appeareth in the sequell of that storie The Israelites also being in feare of the Philistims So did the Israelites desire Samuel to pray for them Chap. 7.8 came to Samuel the Prophet and desired him that as hee had prayed for them alreadie so hee would not cease to doe it still saying Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims and he did so and the Lord heard him Vers 10. and thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims and scattered them so they were slaine before Israel Here many seeke to one for his prayers then much more may one seeke to many for theirs When Rabshakeh was sent by the King of Ashur with a great hoast against Ierusalem and came vp to the walles of the citie and spake blasphemously against the Lord and against his annointed Hezekiah the King came into the house of the Lord and prayed 2. King 19.1 Hezekiah desired the prayers of Isaiah and sent messengers vnto the Prophet Isaiah desiring him that he would pray for them saying Lift thou vp thy prayer for the remnant that are left and he did so and God heard him for them and the same night the Angell of the Lord went out Vers 35. and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Paul also the Apostle as we haue heard alreadie desireth the Romanes to pray for him saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Rom. 15.30 And Paul of the Romanes and Corinthians 2. Cor. 1.10 and for the loue of the Spirit that yee would striue with mee by prayer to God for me And so doth he to that end intreate the Corinthians with these words God hath deliuered vs from a great death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliuer vs so that yee labour together in prayer for vs. This holy man who was often in prayer for himselfe and for all Churches desireth others to pray for him Thus the best seruants of God as they haue not neglected this benefit of prayer from their brethren so they had the fruit and comfort of it in great measure and truly if wee beleeue rightly the Communion of Saints and that God hath appointed one to doe good to another by the graces that hee hath bestowed vpon them why should wee not thinke that part of the communion consisteth in this that wee communicate in the spirit of prayer as well as in the spirit of counsell or of comfort and that this way we may giue and receiue helpe one from another as well as any other way Hester that noble and vertuous Queene who as it seemeth had vsed often to pray her selfe Hester desireth the Iewes to fast and pray for her and with her maides else she could not haue promised that for them which she did in a matter that greatly concerned the glorie of God and the good of his Church doth not onely pray her selfe with her seruants three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 and that with fasting but doth desire that all the Iewes that were in that citie would doe the like for her So that sometimes wee had need not onely to desire others to pray for vs but euen to fast and pray for vs. The wicked haue bin constrained to desire the prayers of others and haue gotten great good by them And truly the vertue and power of the prayer of one man is so auaileable for another that the very wicked haue seene it and been driuen to acknowledge it and so haue desired the seruants of God to pray for them and haue had great benefit thereby Then if the vngodly and prophane men of the world who are not at all acquainted with prayer yet haue thought that the prayers of others might doe them good then they that know what prayer doth meane and that haue accustomed themselues to prayer and haue obserued the fruite of it in themselues may bee assured that the prayers of others shall be of like or a great deale more force for them If they whose consciences tels them that for their vngodlinesse they are altogether out of Gods fauour and so they had no heart to pray to him themselues neither had any hope that hee would heare them yet haue had some hope that God might heare some others for them and so haue sought vnto them for their prayers then how much more they who liuing in a good course haue hope that God is wel pleased with them in Christ may be perswaded that God will most willingly heare others for them and so in great faith desire their prayers And to conclude if they that are not of the Church of God but
made vnto prayer which are infinit in number and vnmeasurable in greatnesse but take one for an example Christ saith in the Gospell Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Matth. 7.7 which hee deliuereth without limitation that we might know that it is not to be restrained to our selues but if wee aske for others wee shall receiue for them Then let vs set before our eyes the manifold and happie experience of the truth of these promises in all the seruants of God And by the experience of them in others who by their prayers haue obtained great things for others as we haue heard alreadie that when wee shall finde this way Gods word and all his promises pure and most certainly to be trusted vnto as siluer that is tried in a fornace of earth Psal 12.6 and fined seuen fold we might relie vpon them and so be willing to pray for others knowing that we shall not lose our labor Thirdly to these wee must adde the consideration of our owne experience But most of in our selues and remember for whom wee haue prayed and how often and what hath been the successe of our prayers As how wee haue prayed heretofore for the life and preseruation of our gouernours and namely of our late Soueraigne Ladie of famous memorie Queen Elizabeth and how God hath often deliuered her from many great treasons intended against her by the Iesuites and other Papists how we haue prayed for others as for the life health and prosperitie of our parents husbands wiues children neighbours and friends in their seuerall griefes of minde and infirmities of bodie and other distresses and what hath followed thereupon as how they haue been recouered and comforted and otherwise holpen and relieued how here in the Church we haue sometimes prayed for those that haue been very sicke euen at deaths doore who haue receiued the sentence of death in themselues and yet they haue recouered and some of them are aliue still that so as Dauid said vpon his former triall The Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lion 1. Sam. 17.37 and out of the paw of the beare hee will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim so wee might vpon our former experience boldly say God that of his mercie and goodnes hath vouchsafed to heare me for such and such wil heare me also at this time for these To this end also wee must wisely obserue and diligently marke for our owne comfort and the good of others what hath followed vpon our prayers and what God hath wrought or done for them Yea all they that desire the prayers of others for any speciall cause whether of the Church generally or of priuate men particularly should signifie vnto them afterwards which few or none doe and it is a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God and man not to doe it what blessings they haue found vpō themselues by such prayers not onely that they might bee thankfull to God for them as they prayed for them before but that being confirmed by such experience they might the more willingly and boldly pray for them and for others at some other time as there shall be neede and for want of this they cannot doe it so cheerefully and so confidently as otherwise they might doe To conclude the summe of all that hath been said in one word How greatly men faile in neglecting to pray for others we see what is here required of vs euen that we bee mindfull to pray for others and what good reason there is for it both in respect of our owne comfort and of their good let vs examine our selues to see whether wee haue been so carefull to performe this dutie vnto them as we should How often haue wee and doe we pray for the good estate of the Church of God in other countries as in France the Netherlands Geneua and such like that God would defend them from their enemies and inlarge the kingdome of Christ among them Nay how often doe wee pray for the Church of God in this land and in the kingdomes vnited How often for the Kings Maiestie the right honourable Councellors Iudges and Magistrates not onely of this land but more specially of our owne countrey How often for our neighbours yea particularly and by name for them of our owne family as for al our children and seruants Yea let vs call into our minds how often wee haue prayed seriously and in good earnest for those that haue desired our prayers and haue as it were made a couenant of prayer with vs by promising that they would pray for vs if we would remember thē whether we haue carefully kept this promise and couenant or no and when we shall finde that wee haue greatly failed this way let vs be sorie that wee haue not done that good this way that we might and that hath been looked for at our hands and therefore that wee cannot haue that comfort in the common blessings of God in church and common wealth and vpon priuate men that others haue And let vs determine for the time to come to be more mindful of others in our prayers and let vs be so indeede especially of all the Church of God and of all those that we haue made this promise vnto and so haue bound our selues to it by a couenant in the Lord that so the Lord may also reward vs with the prayers of others and with the fruit of the same in our greatest neede when wee shall haue carefully performed this dutie vnto them before Especially let vs remember to pray for the King and for all our gouernours as wee are bound thereunto both by the word of God and the lawes of the realme as if wee had made a certaine promise to them for it THE FOVRTH SERMON vpon the first verse The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble THus the people doe speake vnto God in the behalfe of their King and so they pray for him The people pray for king Dauid that God would heare him and defend him This practise of theirs must be our imitation for it is the dutie of all subiects likewise to pray for their Princes and gouernours and as wee doe owe vnto them tribute custome feare and honour as the Apostle saith Rom. 13.7 so this dutie of prayer also and most of all and therefore it is a great fault in any to neglect it let vs therefore doe it So should we all doe for our King and that of conscience publikely and priuately Men for the most part are addicted to themselues or to their friends in prayer the King they think is a great way off and so the prouerbe with them is too true Out of sight out of minde or they thinke he is well enough and hath all things at will therfore he needeth not so greatly to be prayed for especially of vs. Surely we cannot
sheweth what hee would then doe namely flee to God for succour pray to him and call vpon his name that he might heare him and defend him He would vse all good meanes fit for that purpose but he would not neglect this knowing that all they were nothing without this for they must haue their successe and blessing from God by prayer For he knew that though he had men and horses and munition fit for war yet as he saith in another Psalme I trust not in my bow Psal 44.6 33 16. neither can my sword saue me and againe The King is not saued by the multitude of an hoste neither is the mightie man deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength for as Salomon saith when the horse is prepared against the battell Prou. 21.31 yet then saluation is of the Lord who is truly and properly called the Lord of hostes because hee is aboue all and commandeth al and therefore as King Asa confesseth in his prayer it is nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power 2. Chron. 14.11 Therefore he was determined especially to pray to God in all his troubles that he might saue him and so he did as appeareth by Psalm 21. So did King Hezekiah when the hoste of the King of Ashur came vp to Ierusalem against him Jsai 37.16 So haue other good Kings done saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the heauē the earth incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see c. Saue thou vs out of the hands of Sanecherib that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord. Thus also did good King Iehosaphat one of his predecessors when the Ammonites came to battell against him and did not onely seeke to the Lord by prayer but proclaimed a fast 2. Chron. 20.3 that he might pray the more feruently and the forme of his prayer is set downe there And in thus doing hee followeth the example of his good father King Asa Chap. 14.9 who when Zerah of Aethopia came out against him with an hoste of ten hundreth thousand chariots hee went out also before him and set the battell in aray but then hee cried vnto the Lord his God saying Helpe vs O Lord our God for wee rest on thee and in thy name are wee come foorth against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee So that it appeareth that this which Dauid did now hath been the common practise of all the godly Kings when they haue been in feare of their enemies and so it hath been a day of trouble with them as it was now with him So must all men seeke to God in all kinde of troubles Now that that is said of this kinde of trouble and of these kind of men is true of al other both sorts of trouble and degrees of men that whatsoeuer troubles or daungers not onely Kings but al others shall fall into at any time great or small if they will haue comfort in them or looke for any deliuerance out of them they must seeke for it at the hand of God by supplication and prayer who onely can giue it of whom alone commeth al the means of our deliuerance and the whole disposition and wise vsing of them and the whole successe and blessing vpon them from whom also may come that that we seeke for without all meanes and without whose aide all things will doe vs no good For as it is said man liueth not by bread onely Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and as Christ saith in the Gospel no mans life consisteth in the abundance of that that he possesseth Luk. 12.15 that is in all things it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon them that must doe vs good So that in all troubles wee must put that in practise which the Lord speaketh of Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me We are readie to seeke to this bodie and to that and to call vpon them for help but God saith Call vpon me and that we might doe it he hath bound himselfe with a promise that he will heare vs and deliuer vs. And this Dauid beleeued when he saith in the words following Vers 6. Now know I that the Lord will heare c. And vnto this agreeth that which the Apostle Saint Iames setteth downe Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.13 let him pray where he speaketh vnto all and in what kind of affliction soeuer they be Therefore as prayer is alwaies requisite and necessary according to the doctrine of the Apostle who saith 1. Thessal 5.17 Pray continually and in another place Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and watch thereunto with all perseuerance so most of all in the time of trouble For as Peter when he walked on the water to go to Iesus and saw a mightie winde so that hee was afraide and began to sinke cried saying Master saue me Matth. 14.29 The time of trouble is the speciall time of prayer so all men the more euident and dangerous their trouble is the more earnestly should they pray vnto God for helpe For the lesse able that they are to helpe themselues or others to doe any thing for them the more should they seeke for help from God who is able sufficiently to affoord it And truly many times God doth of purpose bring vs into trouble that wee might call vpon him and so hee might heare vs in the day of our trouble So that no trouble should so dismay vs that it should hinder vs from prayer but rather quicken vs vp vnto it and to a greater feruency in it Psal 10.1 For when the Church saith Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction it sheweth that as that is the fittest time for the Lord to heare and helpe vs so for vs to pray vnto him and to seeke for helpe at his hands Therefore let vs not onely not thinke that trouble doth exempt vs from prayer or that it is so great that we cannot pray and if wee were out of it and so might haue our mindes quiet we would pray as that we beleeue rather that God at no time looketh for so much prayer at our hands as when hee laieth affliction and trouble vpon vs. Both publike and priuate So that if our troubles bee priuate wee must often and earnestly pray priuately and if they be publike wee must haue publike prayer thereafter that so God may heare vs euery way in the day of our troubles which he cannot doe
cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth or as the words are the things of a day in the day meaning that as euery mans neede was at all times and God knew it to bee so so hee would heare his praier and giue him accordingly So that he prayeth vnto God here for all those that should pray in or towards that Temple that whatsoeuer they should pray to God for according to his will in their seuerall needes hee that was the searcher of the hearts and knew them he would from time to time heare them continually And this prayer of his God did heare for all such For he did not onely in the sight of al the people giue an euident demonstration of it as it is said that when Salomon had made an end of praying fire came downe from heauen 2. Chron. 7.1 and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices and the glorie of the Lord filled the house but afterwards he did signifie the same priuately vnto Salomon in expresse words for it is written in the same place that the Lord appeared to Salomon by night and said to him I haue heard thy prayer Vers 12. and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice If I shut the heauen that there be no raine or if I command the grashopper to deuoure the land or if I send pestilence among my people if my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land Thus may wee pray continually for them that be absent for though new troubles of soule and body may befall them dayly which wee know not Thus may we pray continually for them that are absent or will not make their estate known and so wee cannot alwaies haue a fit prayer for euery change in them yet if they pray for themselues as charitie bindeth vs to hope that they doe this generall prayer of ours shall doe them good that we desire God to heare their prayers and say as Salomon doth what prayer and supplication soeuer shall be made of them heare them in heauen and defend their cause alwaies as the matter requireth So that whether some mens case be such that it is not meete that it should be knowne vnto many yet many may be desired to pray for them thus farre forth that God would heare their prayers or whether they bee loath themselues to make it knowne though it bee for their good yet may they thus farre desire the prayers of others that God would heare them And we againe our selues if for want of knowledge we cannot tell how to pray so particularly for men as wee would yet wee must not wholy neglect prayer for them for it shall be sufficient when we can do no more to pray thus that God would heare their prayers For when as many times wee knowe not our owne wants euery one of them Rom. 8.26 and yet generally commending them all vnto God knowne and vnknowne he supplieth them in particular aboue al that we named or could think of for he knoweth the meaning of his owne spirit in vs and giueth according to the same So then also though wee knowe not the particular necessities of our brethren and friends or of the whole Church yet praying for them God will giue according to the meaning of his spirit in our selues and them As for those that are v sited with the Plague There are many now that are in great sicknesse in diuers places vnder this heauy hand of Gods visitation and some in great feare of it because of the infection and some in great sorrowe for the losse of their friends we knowe not neither can we their speciall troubles or what paines they haue in their bodies what want of outward comfort what inward temptations of their minde yet let vs pray for them and desire God to heare their prayers so shall wee doe them good And thus may we pray to day and alwaies for the Church of God and for the seueral parts of it especially vpon the Lords day that he would heare the prayers of the Church in all places and that wee our selues might haue our part in them and they shall be auailable for them and for our selues It followeth in this verse The meaning of these words The name of the God of Iacob defend thee In these words the people continue their prayers for the King and therein come to this particular that God would defend him For by the name of God they meane God himselfe who hath by his name made himself knowne vnto vs and by Iacob they meane either that particular person and holy Patriarke to whom God had said that he would be his God and so had renued the couenant with him that was first made with Abraham and Isaac his father and grandfather and vpon whom he had bestowed many great benefits and deliuerances or by Iacob he meaneth the posteritie of Iacob that is the Israelites with whom also as with their seede hee had couenanted to be their God and that they should be his people and to whom he had made himselfe knowne to be so by his word Sacraments and works and vpon whom also he had bestowed many great deliuerances in Egypt in the red sea in the wildernesse and in their owne land or by it hee meaneth them both And so they pray that hee that was the God of Iacob and so their God and had giuen himselfe that name and by it had shewed how good and gracious he was and would still be vnto them would defend him from his enemies by his mightie power and great goodnesse So then as they had before generally prayed God to heare his prayers whatsoeuer they should be so here particularly because he was in trouble The doctrine of the same or like to come vnto it they pray for Gods defence in it that hee might not miscarrie but happily come out of the same and haue a blessed issue therein Therefore as we may and ought to pray generally for others when wee no otherwise know their estaâ—â— We must name in our prayers such things a◠〈…〉 neede so when we doe know it wee must accordingly direct our prayers and those not onely for ourselues but for others For though God need not to be put in minde of any thing that wee neede who knoweth all our necessities better than we doe our selues and therfore when we are ignorant of the estate of any Church we neede not feare that for want of naming things in our prayers God should forget them yet he would haue vs name hat wee desire and so make our requests knowne vnto him in â—â—pplication and prayer Phil. â— 6. as the Apostle speaketh and to powre out our whole desire before him Psa◠〈…〉 as the Psalmist saith that
vs no good and so deceiue vs but if wee trust in God and in his helpe whether we haue meanes or haue them not that will be an anchor that shall not confound vs for we trust in him and in his defence from whom onely commeth all help Now if we say we haue this faith it must appeare by the fruites and namely that if we haue all good meanes as Dauid had here we be not secure and trust in them but pray earnestly vnto God as though wee had them not much more when we haue them not in deed Prayer then is a special token in all things that we goe about that we look for our help from God and therefore if we beleeue that it is God that must stay this mortality and sicknes and that he must defend others and our selues in it we must pray earnestly and continually for our selues and them but if we let prayer alone or vse it seldome whatsoeuer we say with our mouth we do not so beleeue it in hart as we should For faith must appeare by the fruits of it els it is a dead faith and as a body without a soule which hath no actions of life and prayer is one principall fruit as the Apostle saith How shal they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 2 Cor. 4.13 shewing that as there can be no prayer without faith so faith doth necessarily bring forth prayer Therefore let vs stir vp our selues vnto prayer and neuer cease calling vpon God euen as we do beleeue that all our helpe must come from him And here by the way we see the nature of true faith Faith seeth helpe in heauen when there is none in earth that it causeth vs to see help in heauen so to pray for it when there is none to be seene in the earth And this is the difference between faith vnbeleefe that the very vnbeleeuers can by reason conceiue of help so long as they haue any meanes to help them but if they fayle they can see none at all so they are like vnto those that are pore-blind who can see nothing but neere at hand But faith seeth a farre off euen into heauen so that it is the euidence of things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 for it looketh vnto the power of God who hath all meanes in his hand or can worke without them who made all of nothing and calleth the things that bee not as though they were So that as the holy Martyr S. Stephen Rom. 4.17 Act. 7.54 when his enemies were ready to burst for anger and gnash at him with their teeth looked stedfastly into heauen and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to defend him so faith in the promises of the word doth see help in heauen ready for vs when there are no meanes in earth For as Abraham did not cōsider his own body Rom. 4.19 nor the deadnes of Sarahs womb but considered what God had promised and what he was able to doe so if we look to the promises of Gods word which are many and most true wee shall see helpe from heauen if no where else Let vs labour then for that faith which may comfort vs from heauen for it may be in the extremity of this sicknesse wee shall see none in earth so when others are dumbe or not knowing what to say our mouthes shal be opened to speake vnto God and say Send vs helpe from the Sanctuary that is from heauen Strength from Sion It thus followeth And strengthen thee out of Sion Before they prayed for helpe from heauen now they pray for strength out of Sion where by Sion they meane that part of Ierusalem called mount Sion where afterwards the tēple was built where now the Arke the visible signe of Gods presence was where they worshippe God in the word sacrifice and prayer and by strength thee meaneth not the strength of men and munition meet for war for help which was prayed for before but inward strength of the mind courage which was meet for the enemy that he might trust in the defence of God might not be dismayed by any power of the aduersary but that he might beare his estate as was conuenient And this was very requisit for if he had had neuer so many meanes Courage of mind is needfull in all troubles and had had no heart he should not haue vsed them or vsed them to no purpose and how should he haue strength of heart vnles God gaue it and how should God giue it vnles he asked it of him Therefore he taught them to pray for that also This sheweth that as in war so in all other afflictions which cause feare there is requisite an inward courage of the mind to vphold a man for if he haue a good hart he shall beare many things and if he haue no hart the least thing will dismay him Prou. 18.14 Therefore Salomon saith The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it 2. King 7.5 6. The Aramites on the suddaine heard a great noyse when they besieged Samaria and they all fled away for feare and left their tents and all things standingf as they were and so the Israelites came and spoyled them they had men enough but they wanted courage So is it said of all the Kings of Canaan which were many and mighty that their hearts fainted and so they could not stand before Ioshua Iosh 2.12 5.1 So is it in all other afflictions that we be subiect vnto we had need of strength according to the measure of it to beare it for if we haue no faith or confidence in God what shall become of vs Iob in al his great afflictions because he had a good hart and trusted in God bore them al paciently and said Iob. 13.15 Especially in this mortality of the plague If the Lord kill me I will trust in him At this time especially in respect of this great sicknes it is most needful to haue strength of faith to beleeue Gods gracious prouidence that things come not by chance but by his fatherly disposition and to beleeue that he hath a care of vs and that nothing commeth by fortune for if a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without his wil Matt. 10.29.30 then much lesse do men dye especially seeing the very heyres of our head are numbred that so we may cōmend our selues vnto him and take all things as from him and be contented with it I say as this faith is alwaies requisite because we know not what may befall vs on the suddain so most of all at this dangerous time And this is necessary not only for our selues but for our brethren also that accoridng to the measure of the sicknesse and paine and temptations of their minde so they might haue strength to beare al. For the very want of this strength
to be made round about the altar and to be filled with water and then he prayed vnto God and the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones the dust and licked vp the water in the ditch and when the people saw it they fell on their faces and sayd the Lord is God the Lord is God Thus the Lord also in those daies by this token did apparantly shew that he had heard the prayer of his seruant the Prophet Hauing then respect vnto these things which were well knowne to them that were acquainted with the Scripture he teacheth them to pray that as in former dayes he did sufficiently declare that he had receiued the sacrifices and heard the prayers of his people when with fire from heauen he did turne the burnt offerings into ashes so hee would now or in his good time some way or other testifie that hee had heard the prayer of the King but the time will not suffer me to goe any further THE TENTH SERMON vpon the third verse And turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of these words They pray that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and the reason of this kind of speech that they desire the Lord to turne his burnt offerings into ashes The thing that they pray for is this that God would some way shew that he had heard his prayers He did not then so pray as though hee cared not whether hee was heard or no resting in the bare worke of prayer but he was very desirous that God would heare him so that hee willeth them to pray that God would shew it to him and them that hee had heard them in deede It is not enough then for vs to pray vnto God and to beleeue that he doth heare vs but to waite vpon him for the performance thereof and to be desirous to see it so shall wee be comforted and God shall be praised Many come hether to the Church so carelesly to pray that when all is done they doe not so much as knowe what hath been prayed for so farre are they from this of desiring to see or marking how their praiers are heard and so either they receiue nothing or if they doe they see it not or if they see it they do not obserue and marke it to bee thankfull vnto God and to bee confirmed thereby in hope of his goodnes for the time to come Dauid prayeth in this faith that he doubted not but that God would heare him and so desireth them to pray that he would shew it to him sensibly and plainely as hee did to those whose sacrifices he consumed with fire and turned into ashes by causing it to come downe from heauen vpon them We must so pray that we be desirous to see that God hath heard our prayers So must we doe in all things that we pray for not only beleeue that God will heare vs according to his promises but also pray him that hee would some way in his good time euidently shew by the euent that he hath heard vs. When we put vp our suites vnto princes and great men if they say they shal be granted we neuer leaue vntill we haue the things that wee sue for or that there be some act done for vs that it may appeare that they haue heard vs in deed The Lord hath commanded vs to aske and hath made a promise that he will giue Matth. 7.7 saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Say then that wee haue asked of God and sought vnto him and that we beleeue also that we shall receiue from him according to our asking let vs then come againe vnto him the second time that either by granting the thing or some thing for it or supplying the want of it or some way or other as it shal please him that we might see that he hath heard vs. And namely that he hath heard the prayers of all for this plague As for example and this very time doth put vs in minde of it wee haue prayed long and often for the remouing of this grieuous visitation of the pestilence God no doubt hath heard so many all this time as haue called vpon him in truth haue departed from iniquitie and hee doth well remember what they haue said and done vnto him and hee will in time blesse them for it accordingly this is that that al of vs should beleeue But wee must now with new suites and supplications second these prayers of ours to this effect that God would shew vs that hee hath heard vs either by causing this contagion and mortalitie to cease or some way extending fauour vnto vs in it And wee must desire to bee partakers of the prayers of our brethren that by the benefit of their praiers we might see that God hath heard vs as Dauid here was desirous and willed the people to pray for him to that end And as they doe thus pray for the King that God would shew that hee had heard his prayers so we also are to pray for them that are in trouble and namely vnder this hand of God that he would shew to them that he hath heard their prayers They that pray for fashion and coldly cannot thus doe All they that pray coldly and for fashion and so care not whether they bee heard or no or marke not what they haue prayed for but vtter words of custome without desiring or feeling cannot with any comfort make this second prayer for any thing namely that God would shew them that he hath heard their prayers But al those that pray in the inward sense and feeling of their wants and in the faith of Gods promises and so not onely know what they pray but are desirous to haue their requests granted and look for the fulfilling of them when they haue prayed most earnestly they must come againe vnto God the second and third time and desire him that he would shew by effect that he hath heard their prayers Seeing then that God is the hearer of prayers as Dauid calleth him O thou that hearest the prayer Psalm 65.2 to thee shall all flesh come and hee hath made many promises to those that seeke vnto him in their need that they shall not returne away emptie let vs neuer cease calling vpon him both for the taking away of this great iudgement and for all things that we want vntill he shew that he hath heard our prayers so shall wee see it in the ende as this people did for in the next Psalme they giue thanks for that which here they pray for Now whereas hee teacheth them thus to pray That wee might see how God heareth our prayers we must markâ— what followeth vpon them that God would some way as it pleased him declare that hee had heard their prayers it was
meete and conuenient and this must necessarily be presumed that after prayers they should waite vpon God and marke the course of his prouidence and consider what should follow that so thereby they might beleeue that God had heard them in deed Els it might wel come to passe that God for his part should sufficiently shew that hee had heard him but they should not regarde it and so they should make this prayer in vaine that hee would shew that hee heard heard him for he hath done it already but they see it not For to make this poynt more plaine in that very comparison that is here vsed if when the sacrifice was offered and God did with fire from heauen burne it vp cleane and so turne it into ashes as he did it to Aaron to Salomon to Elijah as we haue seene before he that was there present being blind could not see it or if he turned himselfe from it another way So if we be wilfully or carelesly blind in the works of God do not mark what followeth vpon our prayers good or euill wee shall vse this prayer in vaine to pray that God would shew that he hath heard our prayers for he hath done it sufficiently but we doe not regard it Therfore it is meet for all men not only to know and to wey what they pray for and to marke it well and to thinke of it afterwards but to waite vpon God for the same and to consider what followeth that so they may see how God heareth them For as when a man putteth vp a supplication to the King he is not quiet then but his minde is running as wee say vpon it and he is very inquisitiue what is done in that matter and he marketh all things that follow to see whether they make with him or against him that so he might see whether it bee graciously receiued or no So ought wee to doe in our prayers vnto God haue our minds as it were lingering after the things prayed for and marke how euery thing that followeth may put vs in hope that God hath heard vs. And this is that that Dauid professeth of himselfe in his prayer Psalm 5.3 Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning will I direct mee vnto thee and I will waite where hee saith that hee would doe as sutors doe they put vp their suite and then giue their attendance for an answere so hee would pray to God speedely and carefully and then he would consider what followed that so he might see how God did heare him Thus should we doe when we pray at morning and at euening Psal 40.1 So must wee all doe when wee haue prayed to God for any thing we must waite vpon him and consider what followeth And Dauid confesseth that in so doing hee did see plainly that God had heard him For so hee saith I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie and so shall we doe if we continue to pray vnto him and waite vpon him So that when we pray to God in the morning we should consider how things fall out all the day after well or ill that wee might see how God in bestowing many blessings vpon vs hath heard our prayers Likewise at night when wee goe to bed and pray to God that hee would defend vs from daungers and giue vs quiet rest and we awake in the morning and haue our strength renewed for the workes of our calling and al things well within the doores and without these things though they be ordinarie we should wel marke that so we might see and confesse that God did heare our prayers and so be thankfull vnto him for the same And so in al iourneis that we take in hand or matters that we go about wherein we haue commended our waies vnto God as we should alwaies doe because vpon his blessing dependeth the successe of all things we should mark how they succeed and prosper with vs that so we might see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how hee heareth our prayers So likewise for this sicknes And in all the prayers that are and haue been made for this pestilēce that hath been a long time amongst vs wee haue prayed vnto God to be mercifull vnto vs in it and to shew vs some token of his fauour and wee are desirous also to see that hee hath heard our prayers now then let vs consider if the extremitie of it be staied from increasing any where or if it be kept out from many places where it was likely that it should come as out of this countrie and out of this towne that so we might confesse to the glorie of God and our owne comfort that God hath heard our prayers And this is one speciall vse of the newes that we heare weekly from London Norwich and other places infected how many died this weeke how many the last how many of the plague and how many of other diseases how many parishes infected and how many are cleere that so we might see from week to week and from day to day that the Lord heareth our prayers that so by experience wee might bee moued still to call vpon him for that that remaineth Or when wee pray in the Church for any that lie sicke So when wee haue prayed here in the Church for any particular person as we haue done for diuers and doe daily whereof some haue been at deaths doore and yet haue been recouered wee should haue kept a register of them and haue marked them a great deale better than we haue done and it had been happie for vs at this time if we had done so that so we might haue by great experience been confirmed in the truth of this that God doth heare our prayers And to be short if any of vs haue bin in pouertie or in any want and haue prayed to God to helpe vs then we must marke and consider how he stirreth vp some to haue a care of vs Or who haue been in pouertie or in any need Rom. 1.20 and how some do pitie vs or any way how wee be prouided for and thus wisely obserue all Gods dealing according to our prayers in euery estate of ours That as the inuisible things of God as his eternall wisedom and power and mercy and truth are to be seen in the gouernment of the world are in his creatures as it were written in great capitall letters for the most ignorant to see and reade to leaue them without excuse so wee might in the same wisely discerne and see them and be accordingly affected with the same to beleeue in him and to bee thankfull vnto him that thus from time to time sheweth that hee doth heare our prayers And truly if wee had thus done all the daies of our life and in euery thing that we haue praied for we might haue seene better than now wee doe or can
our owne experience and incourage them to cal vpon God with good hope by our own example for we shall be able to say vnto them that wee haue obserued how God hath dealt with vs in the like case of theirs and this shall be no small comfort to them to heare it or to our selues from others to heare at their mouth how God hath dealt with them in former times And so doth Dauid to this end speake to other of his owne experience which he had gotten by marking how God dealt with him after his prayers when he saith This poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles And a little before Psal 34.6 Vers 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he deliuered me out of my feare they shall looke to him and runne to him and their faces shall not be ashamed saying This poore man cried and the Lord heard him We see how confidently hee speaketh vnto others and assureth them that if they pray to God he will heare them for hee had well marked how the Lord had so dealt with him before Let vs then in all things wherein we haue prayed vnto God so marke his dealing towards vs that we may see how he hath turned our burnt offrings into ashes that is how he hath declared vnto vs that he hath heard our prayers that so we may reioyce in Gods benefits the more and hee may bee praised for them and our selues and others be confirmed in hope by experience through them Turne thy burnt offrings into ashes Lastly concerning these words wheras in them he teacheth generally to pray We must not limit the hearing of our prayers to any one particular thing that God would shew that he had heard his prayers and doth not limit it to any particular thing as to say shew it by doing so and so but that concerning the things that be prayed for hee desireth that hee would shew which way it pleaseth him that hee had heard them and that hee and they might as euidently see it as those did who had their sacrifices consumed with fire from heauen It teacheth vs that in al outward things especially we should not tye the fauour of God and the hearing of our prayers to any one speciall thing as to say If God would giue me such a thing that I haue prayed for or deale so and so with me I would beleeue that he had heard my prayers but vntill I haue that I cannot be perswaded of it For in all things we ought to pray that God would giue vs such and such things so farre foorth as it is his holy will as he knoweth it to be good for vs and for his glorie and with these conditions also must wee pray for others So then if the Lord see it not expedient for vs and so doe not giue it vs at all or when we would haue it or in that manner that wee would yet wee must desire this that hee would some way shew that he hath heard our prayers by giuing vs minds readie to submit our wils vnto his patience to beare things and that hee would giue vs some thing els for recompence or supplie of it and that hee would turne all to our good and that we might also see it to be so and this must be sufficient for all Rom. 8.26 For we many times know not what to pray as wee ought but the spirit of God in vs maketh request then for vs vnto God with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed and the Lord who is the searcher of the hearts For God will giue not according to that that we name but that his spirit in vs meaneth knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for it maketh request for the Saints according to that that they asked or named which in temptation thēselues knew not well but according to the meaning of the spirit in them For euen as those that are sicke of some hot pestilent burning feuer or some other disease that distempereth their braine when they aske any thing those that attend vpon them will not giue them that which they haue named but some other thing in steed of it which is better for them in that case and in so doing they giue them according to their meaning for they did meane that that was best for them though they erred then through distemperature or ignorance in the particular and so when they are well and can iudge of things themselues will confesse So doth the Lord deale with his seruants so must we be contēted to be ordred by the Lord that whatsoeuer we aske he would giue vs that which hee knoweth to bee best for vs and so giue vs according to the meaning of his spirit in vs that so wee may see that hee hath heard our prayers 2. Cor. 12.8 Saint Paul prayed three times that the messenger of Satan which buffeted him might depart away from him and the Lord heard his prayers but how he gaue him this answere My grace is sufficient for thee Vers 9. for my power is made perfect through weakenes So that when in all temptations of the diuell hee held out in a good course and God did vpholde him in his weakenes As he did to the Apostle Paul that he was not ouerthrowne though the messenger of Satan did not depart from him according to that which he had named in his praiers yet he saw wel enough that God had heard his prayers by giuing him strength against him This is worthy to be diligently obserued because we are giuen wholy to tie the hearing of our prayers vnto the receiuing of that particular we aske and cannot for the most part otherwise discerne of it as for example if we aske health and wealth and God giue them then will we beleeue that he hath heard our prayers and otherwise not whereas the Lord may no lesse shew that he hath heard our prayers and deny vs both of them when hee shall giue vs minds contented with our estate and to waite vpon his blessed will in all our wants We haue now a long time prayed vnto God for this sicknes and mortalitie and wee desire to see that God hath heard our prayers and so we may also though it be not lessened but increased yea though it should come among vs and bee vpon our owne bodies So will he doe in this visitation of the Plague For in that he hath not begun with vs at the first according to our deserts nor is come vnto vs with this visitation as yet but sheweth himselfe slowe to anger and vseth great patience towards vs yea that hee daily warneth vs by the harmes of others and not maketh vs a spectacle vnto others therein hee hath sufficiently shewed that hee hath heard our praiers And now further if he should come and deale with vs in our owne bodies and then with all should giue vs grace to
profit by it to amendment of life if he should also giue vs patience yea if hee should take vs away in this plague and should assure vs in the middest of all pains and feares of death of the forgiuenes of all our sinnes and giue vs good hope of euerlasting life and of the resurrection of our bodies that when wee giue vp the Ghost wee might boldly say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit might wee not bee well assured by these that God had heard our prayers Therefore if affliction and trouble doe come let vs see how we profit by it and what patience God giueth and so accordingly be assured that God hath heard our prayers And that the Lord in mercy will thus deale with vs wee may be assured of it so many as pray to him aright and this must be sufficient for vs and a sure token that God hath heard our prayers that wee might bee thankfull to him for it Therefore let vs not cease praying vnto him night and day not doubting but that God in his good time will turne our burnt offerings into ashes that is some way or other shew that he hath heard our prayers to his glory and the comfort of our selues and of our brethren Selah The vse of it for musicke Selah The Hebrew word retained in the Latine and English translations for the Greeke hath it not vsed for the most part only in the Psalmes which were made to bee sung in the temple noteth a vehement lifting vp of the voyce and especially thereby also a contention and affection of the minde so that the Musitions when they came to this word which was vnto them as a direction in Musicke did not so much sing it or say it as we doe now but letting it passe thereby did know that they should lift vp their voyces on high to that end that thereby their minds and the minds of others might be moued with that that was then sung according to the matter thereof And so it was a note of some change in the musick and thereby also in the minds euen as wee when wee speake of any waightie matter wee put in some note of exclamation or word to stir them vp to attention and to marke it diligently as our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell often in such cases and to this end vseth this word Behold So was this word vsed to stirre vp their voyces and thereby to stirre vp their minds That kinde of musicke that was then vsed in the temple for which this was written is now ceased with the rest of that Leuiticall kind of seruice And for the affections of the mind and so there is no more vse of it that way yet still it is carefully retained in the text and there is good vse of it in the Church for it serueth to the stirring vp of the mind with some speciall affection vnto that whereunto it is affixed which affection must alwaies be according to the matter contayned in those words whereunto this is adioyned And therefore it noteth out not any one speciall affection of the mind as some interiections doe but diuers and generally all kind whatsoeuer which must be in vs diuersly according to the matter As in the third Psalme it is vsed three times for three seuerall affections according to that that is said there Psalm 3.2 as Many say to my soule there is no helpe for him in his God Selah As if he should say O what a great calamitie or crosse is that I am greatly affected with that and would haue others to bee so too and pity mee thereafter Verse 4. And I did call vnto the Lord with my voyce and he did heare me out of his holy mountaine Selah They said God had forsaken him but hee prayed vnto God and God heard him and then hee addeth Selah as if hee had said Oh what a good God is that and how is that to be marked And lastly in the same Psalme Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord Verse 8. and thy blessing is vpon thy people Selah As if he had said God only can saue and he saueth his people and then affixeth Selah As if he had said Oh what a blessed thing is that and how should wee therefore put our trust in him So here when Dauid had willed them to pray that God would remember his prayers and shew that hee had heard them he addeth Selah to stirre vp their minds and his owne Theirs that they might pray this earnestly for him and know that he had great need of it for hee commended it vnto them with some feeling and hee knew that it was a great thing to offer vp any thing to God that should bee acceptable vnto him if we consider his excellency and our own vnworthines And for himselfe that he would esteeme this as a great benefit if the Lord would shew that he had heard his prayers euen as hee confesseth in the next Psalme Psalm 21.2 Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes where hee doth also adde this note Selah to shew that as before they did earnestly pray for it so now they should be greatly affected in thankesgiuing with it and as they had a feeling of their want in praying for it so they should haue of the goodnes of God in giuing thankes for the same and so both in the one and in the other to haue their minds specially moued with that they said Generally wheresoeuer this is vsed The generall vse of this word we must carefully marke it and make some good vse of it according to the matter where it is vsed For though the whole Scripture be excellent in it selfe and in euery part of it as being giuen by the inspiration of the holy Ghost 2. Tim. 3.16 and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works yet some parts haue more speciall vse to vs in some cases than other and therefore some are commended vnto vs with the title of excellencie as all the Psalmes commonly called of degrees Psalm 120.1 or as others reade it of excellencies because in that shortnes they containe some excellent matter So also in the same Psalme some part may bee of greater vse and of more note and obseruation for some causes than some other part of the same as here in this Psalme though hee commended the whole Psalme vnto them and whole matter of the same as appeareth by the title and inscription of the same and the whole discourse of it yet in it the matter of this verse he doth specially commend vnto them for some causes with this marke or note then well knowne because it was in great vse when he addeth Selah So also in another Psalme Dauid commendeth one thing vnto them with a double note Psalm 9 16. Higgaion
Selah as when he saith The Lord is known by executing iudgement the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah This Psalme was made as a solemne thankesgiuing for the conquest he had ouer the proude Philistim Goliah as appeareth in the title therefore when hee commeth to this to shew how the Lord was knowne by executing iudgement vpon him and euen this iudgement that hee was snared in the worke of his owne hands as many other wicked men are for he was slaine in that combate by little Dauid and that without armour euen with a stone and a sling as it were with the hand of God miraculously in that combat I say whereunto he had proudly challenged all the hoast of the Israelites with blasphemous words tending to the dishonour of God he addeth these two notes Higgaion that is This is worthy to be meditated vpon and thought seriously on of all men that the wicked are snared in the workes of their owne hands Selah As if hee had said yea in deed this is worthy most seriously and with great affection to bee thought vpon But we shall make further vse of this doctrine hereafter THE ELEVENTH SERMON vpon the third verse Selah WE heard the last day the meaning of this word By Selah here they were stirred vp to the affections of Prayer namely that it serued to note out some speciall affection according to the matter where it was vsed Wee are then now to consider what speciall affections were in him and should be in the people here and so what is and was the vse of it in this place Generally it being ioyned vnto a prayer they were to haue the affections meet for prayer and for this thing that here they prayed for Therefore the speciall affections that ought to be in the people when they prayed thus were these or such like First when hee willeth them to pray that God would heare his prayers and shew that he did so and then addeth Selah a note of affection or stirring vp of the mind it was to teach them As namely to pray earnestly that he would haue them affected with it to pray for it earnestly And in requiring this earnestnes here his meaning was not that they should bee colde in the former and negligent but here he required a speciall feruency of the spirit that after a speciall manner they would pray that God would heare his prayers and declare it By which example wee learne that though we ought alwaies to pray from our hearts and neuer with the tongue onely as many doe and haue done not only in Popery when if they had said a certaine number of prayers it was thought sufficient though they knew not what they said it being in an vnknowne tongue and so could not possibly haue any desire at all vnto that which they prayed for and so that was verified of them that Christ speaketh of in the Gospell Matth. 15.8 This people draweth neere vnto me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me but also in these dayes when many though they say Amen at the end of prayers yet haue had their mind occupied about other matters and so though their tongue hath spoken yet their mindes haue desired nothing John 4.24 whereas God is a spirit and wil be worshipped in our spirits and he is the searcher of the hearts which when it is prepared then hee heareth as it is said thou preparest the heart Psalm 10.17 Psalm 57.7 and bendest thine eare thereto So that whensoeuer we pray we must say as the Prophet doth My heart is prepared my heart is prepared O God I will sing and giue thanks Therefore wee must not come rashly to prayer and vnaduisedly on the suddaine but prepare our hearts beforehand as Christ teacheth vs in that forme of his O our Father which art in Heauen c willing vs to consider of Gods fatherly loue and of his almighty power and so pray to him as to one whom wee are perswaded is most willing and able to heare and helpe vs. Greater earnestnes is requisite in some part of the prayer then of other Ephes 6.18 And though wee must alwaies thus pray if wee will bee heard yet we are to striue with our affections in prayer and as something shall be more materiall for vs and wee stand in more need of it so there and for that to pray more earnestly and as we must continually striue with our owne dulnesse in prayer and as the Apostle saith watch thereunto so wee must offer violence as it were to our selues in such things as doe most concerne vs. So that our prayers must not flowe from vs like a still streame which is alwaies like it selfe and neuer standeth still like a poole so wee must not haue alwaies the like desires in prayer yea though they be desires of the heart in deed and the heart bee truly moued with it and not stand still senselesse and dead in the affections of it like a lake which is without motion which yet it were well if all men could come vnto and it is a great worke of the spirit if wee can doe so but our hearts in prayer must bee working like the great Ocean Sea that sometimes commeth with great billowes so that it bringeth vp things that are at the bottome of it So we according to our speciall need and the necessitie of others that we pray for must stirre vp the least desire that we haue euen from the bottome of our hearts and though our hearts were moued before yet when wee come to such a thing they must bee mooued a great deale more that God may see how earnestly we desire them that so hee may fulfill them And this we must doe not onely in our priuat prayers And that is true not only of priuat prayer but of publike according to that that we stand in need of as we all finde that we need something more then other for that wee must bee most importunate though wee must alwaies pray earnestly But also in the publike prayers of the Church as these of the people were as wee must alwaies during the time of prayer marke diligently what is said and haue not onely our minde occupied about it but our desires going with his words that prayeth as it were step by step that thus they may all waite vpon him and as it were hang vpon his mouth as it is sayd the people did vpon our Sauiour Christ but when there is any speciall thing prayed for which concerneth vs neerely Luk. 19.48 or any of ours or the glory of God and Church of Christ there to stirre vp our minds with some more earnest desire to call vpon God for it and as it were to say Selah that is Oh that God would grant that so would it come to passe that God would giue vs our desire Luk. 1.53 as he hath promised to fill the hungry soule with
good things But for want of this because by the coldnesse of our desires it appeareth that wee doe not esteeme of them or but smally regard them therefore wee haue them not And this is that that the Apostle speaketh of to the Romanes I beseech you Rom. 15.30 that you would striue with me by prayer to God for me and to the Corinthians also saying So that yee labour together in prayer for vs 2. Cor. 1.11 where hee compareth prayer vnto labouring and striuing Therefore as when wee striue for any matter of moment wee will alwaies put to our strength that we may do our best that we can but yet sometimes we will put to all our strength As our Sauiour Christ did before he came to the crosse and straine our selues to the vttermost that we might preuaile so we in our prayers though wee must alwaies bee earnest yet in somethings wee must stretch out our affections vnto the full And so it is said of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ both before and when he was vpon the crosse as it is set downe in the Gospell He prayed Father if thou wilt take away this cuppe from me Luk. 22.42 Neuerthelesse not my will but thine bee done and being in an agonie hee prayed more earnestly and his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Where it is said that he was in an agonie that is in a great conflict of the minde with the wrath of God as appeared by the bloudie sweate that came from his precious b dy when he kneeled vpon the cold ground and so hee prayed the more earnestly He prayed alwaies in the spirit but in this distresse of bodie and minde he inlarged his affections as appeareth also by his words when three times hee prayed that if it were possible that cup might passe away from him Chap. 23.46 And after that manner he prayed vpon the crosse So afterwards when he was vpon the crosse he cried with a lowd voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when he had thus said he gaue vp the ghost Thus being at the last gaspe as we say he strained himselfe to the vttermost not onely in bodie but in minde and so earnestly prayed and declared his earnestnes with the lowd crie that hee made that with it hee spent all his strength in soule and bodie so that at the end of his prayer he gaue vp the ghost and died praying So must we alwaies watch in prayer as Paul speaketh that is watch ouer our affections Ephes 6.18 that as any thing seemeth more needfull so we more earnestly desire that As if we had many suites to a Nobleman and something did specially concerne vs and wherein consisted as we say our making or marring we would moue him most earnestly in that and as we would desire him to remember vs in all things so most of all and especially in such a thing So doth Dauid here he willeth the people to pray for him that God would send him helpe and strengthen him against his enemies yea that God would heare his prayers and declare by the euent that he had done so indeede and then he addeth Selah as if he had said Oh I pray you remember that especially and doe not forget aboue all other to pray that God would some waies declare that he hath heard our prayers So must wee doe in all things when we pray to God Thus must we pray for this Plague As now we haue many things to pray for but among them this is the chiefest that we thus weekly twice in one day meete for euen to pray to God that hee would forgiue vs our sins and be reconciled vnto vs through the bloud of his sonne and so stay in his blessed time this heauie hand that so long and in so many places to the losse and destruction of so many thousands hath lien grieuously and vncomfortably vpon vs Vnto these prayers of ours and when wee come to this one thing must be added Selah that is euery one must pray for this most earnestly For our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs by the parable of the wicked Iudge what importunitie of earnest prayer can do Luk. 18.7 euen that God will heare them that thus crie vnto him day and night though hee deferre for a time Therefore let vs stirre vp our affections and by how much the benefit of health is the longer a comming and we most vnworthie of it by so much let vs pray most earnestly and let vs doe as Christ Iesus did that is seeing wee are in distresse let vs pray more earnestly as Dauid saith also of himselfe when he was in great troubles and could not tell how to get out of them Psalm 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voyce So that as a man if hee were fallen into a great pit or well and could not tell how to get out hee would not onely call and crie for helpe but he would straine his voyce as much as hee could So let vs in this forlorne hope and desperate estate of ours not onely pray to God but straine all our desires to the vttermost Those that vse to sleepe at prayers or talke or haue their mindes otherwise occupied this doctrine and the practise of it cannot concerne them one whit but those that are deuout in prayer and the most deuout of all that they would learne this as occasion shall serue to shew their deuotion in prayer to the vttermost and not thinke that alwaies one kinde of deuotion is sufficient Secondarily when he teacheth them thus to pray that God would shew that he had fauourably accepted his prayers Wee must thinke it a very hard thing to doe any seruice so as God may accept of it offrings and all seruices that he had done to him and then addeth Selah This note of stirring vp the affection it was to shew how hee thought of this thing euen that it was a great thing to do any seruice or to offer vp any prayers that might be acceptable vnto God therefore that it might be so that is well pleasing in his eyes it was to bee commended vnto him againe and againe And truly thus must we thinke of the seruice of God and we shall finde that if we consider rightly the high maiestie of God and what is meete for him on the one side and then our owne vnworthines and insufficiencie to bring any thing at all vnto him on the other side we must needes confesse that it is a very hard thing to doe any thing after that manner that hee may vouchsafe once to regard it Euery thing is not meete for him it must bee agreeable vnto his word otherwise he refuseth our will-worship and saith Who hath required these things at your hands Isai 1.12 So then we must not obtrude vnto him our owne blind deuotions as they did in
the time of Poperie Besides wee must doe all things after that manner that hee hath prescribed in his word with pure consciences 1. Tim. 2.8 2. Tim. 2.19 and lift pure hands in all places as the Apostle saith and he that calleth vpon the name of the Lord let him depart from iniquitie for God heareth not sinners as the blind man in the Gospell said Iohn 9 31. but if any be a worshipper of him and doth his will him he heareth And for want of this he refused the very sacrifices and oblations of the Iewes yea their solemne fastings as wee may see in the Prophet and namely in the Prophet Esay Jsa 1.11 What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of rammes and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the bloud of bullocks bring no more oblations in vaine Incense is an abomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbaths nor solemne daies they are a burthen vnto me and I am wearie to beare them and so foorth as followeth in that place and after hee sheweth the cause of it that their liues were vngodly and so they offred them with an il conscience and therefore he addeth Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes cease to doe euill and so foorth So then we must be of this minde Therefore therein wee must vse all diligence and preparation that it is a very hard thing to serue God as we should and therefore in all parts of his worship wee must vse great diligence that they may bee done in that manner that he may fauourably accept them As now thus to come to the Church weekly as we doe to serue him in hearing of his word in prayer and fasting are things commanded of God but to doe them so as God may receiue them fauourably and blesse vs for them and to be assured of it this is a great thing and euery one must striue to doe them so as God may gratiously receiue them at their hands Wee must be farre then from that Prophets minde which is in some to thinke so basely of God and of his seruice that euery thing should be good enough for him and that he must needes accept all things at our hands and so care not how wee doe them as how we pray how we heare his word how wee receiue his Sacraments c. Doth not our Sauiour Christ say Take heede how you heare Luk. 8.18 to shew that all kinde of hearing is not sufficient vnlesse wee heare his word as wee should and He that hath eares to heare let him heare that is as hee should namely diligently and carefully and as the Apostle saith Let him be swift to heare Jam. 1.19 So that in nothing wee are to vse so much diligence and preparation as in the seruice of God that it may be accepted This lesson doth Salomon teach vs very well in the booke of the Preacher in these words Take heede to thy foote Eccles 4.17 when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they doe euill Where by the feete he meaneth the affections of the minde for as the one carrie the bodie so doe the other the minde and bodie Therefore saith he It is not sufficient to come to the church but wee must come prepared as wee ought 1. Sam. 15.22 thinke not enough to come to the Temple but consider with what mindes you come that is come religiously soberly deuoutly and as you should come and be readie to heare what God requireth of you and doe that and doe not rest in the outward sacrifices as though they were sufficient as many foolish men doe For obedience is better than all outward seruice of God and all sacrifices as was said to Saul That so wee may offer vp our selues vnto God that is our soules and bodies to bee readie to serue him with both as liuing sacrifices Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable vnto God as the Apostle saith which is our reasonable seruing of God For without this all is euill euen our cōming to Church and prayer to God though foolish men doe not consider of it as Salomon saith They know not that they do euil Prou. 15.8 For the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him So then it is not enough to come hither but euery man must consider with what minde he commeth that so God may accept of him of his comming and of his seruice And this wee had neede to bee put in minde of because men for the most part are more carefull about their owne busines Men vse greater diligence about their owne busines than about Gods seruice yea about other mens busines that all may be well done than about Gods In the sixe daies of the weeke how busie are men at home but vpon the seuenth day which is the Lords and so called in the Scripture how slowly doe they come how sleepely do they behaue themselues here as though it made no matter at all how they serued God Yea seruants are commonly more diligent about their masters busines at home more carefull to please and more loath to offend than they are in the Church about the Lords busines and so they shew by their deedes that though it be an hard thing to please their masters yet as they think it is an easie thing to please God Why doth Dauid then desire them so earnestly to pray that God would fauourably accept his seruices and to inforce them vnto it doth adde this word Selah if it were so easie a matter to serue God as they imagine and that hee were bound to take any thing at our hands We see then by this that few men in deed know rightly what it is to serue God when they come to it so hypocritically and so coldly But euery one as they are desirous to serue God in truth as Dauid was here so they finde it to be more hard to doe any thing in such manner But the best seruants of God haue thought so highly of his seruice that when they haue done the best they haue found fault with themselues that they haue done no better Act. 2.37 as may bee acceptable vnto him And this is that that the best seruants of God that haue been tender hearted haue found fault with themselues for and haue beene greatly troubled in their minds about not so much for any great sinnes that they haue committed which by the grace of God they haue been free from as that their prayers that they haue made haue not been in that faith and feeling in that power of the spirit and assurance of being heard that they should and so God might reiect them and that in other part of
much as they can And though some do ignorantly presumptuously pray to God to fulfill their foolish and sinfull desires yet none can pray for them neither haue they part in the praiers of the Church and so God heareth them not And this is that which the Apostle saith to the Iewes Yee aske and receiue not because yee aske amisse Iam. 4.3 that yee might lay the same out on your pleasures Where hee saith that because they did aske worldly things first with an vnsatiable mind and then to a wrong end euen to consume them vpon their owne lusts and not that they might glorifie God in doing good and so it was not according to Gods will therefore they had them not for such desires of the heart God will not graunt They that are couetous they haue such desires in their hearts for the world that neither themselues As the desires of couetous men 1. Tim. 6.9 nor any for them can pray that God would graunt them and giue them according to their heart For they that will be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many sorrowes This is a wonderfull yet a true saying For if euery couetous man might haue according to his desire what should become of all the world al should be little enough for themselues Nay what should become of themselues they would aske that that should be hurtfull for them As it is written of one that hee desired that all that hee touched might be gold and it was granted vnto him and by this meanes hee soone starued for want of meate and drinke for not onely his cuppes and dishes at his touching were turned into gold but euen the meate and drinke that was in them and so could neither eate nor drinke any thing and thus his desire through couetousnes was not onely foolish but also noisome and hurtfull as the Apostle said whereby hee was drowned in perdition and destruction Which though it bee but a meere fable and poeticall fiction yet it doth shew the truth of this that wee speake of namely that couetous mens desires many of them are such that they are not to bee desired of God Other men their hearts are so full of hatred and malice And of the malitious that all their desires for the most part tend to the hurt of others and to the good of few especially they desire the hurt of those whom they account their enemies if they might haue their desire I speake not of the Papists onely for then none of vs should be aliue but of some other that professe the Gospell many of their neighbours should bee a great deale worse than they are I pray you what had become of all the nation of the Iewes and of the whole Church of God Hest 3.13 if malitious Haman had had his diuellish desire who sought in one day to kill and to destroy all both yong and old children and women Against these and such like Dauid teacheth vs to pray thus Psal 104.6 Bring not their desires to passe Other haue their hearts full of the lusts of the flesh and the saying of our Sauiour Christ is verified in them They looke on a woman and lust after her Mat. 5.28 And of the voluptuous and so they commit adulterie with her in their heart and they haue many vngodly desires this way which they cannot bring to passe yet can they not themselues or any for them pray that God would grant them their desire and giue them according to their heart and so they consume and pine away in their wicked desire as Amnon did 2. Sam. 13.2 of whom it is said That he was so sore vexed that he fell sicke for his sister Tamar for shee was a virgin and it seemed hard to him to doe any thing to her and that wicked desire continued vpon him that from day to day he waxed leane because he could not accomplish his filthy desire Of these such like the Psalmist saith The desires of the wicked shall perish that is Psal 112.10 God will not fulfill but disapoint them of their wicked desire and so may we pray not for them but against them and so no doubt doth the whole Church of God pray against such continually To be short And of the proud and ambitious some are ambitious and proud and seeke the ouerthrow of others for the raysing vp of themselues as some traitours haue done in our time though they haue not preuailed And so did Absalom conspire against his father Achitophell did help him with counsel in that action but Dauid praeid against thē said O Lord 2. Sam. 15.31 I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophell into foolishnesse and so God did heare his prayer and did ouerthrow his wicked counsell disappointed Absalom of his ambitious desire And not onely by this example but otherwise he hath taught vs generally to pray against all such Fulfill not ô Lord their desire Psal 140.8 These men haue no part in the prayer of others least they be too proud Thus we see that no wicked man that hath his desires disordered in any kind whatsoeuer and will not submit them to the word of God can looke to haue any part in the prayers of the Church generally or of any godly man or woman particularly be they neuer so neere thē or wish they neuer so well vnto them And we our selues must looke to our desires least we be depriued of the benefit of the praier of others For as if our hearts be sound vpright with God and we desire nothing but according to the will of God then all pray for vs euery where by vertue of the communion of Saints we inioy the fruit of the prayer of the Saints so if our hearts be turned from God by our crooked wayes Psal 125.5 we desire things that are vnlawfull then all forsake vs euen our dearest friends and none can pray for vs in any faith And we had need to be put in mind of this doctrine because for the most part our minds are more set vpon earthly things than vpon heauenly we are more readie to lay vp our treasures here on earth than in heauen where the true treasure is and so because where the treasure is there will the heart be also as our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Math. 6.20.21 Nor haue any vnlawfull desires therefore wee desire earthly things aboue heauenly and so our hearts desire being not according to Gods will none can pray for vs that God would graunt them and so through our owne default we loose the comfortable fruit of the prayer of others and whereas prayer is compared vnto striuing when we striue about things
prayer euen that it is an inward desire of the heart vnto God for some thing which he that is the onely searcher of the heart knoweth and so is able to satisfie VVhich is so to be vnderstood not that we should vse no words at all in prayer for they are sometimes necessarie as not only when many pray together that one should speake out aloud that the rest might heare and say Amen but euen many times when we pray alone by our selues that by our speech our minds might be stirred vp and also kept vpon that that wee speake But euen then the substance of our prayer is in the desire of the heart and our words are but signes to testifie and declare the same Though words be vsed yet the desire of the hart is the chiefest so that there can be no true prayer at all without the desire of the heart but there may be very effectuall prayer without words and when in prayer both doth concurre words and desires God respecteth this later more than the former and the desires of our hearts doe crie lowder in the eares of the Lord of hoasts than all the words that we can vse be they neuer so many and so vehement And though desires without words are effectuall yet words without the desire of the heart is nothing worth and therefore Dauid though he vsed both yet here nameth this onely and after when he giueth thankes to God for hearing of his prayers though hee nameth both yet hee placeth this first Psal 21.2 as the chiefe saying Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lips Therefore when we pray let vs prepare our hearts that they may be full of holy desires and in prayer let vs hold out in them and not suffer them to fall for when they decay and die then doe we cease praying though our lips mooue still neuer so fast And so all they that pray in a strange tongue and know not what they say as is the manner of the Papists and so cannot possibly haue any desire in their heart of that that they speake doe not pray at all And therefore though they boast greatly of prayer and say that they did continually pray because they had their beads about them Without which words are not regarded and their lips were going yet in truth there was not neither could there be any prayer at all among them And besides all they in our daies who in the time of prayer haue their minds otherwise occupied than about that that is prayed for though they kneele downe lift vp their eyes and hands and say Amen with the rest do not pray one whit but are as farre from praying as can be though they seeme vnto others to pray very deuoutly Therefore when we come hether to the house of prayer to pray together and one of vs for another they and they only haue the benefit of common prayer who haue their minds attent vpon that that is said and desire from their heart the same thing with the rest For here we pray to God that he would giue to euery one according to his desire if then either they be asleepe or talking or gazing about or otherwise busie then we pray that God would giue them nothing for they desire nothing And hereunto agreeth that which the virgine Marie saith in her song He hath filled the hungry with good things Luk. 1.53 and sent away the rich emptie VVhere she confesseth that those who desire good things of God earnestly as the hungry and thirstie desire meat and drinke those he filleth and bestoweth plentifully vpon them vnto their contentment but they that are rich and full as it were in their owne opinion and so desire nothing of God as they should they receiue nothing but are sent away as emptie as they come And this is so certaine that in prayer God looketh into the heart wholly that it that be mooued to desire earnestly though we speake not a word it is sufficient he knoweth well ynough what we pray for and will graunt it as soone as though we had vsed all the words that might be to persuade For thus it is said of Hannah when she prayed in the temple because she was barren She spake in her heart her lips did mooue only 1. Sam. 1.13 but her voice was not heard and when Hely thought that she had beene drunken because he saw her lips mooue but heard no voice God heareth the desire of the heart whē there are no wordes and told her of it saying How long wilt thou be drunken she answered and said Nay my lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit and haue poured out my soule before the Lord. Then he praied vnto God for her that he would graunt her this petition that she had made in her heart without words and the Lord did so and gaue her a manchild which she prayed for as her selfe doth afterwards confesse Thus we see that God heareth the desire of the heart when there are no words as on the contrarie he careth not for all the words that can be vsed without this desire After this manner also did Nehemiah pray and was heard for when he was waiting at the Kings table for he was his butler by reason of the ill newes which he heard of the Church of God a little before it was perceiued that his countenance was more sad than it was wont to be in former times and the king asked him the cause of it seeing that he was not sicke and said certainely it was nothing else but sorrow of heart Nehem. 2.1 Then Nehemiah told him the cause of it and the king most gratiously bad him require what he would and so he desired of him as it is set downe there But first of all it is said Verse 4. That he prayed to the God of heauen which must needs be thus vnderstood that he did stoutly lift vp his mind vnto God according as the time and place did then require and desired him to blesse him and to mooue the heart of the king to be fauourable towards him for it was not fit for him then to haue kneeled downe and to haue spoken aloud and so haue made a long prayer when the king was at meat and so he offered vp the desire of his heart vnto God though he spake nothing and God graunted it And this is so vndoubtedly true that God in prayer looketh to the desire of the heart Rom. 8.26 that it is said That when we know not what to pray as we ought the spirit of God it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God So that when we for paine of bodie or griefe of mind cannot speake one word aright then the very sighes and
grones which are stirred vp in vs the Lord acknowledgeth and answereth vs according to them Therefore we must hearken to the exhortation of the Apostle and practise that Ephe. 6.18 Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication so that what kind of prayer soeuer wee vse as he speaketh of all manner prayer whether long or short with words or without publicke or priuat alone or with others it must alwaies be in the spirit and from the heart and that it might be so he giueth vs counsell to watch thereunto that is to haue an eye to our heart and to set a watch vpon the affections of our mind and suffer them not to bee carried away and this we had need to doe carefully because else they will too soone wander suddenly before we be aware as all of vs doe find it to be true by too great experience Seeing then that prayer is a worke of the heart and of the spirit as we haue heard and not of the lips and of the tongue so much euery one that commeth vnto prayer must especially labour in this one point that he may bring his heart vnto God and not to stand so much vpon words If we haue good desires the want of fit wordes must not hinder vs from prayer And this must be no barre vnto any to keep them from prayer to say I haue no fit words I cannot vtter my mind well I haue a good heart but my speech is naught c. For first of all if we be sufficiently touched with the feeling of our wants we shall haue words inough to vtter the same for all experience sheweth that euery one can complaine well inough to the vnderstanding of men of any thing wherein they are grieued be they neuer so simple as the poorest creature that is that is pinched with hunger and thurst can aske bread and meat and no man need to instruct him what words he should vse in such a case and if any be oppressed they cā sufficiently lay opē their wrongs we see that young children can doe that and almost naturall fooles Then assuredly if we had that inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and of the want of the graces of Gods spirit that we should haue we should haue wordes inough to vtter the same vnto God and to poure out our whole mind vnto him and to say Good Lord giue me this and giue me that Therefore let vs first labour for that and then the other will soone follow that is let vs haue the feeling of our own wants and we shall want no wordes in prayer But say that wee want words indeed it maketh no matter one whit God looketh not to that but to the desire of the heart he heareth that sooner than the other For God looketh to the heart nay without the other Hannah sayd nothing spake not a word with her lips no more did Nehemiah as we heard euen now but they both prayed in the spirit and powred out their soules before the Lord and God heard them Therefore if we could say nothing at all nor speake one word yet if we doe but sigh and grone in our hearts that shall be as acceptable vnto God as all the well ordered words in the world King Hezekiah when hee was sicke vnto death prayed most earnestly vnto God for life and he added fifteene yeares vnto it but how prayed he then and what were his words he speaketh thus of it himselfe Isai 38.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue where he confesseth that if God had respected his wordes his paine and feare then was so great that it was more like the chattering of a Crane and the confused noise of a doue than any thing els yet in his heart he had great desires and God satisfied them Let vs pray for our brethren that are visited with the pestilence that God would giue them their hearts desire and therfore that he would put into their minds good and holy desires and according to those when they shall be so weake euen at the point of death all the powers of the bodie shall faile them that he would deale with them in mercy either for comfort or for deliuerance or for both And so must we labour with our own hearts that not onely they be free from ill desires but that they may not be emptie and barren of good that others may pray for vs Giue them according to their heart and we may haue the fruit of their prayers when our desires shall be good and euen then when we shall not be able to speake a word Giue thee according to thy heart Thus he willeth them to pray for him But what was he he was a king It seemeth that all kings may soone haue their desires and so need not pray to God to fulfill them and a mightie prince therefore if any might haue their hearts desire then he most of all For what can a king desire but he shall haue it if it may be bought for money if it may be gotten by sea or by land if it may be compassed by the wit strength of men They can desire nothing but there are ynow that will procure it for them if they be kings and princes all at their commaund and are glad to please them with their desires in all things what needed he then to be so carefull for this that he might haue according to his hearts desire and that they should pray so earnestly for it was there any need of it was there any feare of it if he had bene a meane man it had bin another matter or one that could not haue holpen himselfe nor had had any to doe for him but all seeke to satisfie the desires of kings if it be with the hazard of their owne liues Dauid had experience of this himselfe who when he was in an hold and the garison of the Philistims was then in Bethlehem he longed said 2. Sam. 23.14 Oh that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate Then three mighty men brake into the host of the Philistims and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem and brought it to Dauid who would not drinke thereof but powred it out for an offering before the Lord and sayd O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe this is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues therefore he would not drinke it Thus though he repented him of this rash and foolish desire yet we see how soone he had his desire and how ready his men were to satisfie it euen in a very hard thing and wherein they did hazard their liues for him Hauing then so many worthy Captaines as he had what might not he presume that they would doe for
haue euen our meat and drinke Euen in our meat drink wherewith we are satisfied that it is God that giueth vs our desire For when as many in the world doe want and are pinched with hunger and doe eat and drinke by measure and by weight because they haue not ynough when as in the meane season we eat and drinke of the best and are well filled must we not needs confesse to the praise of God that he hath giuen vs our desire For many haue as great desires to these things and yet are in extreame want and so might wee haue beene too but that God hath prouided better for vs and giuen vs our desires and denied them vnto others Besides some that haue much haue not the heart to bestow it vpon themselues and so they desire haue not and this is one of the vanities of the world that Salomon cōplaineth of There is one alone and there is not a second Eccle. 4.8 which hath neither sonne nor brother yet is there none end of his trauaile neither can his eye be satisfied with riches neither doth he think For whom doe I trauaile and defraud my selfe of pleasure this also is vanitie and this an euill trauaile Therfore he saith that this is all that a man can haue of all that he possesseth chap. 2.24 To eat and drinke and to take his part of them and yet to doe so is the speciall gift of God all haue it not And to conclude thus doth the Prophet confesse of others of himselfe Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore where Psal 10.17 by poore he meaneth the humble and lowly and so also doe some translate it that is those that are afflicted and humbled that way so that all men rich and poore must confesse that it is God that must giue them all their desires And therefore whether we desire health or wealth long life or any thing els or we desire an end of this grieuous calamitie of the pestilence And in taking away of this plague and that the places where it is might at the last be set free from it and that all places might haue their accustomed health to the comfort of vs all God alone is he that must giue these things or els we shall neuer haue our desires We must shew this faith in praying to God to fulfill our desires This doctrine though it be so euident and cleare as it is yet few do rightly beleeue it for if they did then they would doe as Dauid did here in the like case that is they would in all things pray to God that he would giue them their desires But the most part couet and desire many things and neuer aske them of God as though they imagined that they could haue them without him So saith the Apostle and chargeth the Iewes out it Iames 4.2 saying Ye lust and haue not ye enuie and desire immoderatly and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre and get nothing because ye aske not That is they trusted greatly for these worldly things one for one thing and another for another and they had a world of desires in their mind and they enuied also others that went beyond them and had that which they had not and they did striue and take all the paines that they could to get more and yet they had not according to their desire because they asked not those things of God who onely could fulfill all their desires So that if a man beleeueth that it is God onely that must giue him all his desires else he shall desire and desire in vaine as these did he must commend his desires vnto God in prayer that he might so doe and the want of prayer in all our desires argueth the want of faith in them All those then that haue their heads occupied about the world that they haue a multitude of desires in their mind to this and to that and to they cannot tell themselues what do not from time to time aske of God that he would fulfill them do not rightly beleeue that he onely can doe it but trust to their own wit and policie to their owne strength and power to thēselues or to some other And yet God many times disappointeth them of their desires when they think themselues surest of them that they might by experience see that in themselues which they will not heare out of the word Yee lust and haue not because you aske not And that I might applie this to the time present And namely our desire to haue the plague taken away and to the occasion of our meeting all men desire and haue done a long time that God would stay his heauy hand and that wee might not thus still heare continually of the death of our brethren in so many places But none of vs all can haue our desires herein but as God shall giue it Therefore let vs pray vnto him and aske it of him as the Apostle willeth vs and the more earnestly we desire it the more feruently let vs pray vnto God for it so will the Lord graunt it vnto vs in his good time and so shall it appeare that wee doe not onely say in word but beleeue in heart that he onely can giue vs our desire And let vs remember for the further humbling of vs how many desires wee haue had in our mind in time past and neuer thought vpon God or sought to him for the accomplishment of them and so no maruaile if we haue mist of many of them for God thereby hath punished our vnbeleefe that we did not by prayer the fruit of faith acknowledge that hee was the onely giuer of all our desires yea and that we haue desired many great things and such as haue concerned vs verie much and yet haue not asked them of God and therefore worthily haue gone without them And seeing God giueth all men their desires and we must pray to him for them it behooueth vs to liue well and to serue him and to desire nothing but good continually that so he may from time to time giue vs our hearts desire euen as Dauid did here And then God hath promised to giue vs our desire Prouer. 10.24 as Solomon saith That which the wicked feareth shall come vpon him but God will grant the desire of the righteous What we must doe that God might fulfill all our desiers VVhere he saith that the wicked shall be so farre from hauing their desire that euen that very thing which they feare most and would most willingly escape God will bring vpon them but hee will giue the righteous man his desire So that if we serue God and doe liue well then he will giue vs all our desires that is so farre as they be good and agreeable vnto his will And thus also is a righteous man described in the word of God namely That he is a righteous man and she a righteous
faith in Gods promises prayeth hypocritically that is more with his tongue than with his heart Seeing then that Gods promise is sure and certaine he would not haue vs so to pray as that we should doubt and call into question whether wee should bee heard or no. And this he sheweth by an excellent and very fit comparison for as the waues of the sea are tossed and carried away so they that beleeue not both are vnquiet alwaies in their minds yea though they haue prayed and are altogether vnworthie to receiue any thing Therefore when wee come to God in our prayers let vs beforehand beleeue that hee will heare vs and so pray in faith and say as this people doth here I know that God will heare and helpe so shall our prayers be acceptable vnto God so shall we receiue that that we aske of him and so shall our minds bee pacified and quiet Few pray in any assurance that God doth heare them Let vs then examine our selues and see whether alwaies when we haue come to prayer we haue had this faith and assurance that God would heare vs and helpe vs and then we shall find that some haue beene so farre from it that they haue neuer once thought of it but they haue come to prayer neither knowing any such thing nor regarding it And thus haue they done not only in the dayes of ignorance superstition whē they held it an error for a mā to think that he might be assured of any thing from God though he prayed for it neuer so earnestly and when they prayed in an vnknowne tongue and so knew not themselues what they said and therefore could not by prayer haue any assurance that they were heard but also in this cleare light of the gospell many haue and do still both in their priuat prayers and in these publicke come so coldly to God and as it were for fashion that they neither know nor desire to know nor thinke it possible to know that God will hear them And so these wauering minded men being vncertaine in their minds and tossed too and fro like the waues of the sea may be assured That they shall obtaine nothing of God Iam. 1.7 And so obtain nothing of God as the Apostle saith But let vs endeuour to put that in practise which the people did here that euery one of vs may say I know that God will heare so shall we obtaine such things as we aske Matth 17.17 For if the disciples of our Sauiour Christ could doe nothing for the fathers child possessed with a deuill when there was most need because of their vnbeleefe then shall wee also for the same vnbeleefe of ours obtaine nothing neither for our selues nor for others when there is most need And as on the other side hee said againe vnto them That all things were possible to him that beleeueth so shall we find it to bee true in our selues then when wee pray in faith it shall be possible for vs to obtaine all things according to Gods will euen those that vnto the vnbeleeuers shall seeme impossible Now though this place of Scripture doth not so properly require to shew how wee shall come to this faith and assurance in prayer that God will heare it but rather onely that wee ought to haue it and not to pray without it yet that I might not leaue this doctrine vnperfect it is necessarie to say somewhat of it First therefore as euery good and perfect gift is of the spirit of God Iam. 1.17 and commeth from aboue euen from the father of lights so doth this most of all Act. 16.14 And as the Lord by his spirit opened the heart of Lydia that she beleeued that which Paule preached so Christ Iesus is he vpon whose shoulders as the Prophet speaketh is laid the key of the house of Dauid that is Isai 22.22 of the whole Church of God so that he onely openeth and no man can shut and he shutteth and no man can open that is he onely by his holy spirit openeth our hearts that we may beleeue and giueth vs assurance in all things of the fauour of God How this assurance of being heard is wrought in vs. therefore we must pray to him that hee would giue vs that assurance and so open our hearts that we may beleeue that he doth heare our prayers But because this is wrought in vs by meanes and our faith is grounded specially and onely vpon the promises of God and all assurance of being heard ariseth from thence we must know and beleeue and meditate vpon them before we pray that so by them we may be assured that he will heare vs according to the vndoubted truth of the same And the more that wee can doe thus the greater assurance of being heard shall we haue when we pray vnto God And besides this we must know that the same assurance is confirmed and encreased by our former experience dayly so that when we haue marked how God hath at other times and in other things heard vs we may assure our selues from thence that he will doe so now also For as among men when we haue oftentimes made triall of a friend in the time of our need wee goe to them afterwards as any necessitie shall be vpon vs with great confidence and doubt not before wee come to them but we shall speed if they haue it so vpon our former experience with the Lord we ought much more boldly to come vnto him in times of need who hath not onely promised and so is willing but being almightie is also able and being true and iust in his promises will helpe vs. And according to experience of former times some doe read this text that we haue in hand although I approoue of the other rather which I haue followed after this manner Now know I that the Lord hath saued his annointed and will heare him from his Sanctuarie and so they confirme their hope by the time past in that they haue marked the goodnesse of God towards their king in sauing him before in other dangers as he was in many and so doubt not but that hee will heare them for him now and still saue him But to returne to that that we spake of before namely How we shal come to this assurance of being heard First of all we are to consider of the promises of God First by meditating vpon Gods promises vpon which our faith must be grounded and which must giue vs assured knowledge of being heard we may see how to this end the holy Patriarch Iacob did meditate vpon them to strengthen his faith and in his prayer did as it were put God in mind of them and comfort himselfe in hope of them when he prayed thus O God of my father Abraham Gen. 32 9. and God of my father Izaack Lord which saidest vnto me Returne vnto thy countrey and to thy kindred and I will doe thee good I
or any of ours if we had from time to time marked and remembred in all these how God hath answered vs gratiously we might now when we meet to pray for the remouing of this visitation haue had greater hope of being heard than we haue and greater assurance of Gods goodnesse towards vs. But seeing we haue beene so vnprofitable in times past to our owne hinderance let vs make the best vse of the time present that we can And therefore now seeing in this mortalitie of the plague we see so great fruit of our prayers at the last And namely how God hath lessened the plague at our prayers that as in other places it is greatly diminished so in the chiefest citie of this land it is fallen from three thousand and foure hundreth a weeke to lesse than two hundred for the which Gods name be praysed let vs profit by this experience to know what hee will doe for vs at all times when we pray And thus much out of these wordes both for the assurance of faith in which we should pray and for the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it The nineteenth Sermon vpon the sixt verse Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed c. I Shall not need to call into your remembrance the doctrine of the last day gathered out of this verse Now know I. concerning the assurance of being heard that we should pray in which is so necessarie that without it we cannot pray acceptably to God comfortably to our selues nor profitably to others I am now to proceed and here to consider of these words where hee saith Now I know for seeing this faith that God will heare vs is so requisit in prayer it may be demaunded VVhy he did not begin with it at the first and to say in the beginning I know that God will heare but that he commeth to it so slowly and as it were at the last to say I know VVhat did he the author of the Psalme euen Dauid did he not know it vntill now that he sayth Now I know did he not know it before this time VVas all the former part of the prayer with doubting or without knowledge of this Or would he haue the people whom he taught thus to pray and left this forme for them not to haue this knowledge or not to labour for it till they come to this Yes vndoubtedly both himselfe did know in the beginning that the Lord did and would heare him els to what end did he pray and he would haue them euen at the first and before they began or spake one word to beleeue that God would heare them otherwise they could not pray in faith and so neither please God therein nor looke for any thing at the hand of the Lord for him VVhy then doth he himselfe say and teach thē also to say not onely VVe know but Now I know that God will helpe Surely to this end to shew that as he hath faith in the goodnesse of God that hee would heare him indeed so he had it in measure and it encreased in him by degrees By continuing in prayer our assurance of being heard encreaseth as it doth in all other men Therefore as hee was directed to make this prayer by the spirit of God so when he came to this part of it it did specially shew forth it selfe in the assurance of faith which hee had thereby and so caused him to breake out into these wordes Now know I because that by continuance in prayer he attained vnto a greater measure of faith and assurance than he had at the first And this great affection of the mind in prayer he was willing to commend vnto them to that end that they might both labour for it and looke to come vnto it euery one in their measure namely that the longer and the more earnestly they prayed for him the greater assurance they should haue by the spirit of God that the Lord did and would heare them And therefore though they did know at the first that God would heare them according to his will as hee had promised which promises they were not ignorant of yet by continuing in prayer or after their prayer they might looke to be further assured of it from God by his holy spirit that was in them For the Lord God vseth thus to worke by his spirit in those that be his that when their hearts are prepared aright to serue him As in all the parts of Gods seruice the longer wee continue in thē the more doth his spirit by them work in vs. the longer that they continue vnder the meanes of their saluation the more effectuall is the operation of his holy spirit in them thereby As for example in the hearing of the word of God they are more affected in the middest than they were at the beginning and many times most of all in the ending if they be diligent and attentiue hearers and not drowsie and carelesse and labour to stirre vp the spirit of God in themselues So is it in praying also when they come to it with due preparation of the heart the children of God doe often find that though they had some good measure of faith in Gods promises and feeling of his loue in the beginning yet by continuance in prayer the same was greatly enlarged and encreased in them so that it was more at the middest than at the first in so much that then they could say with greater freedome of the spirit and assurance of faith Now know I indeed that the Lord will helpe me and doth heare me from heauen and in the end they haue had more assurance and sometimes after they haue done praying most of all Thus their faith knowledge and assurance that the Lord did hear them it hath growne by degrees and encreased till it came to the full when they haue prayed feruently And hereupon it commeth to passe that we find in the Psalmes that very often they breake out into some sudden passion of ioy or glorying in the Lord and as it were boasting of the goodnesse of God towards them as though they had then euen alreadie obtained their desire because they felt and found that the Lord did giue them some good assurance of it As wee see how besides that which they professe here in the end of the Psalme they vtter these words of great confidence as though the victorie were alreadie gotten which if it had been it had beene in vaine to pray for defence against enemies they speake I say thus confidently They are brought downe and fallen but wee are risen and stand vpright And this is that which wee may obserue and most clearely see first of all in the third Psalme where hee beginneth his prayer very vncomfortably Thus Dauid beginning his prayer somewhat doubtfully endeth with great assurance Psal 3.1 and greatly complaineth of the multitude of his aduersaries that rebelliously were risen vp against him saying Lord
for dispight and sunke in because of all mine enemies Here we see that in these seuen first verses he complaineth most grieuously of his owne estate prayeth most feruently vnto God for deliuerance and no man can say more either to expresse the griefe of his mind or his feruent desire to haue releefe and comfort See then I pray you in the words following what a great alteration there is made in him of the sudden and what a wonderfull great change he findeth in himselfe when he sayth thus Away from me all ye workers of iniquitie Vers 8. for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayers All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddenly VVhere he sheweth what gteat comfort the Lord gaue him at the last in this trouble of his euen that he should be deliuered out of it when his enemies looked that he should perish and be swallowed vp in it and he attaineth vnto so great assurance of this that he is not able to containe himselfe but againe and againe professeth that the Lord had heard his prayers and the voyce of his weeping And not onely that is to be marked but especially this that he commeth vnto this assurance not vntill the end of many long and feruent prayers and that in the beginning either he had it not at al or nothing in that measure that there he professeth it for then no doubt he would haue done it sooner and not so long haue fed himselfe with such grieuous complaints and lamentable outcries as there hee doth And so may we do for God giueth it by ordinarie meanes So is it possible for vs in what trouble soeuer we shall be in if we pray vnto God in all humilitie and sorrow for our sinnes as he did euen with great aboundance of teares for he saith That he watered his couch and made his bed to swim with them by which hyperbolicall kind of speech he meaneth That he wept very much not only in the day but euen in the night also and if we did pray with that feruencie that he did not fainting nor giuing ouer but stretching out our affections and desires according to our present need it is possible I say for vs to attaine by degrees vnto that measure of persuasion of Gods goodnesse towards vs that may suffice vs. And though wee come not to that great measure that was in this holy man because we pray not in that feruencie and zeale and tendernesse of heart that hee did yet in some acceptable measure and more than we had in the beginning For I am not of that opinion that this was inspired into him as he was a Prophet who had many things extraordinarie neither that any man can come to haue any assurance or full persuasion either of their saluation or that God heareth their prayers or of any other fauour from him without some reuelation and so it should be thought presumption in a man to say he is assured of such things but that God giueth this assurance and increaseth it by ordinarie meanes and namely and especially by prayer For seeing prayer is very fitly compared vnto wrastling or striuing as we haue seene heretofore by which we labour with all the power of our soules and bodies A comparison to shew the truth of it to obtaine some thing of the Lord as by bodily striuing men seeke to obtaine some masterie among men and thus the Apostle speaketh of it to the Romanes Rom. 15.30 Desiring them to striue with him by prayers to God for him as in striuing a mans strength is not alwayes greatest at the first neither can himselfe or others perceiue so well whether he shall ouercome but sometimes yea most vsually when after some paines taken his bodie is well heat he increaseth in strength of bodie and agilitie of lims whereby it commeth to passe that he findeth that in himselfe which giueth him greater hope of preuailing against his aduersarie than he had before So is it when we pray to God and as it were striue with him that though wee put all our strength vnto it at the first that is pray with all the desire of our hearts yet when by continuance in praier the spirit of God in vs is well heat as I may say and the heat of it increased we shall find that both our desires are greatly increased also our assurance from thence of being heard is inlarged So that in the middest or ending of our prayers we shall perceiue our minds more pacified and quiet and our selues more readie to submit our wils to the will of God and to rest in the hope of his defence and deliuerance than before VVhereof if we were asked though we could giue no great reason from outward things for all things are still with vs as they were before yet we find it to be true by experience and must account it a fruit of our prayer in that the Lord hath giuen vs greater assurance than wee had before and so we are contented to wait vpon him The like may bee shewed in many other Psalmes Another example of this in the person of Dauid as indeed that one booke as it is full of godly prayers so of notable examples of this kind of the working of the spirit of God in his children and seruants but for breuitie sake I will content my selfe with one or two now In the seuenteeth Psalme he prayeth vnto God to be preserued from his enemies either Saul or some other for indeed he had many and saith thus Heare the right Psal 17.1 O Lord that is my righteous cause consider my crie hearken vnto my prayer of lips vnfained Let my sentence come forth from thy presence and let thine eyes behold equitie Thou hast proued and visited mine heart in the night thou hast tried me and foundest nothing for I was purposed that my mouth should not offend Concerning the workes of men by the words of thy lips I kept me from the paths of the cruell man Stay my steps in thy path that my foot doe not slide Then he breaketh out into these wordes of comfort Vers 6. I haue called vpon thee surely thou wilt heare me O God incline thine eare to me and hearken vnto my wordes VVhere after many prayers and reasons to mooue the Lord to heare him as the goodnesse of his cause the vprightnesse of his mind the feruencie of his prayer and such like he saith that he did then assure himselfe that God would heare him and so doth continue his prayer vnto him in that assurance of faith But it is to be noted for this purpose that we haue in hand for which this is alledged that though in the beginning he prayed and then againe returneth to his prayer vnto the Lord that hee would heare him yet he putteth this in