so it may well be the joy and rejoiceing of our hearts 3. If God vouchsafe to commune with us and let us commune with him then we begin Heaven upon Earth and have a taste of Heaven before we come there to commune with God is Heaven upon Earth they live in Heaven that have such familiarity with God though they be on Earth And as that gracious man said when he was to dye I shall change my place but not my company so it may be said of others that have had much fellowship with the Lord when they dye they change their place but not their company to go from one heaven to another from heaven upon earth in their communing with God here to Heaven in another World to be with him in glory forever And is not this sweetest comfort to the Saints that whereas the greatest number of men live in Hell upon Earth having fellowship with Devils Believers by being much with God are in a corner of Heaven upon Earth 4. It is great comfort to Believers that the time is hasting when as they have had sweet communings with the Lord here so they shall enjoy everlasting communion with him in glory It is but a little while and the time will be when we shall be ever with the Lord when a few dayes are come we shall have other manner of communings with him and he with us then now we have As Dr. Taylour sometimes said with rejoicing within two stiles and I shall be at my Fathers house so after a little time we shall go to God where we shall be better acquainted with him and be more familiar with him that though our communings together be very sweet here yet ere long we shall have sweeter fellowship one with another here we have some smiles and kisses and such communings as put us in Heaven but within a little time we shall have more after a few wearisome agitations and conflicts with enemies and troubles we shall rest in his armes and be alwayes in his presence and lye next his heart and what communings we shall then have together we shall then know when we come to the happy enjoyment of our God then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes all sorrows removed from our hearts all burthens taken from our shoulders we shall sigh no more nor weep no more nor feel pain any more nor sin any more no Devils shall tempt us no men ensnare us no bad company weary discontent afflict us no persecuters hunt us entangle us entrap us go about to ruine us but we shall be with God and he with us commune of high things and what we could not know in our child-hood we shall have revealed to us when we become men 1 Cor. 13.9 10 11 12. To end in a word or two more after we have been tossed with tempest a little while we shall come to the Haven after we have been in the battel we shall gain the victory after we have wrestled we shall win and wear the Crown and after a few embraces in the arms of God here in our fellowship that we have with him in this world we shall be clasped in his everlasting arms and be kissed and embraced by him to all Eternity Quest But how shall we come to know that this happy condition shall be ours Answ 1. By our Holiness Matth. 5.8 1 John 3.2 3. Holy here Happy hereafter Without Holiness we shall never see God Hebr. 12.14 but if we be holy in body and spirit we shall see him with comfort and have everlasting fellowship with him Holiness is the Beauty of Heaven for they are all holy there and none that are defiled come into the holy place Psal 24.3 4. No Leper was to come into the holy Camp of old even Miriam her self till she was healed must be shut out Numb 12.14 how much more then must all defiled leprous Souls be shut out of Heaven Look therefore to our Hollness 2. By our Vprightness of heart Psal 15.1 2. Hypocrites shall be cast out and rejected Mat. 7.23 they cannot escape the damnation of Hell Matth. 23.33 they heap up wrath Job 36.13 But they that are upright as they have good things in possession here so they shall be happy in another world as they walk surely here Prov. 10.9 so they shall be sure of a blessed state in glory 3. By our Obedience Matth. 7.21 Heb. 5.9 Disobedience brings destruction with it 2 Thess 1.8 9. but they that obey from the heart out of faith shall be saved Obedient Children inherit their Fathers Estate so shall we if we be obedient possess our Fathers Estate in glory 4. By our Victory over our sins and other Enemies Revel 3.21 Conquerours win the Crown and wear it They that over came in the Olympick Games got the Prize and had the Crown and they obtained but a corruptible Crown but ours will be an incorruptible one 1 Cor. 9.25 5. By our Patience in well-doing Rom. 2.7 Heb. 10.36 37. Constancy and Patience is ever honoured with the Crown Rev. 2.10 they that hold out without fainting in Running or Wrestling had the glory of the Reward that they strove for so shall we if we hold out to the end Matth. 24.13 Look to this therefore that we quit our selves like men and hold out to the last 6. By our love to God Jam. 1.12 if eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him in Gospel promises here 1 Cor. 2.9 then surely no eye ever saw nor ear ever heard neither ever came it into the heart of man to conceive the things that he hath prepared for them that love him in another World in glory If we have so much in the conduit-pipe and cistern what shall we have when we are at the spring and well-head If we enjoy so much in the wilderness what shall we have in Heavenly Canaan If the first fruits be such what will the full harvest be If the gleaning grapes be such what will the whole vintage be Surely it will be with shouting and greatest joy and consolation Look we therefore to our love to God and let that fire never go out but like the fire of the Altar to burn continually let that light shine alwayes let that flood ever flow till it fall into the Sea of Eternity where we shall according to our finite nature love him enough We use to say Love me little and love me long but there we shall love him much and love him long to all Eternity and be like Solomon's friend that loves at all times and when all time is at an end FINIS Reader The Authors distance from the Press and difficulty of the Copy having occasioned the following Errata's thou art therefore destired thus to Correct them viz. PAge 7. line 11. for Isa 1.15 reade Ezek. 8.18 p. 13. l. 27. for act r. get p. 44. l. 18. for running r ruining p. 89. l. 10. for souls r. sorts p. 112. l. 29. for Justly r. Fully p. 132. l. 16. for day r. may p. 136. l. 11. for something r. sometimes p. 148. l. 17. for that r. the. p 157. l. 3. for Luke r. Mark p. 167. l. 3. r. we must do it p. 172. l. 11. r. not more bold then welcome to p. 212. l. 19. r. may they not p. 218. l. 14. for it r. them p. 302. l. 2. r. conscientiously p. 309. l. 3. r. Euchites p. 328. l. 16. r. Ezra
that in our Prayers that we cannot see our selves He sees sin where we see none he hath a quick eye to look into the obliquities and iniquities of our Prayers A little blemish is seen in the face so if there be but any blot or spot upon the face of the duty his pure eyes spies it out Psal 44.20 21. there is not the least mote but he takes notice of not the least spot but his eye is upon and that wherein we think we do well he knows to be evil James and John thought they did well in desiring that they might do as Elias did to call for fire from heaven to consume those that would not receive their Master and ours but what sayes he to them Ye know not what spirit you are of He saw that that they thought zeal to be wilde-fire he knew that that which they judged to come from love to their dear Master was but a spark of their own kindling and no love in the bottom of it neither to Christ nor themselves much less to those men that they wished so ill to And may not Believers be justly afraid that God will be angry with such Prayers 2. He hath been angry with the Prayers of others and long angry Psal 80.4 and therefore they fear he may be angry with their prayers When Princes are angry with some that sue to them others are afraid that they may be angry with their suits also so it is in this case between God and us If a father be angry with some of his Children he may be angry upon the like grounds with the rest so may God and that may make the rest to fear that he may be angry with them 3. He withdraws himself sometimes from his people when they pray to him Lam. 3.8 44. and that 's a ground of his being angry at their prayers and this makes them afraid that he is angry with them Job complained of this Job 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not When a Prince withdraws from a Suppliant and regards him not it is a sign of his anger and he fears he is displeased with him so it is in this case between God and us 4. He sees that we too often restrain prayer before him and thereby cast off fear Job 15.4 and that makes him angry and when we consider of it that makes us afraid that he is angry with our Prayers that we are so slack in Solomon sayes As vineger to the teeth and smoke to the eyes so is a slothful messenger to him that sends him If our Prayers which are the Souls messengers be slothful and we slack our pace in them God will be displeased and we may well fear that he will be angry with them Secondly From our selves that pray 1. We sometimes distrust Gods power and that makes him angry and makes us afraid that he is angry with our Prayers Mark 9.22 he doubted of Christs power to heal his son 2. We sometimes distrust his will as the Leper did though he did believe his power Mat. 8.2 and that is a just ground of his anger and that that makes us afraid that he may be angry with our Prayers 3. We sometimes ask that that God resolves he will never give Thus Moses did that desired God that he might go over Jordan and see that good Land which God was angry with him for Deut. 3.25 26. Two things hindred the granting of his desire 1. God was provoked at the Waters of Strife and threatned he should not bring his people into that Land Numb 20.12 2. He appointed Joshua to be the man wherein was a mystery for he was a Type of Jesus Christ that brings us into Heaven that Canaan was a Type of Now for Moses to desire that that God upon such just grounds denied it could not but displease him and make him angry and so may we well fear that God will be angry with our Prayers when we desire that of him that he is resolved not to give us 4. We desire that sometimes that is not good for us and that will make God angry with our Prayers for no good thing he will withhold from us Psal 14.11 and 34.10 but if we ask any thing that is not good for us and he sees it will hurt us rather then do us good he will be angry with our Prayers Thus for Jonah to desire once and again that God would take away his life from him Jonah 4.3 8. which could not be good for him could not but displease him and when we ask that which is not good for us we have ground to fear that he will be angry with our Prayers 5. We sometimes desire that that will be hurtfull to others as it would have been to the Ninevites if Jonah had had that that he desired for then they had all been destroyed So James and John if they had had their desire what would have become of those non-entertainers of Christ Luke 9. and if we do so and desire the hurt of others may we not justly be afraid that God will be angry with our Prayers 6. They sometimes desire that that may be satisfaction to their own lusts as Jonah desired Ninevehs destruction rather then that they should be spared upon their repentance because his Credit lay at the stake having denounced the overthrow of it within forty dayes Here the lust of Pride was too predominant in the good Prophet Jonah 4.1 and can we wonder that God should be angry with such Prayers Pride stepping in to such a duty marres the duty and makes God angry Thus many will pray against such and such men wherein they vent their pride and passion and how can God be pleased with such Prayers they may well fear he will be angry with them If a man should be proud before a Prince when he comes to Petition to him would not the Prince be angry with such Petitions So here Vse 1. for Information 1. We see that there is no cause for us to glory in our prayers that we bring before the Lord for if we look seriously into them we may see cause to fear that God may justly be angry with them or if we our selves should not see such cause yet Gods pure eye cannot but see enough in the best Prayers we make for which he may be displeased with us There would be no standing if he should mark what we do amiss when we pray to him Ps 130.3 there will be some blot cleaving to the best service we present him the best fire will bring some smoke and soot and when our Prayers are most fervent with the fire of the Spirit they have some defilement like soot and smoke that comes from it 2. We see how humble we should be and how low we should lye before the Lord both before we pray and in prayer and after we have done the duty for we may well fear that
desires both by his Commandment and Promise Psal 81.10 and what should then hinder 4. They are Princes with God Gen. 32.28 and being such they may well speak largely and ask all they can of him 5. They go to one that is both full and free Gen. 17.1 Jam. 1.5 and therefore they may well enlarge their desires all that may be 6. They are his choice portion Deut. 32.9 his garden enclosed Cant. 4.12 that he drops abundantly his blessings upon The rest of the world may be parched and dry as a wilderness but they drink of the dew of heaven and therefore may gape wide and enlarge their desires for those they make their supplication for Thirdly From their Prayers 1. They are heard for much as well as for little 1 Jo. 5.14 15. 2. They are most accepted when the suiters ask most and when they speak as far as they can as Abraham here 3. They have prevailed with men and God is infinitely above men in giving liberally We reade of half a Kingdome that they have come off with Esth 5.3 Mark 6.23 but what 's that to what God gives Himself his Christ his Spirit his Heavenly Kingdome 4. They are none of them lost such Prayers are not turned away Psal 66.20 5. They are the Souls Ambassadors and they effect what they are sent about and negotiate great things for us 6. They sometimes prevail before they are put up and while we are speaking Isa 65.24 Dan. 9 20-23 All which considered what wonder is it that they speak as far as ever they can in behalf of those that they make supplication for Vse 1. for Information 1. We see the tender affection that is in believing suppliants to those they sue for they will go as far as ever they can in their desires for them 2. We see that Believers are onely they that can be bold with God 3. We see that faith and love are sweet concomitants and ever go together Gal. 5.6 4. We see what we are to do if we would make it out that we are true Blievers we must do as Abraham here did 5. We see what longings we should have for Heaven where Love will be in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection 6. We see how far our desires should be enlarged for the distresses of our dear Country-men abroad 7. We see that in all our Prayers we are to go as far as we can with the Lord and put him to it in improving his mercy to the utmost We sue to a gracious God 8. We see what boldness we ought to use in suing to men in behalf of those that we petition for we may put them to it and ask freely of them for they are to be followers of God as dear children 9. We see what a precious grace Faith is that makes us so humbly bold with the Lord 2 Pet. 1.1 10. We see that surely Christ speaks much more for us the Merit of his blood Heb. 12.24 and his Intercession speak aloud for us Vse 2. for Terrour to Unbelievers they can speak nothing for themselves nor for others Vse 3. for Humiliation that we are so scant in our desires for others Vse 4. for Exhortation 1. To honour God with whom Believers may be so bold 2. To honour Believers 3. To imitate their faith and love 4. To love the Lord Jesus that speaks good for us Verse 32. And he said Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once c. Doct. XXVII THat the Lord is ready to hearken to the utmost of the desires of his believing Suppliants Abraham besought the Lord that if there were but ten Righteous in Sodom that he would not destroy it and the Lord heard his desire to the utmost and gave it in to him and sayes I will not destroy it for tens sake Reasons 1. From the Lord. 2. From the Believers 3. From their Prayers First From the Lord. 1. He is never weary of doing his people good though they follow him therefore with suit upon suit and go as far as they can in their desires yet they cannot weary him and therefore have the utmost of their desires given in to them We may weary men Prov. 25.17 but not him Isa 40.28 We sometimes are weary of him Isa 43.22 but he is not weary of hearkning to us 2. He can come up to the utmost of our desires He is an Almighty One Job 42.2 and therefore can give all that we desire of him 3. He hath put it into the hearts of some men to give to the utmost of what their Petitioners sue for as Solomon did to the Queen of Sheba 1 Kin. 10.13 and will not he then grant the requests of his Suiters to the utmost of what they desire of him He is more Royal in giving then all the Royal Kings in the world put all together 4. He hath commanded us to be liberal to our servants Deut. 15.13 14. and will not he then come off liberally to them that serve him and pray unto him surely he will come off to them to the utmost of their desires that they put up to him 5. He fills every living thing and satisfies their desires Psal 145.16 and will he not then give in to Believers the utmost of their desires and satisfie them He will surely do it 6. He saves to the utmost Hebr. 7.25 and therefore grants to the utmost what his believing Suppliants sue unto him for Secondly From the Believers themselves 1. According to their faith they do receive mercy at the Lords hand Mat. 8.13 9.29 Now their utmost desires being put up in faith according to that faith those desires are given in to them to the utmost 2. They please him by their faith Heb. 11.5 and if so then surely he cannot but give them in their desires to the utmost that they bring before him What may not such have as please a Prince much more they that please God 3. They are they that are highly commended even by God himself How famously is Abraham spoken of and renowned for his faith Rom. 4. Gal. 3. and Heb. 11. and the Centurion Luke 7.9 and how should it be otherwise then but that the Lord should give them in their desires to the utmost 4. They are men after his own heart as is said of David that prime Believer Acts 13.22 and what may not such have 5. They are they that are familiar with him and keep up acquaintance with him Gen. 5.22 and he will give them the utmost of their desires 6. They are they that have power with God Hos 12.3 4. and therefore shall have to the utmost of their desires granted to them Thirdly From their Prayers 1. They are argumentative prayers and they prevail to the utmost so were Abrahams here 2. They are holy prayers lift up with holy hands and an holy heart 1 Tim. 2.8 Psal 86.2 so were Abrahams here 3. They are prayers from a broken heart Hos
should be tender of it too and tender of putting any dishonour upon him by displeasing him We would beâ—ender of displeasing a Prince So here 6. He is tender of displeasing us of sending us sad away from his Presence when we pray to him and therefore when we pray to him we should be very tender of displeasing him We would be tender of displeasing any that were dear to us So here Secondly From the Believers 1. They are his Children and Children are tender of displeasing their father so are they and so should they be especially when they pray to him and come with their last request in that duty before him Gal. 3.26 2. They are his friends Jam. 2.23 and friends are tender of displeasing one another so here 3. They are his Spouse Cant. 5.1 and a Spouse is tender of displeasing her Husband especially when she is to ask any thing of him and any great thing So should we 4. They are very familiar with him and he With them As I shall God willing shew when I come to the last Verse of this Chapter and they that are intimately familiar they are tender of displeasing one another So here 5. They are the Apple of his Eye that he cannot endure a touch of Zech. 2.8 and if so how should they endure to touch him by displeasing him especially when they pray and desire some great thing of him 6. They are such as he hath rebuked Kings for so tender they have been to him Psal 105.14 15. and may they not then be very tender of displeasing him especially when they pray to him and ask high of him Thirdly From the Requests themselves 1. They are such as we hope to gain most by as Abraham here did that came up so high as to desire to prevail in his suit if there had been but ten found in that great place and this made him to be so tender of displeasing the Lord that he prayed unto 2. They are such Requests as make triall of his Bounty and Mercy most and whereby we put him to it to condescend very far to us in granting our requests and therefore we ought to be tender of displeasing him 3. They are such Requests as whereby we are most bold with him and therefore may well suspect our selves that we may over-speak and so displease him 4. They are such requests as are for great matters and are great requests and we are poor worms vile dust and ashes and therefore may and ought to be tender of displeasing him in so asking 5. They are such requests as are put up by them that are less then the least of his mercies Gen. 32.10 and therefore they may suspect that they may be too bold and so displease the Lord. 6. They are such requests as are rare and seldome put up we reade but of this onely man that went thus step by step in his requests Abraham was the onely one no other before him nor scarce any since and therefore he might justly fear that he might displease the Lord in what he did Vse 1. for Information 1. We see the sweet disposition that 's in believing suppliants when they come to pray before the Lord they are very tender of displeasing him they would not willingly do any thing at any time that should move him to displeasure but especially when they pray to him and make their last Request to him they would not then provoke him they would then have a smile of his face they would then have a kiss of his mouth they would then have an answer of peace they would then have a sweet shine from heaven they would then have fair weather over head they would not have a cloud arise upon them nor any frown appear in the Lords brow nor any wrinkle in his face at their Prayers but are very tender of displeasing him So was Abraham here when he said Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak but this once 2. We see that when a Believer is in a praying frame he is then in an awfull frame Gods dread Majesty and his consciousness of his own sins put an holy awe into his heart and make him afraid that the Lord may be displeased with him Prayer is an awfull Ordinance and they that are most earnest in it as Abraham here was they are most awfully afraid and most tender of doing any thing in the duty especially in the close of it that might displease him that they pray unto 3. We see that if we would make it out that we are Believers we must be tender of displeasing God as at all times so then more especially when we pray to him and in the close of our Requests that we present the Lord with So did Abraham here and if we would evidence we are his children so must we Faith and fear go hand in hand lodge in the same breast together dwell in the same heart together where the one is there is the other that man in whose heart faith is is ever afraid and tender of displeasing God especially then when he makes his last and greatest request to him 4. We see what a mercy of God it is to any of us that we have hearts stricken with fear of displeasing God especially when we pray before him for thereby he evidenceth to us that we are Believers for so Abraham did he was tender of displeasing him in praying to him and especially in his last words that he spake in suing to him in their behalf that he prayed for He would not have the Sun set in a Cloud at Even 5. We see that the displeasure of God is that that is to be feared above all other things Some there are that fear man but there 's a snare in that Prov. 29.25 Some there are that are afraid of Princes and what they can do against them but they are in Gods hand Prov. 21.1 and he knows how to be terrible to them Psal 76.12 Some are afraid of Persecutors but they can but kill the body Luke 12.4 Some are afraid of evil spirits and the very supposal of the sight of them makes even good men afraid sometimes Mat. 14.26 and some are in great fear where no fear is Psal 53.5 But these are all vain fears and like Bug-bears to fright children with but the displeasure of God is that that is to be feared above all things So godly men have thought so Abraham judged that was so tender of displeasing him Oh let not the Lord be angry sayes he and then he cared not who else were angry 6. We see that to displease God then when men pray to him is that that is and ought to be most loathsome to every gracious heart Oh! he would not then do any such thing willingly for a world it 's a burthen to displease him at any time but then to do it when they pray is that that is most abhorring to them Oh let not the Lord be angry sayes Abraham and
him in a state of glory in another World that will be a delightful communing indeed If God take pleasure in our Prayers here O what pleasure will he have in our praises there here what we do in this duty is imperfect service and hath many blemishes and spots cleaving to it but there all imperfections shall be done away and our praises and obedience shall be in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection and what sweet communings we shall have with our God we as yet cannot tell for 1 Joh. 3.2 Yet it doth not appear what we shall be our familiarity with God will then be at the highest when we shall be put in his bosom and lie near his heart and be clasped in his everlasting arms to all eternity Then then our familiarity will be increased with him and his with us friends by being long together here finde their friendship and familiarity to grow husband and wife that have been in that relation many years how is their sweet familiarity angmented and raised up to the highest pitch the like I might say of other friends Oh but how exceeding great then will the familiarity of the blessed God be to us and ours to him when he and we shall be together to all eternity death parts the dearest relations here and puts an end to their sweetest communings together and breaks off their sweetest discourse and familiarity that they have had one with another but that familiarity that will be between God and us in a state of glory will never be broken off but after millions and myriads of years be gone will hold out and continue for ever and ever Happy they that come to this thrice happy they that come to the enjoyment of it There are some dear ones that live long together as it is said of Aquila and Priscilla that they lived very long together and some in the old World among the Patriarks some of which lived almost a thousand years and these must needs have familiarity long together but this is nothing to what the Saints shall enjoy in glory for there will be no end nor period put to that but it shall be everlasting Our familiarity in the length of it here is not so much as a drop to the Ocean of Eternity Vse 2. for Terrour to all those that are Vnbelievers they have no familiarity with God nor he with them they commune not with him in praying to him nor he with them in granting their desires to them They have familiarity with their lusts and with the world and the things of the world and with Satan the god of the world and with the lewd companions of the world these they commune with but have no communing with God Their company that they shall have another day will be sad company Devils and Damned ones will be their companions and what communings they will have in Hell together if they repent not they had need consider of Vse 3. for Humiliation to the Saints that have too little familiarity with the Lord and do not so often commune with him as they ought and might Many a fair opportunity they have to meet with God and he with them and to have sweetest colloquies and communings together but other things step in and take up such mens time that they should have with God and their thoughts are busied too much about the matters of this life and so though they do not wholly lose their acquaintance with him yet they have not so much familiarity with him as they might have from day to day their communings are neither so frequent nor so sweet as they might be did they not minde other things too much Let it shame all such for there 's no familiarity like his when men have tried it they shall finde that one dayes familiarity with God will be better then a thousand with either the men or the things of the World Vse 4. for Exhortation 1. To be much in communing with God here and in holding up familiarity with him that he may be familiar with us and commune with us in his grants as we do with him in our suits We can never finde such a friend to open our hearts to to unbosome our Souls to to tell our wants and ailes to to make known our pressures afflictions calamities perplexities of spirit discouragements and temptations to as he is there 's no friend on earth that will so pity us relieve us succour and sustain us commiserate and sympathize with us be afflicted in all our afflictions as he will Good therefore it is for us to pour out our hearts before him to shew him all our troubles to discover all our wants weaknesses to confess all our infirmities deformities out-strayings and out-lyings from him and to tell him of all that does pinch us and press us and lye hard upon us and to intreat him to bring in relief to us in his own time Such communings we should have with God and such familiarity with him would make our worst condition happy to us It 's said of the Emperour Charles the Fifth That he spake more to God then to men 2. To long after those sweet communings that we shall have in heaven and that familiar converse that we shall have with him in another world We have through grace a little of his company here and he communes familiarly with us and we with him some smiles of his face and intimations of his favour some tokens of his friendship some sweet imbraces some peepings into the Holy of Holies some fruits of the delights of Paradise he gives us by our acquaintance with him and his with us some tastes of heavens sweets we have in our holy communings together now but when we come in glory then our familiarity will be in the altitude and sublimity of it we shall lye continually between his breasts we shall have his heart open to us and all his bosome-love and bosome-secrets revealed to us we shall be brought into the Kings pallace sit at his Table be taken into the bed of love enjoy marriage-fellowship partake in everlasting communion with the blessed God and have our fill of his presence and favour and be as familiar as one dear friend is with another What longings and breathings then should we have after this blessed estate and how long should we think it to be before the day of God come how should we say as Sisera's Mother Why is his charret so long in coming why tarry the wheels of his charret we should earnestly long after that day wherein so much familiarity is to be had with him We desire acquaintance with some that we take to be our friends and say to this and that man Sir I desire further acquaintance with you and we would be more familiar with such Oh what desires should we then have after further acquaintance and familiarity with the blessed God in a blessed state of glory we can never breathe enough in
ABRAHAM'S Humble Intercession for SODOM AND The LORD' 's gracious Concessions in Answer thereunto Containing sundry MEDITATIONS UPON GEN. XVIII from VER XXIII to the end of the Chapter Wherein many things are spoken of concerning Believers drawing near to God and the Efficacy of their Prayers and how they may be Princes and Prevailers with God and with what boldness they may come before him and what ground they may get of him by their Prayers and what sweet communing they have with him With sundry other things worthy of our most serious thoughts helping us to be more Spiritual and Heavenly which may prepare us for that everlasting Communion and Fellowship that we hope to arrive at and come to in a blessed state of Glory by Jesus Christ By SAMVEL WHITING Pastor of the Church of Christ at Lyn in N. E. Jam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 2.23 Abraham was called the friend of God Printed and Sold at Cambridge 1666. To the Reader MAny of the Patriarks and other holy men have been highly honoured and commended in Scripture for their several Excellencies Abel for his bounty in the service of God in bringing in his Oblation of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and it is therefore called A more excellent Sacrifice then Cain 's was Gen. 4.4 with Heb. 11.4 Enoch and Noah for their constant Communion with God and taking their holy Walks and blessed Turns with him in those evil times wherein they lived Gen. 5.22 24. 6.9 Isaac for his Chastity in keeping himself to one wife whom he did so tenderly love Gen. 24.67 Jacob for his Princely Power that he had with God by weeping and supplication and those holy wrestlings that he had with him Gen. 32.24 28. with Hos 12.3 4 Moses for his Zeal and familiarity with the Lord and for his Meekness in his own cause though 〈◊〉 holy fire for God's Exod. 32.19 20. Numbers â—â— 7 8. David for Thankfulness and Prâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 The sweet Psalmist of Israel 2 Sam. 23.1 Now though all these were famous Believers and so reported of by God himself Heb. 11. yet above all Abraham is most renowned for his Faith Heb. 11.8 9 10 17 18 19. and in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians that Paul writ And this piece that is the subject of these following Meditations holds out no small part of his Faith and sweet familiarity and Prevailing Power that he had with God in the suits that he put up to him in behalf of those Righteous ones that he thought might be mingled with those vilest of Sinners The main drift of the Discourse is 1. To draw near to God in Prayer in a right manner that a gracious answer may be given in to our Prayers that so we may not pray in vain 2. To discountenance sin by the destruction that God will bring upon sinners both here and in another world without Repentance as we see in Sodoms Example 3. To bear up the heads and hearts of the Lords Righteous ones who live among bad Company that they shall not be burned in their fire but be instrumental to save the worst of sinners at least from temporal destruction as long as they continue with them To put all Believers upon fervent and im … Prayer for the worst of men if any considerable number of Righteous ones be found amongst them 5. To stir up the best to see their own vileness and to be very humble in drawing near to God when we pray to him 6. To meditate of Christ's being the Judge of all the Earth and plead with him to do right as being such a Judge and to consider what our duty is in our several places that must one day stand before this Judge 7. To besiege and beleaguer the Throne of Grace with suit after suit and to go away with all we can from God that is so ready to hear Prayer and to go as far as ever we can or dare in asking and to fear to provoke God then especially when we pray to him and to desire of God that he would not be angry with us nor with our Prayers 8. To go about our ordinary Employments when we have been with God as he allows taking in such Cautions as are duely to be observed 9. To be familiar with God and to commune sweetly with him in Prayer as he does with us in his gracious Answers Now what help may be afforded to these things by the following Treatise is with the Lord to give and with his Servants to pray for A Childe when lifted up upon a Giants shoulders may be carried for above his own strength A withered Hand may be stretched out if Christ say the word Weak things the Lord sometimes chuseth to bring mighty things to pass by If the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon go together what may not a little strength do An Host of three hundred men that lap water with their Pitchers and Lamps what an Army of Midianites may not fall before them I dare not say any thing of the Work nor of the success of the Work being in Gods hand onely shall pray That the blessing of the God of Heaven may go along with it That Christ may smile upon it and as Constantine would stoop so low as to kiss Paphnutius his Eye that he could not see with so that the Lord Jesus would be pleased to condescend so far as to give a sweet kiss of favour to this maimed Work I had not thought that any thing of mine should ever have seen the light more but the short Notes put forth before concerning that awfull Subject of The Last Judgement finding acceptance with some of the Saints here and with some elswhere though so unworthy of such a tremendous Subject yet I have adventured a little before I dye to set forth this as being the words of a dying man and of such an one as expects death daily if so be that such words may sink more deeply And if any Souls may be prevailed with to get nearer God and to have more sweet communings with his Majesty and prevail more through Christs Intercession by their faith in Prayer and thereby declare themselves the true and genuine Children of Abraham and my own heart be carried up more Heaven-ward and Christ-ward by it I have enough and shall judge that I have not lost my labour No words are lost no labour lost that bring us nearer God and nearer Heaven Reader The brief Heads of the following Discourse or at least the principal of them are hinted at in this short Epistle Reade them Learn them Pray for a blessing upon them distill them into the sweet water of the Practice of Godliness We know no more then we do The life of Reading is in the performance of our duty in what we learn Words are but empty sounds except we draw them forth in our lives Printed Books will do little good except
Gods Spirit print them in our hearts Gods words written with Ink will not profit except they be also written with the Spirit of the Living God They are the blessed ones that know and do Joh. 13.17 and they ever know most that practise most A good understanding have all they that do his Commandments Psal 111.10 As for Brain-knowledge it may puff a man up and so bring him down low to destruction it may raise him high that he may have the deeper fall into Hell it may swell him like a bladder and when the bladder breaks then like an unskilful Swimmer he drowns It addes more fuell to Hell fire and causeth him except he do his Lords will to be beaten with many stripes Luke 12.47 What good have the Devils by all their knowledge they know enough of the will of God but do not any thing of it and this heats the Furnace for them and time will come that many a wicked man will wish that he had never known so much because he hath done so little for it is but Oyl to the flame Brimstone to the fire to make them burn more fiercely One word more and I have done If this Discourse of a Subject of this nature may be available for the Salvation of many or of any I shall have cause to bless God for ever and shall with more comfort lay down my head and rest in the Grave as in a perfumed Bed through Christ who hath sweetned it by his Buriall till the Resurrection at the last day Thine in the Lord Jesus Samuel Whiting ABRAHAM's Humble Intercession for SODOM And the LORD 's gracious Concessions in Answer thereunto Containing sundry MEDITATIONS UPON GEN. XVIII from Ver. 23. to the end of the Chapter Ver. 23. And Abraham drew near and said Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the City wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the Judge of all the earth do right 26 And the LORD said If I finde in Sodom fifty righteous within the City then I will spare all the place for their sakes 27 And Abraham answered and said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD which am but dust and ashes 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous wilt thou destroy all the City for lack of five And be said If I finde there fourty and five I will not destroy it 29 And he spake unto him yet again and said Peradventure there shall be fourty found there And he said I will not do it for fourties sake 30 And he said unto him Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak Peradventure there shall thirty be found there And he said I will not do it if I finde thirty there 31 And he said Bâ—hold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord Peradventure there shall be twenty found there And he said I will not destroy it for twenties sakes 32 And he said Oh let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once Peradventure ten shall be found there And he said I will not destroy it for tens sake 33 And the LORD went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place Verse 23. And Abraham drew near and said Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked IN these words to the end of the Chapter we have 1. The Prayer of Abraham in behalf of Sodom and the rest of the Cities that God destroyed with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven 2. Gods Answer that he gave to the several Petitions he put up to him in their behalf 3. The Issue of all which is set forth in the last Verse of the Chapter In the first part we have 1. What Abraham did He drew near the Text sayes ver 23.2 What he said and therein we have these things considerable 1. His desire that these sinners might be spared if it were possible or at least the righteous among them might not be destroyed with the wicked ver 23 25. 2. The Arguments that he useth to prevail with God that the righteous and the wicked may not be alike 1. Taken from the strangeness of the act Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked as if he should say This would be strange Lord and thou wouldst go out of thy wonted way so to do The 2. is taken from the vehemency of his wish that such a thing may never be which he repeats twice That be far from thee That be far from thee The 3. is taken from his honour as being Judge of all the earth and therefore for his Name must needs do right Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ver 25. 3. We have his wise insinuating himself into the Lord 1. By going from step to step and seeking to gain ground of the Lord going from fifty to five and forty and from five and forty to forty and from forty to thirty and from thirty to twenty and from twenty to ten 2. By humbling and abasing himself before the Lord ver 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes 3. By desiring the Lord not to be angry with him for being so bold with him ver 30. 4. By his undauntedness in his Suit ver 31. Behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. 5. By his modest request at last in speaking but once more mixed with an holy fear of displeasing him ver 32. Oh let not my Lord be angry and I will speak but this once All this concerns the first part viz. Abraham's Prayer In the second part scil Gods Answer we have 1. The grace and favour of God towards him 1. In that he never denied him in any one of his Requests but granted all from fifty to ten So that if there had been but ten righteous in the place it had been spared 2. In that Abraham left off petitioning before the Lord left off granting wherein the exceeding greatness of his grace shewed it self The truth is we have done sooner in asking then God has in giving our desires are scant when his heart is large our requests are short when his hand is long we might have more could we ask more we spare to speak and therefore we lose much of what we might carry away with us from such a Bountiful Almner as God is In the last part we have 1. Gods leaving Abraham 2. Abraham's departing to his place 3. A Description of Prayer and Gods Answer He communes with us and we with Him Doct. I. THat Believers in praying to God draw near to him Heb. 7.19