Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 136 – Section 138
§ 136.
SEcondly, 2 By their prayers.good men by their prayers keepe off judgements from them. The Saints are like Sampſons haire, the ſtrength of the Land, and the very pillars of a State, even ſuch pillars, that ten of them would have ſupported Sodom from falling, and their prayers would have cried lowder in Gods eares for mercy, then the ſinnes of thoſe thouſands did for vengeance: the prayer of a righteous man availeth much (ſaith St. Iames) if it be fervent, Chap. 5.16.
I need not tell you what prayer hath done; as that it hath ſhut up the Heavens from rayning, and opened them againe, made the Sunne ſtand still in the firmament, one while, goe backe, another, devided the Sea, and made it stand as a wall, fetch fire and haileſtones from Heaven, throwne downe the wales of Ierico, ſubdued Kingdomes, stopt the mouthes of Lyons, quenched the violence of fire, raiſed the dead, let out of priſon, &c. onelyonly ſee what it hath done in this very caſe. Was not Abraham's prayer ſo powerfull, that God never left granting one requeſt after another touching Sodome, untill he left asking? Gen. 18.32. Was not Moſes prayer for the people, when they had made the golden calfe, and imputed their deliverance to it, ſo powerfull, that God was faine to ſay unto him, Let me alone, Moſes, that my wrath may wax hot againſt them, and conſume them, and yet Moſes would not let him alone, but pleads his promiſe, what the Aegyptians would ſay, &c. untill he had obtained their pardon, though God promiſed to make of him a mighty people? Exod. 32.10. to 15. was not Lot's prayer touching Zoar ſo powerfull, that God ſaith unto him, I have received thy requeſt concerning this thing, that I will not overthrow this City, for the which thou hast ſpoken, adding this moreover, that he could doe nothing to Sodome, untill he was entred into Zoar? Gen. 19.20.21.22. Thus the prayer of Abraham removed that judgement from Abimelecke his wife, and women ſervants, when the Lord had ſhut every wombe, Gen. 20.17.18. Thus Moſes prayer removed the leproſie from Mirriam, Num. 12.13.14.15. and kept off ſundry judgements from the Iſraelites, as when they murmured againſt him at the Red Sea, Exod. 14.11.15. Againe, at the waters of Marah, Chap. 15.25. then at the Deſart of Zim, Chap. 16. then at Repidim, Chap. 17.4. then, when they fought with Amalecke, ver. 11. after, when the Lord would utterly have conſumed them, Chapter, 32.10. to 35. then he removed from them that judgement of fire, which burnt among them, Num. 11.1.2. againe, when they murmured for fleſh, verſ. 4.10.31. after that, he ſaved them from being conſumed by the Peſtilence, Num. 14.12 to 21. then from another plague, Chap. 16.45. to 49. and laſtly, he tooke away the Serpents by his prayer, Num. 20.6.7.8.
Againe, how many ſeverall plagues did he remove from Pharaoh and all Aegypt, by his prayer? As firſt, the judgment of Frogs, Exod. 8.8. then, the judgement of Flyes, ver. 30.31. then, the Thunder, Hayle, and Fire, Chap. 9.33. then, the Graſhoppers, Chap. 10.18.19. &c. Thus by the prayer of Iehoahas, all Iſrael was delivered from the oppreſſion of the King of Syria; 2 King. 13.4.5. And by Samuel's prayer, the Iſraelites were delivered out of the hand of the Philiſtines, 1 Sam. 7.8.9. And by the prayer of Eſay. and Hezekiah, the Iſraelites were delivered from that great Hoſt of Senacharib, under the conduct of Rabſhekah, and that miraculouſly, for the Angell of the Lord, in one night, ſmote in the campe of the Aſſyrians, an hundred foure ſcore and five thouſand, 2 King. 19.4.20. Many the like examples I could give you.
§ 137.
ANd are not the like faithfull prayers of godly men amongſt us, Jn their distreſſe they will ſue to the godly, and deſire them a louelove to pray for them.alike prevalent with God, both for the averting and removing of judgements, which now have beene, and daily hang over our heads, through the many and grievous ſinnes, which wicked men daily commit, and which cry in the eares of God for vengeance? yes, undoubtedly, for if there were not ſome Abrahams, and Lots, and Ezraes, and Ioſhuas, Iſaiahs, Ioels, and Ieremiahs, amongſt us, powring out there ſoules before God, in cryes and lamentations for our iniquities, what ſhould become of us, Eze. 9.4.8. Nothing wil do it but prayer, and faſting, and repenting; and the faſting and prayers of faithleſſe people, God regardeth not, Ier. 14, 12 yea, the ſacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, only the prayers of the righteous is acceptable unto him, Prov. 15.8.
And this they will confeſſe in their affliction: wherefore when Godleſſe perſons are in any distreſſe, they over pray the people of God to pray for them, and commonly thoſe too, whom they have moſt hated and abuſed: for the oppreſſor is in no mans mercy, but his, whom he hath trampled upon: and injuries done us on earth, give us power in heaven.
Hereupon Ieroboam's hand being dryed up, Of which many examples.for ſtretching it out againſt the Prophet, he ſueth to the man of God, ſaying, I beſeech thee pray unto the Lord thy God, and make intercesſion for me, that my hand may be reſtored unto me; and the man of God beſought the Lord, and the Kings hand was reſtored, 1 Kings 13.4.6. Thus the Iſraelites pray Samuel, to pray for them, 1 Sam. 12.19. and againe ceaſe not to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may ſave us out of the hands of the Philiſtims, 1 Sam. 7.8. and he did ſo, and the Lord heard him, delivered them, and ſlew their enemies, verſe 9.10. Thus Mirriam, though ſhee grudges at, and conteſts with Moſes, was foreſt to be beholding to Moſes for his prayer, before ſhee could bee cured of her Leproſie, Numb. 12.13. Thus when the Lord's wrath was kindled againſt Eliphaz, and his two friends, nothing would appeaſe the ſame, but the prayer of Iob, whom they had ſo contemned, as the Lord himſelfe witneſſeth Iob 42.7.8 Thus Elimas the Sorcerer prayes Peter to pray for him. Yea, of whom did Dives, being tormented in the flames of hell, expect and ſeeke for eaſe, but from Lazarus, whom lately before hee deſpiſed? Luk. 16.24.
For though the wicked ſcorne and deſpiſe the godly, in their proſperity; VVho count it a ſin to ceaſe praying for their greateſt enemies.yet in their distreſſe they only are ſet by, to pray unto God for them; who are more ready to ſolicit God for their mortalleſt enemies and perſecutors, then they to deſire it, be it at the time, when they wrong them moſt; witneſſe Steeven, who when the Iewes were ſtoning him to death, kneeled down and cryed with a lowd voyce, Lord, lay not this ſin to their charge, Acts 7.60. And our Saviour Chriſt, who when hee was ſcoff'd at, ſcornd, ſcourged, beaten with Rodds, crowned with Thornes, pierced with Nailes, nailed to the Croſſe, fild with reproaches, as unmindfull of all his owne griefes, prayeth for his perſecutors, and that earneſtly, Father forgive them: they cry out, crucifie him; he out cries, Father pardon them: yea, they account it a ſinne to ceaſe praying for their worſt enemies, 1 Sam. 12.23.
§ 138.
NEither (in time of calamity) do they thinke it enough to bee freed themſelves (as they are ſure, Wicked mens thoughts touching the religious, not the ſome in diſtreſſe, as …n proſperity.a judgement ſhall be no judgement unto them) as we ſee in Moſes, who fared well himſelfe, what ever the reſt ſuffered: what needed he to have afflicted himſelfe with the affliction of others? himſelfe was at eaſe and pleaſure in the Court of Pharaoh; but a good heart can not abide to bee happy alone, and muſt needs, unbidden, ſhare with others in their miſeries; and at ſeverall times after: for when God threatens to conſume the Iſraelites, with the ſame breath, hee promiſeth to make of Moſes a greater Nation, and mightier then they, Exod. 32.10.11. and againe, Numbers 14.12.13. All which (when their enemies have the wit to diſcerne) forceth them to confeſse their owne folly, wickedneſse, unthankfulneſſe; the godlies ſuperlative goodneſſe, &c. As once Laban to Iacob, Gen. 30.27. and Pharaoh to Moſes, Exodus 9.27.28. and againe Chapter 10.16.17. ſaying, I have ſinned againſt the Lord, your God, and againſt you; forgive mee my ſins, only this once, and pray unto the Lord your God that hee may take away from mee this death only. And Saul to David, ſaying, I have ſinned, I have done fooliſhly, and have erred exceedingly, thou art more righteous then I, for thou haſtrendered me good, and I have rendered thee evill, &c. 1 Sam. 24.18. and 26.21.
Though afterward, when the rod is off their backes, they are apt to harden againe, and returne to their old byas, as did the ſame Pharaoh and Saul.
For no longer then they ſmart, no longer can they ſee; and unleſſe affliction opens their eyes, there is no perſwading them, but the righteous man is worſe then his neighbour; yea, none ſo vile, no ſuch enemies to the State, as the religious. What though it were but Haman's pretence, yet it was Ahab's very caſe, who peremptorily thought Eliah the cauſe of all his miſery, when it was himſelfe, his ſinne brought the famine; Eliah's prayer, brought the raine; yet Ahab tells Eliah (and ſpeakes as he thinkes) thou troubleſt Iſrael. And nothing more uſuall, then for wicked men, to hate, perſecute, and complaine moſt of thoſe, to whom they are moſt bound, and beholding. Saul received more benefit from David, then from any one man in his Kingdome beſides, both in frighting away the evill ſpirit from him, killing Goliah, and many the like; yet none was ſo hated, perſecuted, and evill ſpoken of by him, as hee was. Thus Laban and Potiphar were moſt angry with Iacob and Ioſeph, for whoſe ſakes only they proſpered.