Medicines for the Plague, Collection of sermons · Sermon 9
THE NINTH SERMON vponupon the third verſe.
Let him remember all thine offerings, and turne thy burnt offerings into aſhes. Selah.
HEre the people continue to pray for their king,The interpretation of the third verſe. namely, that God would remēber al his offerings, and turne his burnt offerings into aſhes. In which their meaning is, that hee would fauourably accept the prayers that hee had made, and the ſacrifices that he had offered, and al the gifts and oblations that (according to the manner of thoſe times) he had brought vntounto God: and generally what ſeruice ſoeuer he had done for the ſucceſſe and bleſſing of God in this action, before he went to the warre, that he would graciouſly receiue it, and that now he would by the effect, and by his defence, ſucceſſe, and bleſſing, ſhew that he had done ſo in deed.This verſe conſiſteth of two parts. So that there are two parts of this prayer: in the former they pray that God would fauourably remember what ſeruice he had done to him and accept of it: in the latter, that he would ſhew by his dealing in this matter betweene him and his enemies in the courſe of his prouidence, that he had done ſo in deed. For in praying that he would turne his burnt offrings into aſhes, they hauehave reſpect vntounto that which God had done in time paſt, namely, with fire from heauen he had conſumed the offrings of ſome that hauehave been made to him; whereby he did ſufficiently declare as by a demonſtratiue token, that he allowed of them, and had heard their prayers, that they offered with them. According to this the people pray here, that God would by ſome ſigne or token ſhew that he had receiued them.
Let him remember: that is,They pray that God would remember his ſeruice and offerings. we would to God that he would remember, or we beſeech him to remember what ſeruice hath been done to him, for the obtaining of his fauour: and not only remember, but with fauour and acceptation: wherein they ſpeake according to mans capacity: for all things are preſent with God, and he forgetteth nothing that is done to him, yea, all things that all men euer hauehave done, are continually before him. But as among men, if we hauehave a ſuite to ſome great perſon, and when we make it, that we might ſpeede the better, we bring ſome preſent vntounto him alſo: and afterwards when wee are gone, we wiſh that he would remember vsus, and our ſuite, and our gifts,Or that he would ſmell them. & deale with vsus accordingly: So they deſire that God would think vponupon him, and vponupon his ſuites that he made, and the gifts that hee brought, and deale with him in mercy thereafter. Some doe reade this text otherwiſe, but it tends all to one ende: namely that God would ſmell his gifts. Becauſe that in the time of the lawe vntounto their oblations there was by the commandement of God, ſome incenſe adioyned & burnt, as Moſes ſetteth it down.Leuit. 2.1. When any ſhall offer a meat offering vntounto the Lord, his offering ſhall be of fine flower, and he ſhall powre oyle vponupon it, and put incenſe thereon: and ſhall bring it vntounto Aarons ſonnes the Prieſts, and he ſhal take thence his handfull of the floure, and of the oyle with all the incenſe, and the Prieſt ſhall burne it for a memorial vponupon the altar. Which was to teach them (according to the diſpenſation of thoſe times) that as incenſe & perfume doth delight the ſenſes of men; ſo God would be well pleaſed with that which they offered according to his word for Chriſts ſake, in whoſe mediation it ſhould be as it were perfumed. For he is that Angell that S. Iohn ſpeaketh of, who ſtoode before the altar, Reuel. 8.3.hauing a golden cenſer, and much odors was giuen vntounto him, that he ſhould offer with the prayers of all the Saints vponupon the golden altar, which is before the throne: and the ſmoke of the odours with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand: Prayers compared vntounto incenſe.whereby was ſhewed, that in his mediation, and in the vertue of his prayers, all the prayers and ſeruices of Gods Saints are accepted: incenſe then was vſed to confirme & nouriſh in them the faith of this doctrine, which was not ſo cleerely reuealed to them, as it is to vsus now in the Goſpell; where we hauehave many gracious promiſes made, that whatſoeuer we aske in the name of Chriſt according to his will, he wil grant it vntounto vsus. Whereunto now they hauehave reſpect in theſe words of their prayer, when they pray that God would ſmell his gifts, that is, fauourably accept the ſeruice done. And according to this phraſe of ſpeech it is ſaid of the ſacrifice of Noah; that he after the flood built an altar vntounto the Lord, Gen. 8.20.and tooke of eueryevery cleane beaſt, and of eueryevery cleane foule, and offered burnt offerings vponupon the altar: and the Lord ſmelled a ſauour of reſt, & the Lord ſaid in his heart, I will henceforth curſe the ground no more for mans cauſe. The Lord did ſmell, that is, he did accept the ſacrifices that were offered, and ſo he was pacified, and his anger did ceaſe, which for the ſinne of man was kindled iuſtly before, and cauſed the world to be drowned: but now his anger being ſtaied, he ſaid, that he would no more ſmite all things liuing as he had done. According to this kind of ſpeech vſuall in the Scripture, they pray, that God would bee well pleaſed with his prayers and ſeruice done vntounto him.
By this then we ſee,God remembreth all our ſeruices done to him. that the prayers that we make to God at any time, and the ſeruices which wee owe vntounto him, are not for the time preſent only, whileſt they are a doing (as ſome other things which periſh with the vſe of them) but they are alſo for the time to come: and God doth remēber them when they be paſt, and will bleſſe vsus for them thereafter: and we may pray to God in faith that he would ſo doe, and are by this example taught to doe it with comfort. So that as incenſe burnt, or a perfume that is made, leaueth a good ſmell behind it, and the ſweet ſauours of it may be felt in the place where it was made a good while after: ſo our prayers and ſeruice done in faith are ſo acceptable vntounto God for Chriſts ſake, that they leaue a ſauour of reſt behind them before God for vsus, that hee may remember them, and vsus for them. So that many dayes after, we may think of it with ioy and delight, that we hauehave done ſo and ſo vntounto God, and pray him to remember it, and be aſſured that hee will doe ſo. This is a great mercy in God, that hee wil thus vouchſafe to remember vsus and our poore ſeruices, and a great comfort to vsus, to know that he doth ſo. Therefore euen as the ſinnes of men, that hauehave been done long ſince,As he remembreth all the ſinnes of men to puniſh thē in time. God remembreth them, and will puniſh them in time; and though men when they hauehave done them, forget them, and ſo make no account of them to repent them of them in time, but go on ſecurely and careleſly, as it is ſaid of prophane Eſau, when he had ſold his birth-right, and ſo to ſatisfie his appetite for the time preſent, had departed from the greateſt teſtimony of Gods fauour that he had,Gen. 25.34. he did eate and drinke, and roſe vp, and went his way; ſo he contemned his birth-right: he was as merry as euer he was before, and forgat what he had done: yet God did remember it well enough, and did puniſh him for it, for he was afterwards depriued of the bleſſing of his father, and of God. So it is ſaid in the Pſalme of al thoſe that are companions with theeues, and with adulterers, and of all the wicked, Theſe things haſt thou done, Pſalm. 50.21.& I held my tongue, therfore thou thoughteſt that I was like thee: becauſe God did not preſently puniſh them, they forgat their ſins, and thought that God did ſo too: but he anſwereth, I will reproue thee, and ſet them in order before thee: that is, hee doth both know and remember eueryevery thing that they hauehave done; for he will ſet them in order before them, and puniſh them for them; and ſo cauſe them alſo to remember them in time: as wee ſee here it is ſaid of the crie of Sodome,Gen. 18.20. that it was very great, and that God did heare it, and remember it, and ſent his Angels to deſtroy them for it: They continued in their ſinnes, and God did patiently ſuffer them, but at the laſt in ſending fire and brimſtone from heauen vponupon them to conſume them, hee did ſufficiently declare to the whole world, that he did remember them.
If God deferre to help, we are ready to think that he hath forgotten vsus.So doth he remember all the ſeruices which men doe vntounto him at any time, and they are euer preſent before him, and he neuer forgetteth any, and wil bleſſe them for the ſame in time. And though he defer this bleſſing of his, and do not preſently reward vsus for our ſeruice, or deliuer vsus when wee hauehave prayed vntounto him: yet we muſt not thinke that therefore he forgetteth vsus, and what we hauehave done, as though we had loſt our labour: which the diuel through our vnbeleefe is ready to ſuggeſt vntounto vsus;Pſalm. 13.1. as we ſee how Dauid breaketh out into ſuch words, How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? Where he complaineth, that becauſe God did not preſently deliuer him from his enemies, according to that that he prayed for; therefore God had forgotten him, and did not ſee him. For we by reaſon of infidelity are ready to iudge of God, as of mortall men: if we hauehave put vp any requeſt vntounto them, and hauehave not a preſent diſpatch of our ſuites, we are ready to think that they hauehave other waightier buſines which hauehave put our matter out of their heads, and ſo we and all our buſines is forgotten. So are we ready to iudge of God, but it is not ſo:But hee will ſhew in time that he hath remembred vsus. Exod. 3.7. for he remembreth the prayers that al men make according to his will, and all faithfull ſeruices done vntounto him, & wil therfore bleſſe them in time to come. Thus ſaith the Lord of himſelfe, I hauehave ſurely ſeene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt, and hauehave heard their crie, becauſe of their taske-masters, and know their ſorrowes: therefore I am come down to deliuer them out of the hand of the Egyptians, &c. They had been a long time in great trouble, and had cried often vntounto God, & he did not only heare them, but remember them, and came downe to deliuer them. And this was that which the Angel that came vntounto Cornelius ſaid vntounto him.Act. 10.4. Thy prayers and thine almes are come vp into remembrance before God: now therefore ſend men to Ioppa, and call for Simon, whoſe ſurname is Peter, and he ſhall tell thee what thou oughteſt to do. So al the ſeruice that he had done vntounto God, and duties of louelove vntounto men for Gods ſake were not forgotten,As he did to Cornelius. but God did remember them, and ſent an Angell vntounto him to tell him ſo, and to reward him for them by ſending Peter vntounto him to inſtruct him and his family in the waies of their ſaluation: and (that I might vſe the words of Peter himſelfe) to ſpeake words vntounto them,Chapt. 11.14. whereby both hee and all his houſehoulde ſhould be ſaued.
According to this doctrine Dauid teacheth them here to pray, that God would remember what he had done,The Lord remembreth whatſoeuer we hauehave done frō our birth, good or euill. and what ſeruice he had performed vntounto him, and that the very ſmell of it (as it were) might ſtil be before him. From hence we may be aſſured, that God remembreth what all of vsus hauehave done from our birth vntounto this day, for he wil iudge vsus al according to our workes, and that that we hauehave done in this world; and they are all written in his booke (which at the laſt day ſhall be laid open) be they good or bad. If wee hauehave done euill, and careleſly forgotten it, and will not remember it, to repent vsus of it in due time; God he doth, and will remember it, to puniſh vsus for it in time. If we hauehave done any thing well, and hauehave prayed to him, and ſerued him in a good conſcience, and done good to our brethren for his ſake, hee remembreth all thoſe things alſo, to bleſſe vsus for them,2. Cor. 15.58. and we may be aſſured that our labours ſhall not be in vaine in the Lord. To come to this particular hand of God, that is now very heauie vpō vsus; he doth ſufficiently ſhew thereby to all that are not wilfully blind, that hee remembreth all the ſinnes, wherewith a long time he hath been prouoked. As the great ignorance and blindnes that is eueryevery where in this cleere light of his glorious Goſpell,By this viſitation of the plague hee ſheweth, that he remembreth all the ſinnes of this land. the little account that men make of it, and care that is in them to profit by it: How great the louelove of the world and of themſelues is in men, and how little louelove of God, and of their owne ſaluation: the intollerable pride, voluptuouſnes, vncleannes, drunkennes, vnmercifulnes, and ſuch like; hee remembreth all theſe things, though men hauehave forgotten them. And though by ſparing them in them, yea beſtowing many bleſſings vponupon them,Rom. 2.4. he did lead them to repentance: yet now wee ſee plainly that hee did not forget them. And we muſt thus profit by this viſitation of the Lord: that as the widow of Sarepta, where Elijah did ſoiorne in the famine, when her ſonne fell ſick, and died, ſhe ſaid vntounto him, O thou man of God, 1. King. 17.18.art thou come to call my ſinne to remembrance, and to ſlay my ſonne? and thus by this puniſhment ſhe did acknowledge and confeſſe,And we ought ſo to profit by it. that God had remembred her ſinnes: So muſt we all thus profit by this grieuous ſicknes among vsus, which is vntounto death, to ſee how God remembreth all thoſe ſins eueryevery where, which men hauehave committed, and forgotten long agoe, and they thought that God had forgotten them alſo. And ſo no doubt there will come a time for all men in the world, wherein it ſhall appeare vntounto them, that God hath remembred their ſinnes: either in this world to their amendment and ſaluation, if they be his; or in the world to come to their euerlaſting ſhame and confuſion, if they be his enemies.
And he remē breth thoſe that hauehave liued well in this wicked age.So on the contrarie, and more fitly for our purpoſe, they amongſt vsus that hauehave liued well, ſerued him in feare, prayed vntounto him in faith; and in theſe euill daies hauehave not onelyonly kept themſelues vnſpotted in the world, but hauehave grieued at the abuſes in others, which they could not helpe; God knoweth them all by name very well, and remembreth what they hauehave done, and wil put a difference betweene them and others in the day of his viſitation, and they muſt be comforted againſt it before hand, that they hauehave thus ſerued God in truth, and he doth remember it. And this is that which the Prophet Ezekiel ſpeaketh of, to whom the deſtruction of Ieruſalem was ſhewed in a viſion after this manner: He ſaw ſixe men with weapons in their hands, and one among them was clothed with linen, Ezek. 9.3.with a writers ynkhorne by his ſide: and the glorie of God appeared, and called to the man clothed with linen, And will bleſſe them for it, when others ſhall be puniſhed.which had the writers ynkhorne by his ſide: and ſaid vntounto him, Goe through the middeſt of the the citie of Ieruſalem, and ſet a marke vponupon the foreheards of them that mourne, and crie for all the abominations that are done in the middeſt thereof: and to the other he ſaid, Goe after him through the citie, and ſmite: let your eye ſpare none, neither hauehave pitie: deſtroy vtterly the old and the yong, and the children, and the women: but touch no man, vponupon whom is the marke. Thus wee ſee how in this great and vniuerſall deſtruction, wherein all ſorts old and yong, children and women were ſlaine, God remembred the ſorrow and griefe of thoſe that mourned for the abuſes of their time, and did ſpare them for it. And this bleſſing ſhall be vponupon all thoſe, that deſire vnfainedly to ſerue God according to his word, when all the world beſides forſake it, they ſhall finde by experience, that God will remember them, and their doings, as he promiſed by the Prophet Malachi: where it is thus written (hee firſt complaining of the wicked, in the name of the Lord) Your words hauehave been ſtout againſt mee: yet yee ſay, Malach. 3.13.What hauehave we ſpokē againſt thee? Ye hauehave ſaid, It is in vaine to ſerue God; and what profit is it that wee hauehave kept his commandements, and that wee hauehave walked humbly before the Lord of hostes? therefore we count the proud bleſſed: euen they that worke wickednes, are ſet vp, and they that tempt God, yea they are deliuered. Then ſpake they that feared the Lord eueryevery one to his neighbour, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord: and they ſhall be to me, ſaith the Lord of hostes, in that day that I ſhall doe this, for a flocke, and I will ſpare them, as a man ſpareth his owne ſonne, that ſerueth him. Thus we ſee that when the Prophet preached, and ſome made a mock of it, and thoſe that feared God, conferd among themſelues to comfort themſelues in the waies of the Lord, hee did ſee them both, and did remember them, and in the day of his viſitation would put a difference betweene them: and ſo wee ſee how God will remember vsus for our faithfull ſeruice, and bleſſe vsus for it: and to that end according to our capacitie it is ſaid, that there was a booke of remembrance written for them before the Lord. That is, as among men they that do any faithfull ſeruice to the Prince, it is recorded in writing and put into the Chronicles, whereby it commeth to paſſe that the memory of it is kept: as wee ſee in the booke of Hester, when the King could not ſleepe,Hest. 6.1. hee commaunded to bring the booke of the Chronicles, and they were read before him: where it was found written, that Mordecas had told of Bigtana and Tereſh two of the Kings Eunuches, keepers of the doore, who ſought to lay hands on the King. And hee ſaid, What honour and dignitie hath bin done to him for this? And they ſaid, There is nothing done for him. Then he commaunded Haman to doe him that great honour, that is there ſet down. Thus we ſee how the good ſeruice that he had done to the King was written, and ſo he was remembred & rewarded for it. So the Lord doth keepe a more faithfull record of all the good ſeruices that any of vsus hauehave done vntounto him, and hee will reward vsus for them in his good time: and this is that which they pray for in the behalfe of their King.
When the Lord ſent his Angels to deſtroy Sodome and Gomorrha, and the cities thereabout for their horrible wickednes, he made it knowne vntounto Abraham, Gen. 18.17.ſaying, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do? Becauſe the crie of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and becauſe their ſinne is exceeding grieuous, I will go down now & ſee, whether they hauehave done altogether according to the cry which is come vntounto me: God remembred the prayers of Abraham which he made for Lot.& if not, that I may know. Then Abraham began to pray for them, & ſaid, Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? be it farre from thee from doing this thing, to ſlay the righteous with the wicked: and the Lord ſaid he would not, and ſo he went on ſixe times praying for them, and was heard. Therfore it is ſaid in the next chapter, that whē God deſtroyed all the wicked, he remembred righteous Lot, according to the prayer of Abraham, and deliuered him. For when God destroyed the cities of the plaine, Chapt. 19.29.God thought vponupon Abraham, and ſent Lot out from the middeſt of the deſtruction, when hee ouerthrew the cities, wherein Lot dwelled. By this example wee ſee that God remembreth the prayers that wee hauehave made not onelyonly for our ſelues, but for others, yea when they know not of it, as hee did the prayers of Abraham for Lot. Therefore when wee pray to God, wee muſt not thinke that our words are vaniſhed in the ayre, or yt they are for the time preſent only, but for the time to come, euen for all the daies of our life. So that, as it is ſaid, that the bloud of Abel did ſpeake to God for him when hee was dead, and did crie out alowd and was heard:Chapt. 4.10. ſo our prayers that we hauehave made, and ſeruices that we hauehave done, ſhall ſpeak to God for vsus when wee ſleepe, and when wee hold our peace, and God will remember vsus for them, euen then when hee puniſheth all the wicked round about vsus; as he did here heare Abraham, and deliuered Lot when hee ouerthrew the cities of the plaine, wherein Lot dwelled.
We hauehave prayed often for this viſitation,God remembreth the prayers of all men for this plague. that God would be mercifull vntounto vsus in it: we muſt not thinke, that becauſe we ſee not a preſent end, or leſſening of it, that we hauehave loſt our labour, and ſo grow wearie, and giuegive ouer. But let vsus aſſure our ſelues, that ſo many as hauehave with true repentance and vnfained purpoſe of leauing all ſinnes that they know, and not wittingly pleaſe themſelues in any: that God remembreth their prayers, and knoweth what is in them, and what they hauehave done to him: as he alſo knoweth the hard-heartednes and hypocriſie of the reſt. And as hee doth remember them, ſo hee will in his good time make it knowne to them more and more: as hee did to Cornelius, when he ſent an Angel vntounto him, and as he did to Abraham, when he ſaw that Lot was deliuered from the deſtruction of Sodom. Hee did remember them before, though hee made it knowne vntounto them, when it pleaſed him.And in time will ſhew it vntounto them. As it is written alſo of Daniel the Prophet, who faſted and prayed for the deſolation of Ieruſalem; whileſt he was ſpeaking in prayer, Gabriel came flying, and foretold him,Dan. 9.21. about the euening ſacrifice, and ſaid, O Daniel, I am now come foorth, to giuegive thee knowledge and vnderstanding: at the beginning of thy ſupplications the commandement came forth, and I am come to ſhew thee. So though there the commaundement came out at the firſt, yet God did ſhew it him at the laſt, euen when it pleaſed him.God muſt needs remember vsus: for Chriſt putteth him in minde of vsus. So will he doe with vsus; but in the meane ſeaſon we muſt beleeue that he doth remember vsus, and take comfort in it. And truly it muſt needs be ſo, that God ſhould remember the prayers of his ſeruants, and all their ſeruices,Rom. 8.34. for they hauehave a Mediatour and Aduocate in heauen, euen Ieſus Chriſt at the right hand of God, who maketh continuall requeſt for vsus; for hee is faithfull to doe it, and he is in fauour with God, and therfore he will remember vsus for his ſake. For if wee hauehave put vp any ſupplication to the King, and we hauehave one in the Court to follow it, wee hope wee ſhall not be forgotten: eſpecially if wee hauehave the Prince the Kings eldeſt ſonne to make ſuite for vsus. So ſeeing Chriſt Ieſus doth deale for vsus in heauen, wee may bee aſſured that God will remember all prayers made according to his will in repentance and faith. Therefore if wee hauehave done any thing all this while, God will remember vsus, if wee hauehave done nothing, then God muſt needes forget to bleſſe vsus, for there is nothing done, for which he might remember vsus.
This ſhould make vsus forward in prayer, and in all good things.This ſhould make al men feruent in prayer, & forward in all duties, that ſo they might leaue thē (as it were) with God, and they might bee before him night and day, for a remembrance of them. And that as we hauehave many ſinnes, for which hee may remember to puniſh vsus; ſo our repentance, faith, prayer, ſeruice done to his Maieſtie, obedience to his word of conſcience in al his commaundements, and that in ſecret, and all the good that we hauehave done to our brethren, might alſo ſpeak for vsus, and put him in remembrance of vsus for our good. That as it is written of Nehemiah that worthie ſeruant of God, who often in the teſtimonie of a good conſcience prayeth,Nehem. 13.14 Remember me, O my God, and wipe not out my kindnes, that I hauehave ſhewed on the houſe of God, and on the officers thereof. Verſ. 31.And againe, Remember me O my God in goodnes. So wee may pray for our ſelues, and others in faith for vsus, that God would remember vsus and them, according to al the ſeruice wee hauehave done to him. This I ſay ſhould make all forward and zealous in Gods ſeruice, both as they be Chriſtians, and in their ſeuerall callings, that there might bee ſomething, for which they might pray themſelues, and others for them, that God would remember them.
And whereas they pray for the King, that God would remember all his prayers, and ſeruices: we ſee that we may not onelyonly pray to God, that hee would remember what wee hauehave done, and that we now doe, and what we hauehave done before the ſtaying of this viſitation, and hope that he will remember all, nay, be aſſured of it.Pray for them vnderunder the Plague, that God would remember their former ſeruices, though now they can doe none. But pray alſo for all our brethren in al places, that God would remember what they hauehave prayed and done, and the faſts that hauehave beene in all places, and are ſtill, and that all our prayers together may ſtill ſpeake for vsus. Yea, we may pray that God would heare them that are viſited with his hand, and not only that which they now pray, but that that they hauehave done before, when they were in health: and though they cannot do as they would, nay, it may be for paine ſpeake one word as hee requireth, yet if they hauehave done any thing in truth before, that he would now in this time of their neede remember that, and them for it, and ſo no doubt he will. And this is a ſingular fruite of thoſe that neglect not the time of prayer and of Gods ſeruice when they may, that they ſhall bee remembred for it hereafter, and for that which they hauehave done before, when for the time preſent they ſhall be able to doe nothing: as Dauid when he was fighting could not alwaies pray as he would, and as his need required, but hee deſireth them to pray that God would remember that which hee had prayed before, when he was able to doe it.
It followeth: And turne thy burnt offerings into aſhes. The ſecond part of this verſe.This is the ſecond part of the verſe, where they pray, that God would turne his burnt offerings into aſhes, that is, that God would ſome waies declare that he had heard his prayer, and receiued his ſeruices: for where hee ſpeaketh of ſacrifices, it was according to the manner of Gods ſeruice in thoſe dayes, where they did ſo offer, but theſe were not without prayer, as we ſee in the fourth verſe in this Pſalme. By which prayer they ſought to God, that thoſe ſins for which they did offer ſacrifices, might be pardoned in the death of Chriſt, whereof thoſe ſacrifices, eſpecially whole burnt offerings were a type and figure, to ſhew that Chriſt ſhould wholy offer vp himſelfe to God for vsus. Therfore it is ſaid, that the Prieſt when they brought their ſacrifices,Leuit. 4.20.26.31.35. ſhould make an atonement for them, that is, pray to God for them to forgiue them. So that though he nameth only ſacrifices, yet he meaneth prayer, and other ſeruices done according to the word. And when they pray that God would turne them into burnt aſhes, that is, conſume them with fire, as it were ſent from heauen,God turned the ſacrifices of Aaron into aſhes. he hath reſpect to that that God had done before, thereby teſtifying that he did accept of their ſacrifices and prayers. For thus did he to Aaron when he was firſt conſecrated to the office of the Prieſthood: That the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people,Leuit. 9.23. and there came a fire out from the Lord, and conſumed vponupon the alter the burnt offering and the fat: which when the people ſaw, they gaue thankes, and fell on their faces. Thus when the ſacrifice was laid vponupon the altar, fire came from the Lord, and conſumed it; and ſo the people when they ſaw it, gaue thanks: for by this ſigne they did ſee, that God did alow of the ſacrifice of Aaron, and of his Prieſthood. So they deſire of God, that he would ſome way ſhew that he had heard the prayer of the King.
And of Salomon.So again when Salomon dedicated the temple, & had made a long and zealous prayer for all thoſe that ſhould pray in that houſe,2. Chron. 7.1. and had prepared a ſacrifice to be offred: Fire came from heauen, and conſumed the burnt offering, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple: ſo that by this ſigne God did ſhew to them all, that hee had heard the prayer of Salomon, for the hallowing of that houſe to be the houſe of prayer for al nations. And to conclude this poynt,And of Elijah. when the Prophet Elijah in the dayes of king Ahab in great zeale to call the people from their idolatry, cauſed all the Prieſts of Baal to be gathered together,1. King. 18.20. and they had two bullocks to be offered, one for them, and another for himſelfe, and there ſhould be no fire put to the offerings, but that God that ſhould ſend fire from heauen vpō them, ſhould bee taken to bee the true God and worſhipped of them. The Prieſts of Baal becauſe they were many began firſt, and continued crying to him for fire vntill noone, and could not bee heard. Elijah at the time of the euening ſacrifice, prepared his, and cauſed ditches to be made round about the altar, and to be filled with water, and then he prayed vntounto 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 vntounto 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.