Medicines for the Plague, Collection of sermons · Sermon 1
THE FIRST SERMON VPONUPON THE inſcription, or title of the Pſalme. To him that excelleth. A Pſalme of Dauid.
THis Pſalme (as appeareth by the inſcription) was made by the Prophet Dauid, The author of this Pſalme: and to whom it was committed.as moſt of the Pſalmes were; and not as a priuate thing belonging to himſelfe alone, but for the benefit of the whole Church, as the reſt of the Scriptures alſo were written to that end: and therefore it was deliuered, or ſpecially by him commended, vntounto him that excelleth; namely in Muſicke; that is, vntounto one of the Leuites, that was skilfull in Muſicke, to bee ſung publikely in the Temple, and therefore by him to bee ſet vntounto ſome tune fit for it: according to the manner of Gods worſhip in thoſe daies, and according to the diuiſion of the offices of the Leuites made by Dauid, for all kinde of Muſicke, both with voyce, and with diuers kinds of inſtruments:1. Chron. 25. as appeareth in the booke of the Chronicles. And the whole Pſalme thus made and directed, is a prayer of the Church for Dauid their King.The argument of this Pſalme. For in the beginning, and end of the Pſalme there are the words of ſupplication and prayer, deſiring ſome thing of the Lord: in the middeſt they ſhew with what faith they do pray. And it is euident that they pray not for themſelues onelyonly, but for another: for they ſay, The Lord heare thee, and defend thee, &c. and they meane their King, whom in the ſixt verſe they call the Lords annointed: it was made by Dauid, as appeareth by the title. He then teacheth the people to pray for himſelfe, deſireth their prayers, telleth them for what they ſhould pray, and giueth them a forme of it.The occaſion of it. The time when he made this prayer for them, and the occaſion of it is not ſet downe in the title, as it is in ſome other Pſalmes: but yet it is thought by diuers, that it was when hee went to battell againſt the Ammonites. Which thing as it is but coniecturall, ſo we are ſure of this out of the words of the text, that it was in a time of great daunger, not onelyonly to his owne perſon, as appeareth in the firſt and ſecond verſes: but to the whole realm, as is euident verſ. 7.8: and it was a time of war, for they ſpeake of chariots and horſes as of meanes of defence, verſ. 7. He then in a matter of great moment fleeth to God for ſuccour, as to his only defence: he vſeth all good meanes, but repoſeth his whole confidence in Gods defence: therefore hee prayeth to him before he beginneth any thing, and determineth further in the whole courſe of his proceeding ſtil to pray vntounto God for direction and aide: And not onelyonly to doe it a little at the firſt, as may appeare out of the verſe.Dauid did deſire the people to pray for him. 1.3.4: but becauſe it concerned not himſelfe alone, but all the people, and finding his owne inſufficiencie in prayer, and beleeuing the promiſes of God made vntounto the prayer of other, eſpecially of the Church, he deſireth them to pray for him, and namely to pray that God would heare his prayers, which what they were or ſhould be in particular they knew not, but generally they might preſume that they were good, and ſuch as did concerne that action: and ſo whatſoeuer they were, he would hauehave them pray to God that he would heare them: as appeareth verſ. 4.
The people doe according to this direction and commaundement of his;The Prophet did vſe this forme of prayer for him. for they vſed this forme of prayer which hee had preſcribed, and ſo did pray earneſtly for him, that God would both heare his prayer, and defend his perſon, and to that end ſend him helpe from heauen, and declare by the euent that hee had heard his and their prayers, in giuing them victorie ouer their enemies: and God heareth them all, and ſaueth the king, confoundeth their enemies, cauſeth them to returne home with victorie and great triumph, as appeareth by the next Pſalme: wherein he and they together giuegive thanks vntounto God for the victorie, attributing it onelyonly to God, and not to their owne ſtrength, or any power of man; as in this Pſalme they had profeſſed, that they did not truſt in chariots and horſes, and ſuch warlike defence, as men vſe to doe, and namely their enemies did, but only in the protection and defence of God, which by calling vponupon his name they ſought for. And ſo this is the generall argument and ſumme of this Pſalme, both in reſpect of Dauid, who made this prayer, and of the people who did vſe it for him.
By the inſcription then it appeareth, that Dauid making this prayer for the people to vſe in his behalfe, was deſirous that they ſhould pray for him, and did as it were ſeek it at their hands. If he in ſo good a cauſe did not reſt in the confidence of his own prayers, but deſired others to pray for him; and if he did it then, when he had ſo many means to accompliſh his deſire, becauſe he knew God to be aboue them, and ſo as without him they could doe nothing, and hee was able to hinder and to fruſtrate all; and if hee that was ſo well able to pray for himſelfe and others, yet did deſire the prayer of others, & of thoſe that were inferiour vntounto him:Kings ought to take order that the people ſhould publikly pray for them. Then no King, Prince, or Potentate is exempted from this, to ſtand in neede of the prayer of others: and therefore they ought to take order in their ſeuerall realmes and dominions, that the people may vſually pray for them in their publike places and aſſemblies: and more ſeriouſlie and particularly to doe it, as there ſhall bee any ſpeciall occaſion, as here was in the time of Dauid. Therefore this order that is among vsus eſtabliſhed by lawe, that in all Churches the Miniſter and people are willed to pray continually for the Kings moſt excellent Maieſtie, both in common prayer and in preaching; and that as warre, or other thing ſhall fall out, ſo ſome ſpeciall formes of prayer are ſet out by publike authoritie to bee vſed in ſuch caſes: is according to Gods word, and to the example of godly Princes. I ſpeake not now of our duties to pray for them, but of theirs, that they ſhould thinke that they neede it, and ſo require it of the people.
Al men ought to deſire others to pray for them according to their ſeuerall neede.And if Kings are bound thus to doe, then Noblemen, and other inferiour perſons much more, who hauehave not ſo many meanes to accompliſh their owne deſires, or it may be are not ſo well able to pray for themſelues, at leaſtwiſe as Dauid was. And ſo generally all men (for this, as well as the reſt of the Scripture is written for our learning) are bound, as at all other times to deſire others to pray for them; ſo alſo, as they ſhall hauehave any ſpeciall cauſe, to deſire them to doe it a great deale more: and not only to pray themſelues for themſelues continually, becauſe prayer in all things is our ſpeciall refuge and ſuccour; but to deſire others to pray God, that he would from time to time heare their prayers. And as Dauid doth it here in this ſpeciall neede of his, as being in danger and feare of his enemies: ſo if we be in ſicknes and feare of death, we ſhould in the feeling of our own weaknes, and in the faith of the prayers of others, deſire thē to pray for vsus, and not only to pray our ſelues. And this is the aduice and commandement of the Apoſtle: Is any among you afflicted? Jam. 5.13.14.let him pray: is any ſicke among you? let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray for him. Now ſeeing ſicknes is but one kind of croſſe, and the Lord hath many waies elſe to afflict vsus; in any of them we ought to do the like: yea and not only when affliction is vponupon vsus, that it might be remoued and taken away; but when wee hauehave iuſt cauſe to feare it, that it might be preuented, and ſo we eſcape it. And not onelyonly in outward affliction, but all inward much more, by how much they are more dangerous and grieuous: as if wee ſhall be diſtreſſed in minde, being tempted by Sathan either vntounto ſinne, or for ſinne: for if they be auailable in other caſes, then in theſe. And ſo to conclude this one point in a word, in eueryevery matter that is of any importance either for our ſelues, or for any of ours, wee ought ſo to commend the ſame, and the whole ſucceſſe of them vntounto God in prayer, who muſt onelyonly bring them to paſſe, as that we reſt not therein, but deſire alſo the prayers of others to helpe vsus in the ſame.
This ordinance of his,By this God would hauehave vsus vnited in louelove one to another. the Lord in much wiſedome and merciemercy hath left, to vnite vsus in brotherly louelove one to another; that when we ſhall ſee by experience how much we are or may be beholding one to another, in that by their prayers wee hauehave been holpen in ſo great diſtreſſes, wee might from the bottome of our harts vnfainedly louelove one another. Thus the greateſt Monarch may be beholding to all his ſubiects, as Dauid was here to his people; and the rich this way may thinke that they faire the better for the poore; and the Miniſter for the meaneſt of his flocke; And it were well that this way wee were all of vsus a great deale more beholding one to another than we are: in that we would in brotherly louelove acquaint others with our eſtate, and deſire their prayers, and then they would pray for vsus, according to the counſell and aduice of the Apoſtle: Acknowledge your faults one to another, and pray one for another, Verſ. 16.that ye may be healed, for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent. If we ſhould for our owne benefit and good, acquaint other with ſome ſpeciall ſins, that hauehave been the cauſe (and ſo conſequently that may bee the cauſe) of ſome great croſſe; that they vponupon the knowledge of it might in greater feeling and faith pray for vsus, that they might bee forgiuen, and wee deliuered from the puniſhment of them: then ſhould wee make them acquainted with other of our neceſſities to that end much more.
As in other things wee need the help one of another, ſo in prayer: and therefore ſhould deſire the ſame.And that wee might bee perſwaded vntounto this duty of crauing the prayers of others in the feeling of the great need that we hauehave of them; let vsus firſt of all conſider, how the Lord hath ſo made vsus all▪ that he would hauehave vsus helpe one another, and know that we neede the help one of another, both for ſoule and bodie and eueryevery way elſe: and therefore that we ſhould ſeeke for it one of another; as in the naturall bodie all parts doe need the mutuall helpe one of another, as the eyes of the feete, and the belly of the hands, and doe in a ſort ſeeke vntounto them for it, and by a naturall inſtinct, as it were begge and craue it. And all experience teacheth vsus, that in all other things none of vsus is ſufficient of our ſelues, and therefore we craue the help of others, as in counſell, in labour, and in all worldly affaires; why then ſhould it not be ſo in praier alſo? Yet ſuch is our corruption, that we rather ſeeke helpe in any thing, as diſtruſting our ſelues, ſauing in this, wherein wee moſt neede it. But we hauehave found the other true by our owne experience, and ſo doe vſe it, if we did beleeue this, and would doe thereafter, wee might finde the fruite of it as ſenſible.We deſire men to ſue for vsus to Princes, ſo ſhould wee do vntounto God. Secondly, when we hauehave ſuites vntounto Princes or great men, we deſire thoſe that are in fauour with them, to further our ſuites, and thoſe eſpecially that are moſt gracious with them; and wee reſt not in our ſelues, though we be well knowne vntounto them, eſpecially if the matter that wee ſue for bee of any moment: why ſhould wee not then much more ſpeak vntounto others, that they would pray to God for vsus, and commend our ſuites vntounto his high Maieſtie? For though Gods louelove be not partiall, as mans is,Matth. 18.20. but his promiſe is to all alike: yet experience ſheweth that ſome are more acquainted with prayer, then other, and ſo hauehave more acceſſe vntounto God, as it were, and come oftner into his preſence, and neerer vntounto him, and ſo there is more hope that they ſhould bee ſooner heard. Eſpeciallie when God hath made a ſpeciall promiſe, that when two or three bee gathered together in the name of his ſonne, hee will be in the middeſt of them, and therefore when diuers, or the whole Church pray for vsus, there is more hope of being heard, than when wee pray our ſelues alone. The Papiſts pray to the Saints, that are dead, that they would pray to God for them, that hee would heare their prayers; for which there is no warrant in the Scripture, but the whole word of God is rather againſt them: but here is an example to deſire the prayers of the Saints on earth that are liuing, with hope of great fruite; and few do follow it.
Thirdly, when we pray,When wee wraſtle with men we deſire help: ſo ſhould wee when wee ſtriue in prayer with God. Gen. 32.24. we doe as it were ſtriue with God to obtaine ſome thing, as was ſhewed to Iacob in the viſion of an Angell wraſtling with him all night long; to teach vsus, that when we pray we muſt not come coldly or ſleepely vntounto it, but with all earneſtnes of deſire, and not giuegive ouer vntill the Lord bleſſe vsus, as Iacob would not let the Angell goe, vntill he bleſſed him: and then the Lord will aſſuredly bleſſe vsus, if we perſeuere, as he did Iacob; and as Chriſt hath ſhewed in the parable of the wicked Iudge, who was ouercome by the importunitie of the widow. Therefore as when we wraſtle or ſtriue with a man,Luk. 18.2. we knowing his great ſtrength and our owne weakenes, and ſo how hard it is to ouercome, we would gladly hauehave others to helpe and to ſtriue with vsus againſt him; and ſo we may more eaſily do that by the helpe of others, which alone hardly, or not at all we could do: So when we ſtriue with the Lord God in prayer, being priuie to the weakenes of our owne faith, and how many ſinnes there are to hinder vsus, and what an hard thing it is to obtaine any thing in reſpect of our great vnworthineſſe, we ſhould deſire others to helpe vsus with their prayers, and therein as it were to ſtriue with vsus. And in this reſpect it is a ſingular great bleſſing, if it were rightly eſteemed, and accordingly vſed, to hauehave many in a familie, or in the Church, to pray with vsus, and for vsus.
Thus ſpeaketh the Apoſtle, and thus did hee practiſe, when hee ſo earneſtly intreated the Romanes to pray for him,Rom. 15.30. 32. ſaying, Brethren, I beſeech you for our Lord Ieſus Chriſts ſake, and for the louelove of the ſpirit, that you would ſtriue with me by prayer to God for me; that I may come to you with ioy by the will of God, and may with you bee refreſhed. He had often, and of a long time purpoſed to come to them,Chap. 1.10. as he profeſſeth in the firſt chapter; and prayed, that by ſome meanes one time or other he might hauehave proſperous iourney by the will of God to come vntounto them:Paul deſired the Church to ſtriue with him in prayer. now at the laſt he deſireth them alſo not only to pray, but to pray earneſtly, and to ſtriue with him in their prayers, that he may come with ioy: and doth beſeech them that they would doe ſo, euen for the louelove of Chriſt, and of the ſpirit. If hee then after ſo many and earneſt prayers did deſire them to ſtriue with him: how had we need much more to doe it, who pray ſeldomer, and more coldly? And truly as great things may be done, when many ſtriue together, which none of them could ſeuerally doe: ſo by the prayers of many great things are obtained, which by the prayers of one alone are not ſo eaſily gottē. So the ſame Apoſtle writeth to the Corinthians, that 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 hauehave you ignorant of our affliction, which came vntounto vsus 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 vsus from ſo great a death, and doth deliuer vsus: in whom we truſt, that yet hereafter he will deliuer vsus; ſo that yee labour together in prayer for vsus. 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 hauehave marked the experience of our ſelues, and others) that we may well remember, what great deliuerances hauehave been graunted, when others hauehave laboured in prayers for vsus, 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 hauehave 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 hauehave when we hauehave 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 vsus, we ſhal hauehave this comfort of a good conſcience, that we hauehave 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 hauehave the leſſe comfort, or more griefe, becauſe we neglected ſome meanes that might hauehave done vsus good. We muſt then be perſwaded, that the prayers of others may doe vsus good, and that wee neede them, and ſo accordingly deſire them. In the daies of ignorance and ſuperſtition men gaue much to hauehave 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 onelyonly they gaue much yeerely vntounto thoſe that ſhould pray for them. And truly if they had prayed aright, they might by their prayers hauehave giuen more than they receiued; for they might hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vsus, 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly, 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 vsus to put our deareſt friends in minde of vsus, and call vponupon them to pray for vsus;Our deareſt friends had neede to be put in mind to pray for vsus. yea when they know our eſtate beſt, and what great neede wee hauehave of the prayers of others: for they may forget vsus ſometimes, though they wiſh vsus well. And as through forgetfulnes they may neglect other duties, which yet they are willing generally to performe, as not to viſite vsus, to ſend to vsus, to write to vsus, as often as they ſhould, and wee looke for at their hands: ſo much more not to pray for vsus; 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 vsus, 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 eueryevery manner of way we ſee, what great reaſon there is of this, to deſire others to pray for vsus: and ſo much for this preſent.