Medicines for the Plague, Collection of sermons · Sermon 11
THE ELEVENTH SERMON vponupon the third verſe. Selah.
WE heard the laſt day, the meaning of this word,By Selah, here they were ſtirred vp to the affections of Prayer. namely that it ſerued to note out ſome ſpeciall affection, according to the matter where it was vſed. Wee are then now to conſider what ſpeciall affections were in him, and ſhould be in the people here: and ſo what is and was the vſe of it in this place. Generally it being ioyned vntounto a prayer, they were to hauehave the affections meet for prayer, and for this thing that here they prayed for. Therefore the ſpeciall affections that ought to be in the people, when they prayed thus, were theſe, or ſuch like. Firſt, when hee willeth them to pray, that God would heare his prayers, and ſhew that he did ſo, and then addeth, Selah, a note of affection, or ſtirring vp of the mind; it was to teach them,As namely to pray earneſtly. that he would hauehave them affected with it, to pray for it earneſtly. And in requiring this earneſtnes here, his meaning was not, that they ſhould bee colde in the former, and negligent: but here he required a ſpeciall feruency of the ſpirit; that after a ſpeciall manner they would pray that God would heare his prayers, and declare it. By which example wee learne, that though we ought alwaies to pray from our hearts, and neuer with the tongue onelyonly, as many doe, and hauehave done: not only in Popery, when if they had ſaid a certaine number of prayers, it was thought ſufficient, though they knew not what they ſaid, it being in an vnknowne tongue, and ſo could not poſſibly hauehave any deſire at all vntounto that which they prayed for; and ſo that was verified of them that Chriſt ſpeaketh of in the Goſpell;Matth. 15.8. This people draweth neere vntounto me with their lippes, but their heart is farre from me: but alſo in theſe dayes, when many though they ſay, Amen, at the end of prayers, yet hauehave had their mind occupied about other matters, and ſo though their tongue hath ſpoken, yet their mindes hauehave deſired nothing:John 4.24. whereas God is a ſpirit, and wil be worſhipped in our ſpirits: and he is the ſearcher of the hearts, which when it is prepared, then hee heareth, as it is ſaid, thou preparest the heart, Pſalm. 10.17. Pſalm. 57.7.and bendest thine eare thereto. So that whenſoeuer we pray, we muſt ſay as the Prophet doth, My heart is prepared, my heart is prepared O God, I will ſing and giuegive thanks. Therefore wee muſt not come raſhly to prayer and vnaduiſedly on the ſuddaine, but prepare our hearts beforehand; as Chriſt teacheth vsus in that forme of his, O our Father, which art in Heauen, &c: willing vsus to conſider of Gods fatherly louelove, and of his almighty power, and ſo pray to him, as to one whom wee are perſwaded is moſt willing and able to heare and helpe vsus.
Greater earneſtnes is requiſite in ſome part of the prayer, then of other. Epheſ. 6.18.And though wee muſt alwaies thus pray, if wee will bee heard; yet we are to ſtriue with our affections in prayer: and as ſomething ſhall be more materiall for vsus, and wee ſtand in more need of it; ſo there, and for that, to pray more earneſtly: and as we muſt continually ſtriue with our owne dulneſſe in prayer, and as the Apoſtle ſaith, watch thereunto; ſo wee muſt offer violence as it were to our ſelues in ſuch things as doe moſt concerne vsus. So that our prayers muſt not flowe from vsus like a ſtill ſtreame, which is alwaies like it ſelfe, and neuer ſtandeth ſtill like a poole: ſo wee muſt not hauehave alwaies the like deſires in prayer; yea, though they be deſires of the heart in deed, and the heart bee truly moued with it, and not ſtand ſtill ſenſeleſſe and dead in the affections of it, like a lake which is without motion: (which yet it were well, if all men could come vntounto: and it is a great worke of the ſpirit, if wee can doe ſo) but our hearts in prayer muſt bee working, like the great Ocean Sea, that ſometimes commeth with great billowes, ſo that it bringeth vp things that are at the bottome of it. So we according to our ſpeciall need, and the neceſſitie of others, that we pray for, muſt ſtirre vp the leaſt deſire that we hauehave, euen from the bottome of our hearts: and though our hearts were moued before, yet when wee come to ſuch a thing, they muſt bee mooued a great deale more; that God may ſee how earneſtly we deſire them, that ſo hee may fulfill them.
And this we muſt doe, not onelyonly in our priuat prayers,And that is true, not only of priuat prayer, but of publike. according to that that we ſtand in need of (as we all finde, that we need ſomething more then other) for that wee muſt bee moſt importunate, though wee muſt alwaies pray earneſtly. But alſo in the publike prayers of the Church (as theſe of the people were) as wee muſt alwaies during the time of prayer, marke diligently what is ſaid, and hauehave not onelyonly our minde occupied about it, but our deſires going with his words, that prayeth, as it were, ſtep by ſtep: that thus they may all waite vponupon him, and as it were hang vponupon his mouth (as it is ſayd the people did vponupon our Sauiour Chriſt) but when there is any ſpeciall thing prayed for, which concerneth vsus neerely,Luk. 19.48. or any of ours, or the glory of God, and Church of Chriſt; there to ſtirre vp our minds with ſome more earneſt deſire to call vponupon God for it: and as it were to ſay, Selah: that is, Oh that God would grant that: ſo would it come to paſſe, that God would giuegive vsus our deſire,Luk. 1.53. as he hath promiſed to fill the hungry ſoule with good things. But for want of this, becauſe by the coldneſſe of our deſires, it appeareth that wee doe not eſteeme of them, or but ſmally regard them, therefore wee hauehave them not. And this is that that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of to the Romanes; I beſeech you, Rom. 15.30.that you would ſtriue with me by prayer to God for me; and to the Corinthians alſo, ſaying, So that yee labour together in prayer for vsus: 2. Cor. 1.11.where hee compareth prayer vntounto labouring and ſtriuing: Therefore as when wee ſtriue for any matter of moment, wee will alwaies put to our ſtrength, that we may do our beſt that we can; but yet ſometimes we will put to all our ſtrength,As our Sauiour Chriſt did before he came to the croſſe. and ſtraine our ſelues to the vttermoſt, that we might preuaile: ſo we in our prayers, though wee muſt alwaies bee earneſt, yet in ſomethings wee muſt ſtretch out our affections vntounto the full. And ſo it is ſaid of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, both before, and when he was vponupon the croſſe, as it is ſet downe in the Goſpell; He prayed, Father if thou wilt, take away this cuppe from me. Luk. 22.42.Neuertheleſſe, not my will but thine bee done: and being in an agonie, hee prayed more earneſtly; and his ſweate was like drops of bloud, trickling downe to the ground. Where it is ſaid, that he was in an agonie, that is, in a great conflict of the minde with the wrath of God, as appeared by the bloudie ſweate that came from his precious b dy, when he kneeled vponupon the cold ground, and ſo hee prayed the more earneſtly. He prayed alwaies in the ſpirit, but in this diſtreſſe of bodie and minde he inlarged his affections: as appeareth alſo by his words, when three times hee prayed, that if it were poſsible, that cup might paſſe away from him.
Chap. 23.46. And after that manner he prayed vponupon the croſſe.So afterwards when he was vponupon the croſſe, he cried with a lowd voyce, Father into thy hands I commend my ſpirit: and when he had thus ſaid, he gaue vp the ghoſt. Thus being at the laſt gaſpe, as we ſay, he ſtrained himſelfe to the vttermoſt not onelyonly in bodie but in minde, and ſo earneſtly prayed, and declared his earneſtnes with the lowd crie that hee made, that with it hee ſpent all his ſtrength in ſoule and bodie, ſo that at the end of his prayer he gaue vp the ghoſt, and died praying. So muſt we alwaies watch in prayer, as Paul ſpeaketh, that is, watch ouer our affections,Epheſ. 6.18. that as any thing ſeemeth more needfull, ſo we more earneſtly deſire that. As if we had many ſuites to a Nobleman, and ſomething did ſpecially concerne vsus, and wherein conſiſted (as we ſay) our making or marring, we would moue him moſt earneſtly in that: and as we would deſire him to remember vsus in all things, ſo moſt of all, and eſpecially in ſuch a thing. So doth Dauid here, he willeth the people to pray for him, that God would ſend him helpe, and ſtrengthen him againſt his enemies; yea & that God would heare his prayers, and declare by the euent, that he had done ſo indeede: and then he addeth, Selah: as if he had ſaid, Oh, I pray you remember that eſpecially, and doe not forget aboue all other to pray, that God would ſome waies declare, that he hath heard our prayers. So muſt wee doe in all things when we pray to God.Thus muſt we pray for this Plague. As now we hauehave many things to pray for, but among them this is the chiefeſt, that we thus weekly twice in one day meete for, euen to pray to God that hee would forgiue vsus our ſins, and be reconciled vntounto vsus through the bloud of his ſonne, and ſo ſtay in his bleſſed time this heauie hand, that ſo long, and in ſo many places, to the loſſe and deſtruction of ſo many thouſands hath lien grieuouſly and vncomfortably vponupon vsus: VntoUnto theſe prayers of ours, and when wee come to this one thing, muſt be added Selah, that is, eueryevery one muſt pray for this moſt earneſtly. For our Sauiour Chriſt hath taught vsus by the parable of the wicked Iudge, what importunitie of earneſt prayer can do;Luk. 18.7. euen that God will heare them that thus crie vntounto him day and night, though hee deferre for a time. Therefore let vsus ſtirre vp our affections, and by how much the benefit of health is the longer a comming, and we moſt vnworthie of it; by ſo much let vsus pray moſt earneſtly: and let vsus doe as Chriſt Ieſus did; that is, ſeeing wee are in diſtreſſe, let vsus pray more earneſtly: as Dauid ſaith alſo of himſelfe, when he was in great troubles, and could not tell how to get out of them;Pſalm. 130.1. Out of the deepe places hauehave I cried vntounto thee O Lord, Lord heare my voyce. So that as a man if hee were fallen into a great pit or well, and could not tell how to get out, hee would not onelyonly call and crie for helpe, but he would ſtraine his voyce, as much as hee could: So let vsus in this forlorne hope, and deſperate eſtate of ours, not onelyonly pray to God, but ſtraine all our deſires to the vttermoſt. Thoſe that vſe to ſleepe at prayers, or talke, or hauehave their mindes otherwiſe occupied; this doctrine and the practiſe of it cannot concerne them one whit, but thoſe that are deuout in prayer, and the moſt deuout of all, that they would learne this, as occaſion ſhall ſerue, to ſhew their deuotion in prayer to the vttermoſt, and not thinke that alwaies one kinde of deuotion is ſufficient.
Secondarily, when he teacheth them thus to pray, that God would ſhew that he had fauourably accepted his prayers,Wee muſt thinke it a very hard thing to doe any ſeruice, ſo as God may accept of it. offrings, and all ſeruices that he had done to him, and then addeth, Selah. This note of ſtirring vp the affection, it was to ſhew how hee thought of this thing, euen that it was a great thing to do any ſeruice, or to offer vp any prayers, that might be acceptable vntounto God: therefore that it might be ſo, that is, well pleaſing in his eyes, it was to bee commended vntounto him againe and againe. And truly thus muſt we thinke of the ſeruice of God, and we ſhall finde, that if we conſider rightly the high maieſtie of God, and what is meete for him on the one ſide, and then our owne vnworthines and inſufficiencie to bring any thing at all vntounto him on the other ſide; we muſt needes confeſſe, that it is a very hard thing to doe any thing after that manner, that hee may vouchſafe once to regard it. EueryEvery thing is not meete for him, it muſt bee agreeable vntounto his word, otherwiſe he refuſeth our will-worſhip, and ſaith, Who hath required theſe things at your hands? Iſai. 1.12.So then we muſt not obtrude vntounto him our owne blind deuotions as they did in the time of Poperie. Beſides, wee muſt doe all things after that manner that hee hath preſcribed in his word, with pure conſciences,1. Tim. 2.8. 2. Tim. 2.19. and lift pure hands in all places, as the Apoſtle ſaith, and he that calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, let him depart from iniquitie; for God heareth not ſinners, as the blind man in the Goſpell ſaid,Iohn 9 31. but if any be a worſhipper of him, and doth his will, him he heareth. And for want of this he refuſed the very ſacrifices and oblations of the Iewes, yea their ſolemne faſtings, as wee may ſee in the Prophet: and namely in the Prophet Eſay. Jſa. 1.11.What hauehave I to doe with the multitude of your ſacrifices (ſaith the Lord) I am full of the burnt offrings of rammes, and of the fat of fed beaſts; and I deſire not the bloud of bullocks; bring no more oblations in vaine: Incenſe is an abomination vntounto me, I cannot ſuffer your new Moones, nor Sabbaths, nor ſolemne daies; they are a burthen vntounto me, and I am wearie to beare them: and ſo foorth as followeth in that place, and after hee ſheweth the cauſe of it, that their liues were vngodly, and ſo they offred them with an il conſcience: and therefore he addeth: Waſh you, make you cleane, take away the euill of your workes, ceaſe to doe euill, and ſo foorth. So then we muſt be of this minde,Therefore therein wee muſt vſe all diligence and preparation. that it is a very hard thing to ſerue God, as we ſhould, and therefore in all parts of his worſhip wee muſt vſe great diligence, that they may bee done in that manner, that he may fauourably accept them. As now thus to come to the Church weekly (as we doe) to ſerue him in hearing of his word, in prayer and faſting, are things commanded of God: but to doe them ſo, as God may receiue them fauourably, and bleſſe vsus for them, and to be aſſured of it, this is a great thing; and eueryevery one muſt ſtriue to doe them ſo, as God may gratiouſly receiue them at their hands. Wee muſt be farre then from that Prophets minde, which is in ſome, to thinke ſo baſely of God, and of his ſeruice, that eueryevery thing ſhould be good enough for him, and that he muſt needes accept all things at our hands, and ſo care not how wee doe them: as how we pray, how we heare his word, how wee receiue his Sacraments, &c. Doth not our Sauiour Chriſt ſay, Take heede how you heare? Luk. 8.18.to ſhew that all kinde of hearing is not ſufficient, vnleſſe wee heare his word as wee ſhould: and, He that hath eares to heare, let him heare, that is, as hee ſhould; namely, diligently and carefully: and as the Apoſtle ſaith, Let him be ſwift to heare. Jam. 1.19.So that in nothing wee are to vſe ſo much diligence and preparation, as in the ſeruice of God, that it may be accepted.
This leſſon doth Salomon teach vsus very well in the booke of the Preacher, in theſe words: Take heede to thy foote, Eccleſ. 4.17.when thou entreſt into the houſe of God, and be more neere to heare, than to giuegive the ſacrifice of fooles; for they know not that they doe euill. Where by the feete he meaneth the affections of the minde, for as the one carrie the bodie, ſo doe the other the minde and bodie. Therefore ſaith he,It is not ſufficient to come to the church, but wee muſt come prepared, as wee ought. 1. Sam. 15.22. thinke not enough to come to the Temple, but conſider with what mindes you come, that is, come religiouſly, ſoberly, deuoutly, and as you ſhould come: and be readie to heare what God requireth of you, and doe that; and doe not reſt in the outward ſacrifices, as though they were ſufficient, as many fooliſh men doe. For obedience is better than all outward ſeruice of God, and all ſacrifices, as was ſaid to Saul. That ſo wee may offer vp our ſelues vntounto God, that is, our ſoules and bodies to bee readie to ſerue him with both, as liuing ſacrifices,Rom. 12.1. holy and acceptable vntounto God, as the Apoſtle ſaith, which is our reaſonable ſeruing of God. For without this all is euill, euen our cōming to Church and prayer to God, though fooliſh men doe not conſider of it, as Salomon ſaith, They know not that they do euil. Prou. 15.8.For the ſacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vntounto him. So then it is not enough to come hither, but eueryevery man muſt conſider with what minde he commeth, that ſo God may accept of him, of his comming, and of his ſeruice. And this wee had neede to bee put in minde of, becauſe men for the moſt part are more carefull about their owne buſines,Men vſe greater diligence about their owne buſines, than about Gods ſeruice. yea about other mens buſines that all may be well done, than about Gods. In the ſixe daies of the weeke how buſie are men at home? but vponupon the ſeuenth day, which is the Lords, and ſo called in the Scripture, how ſlowly doe they come, & how ſleepely do they behaue themſelues here? as though it made no matter at all how they ſerued God. Yea ſeruants are commonly more diligent about their maſters buſines at home, more carefull to pleaſe, and more loath to offend, than they are in the Church about the Lords buſines: and ſo they ſhew by their deedes, that though it be an hard thing to pleaſe their maſters, yet (as they think) it is an eaſie thing to pleaſe God. Why doth Dauid then deſire them ſo earneſtly to pray, that God would fauourably accept his ſeruices, and to inforce them vntounto it doth adde this word, Selah, if it were ſo eaſie a matter to ſerue God, as they imagine, and that hee were bound to take any thing at our hands?
We ſee then by this that few men in deed know rightly, what it is to ſerue God, when they come to it ſo hypocritically and ſo coldly. But eueryevery one as they are deſirous to ſerue God in truth (as Dauid was here) ſo they finde it to be more hard to doe any thing in ſuch manner,But the beſt ſeruants of God hauehave thought ſo highly of his ſeruice, that when they hauehave done the beſt, they hauehave found fault with themſelues, that they hauehave done no better. Act. 2.37. as may bee acceptable vntounto him. And this is that that the beſt ſeruants of God, that hauehave been tender hearted hauehave found fault with themſelues for, and hauehave beene greatly troubled in their minds about; not ſo much for any great ſinnes that they hauehave committed, which by the grace of God they hauehave been free from; as that their prayers that they hauehave made, hauehave not been in that faith, and feeling, in that power of the ſpirit and aſſurance of being heard, that they ſhould, and ſo God might reiect them: and that in other part of his ſeruice they hauehave fayled, or that they hauehave not trembled at his word, nor been pricked at the heart, when they heard their ſinnes laid open, as thoſe did that are ſpoken of in the Actes of the Apoſtles: but that they hauehave been hard hearted rather, and not ſo moued as they ſhould. So that they hauehave had a godly feare, that their beſt ſeruices might hauehave been refuſed. And Dauid this holy man of God it ſeemeth, being priuie to the corruption of his owne heart, was ſomewhat afraide, that all that ſeruice which he had done, was not as it ſhuld be, whē he ſo earneſtly deſired the people, and by this note, Selah, did pricke them forward thereunto, that God would accept with fauour his ſeruices, and ſhew by the euent that he had done ſo. And this is that godly ielouſie that Iob had of his children in the dayes of their feaſting together, which cauſed him to doe as it is written of him.Iob. 1.5. And when the dayes of their banqueting were gone about, Iob ſent, and ſanctified them, and roſe vp early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Iob thought, it may be that my ſonnes hauehave ſinned and blasphemed God in their hearts: thus did Iob eueryevery day. When they had done feaſting, the next day hee called them to the ſacrifice and ſeruice of God; but that they might doe it, as they ſhould, hee bad them ſanctifie themſelues, that ſo they might come holily to it, as they ought: ſo that he would not hauehave them come ſuddenly from feaſting to the ſacrifices, as though it made no matter how they ſerued God, but bad them prepare themſelues: and beſides he ſaith, it may be they hauehave not bleſſed God in their hearts, that is, they hauehave not ſo ſerued God, and giuen thankes to him from their hearts, as they ſhould hauehave done. So that the beſt ſeruants of God knowing what an hard thing it is to ſerue God, hauehave been deſirous to doe all things ſo, that they might be approoued vntounto him: and when they hauehave done beſt, they hauehave ſomewhat feared that they hauehave not done ſo: and ſo hauehave earneſtly deſired to ſee ſome way, that God had accepted of their ſeruices and prayers.
Contrarie to this, the hypocrites and all formall men,The hypocrites thinke that any kinde of ſeruice is good enough for God. who know not what Gods ſeruice doth meane, they thinke, that if they doe any outward ſeruice to him here in the Church, or elſewhere, hee is bound to take it, let it bee done after what manner it will be; and they thinke that they hauehave great wrong offred, if it be not. And this is that which the Prophet Malachi ſpeaketh of: Ye offer vncleane bread vponupon mine altar, Malach. 1.7.duplicate page duplicate page and you ſay, Wherein hauehave we polluted thee? In that yee ſay, The table of the Lord is not to be regarded: and if yee offer the blind for ſacrifice, it is not euill: and if yee offer the lame and ſicke, it is not euill: offer it now vntounto thy prince, will he be content with thee? or accept thy perſon, ſaith the Lord of hoſtes? Where hee complaineth that for the ſeruice of God they brought the worſt things, and they ſaid it made no matter if they brought not of the beſt; where all things in and for the ſeruice of God ſhould be of the beſt. Where beſides that hee ſaith, that this way they brought the ſeruice of God into contempt; he bids them goe and carrie it to their gouernour, or any meane man of authoritie, and ſee if hee will take ſuch gifts: if they will refuſe ſuch preſents, and thinke themſelues abuſed with ſuch gifts as are not meete for them; then the high maieſtie of God much more, doth not only not receiue ſuch ſeruice of men, as is done careleſly, but hee is diſpleaſed with it. Therefore if it be an hard thing to preſent the King with any thing that hee may like of, and they that vndertake ſuch a matter, will vſe all diligence to that end: then we much more muſt be perſwaded, that it is a very hard thing to doe any ſeruice of prayer or otherwiſe vntounto God, ſo as may be acceptable vntounto him: and ſo prepare our ſelues for it, and be carefull to do all things in that manner. Yea and when we hauehave done all, let vsus pray vntounto God to forgiue the weaknes and imperfection of our ſeruices, and to accept them in the righteouſneſſe and perfect obedience of Chriſt. Which alſo that they might be, they muſt be according to his word, with all our heart being ſorie that we can doe no better than we doe. For herein conſiſteth the perfection of our obedience, that wee acknowledging with ſorrow the imperfection of it, and labouring daily after a greater meaſure of perfection, do preſent it vntounto God in the perfection of Chriſts ſacrifice, wherein not onelyonly all our ſinnes, but our imperfections much more, are pardoned▪ and not imputed vntounto vsus.
He did eſteem the hearing of his prayers, as a great fauour of God.Thirdly and laſt of al, when to this prayer that they make, that God would heare the prayer of the King, and ſome waies ſhew it, he addeth this note of affection, Selah; it was to ſhew how he did eſteeme of this, and how all they ſhould alſo eſteeme of it, as of a ſpeciall benefit and great fauour of God, if he would ſo doe: and ſo for it they ſhould be thankfull vntounto him. As if they had ſaid, Let God heare his prayers, &c. Oh what a great bleſsing of God were that? how ſhould we be bound to him for it? what great cauſe ſhould we hauehave to be thankfull? So then when they prayed for it, hee would hauehave them eſteeme it as no common benefit, and hauehave that affection to it. Therefore when God had thus done, hee doth not onelyonly make another Pſalme for the Church to be thankfull to God for it: but when in the ſame hee commeth to make mention of this very thing, that they pray for here, namely, that God had ſhewed, that he had heard his prayer, he addeth this Selah againe. As,Pſal. 21.2. Thou haſt giuen him his harts deſire, and haſt not denied him the requeſts of his lips; Selah. As if they had ſaid, Oh how much are we bound to him for this? what great cauſe hauehave wee to bee thankfull? what a ſingular benefit is this, worthie alwaies to bee remembred, that God hath heard our prayers? Here then wee are taught to make great account of this, that God at any time doth heare our prayers, whatſoeuer we pray for. And as wee muſt make this account before hand, when we doe pray; ſo afterwards alſo. If we pray for any thing for ſoule or bodie; for our ſelues or any of ours: for the Church or Common-wealth, wee muſt thus thinke: Oh if God will heare my prayers and giuegive me this thing, how ſhall I be beholding to him for it al the daies of my life?So did Iacob alſo. Gen. 28.20. So doth Iacob in that prayer that hee made when hee went towards Laban, as may appeare by his words: If God will be with me, and will keepe me in this iourney which I go, and will giuegive me bread to eate, and cloathes to put on; ſo that I come againe vntounto my fathers houſe in ſafetie, and if thou wilt be my God: then this ſtone, which I hauehave ſet vp as a pillar, ſhall bee Gods houſe; and of all that thou ſhalt giuegive me, I will giuegive the tenth vntounto thee. And truly it muſt needes be ſo,So muſt we doe, if we conſider our great wants. if we doe but conſider our great neede of eueryevery thing, and what wee are if God doe not ſupplie them. As if a poore creature, that hath neither bread nor meate, nor cloath, nor money to helpe himſelfe, ſhould come and aske almes, and receiue; muſt not he needes thinke, how am I beholding to him that hath thus refreſhed me? and what ſhould hauehave become of mee, poore ſoule, if hee had not had compaſsion on me? As Iob ſaith of himſelfe, that he did feede the hungrie, and clothe the naked, ſo that the very bellies of them that were fed with his meat,Job. 31.20. and the loynes of them that were cloathed with the fleece of his ſheepe did bleſſe him. So then when wee ſee, that if God doe not thus and thus for vsus, we are readie to periſh, muſt we not thinke, that if hee doe, and when hee doth beſtow it, wee ſhall hauehave great cauſe to praiſe him for it? We muſt not then pray, as though we cared not for it, but in the great feeling of our need; ſo ſhall wee eſteeme of all things, when God ſhall heare our prayers, as we ought.
Eſpecially if we well way our great vnworthines.Moreouer, concerning this one point, if wee conſider our owne vnworthines euen of the leaſt benefit and fauour: nay, how we hauehave deſerued the cleane contrary; then much more muſt wee thinke, when wee pray for any thing, that wee ſhal be greatly beholding to God for it. And for our vnworthines, remember, that wee not onelyonly hauehave no goodnes, that can commend vsus vntounto God, for wee hauehave not in all things done our dutie as we ſhould; but becauſe wee hauehave been vnthankfull for that that we hauehave, & hauehave abuſed many things, wee are worthie to hauehave all taken from vsus: yea when wee remember other of our ſinnes, we muſt thinke that we hauehave deſerued his puniſhments in ſteed of his bleſſings. When then we aske any thing, and ſhall ſee ſo many things to hinder vsus from receiuing; if it ſhall pleaſe God in the multitude of his merciemercy to paſſe by them all, and to giuegive vsus our deſires, muſt wee not needes thinke our ſelues greatly beholding to him for it? And though it may be wee hauehave in ſome ſort repented vsus of our ſinnes, yet when we are priuie to our owne hearts, that our repentance is ſo ſmall, and when wee finde our faith ſo weake, and that wee aske that that we doe with ſo much doubting; if God giuegive vsus any thing when wee come to him after ſuch a manner, muſt not wee needes confeſſe that wee ſhall bee wholy beholding to his Maieſtie for the ſame? So that eueryevery way we ſee, that when we pray, we muſt do it with this affection, that wee thinke it a great merciemercy of God, and for which wee ſhall be greatly bound vntounto him all the daies of our life, if he giuegive vsus any thing.
And truly if we could come to pray thus,If we did thus pray, we ſhuld ſee how God would heare vsus. not onelyonly in the feeling of our great wants, but alſo in the conſcience of our great vnworthines, and ſo acknowledge in reſpect of both, how much wee ſhould be beholding to God for any thing: then we ſhould ſee a great deale more than we doe, how hee would heare our prayers. For as a man when he is ſued vntounto, if he heareth vsus confeſſe, that if hee will grant vsus our requeſt, we and all ours ſhall be beholding to him as long as we liue; this is a thing that will greatly mooue him. So the Lord, when he ſeeth that we eſteeme the hearing of our prayers, to be ſo great a benefit, as it is; then is he readie to heare vsus: for hee will hauehave vsus ſee how much wee are beholding to him for that that we receiue. We pray now that God would ſtay this heauie hand of the peſtilence, and that he would proceed no further in iudgement againſt vsus: but to our prayers we muſt adde, Selah, that is, wee muſt ſtirre vp our affections ſo to deſire it, as that wee profeſſe it to bee an ineſtimable benefit,And namely for the remouing of this mortal plague. if this way he ſhall ſhew that hee hath heard our prayers. And indeede this we muſt needes doe, if we conſider how vnable we are to helpe our ſelues in it, vnleſſe God helpe: and how vnworthie we be of his helpe: and ſo let vsus determine when we pray, to be thankfull vntounto him for it. Thus muſt wee doe alſo for all other things that we pray for, if we will be heard. So that if we aske the forgiuenes of our ſinnes, the increaſe of faith, the aſſurance of Gods fauour, and the feeling of his louelove, we muſt doe it as Dauid did,Pſal. 4.6. Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vponupon vsus: thou haſt giuen me more ioy of heart, than they hauehave had, when their wheate and their wine did abound: as if he had ſaid, If the Lord ſhall giuegive me this thing, I ſhall be more beholding to him for it, than if I had had all the wealth in the world giuen me. When that godly woman Hannah prayed for a man-child, ſhe doth it ſo earneſtly, as may appeare by her words, and with ſuch proteſtation, that ſhe did cleerely ſhew how ſhe did eſteeme this, that God would heare her in this thing. For ſhe ſaith, O Lord of hostes, if thou wilt looke on the troubles of thine handmaide, 1. Sam. 1.11.and remember me, and not forget thine handmaide, but giuegive vntounto thine handmaide a man child, then will I giuegive him vntounto the Lord, all the daies of his life. Where we ſee out of the abundance of her feeling, how many words ſhe vſeth, as, if thou wilt looke vponupon me, and remember, and not forget me, &c, and what ſhe promiſeth for it: and God heard her prayers, and ſhe did according to her vow, and made a ſong of thankſgiuing for it.
Few mē hauehave theſe affections in prayer: or in deſiring others to pray for them. Rom. 9.1.We hauehave prayed vntounto God for many things, but hauehave wee done it with that acknowledging, that we ſhould be ſo greatly beholding to God, if he heare vsus? HaueHave we added Selah? that is, hauehave wee thus ſtirred vp our affections? and did wee then determine to be thankful to God for ſuch a merciemercy? and ſince hauehave we remembred to be thankful? I ſpeake the truth in Chriſt, I lie not (that I might vſe the words of the Apoſtle) that I hauehave been deſired of many often to pray for them in their ſeuerall troubles; but of very few deſired againe to be thankfull for the ſame: which ſheweth that though at the firſt it may be they deſired the prayers of others with Selah, that is, with great earneſtnes in the feeling of their owne eſtate: yet afterwards they were not ſo much moued with it, as Dauid was here, and ſo forgat to bee thankfull themſelues, at leaſtwiſe did not deſire others to be thankfull for them; or not with that feeling that they deſired them to pray for them before. Let vsus then I pray you conſider how wee eſteeme of this, that God heareth our prayers at any time. We eſteeme it may be of the things themſelues, that God beſtoweth vponupon vsus at our prayers, whether it bee health, or wealth, or any thing els; our owne need driueth vsus vntounto it: but doe we account it to bee ſo great a fauour of God, and confeſſe our ſelues to be ſo vnworthie of it, that wee ſhall be bound to ſerue him, and praiſe him for it? When wee hauehave it, I beſeech you, doe we enter ſeriouſly into the conſideration of the merciemercy of God, and of our owne vnworthines, to ſay, What a good God is this, that hath dealt ſo gratiouſly with mee? Surely, ſurely, we ſhall finde that few do it, either before they pray, or when they hauehave done; to ſay, What a thing is this? I that am ſo vilde a wretch, that hauehave no goodnes in me at all, that hauehave ſo many waies offended God, that he ſhould notwithſtanding heare my prayers; whereas hee might iuſtly hauehave brought vponupon mee that curſe, that is ſpoken off in the Prophet, That as the Lord cried vntounto me often in his word,Zach. 7.13. and I would not heare him: ſo I ſhould crie to him in my prayers, and hee not heare me. Therefore it was needfull for them by this word Selah, to bee ſtirred vp; and wee muſt learne thereby to make more account of the hearing of our prayers, than we doe. For though God hath made a promiſe vntounto vsus in Chriſt, that if we aske, wee ſhall receiue;Let vsus ſtirre vp our ſelues to make more account of the hearing of our prayers. yet when wee conſider how many waies for our part wee hauehave broken the couenant, and how weake our faith is, wherby we receiue all; we may iuſtly thinke, that God may denie vsus all things, and that it is his great merciemercy, if he heare vsus in any thing. And namely ſo muſt wee doe at this preſent for this ſicknes; acknowledge our ſelues vnworthie of all his former mercies, much more that we are vnworthie of any new: as Iacob did, when he ſaid; O God of my father Abraham, Gen. 32.10.I am not worthie of the leaſt of all the mercies, and truth, which thou haſt ſhewed vntounto thy ſeruant. Therefore if it pleaſe God to ſhew vsus any mer… …is way, wee muſt ſo eſteeme it, that we binde our ſelues remember it, and to be thankfull to him for it all the daies of our life: and then let vsus remember what we hauehave promiſed, and labour to performe it: which grace God grant vsus for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake. Amen.