Medicines for the Plague, Collection of sermons · Sermon 13
The thirteenth Sermon vponupon the fourth verſe.
And graunt thee according to thine heart, &c.
COncerning theſe words, beſides that that hath ben obſerued out of them alreadie, it is further to be conſidered; that whereas hee had willed them, in the tenth verſe, to pray that God would heare his prayers, and that he would euidently ſhew, that he had done ſo: and now, that he would giuegive him according to his heart: he declareth, that as when he prayed vntounto God, he would doe it not with his lips only, but from the bottome of his heart; ſo hee would hauehave the Lord to take knowledge of his prayer from the deſires of the ſame, and giuegive him thereafter:True ptayer is a deſire of the heart. and ſo to ſhew that he had heard his prayer, by giuing him his hearts deſire. From whence we learne, what is the nature of true prayer; euen that it is an inward deſire of the heart vntounto God for ſome thing: which he, that is the onelyonly ſearcher of the heart, knoweth, and ſo is able to ſatisfie. VVhichWhich is ſo to be vnderſtood, not that we ſhould vſe no words at all in prayer, for they are ſometimes neceſſarie; as not only when many pray together, that one ſhould ſpeake out aloud, that the reſt might heare and ſay Amen: but euen many times when we pray alone by our ſelues, that by our ſpeech our minds might be ſtirred vp, and alſo kept vponupon that that wee ſpeake. But euen then, the ſubſtance of our prayer is in the deſire of the heart, and our words are but ſignes to teſtifie and declare the ſame:Though words be vſed, yet the deſire of the hart is the chiefeſt. ſo that there can be no true prayer at all without the deſire of the heart, but there may be very effectuall prayer without words: and when in prayer both doth concurre, words, and deſires; God reſpecteth this later more than the former, and the deſires of our hearts doe crie lowder in the eares of the Lord of hoaſts, than all the words that we can vſe, be they neuer ſo many and ſo vehement. And though deſires without words are effectuall, yet words without the deſire of the heart is nothing worth: and therefore Dauid though he vſed both, yet here nameth this onelyonly: and after, when he giueth thankes to God for hearing of his prayers, though hee nameth both, yet hee placeth this firſt,Pſal. 21.2. as the chiefe, ſaying, Thou haſt giuen him his hearts deſire, and haſt not denied him the request of his lips. Therefore when we pray, let vsus prepare our hearts, that they may be full of holy deſires: and in prayer let vsus hold out in them, and not ſuffer them to fall; for when they decay and die, then doe we ceaſe praying, though our lips mooue ſtill neuer ſo faſt. And ſo all they that pray in a ſtrange tongue, and know not what they ſay (as is the manner of the Papiſts) and ſo cannot poſsibly hauehave any deſire in their heart of that that they ſpeake, doe not pray at all. And therefore though they boaſt greatly of prayer, and ſay, that they did continually pray, becauſe they had their beads about them,Without which, words are not regarded. and their lips were going; yet in truth there was not, neither could there be any prayer at all among them. And beſides all they in our daies, who in the time of prayer hauehave their minds otherwiſe occupied, than about that that is prayed for; though they kneele downe, lift vp their eyes and hands, and ſay Amen with the reſt; do not pray one whit, but are as farre from praying as can be, though they ſeeme vntounto others to pray very deuoutly. Therefore when we come hether to the houſe of prayer, to pray together, and one of vsus for another, they, and they only, hauehave the benefit of common prayer, who hauehave their minds attent vponupon that that is ſaid, and deſire from their heart the ſame thing with the reſt. For here we pray to God, that he would giuegive to eueryevery one according to his deſire: if then either they be aſleepe, or talking, or gazing about, or otherwiſe buſie; then we pray that God would giuegive them nothing, for they deſire nothing. And hereunto agreeth that, which the virgine Marie ſaith in her ſong, He hath filled the hungry with good things, Luk. 1.53.and ſent away the rich emptie. VVhere ſhe confeſſeth, that thoſe who deſire good things of God earneſtly, as the hungry and thirſtie deſire meat and drinke, thoſe he filleth, and beſtoweth plentifully vponupon them vntounto their contentment: but they that are rich, and full as it were in their owne opinion, and ſo deſire nothing of God as they ſhould, they receiue nothing, but are ſent away as emptie as they come.
And this is ſo certaine, that in prayer God looketh into the heart wholly, that it that be mooued to deſire earneſtly, though we ſpeake not a word, it is ſufficient, he knoweth well ynough what we pray for, and will graunt it as ſoone, as though we had vſed all the words that might be to perſuade. For thus it is ſaid of Hannah, when ſhe prayed in the temple, becauſe ſhe was barren: She ſpake in her heart, her lips did mooue only,1. Sam. 1.13. but her voice was not heard: and when Hely thought that ſhe had beene drunken, becauſe he ſaw her lips mooue, but heard no voice,God heareth the deſire of the heart, whē there are no wordes. and told her of it, ſaying, How long wilt thou be drunken: ſhe anſwered, and ſaid, Nay my lord, but I am a woman troubled in ſpirit, and hauehave poured out my ſoule before the Lord. Then he praied vntounto God for her, that he would graunt her this petition that ſhe had made in her heart without words: and the Lord did ſo, and gaue her a manchild, which ſhe prayed for, as her ſelfe doth afterwards confeſſe. Thus we ſee, that God heareth the deſire of the heart, when there are no words; as on the contrarie, he careth not for all the words that can be vſed without this deſire. After this manner alſo did Nehemiah pray, and was heard: for when he was waiting at the Kings table (for he was his butler) by reaſon of the ill newes which he heard of the Church of God a little before, it was perceiued that his countenance was more ſad than it was wont to be in former times, and the king asked him the cauſe of it, ſeeing that he was not ſicke, and ſaid, certainely it was nothing elſe but ſorrow of heart.Nehem. 2.1. Then Nehemiah told him the cauſe of it; and the king moſt gratiouſly bad him require what he would: and ſo he deſired of him, as it is ſet downe there. But firſt of all it is ſaid,Verſe 4. That he prayed to the God of heauen: which muſt needs be thus vnderſtood, that he did ſtoutly lift vp his mind vntounto God, according as the time and place did then require, and deſired him to bleſſe him, and to mooue the heart of the king to be fauourable towards him; for it was not fit for him then to hauehave kneeled downe, and to hauehave ſpoken aloud, and ſo hauehave made a long prayer, when the king was at meat: and ſo he offered vp the deſire of his heart vntounto God, though he ſpake nothing, and God graunted it. And this is ſo vndoubtedly true, that God in prayer looketh to the deſire of the heart,Rom. 8.26. that it is ſaid, That when we know not what to pray, as we ought, the spirit of God it ſelfe maketh requeſt for vsus with ſighes, that cannot be expreſsed, and he that ſearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit; for hee maketh request for the Saints, according to the will of God. So that when we for paine of bodie or griefe of mind cannot ſpeake one word aright, then the very ſighes and grones which are ſtirred vp in vsus, the Lord acknowledgeth, and anſwereth vsus according to them. Therefore we muſt hearken to the exhortation of the Apoſtle, and practiſe that,Ephe. 6.18. Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and ſupplication in the spirit; and watch thereunto with all perſeuerance and ſupplication: ſo that what kind of prayer ſoeuer wee vſe (as he ſpeaketh of all manner prayer) whether long or ſhort, with words or without, publicke or priuat, alone or with others, it muſt alwaies be in the ſpirit, and from the heart; and that it might be ſo, he giueth vsus counſell to watch thereunto, that is, to hauehave an eye to our heart, and to ſet a watch vponupon the affections of our mind, and ſuffer them not to bee carried away: and this we had need to doe carefully, becauſe elſe they will too ſoone wander ſuddenly before we be aware, as all of vsus doe find it to be true by too great experience.
Seeing then that prayer is a worke of the heart, and of the ſpirit (as we hauehave heard) and not of the lips and of the tongue ſo much; eueryevery one that commeth vntounto prayer, muſt eſpecially labour in this one point, that he may bring his heart vntounto God, and not to ſtand ſo much vponupon words.If we hauehave good deſires, the want of fit wordes muſt not hinder vsus from prayer. And this muſt be no barre vntounto any to keep them from prayer, to ſay, I hauehave no fit words, I cannot vtter my mind well, I hauehave a good heart, but my ſpeech is naught, &c. For firſt of all, if we be ſufficiently touched with the feeling of our wants, we ſhall hauehave words inough to vtter the ſame: for all experience ſheweth, that eueryevery one can complaine well inough to the vnderſtanding of men, of any thing wherein they are grieued, be they neuer ſo ſimple: as the pooreſt creature that is, that is pinched with hunger and thurſt, can aske bread and meat, and no man need to inſtruct him what words he ſhould vſe in ſuch a caſe: and if any be oppreſſed, they cā ſufficiently lay opē their wrongs, we ſee that young children can doe that, and almoſt naturall fooles. Then aſſuredly if we had that inward ſight and feeling of our ſinnes, and of the want of the graces of Gods ſpirit, that we ſhould hauehave, we ſhould hauehave wordes inough to vtter the ſame vntounto God, and to poure out our whole mind vntounto him, and to ſay, Good Lord giuegive me this, and giuegive me that. Therefore let vsus firſt labour for that, and then the other will ſoone follow, that is, let vsus hauehave the feeling of our own wants, and we ſhall want no wordes in prayer. But ſay, that wee want words indeed: it maketh no matter one whit, God looketh not to that, but to the deſire of the heart: & he heareth that ſooner than the other,For God looketh to the heart. nay without the other. Hannah ſayd nothing, ſpake not a word with her lips, no more did Nehemiah (as we heard euen now) but they both prayed in the ſpirit, and powred out their ſoules before the Lord: and God heard them. Therefore if we could ſay nothing at all, nor ſpeake one word, yet if we doe but ſigh and grone in our hearts, that ſhall be as acceptable vntounto God, as all the well ordered words in the world. King Hezekiah when hee was ſicke vntounto death, prayed moſt earneſtly vntounto God for life, and he added fifteene yeares vntounto it: but how prayed he then? and what were his words? he ſpeaketh thus of it himſelfe,Iſai. 38.14. Like a Crane or a Swallow, ſo did I chatter, I did mourne as a Doue: where he confeſſeth, that if God had reſpected his wordes, his paine and feare then was ſo great, that it was more like the chattering of a Crane, and the confuſed noiſe of a doue, than any thing els; yet in his heart he had great deſires, and God ſatisfied them. Let vsus pray for our brethren that are viſited with the peſtilence, that God would giuegive them their hearts deſire, and therfore that he would put into their minds good and holy deſires: and according to thoſe, when they ſhall be ſo weake, euen at the point of death, & all the powers of the bodie ſhall faile them, that he would deale with them in mercy, either for comfort, or for deliuerance, or for both. And ſo muſt we labour with our own hearts, that not onelyonly they be free from ill deſires, but that they may not be emptie and barren of good; that others may pray for vsus, GiueGive them according to their heart; and we may hauehave the fruit of their prayers, when our deſires ſhall be good, and euen then when we ſhall not be able to ſpeake a word.
GiueGive thee according to thy heart, Thus he willeth them to pray for him. But what was he? he was a king,It ſeemeth that all kings may ſoone hauehave their deſires, and ſo need not pray to God to fulfill them. and a mightie prince, therefore if any might hauehave their hearts deſire, then he moſt of all. For what can a king deſire, but he ſhall hauehave it? if it may be bought for money, if it may be gotten by ſea or by land, if it may be compaſſed by the wit & ſtrength of men. They can deſire nothing, but there are ynow that will procure it for them: if they be kings and princes, all at their commaund, and are glad to pleaſe them with their deſires in all things: what needed he then to be ſo carefull for this, that he might hauehave according to his hearts deſire, and that they ſhould pray ſo earneſtly for it? was there any need of it? was there any feare of it? if he had bene a meane man, it had bin another matter; or one that could not hauehave holpen himſelfe, nor had had any to doe for him: but all ſeeke to ſatisfie the deſires of kings, if it be with the hazard of their owne liues. Dauid had experience of this himſelfe, who when he was in an hold, and the gariſon of the Philiſtims was then in Bethlehem, he longed, & ſaid,2. Sam. 23.14. Oh that one would giuegive me to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. Then three mighty men brake into the hoſt of the Philiſtims, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, and brought it to Dauid; who would not drinke thereof, but powred it out for an offering before the Lord, and ſayd, O Lord be it farre from me, that I ſhould doe this: is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues: therefore he would not drinke it. Thus though he repented him of this raſh and fooliſh deſire, yet we ſee how ſoone he had his deſire, and how ready his men were to ſatisfie it, euen in a very hard thing, and wherein they did hazard their liues for him. Hauing then ſo many worthy Captaines as he had, what might not he preſume that they would doe for him? and ſo why needed he to doubt of any of his deſires? The like may be ſayd of Ahab the king of Iſrael, when he deſired the vineyard of Naboth, and could not get it at the firſt, whereupon he was greatly diſpleaſed, and laid himſelfe vponupon his bed, and would not eat: How ſoone was there a way deuiſed for him by his wife Ieſabell, 1. King. 21.4.to ſatisfie his deſires, though it was vnlawfull? And firſt of all ſhe comforteth him ouer it,Verſe 7. and ſayd, Doest thou now gouerne the kingdome of Iſrael, &c. as if ſhe had ſayd, what, I perceiue thou knoweſt not who thou art? Thou art a King, thou mayeſt hauehave what thou wilt, one way or other, by might or by wrong, thou needeſt but deſire and hauehave. Vp, eat bread, and be of good cheere, I will giuegive thee the vineyard of Naboth, &c. And then ſhe wrote letters, that he might be accuſed & condemned of treaſon, that ſo it might fall to the king by law, as it did, and as it followeth in that ſtorie. But this is that which principally for our purpoſe is to be obſerued, that ſhe was of this mind, That a king might hauehave whatſoeuer he deſired. And ſo many fooliſh people thinke that kings,And ſo doe many worldlings thinke of themſelues, and of others. & noblemen, & rich men, & thoſe that hauehave wealth inough, they may hauehave all things after their harts deſire, & ſo hauehave nothing to croſſe them in their deſires: ſo that if they were in their caſe, they would liue at their hearts eaſe, for look whatſoeuer they deſired, they would hauehave, & who ſhold hinder them from it? and ſo they would ſet their heart at reſt, and liue as merrily as the day is long and broad; and they maruell why others ſhould not do ſo, and that they ſhould at any time complaine, that they hauehave not their deſire.Luke 12 16. VVherein they are like vntounto that Epicure that is ſpoken of in the Goſpell; whoſe ground, when it brought forth fruit ſo plenteouſly, that he could not tell where to lay it, vntill he bethought himſelfe to enlarge his barnes, and then he ſaid to himſelfe: Soule, thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares, liue at eaſe, eat, drinke, and take thy pastime: ſo that he thought, becauſe he had wealth ynough, that he might hauehave his hearts deſire in all things, and be beholding to none but to himſelfe for it, no not vntounto God, for he ſpeakes as one that neuer thought of him. But the Lord did diſappoint him of it, and ſaid, O foole, Verſe 20.this night will they fetch away thy ſoule from thee, then whoſe ſhall thoſe things be which thou hast prouided. And thus will he ſay and doe to all ſuch fooliſh worldlings or worldly fooles. For it is added, So is he that gathereth riches, and is not rich in the Lord.
But Dauid here ſheweth, that he was of another mind: for though his deſires were neuer ſo good and lawfull in this action, and he had neuer ſo many means to accompliſh them (as indeed for his deſire in warre he had as many as could almoſt be deſired; for he had many worthie captaines,2. Sam. 23.18. and we read not of any the like, as their courage and great valour is ſet downe in the Scripture) yet he beleeued, and would hauehave his ſubiects to beleeue alſo, that neither himſelfe nor they for him could accompliſh his deſires, but as God ſhould graunt them; and therefore he willed them to pray to God, that he would ſo doe, ſaying, Graunt thee according to thine heart. This then is that,But only God giueth to all men their deſires. that from hence we muſt beleeue, that it is God onelyonly, that doth and muſt accompliſh the deſires of all men and women, and none is ſufficient of themſelues to doe it, be they neuer ſo great and mightie, nor any other for them. And this is the firſt article of our faith, That we beleeue in God the father almightie, maker of heauen and earth; that is, that he made all things of nothing, and doth ſtill bring al things to paſſe: and therefore as nothing is done without him, ſo he only doth all things,Pſal. 135.6. as it is ſaid in the Pſalme: He hath done whatſoeuer he would, in heauen, and in the earth, and in all the deepes. So that whatſoeuer good any hath deſired in time paſt, if they hauehave obtained it, they muſt confeſſe to the glorie of God, that it was not thēſelues, or any other for them, but God alone, that gaue thē their hearts deſire. For though they had theſe meanes,And this we muſt confeſſe in all things that we hauehave receiued. yet God could hauehave hindered them all, that they ſhould hauehave done them no good. And therefore that which Moſes forewarned the people of Iſrael of, when they ſhould come into the land of Canaan, That they ſhould take heed that they did not aſcribe any to themſelues, but all vntounto God, who was the only giuer of the ſame; is true of all other things,Deut. 8.17. when he ſaith thus vntounto them: Beware leaſt thou ſay in thine heart, my power, and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance: but remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giueth thee power to get ſubſtance to establiſh his couenant, which he ſware vntounto thy father, as appeareth this day. VVhere he forbiddeth them not onelyonly proudly to boaſt of themſelues, but not ſo much as to ſuffer it once to enter into their thoughts: Say not in thine heart, &c.
Thus did Dauid confeſſe of himſelfe, that God had giuen him his deſire: & in that Pſalme that he maketh of thanksgiuing for the victorie, he teacheth the people to praiſe God for it, vnderunder this title, That God had brought to paſſe his deſires: and that he ſaw his deſire vponupon his enemies, he aſcribeth it neither to himſelfe, nor to his worthie captaines,Pſal. 21.2. but to the Lord, ſaying, Thou hast giuen him his hearts deſire. As if he had ſaid, O Lord, I deſired ſuch and ſuch things in my heart, but I could not procure them to my ſelfe, therefore I prayed vntounto thee for them, and I deſired others alſo ſo to doe; and thou haſt giuen vsus the thing that wee deſired, and therefore wee giuegive thankes vntounto thee for it. And this is that alſo, which the Pſalmiſt ſaith of the Iſraelites, whileſt they were in the wilderneſſe: they longed for fleſh, but they could not ſatisfie their owne deſires, though they were neuer ſo many; but the Lord he ſent them meat ynough, and ſo did ſatisfie their deſires, He rained fleſh vponupon them, as duſt, Pſal. 78.27.and feathered foule, as the ſand of the ſea: and he made it fall in the middest of their campe, euen round about their habitations: ſo they did eat, and were well filled, for he gaue them their deſire. So muſt we all ſay of our ſelues, for all things that we deſire and hauehave, euen our meat and drinke,Euen in our meat & drink, wherewith we are ſatisfied. that it is God that giueth vsus our deſire. For when as many in the world doe want, and are pinched with hunger, and doe eat and drinke by meaſure and by weight, becauſe they hauehave not ynough; when as in the meane ſeaſon we eat and drinke of the beſt, and are well filled: muſt we not needs confeſſe to the praiſe of God, that he hath giuen vsus our deſire? For many hauehave as great deſires to theſe things, and yet are in extreame want, and ſo might wee hauehave beene too, but that God hath prouided better for vsus, and giuen vsus our deſires, and denied them vntounto others. Beſides, ſome that hauehave much, hauehave not the heart to beſtow it vponupon themſelues, and ſo they deſire, & hauehave not: and this is one of the vanities of the world that Salomon cōplaineth of, There is one alone, and there is not a ſecond, Eccle. 4.8.which hath neither ſonne nor brother, yet is there none end of his trauaile, neither can his eye be ſatisfied with riches: neither doth he think, For whom doe I trauaile, and defraud my ſelfe of pleaſure? this alſo is vanitie, and this an euill trauaile. Therfore he ſaith, that this is all that a man can hauehave of all that he poſſeſſeth,chap. 2.24. To eat and drinke, and to take his part of them: and yet to doe ſo, is the ſpeciall gift of God, & all hauehave it not. And to conclude, thus doth the Prophet confeſſe of others, & of himſelfe: Lord thou haſt heard the deſire of the poore: where,Pſal. 10.17. by poore he meaneth the humble and lowly, and ſo alſo doe ſome tranſlate it, that is, thoſe that are afflicted and humbled that way: ſo that all men, rich and poore, muſt confeſſe, that it is God that muſt giuegive them all their deſires. And therefore whether we deſire health or wealth, long life, or any thing els; or we deſire an end of this grieuous calamitie of the peſtilence,And in taking away of this plague. and that the places where it is, might at the laſt be ſet free from it, and that all places might hauehave their accuſtomed health, to the comfort of vsus all: God alone is he that muſt giuegive theſe things, or els we ſhall neuer hauehave our deſires.
We muſt ſhew this faith in praying to God to fulfill our deſires.This doctrine though it be ſo euident and cleare, as it is, yet few do rightly beleeue it: for if they did, then they would doe as Dauid did here in the like caſe, that is, they would in all things pray to God, that he would giuegive them their deſires. But the moſt part couet and deſire many things, and neuer aske them of God; as though they imagined, that they could hauehave them without him. So ſaith the Apoſtle, and chargeth the Iewes out it:Iames 4.2. ſaying, Ye lust, and hauehave not, ye enuie and deſire immoderatly, and cannot obtaine: ye fight and warre, and get nothing, becauſe ye aske not. That is, they truſted greatly for theſe worldly things, one for one thing, and another for another, and they had a world of deſires in their mind, and they enuied alſo others that went beyond them, and had that which they had not, and they did ſtriue and take all the paines that they could to get more; and yet they had not according to their deſire, becauſe they aſked not thoſe things of God, who onelyonly could fulfill all their deſires. So that if a man beleeueth, that it is God onelyonly, that muſt giuegive him all his deſires, elſe he ſhall deſire and deſire in vaine, as theſe did; he muſt commend his deſires vntounto God in prayer, that he might ſo doe: and the want of prayer in all our deſires, argueth the want of faith in them. All thoſe then that hauehave their heads occupied about the world, that they hauehave a multitude of deſires in their mind, to this and to that, and to they cannot tell themſelues what; & do not from time to time aske of God, that he would fulfill them, do not rightly beleeue that he onelyonly can doe it: but truſt to their own wit and policie, to their owne ſtrength and power to thēſelues, or to ſome other. And yet God many times diſappointeth them of their deſires, when they think themſelues ſureſt of them; that they might by experience ſee that in themſelues, which they will not heare out of the word: Yee lust, and hauehave not, becauſe you aske not. And that I might applie this to the time preſent,And namely our deſire to hauehave the plague taken away. and to the occaſion of our meeting: all men deſire, and hauehave done a long time, that God would ſtay his heauy hand, and that wee might not thus ſtill heare continually of the death of our brethren in ſo many places: But none of vsus all can hauehave our deſires herein, but as God ſhall giuegive it. Therefore let vsus pray vntounto him, and aske it of him, (as the Apoſtle willeth vsus) and the more earneſtly we deſire it, the more feruently let vsus pray vntounto God for it: ſo will the Lord graunt it vntounto vsus in his good time; and ſo ſhall it appeare, that wee doe not onelyonly ſay in word; but beleeue in heart, that he onelyonly can giuegive vsus our deſire. And let vsus remember for the further humbling of vsus, how many deſires wee hauehave had in our mind in time paſt, and neuer thought vponupon God, or ſought to him for the accompliſhment of them: and ſo no maruaile if we hauehave miſt of many of them; for God thereby hath puniſhed our vnbeleefe, that we did not by prayer (the fruit of faith) acknowledge that hee was the onelyonly giuer of all our deſires: yea and that we hauehave deſired many great things, and ſuch as hauehave concerned vsus verie much, and yet hauehave not asked them of God, and therefore worthily hauehave gone without them.
And ſeeing God giueth all men their deſires, and we muſt pray to him for them; it behooueth vsus to liue well, and to ſerue him, and to deſire nothing but good continually: that ſo he may from time to time giuegive vsus our hearts deſire, euen as Dauid did here And then God hath promiſed to giuegive vsus our deſire,Prouer. 10.24. as Solomon ſaith, That which the wicked feareth, ſhall come vponupon him: but God will grant the deſire of the righteous. What we muſt doe, that God might fulfill all our deſiers.VVhere he ſaith, that the wicked ſhall be ſo farre from hauing their deſire, that euen that very thing which they feare moſt, and would moſt willingly eſcape, God will bring vponupon them: but hee will giuegive the righteous man his deſire. So that if we ſerue God, and doe liue well: then he will giuegive vsus all our deſires, that is, ſo farre as they be good, and agreeable vntounto his will. And thus alſo is a righteous man deſcribed in the word of God, namely, That he is a righteous man, and ſhe a righteous woman, that hath good deſires: and ſo farre God will fulfill them. Therefore that we might pray in faith vntounto God for all our deſires, we muſt liue righteouſly, and looke that all our deſires be only good. For though he doth ſometime giuegive the wicked their vngodly deſire, and that in many things, as we hauehave ſeene it in Ahab, and Ieſabell, and might hauehave ſeene it in many more; yea they hauehave more than their hearts deſire: yet it is no bleſsing at all, but a puniſhment of God vponupon them, to be giuen vp to their owne luſts, to deſire euill things, and then to hauehave their deſires: though (I ſay) he dealeth thus often with the wicked, yet no man can pray for any ſuch thing in faith; neither can he looke for it at Gods hands: and if it ſhould come vntounto him vnlooked for, he cannot take it as a bleſsing from God. VVe are rather to pray, that in all our wicked and vngodly deſires he would croſſe vsus, and neuer ſuffer vsus to thriue in any of our vnlawfull deſires: and that ſhall be a great bleſsing of his vponupon vsus, to hauehave our vngodly deſires denied vntounto vsus. But we ſhall find it to be true by all experience, that when we hauehave liued in the beſt courſe, and hauehave had moſt godly deſires, then the Lord hath moſt often and ſooneſt fulfilled them: ſo this muſt teach vsus to liue well, and to deſire good things of God, that he may ſtill fulfill them.
And the rather that we might beleeue,God can hinder men of their greateſt deſires. that God only can and doth fulfill the deſire of all men: we muſt conſider that he can alſo, and doth many time hinder them from their deſires: that though they hauehave had neuer ſo great a deſire to a thing, yet they could neuer obtaine it. And this is threatned to the vngodly, as a puniſhment from God, that they ſhall not hauehave their deſire: He ſhall gnaſh with his teeth, and conſume away, Pſal. 112.10.the deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh. And all experience doth ſhew, that many times he hath fruſtrated the deſires of the wicked.Heſter. 3.6. 2 Sam 17.2. 1. King. 19.2. Exod. 5.7, 8. As the deſire that Haman had to root out the Iewes; that Achitophell had to ouerthrow Dauid; that Ieſabel had to take away the life of the Prophet Eliah; that Pharao had to oppreſſe the Iſraelits with cruell bondage, and to keepe them ſtill in his land;Act. 12.6. that king Herod had to kill Peter: how was he diſappointed of his purpoſe, when he thought all was ſure? for Peter was in priſon, & the night before that he thought to hauehave brought him out to the people, he ſlept between two ſouldiors, bound with two chaines, and the keepers before the dore kept the priſon, ſo that it ſeemed all was ſure ynough: but God ſent an Angell,Verſe 11. and deliuered him out of the hand of Herod, and from all the waiting for of the people of the Iewes, and ſo diſappointed them all of their vngodly deſires. And all the enemies of Dauid that ſought to keepe him from his kingdome, wherof he complaineth, Why did the Heathen rage, and the people murmure in vaine, &c. Pſal. 2.1.God did laugh them all to ſcorne, and would not ſuffer them to hauehave their deſire of him, but ſaid, I hauehave ſet my king vponupon Sion, m ne holy mountaine; as if he had ſaid, hee ſhall be king in deſpight of you all. How were all the great and mightie tyrants, and cruell perſecuting emperours diſappointed of their diuelliſh deſires to deſtroy the poore Chriſtians? So that though they were many, and their perſecutions extream and very long, enduring certaine hundred yeares; yet therein they ſo little preuailed, that the number of them ſtill encreaſed: whereupon aroſe that prouerbe, That the blood of the Martyrs is the ſeed of the Church, that is, the more that they did put to death, the more did riſe vp in their ſtead. So that the two laſt cruell perſecutors being tyred with the ſlaughter of the Chriſtians, and fretting at this, that they could not hauehave their deſires of them; in great diſcontentment gaue vp their empire, and led a priuate life. VVhat ſhould I ſpeake of the Papiſts, and of their holy league, who were not yet able to ſatisfie their deſire againſt the profeſſors of the Goſpell, in that wicked practiſe which began at the bloodie maſſacre in Fraunce? And how were all that crue of Papiſts diſappointed of their wicked deſires in the end, here in England, by the death of Queene Marie? And what ſhould I ſay of ſome of thoſe bloodie blaſphemous perſecutors, who ſo greedily deſired the death of Gods Saints, that they openly threatened, that they would ſee them burnt; but themſelues by a ſudden death of the hand of God, were taken away before their bleſſed martyrdome. So that all the wicked, be they neuer ſo many and mightie, they cannot hauehave their deſires alwaies, but God can hinder them as it pleaſeth him, that onelyonly muſt giuegive to all men their deſires. Therefore when men threaten that they will hauehave their wils of men, and they will doe ſo and ſo,1. King. 19.2. Gen. 4 23. as Lamech did, ſaying, I will ſlay a man in my wound, and a young man in my hurt, that is, if any man touch me, I will doe ſo and ſo vntounto him: we ſee, that they muſt firſt aske God leaue, or els they ſhall neuer hauehave their deſires. Nay Dauid hath taught vsus to pray in faith againſt all the vngodly deſires of wicked men, Let not the wicked hauehave his deſire, Pſal. 140.8.O Lord, performe not his wicked thought, least they bee too proud. Selah.