Medicines for the Plague, Collection of sermons · Sermon 7
THE SEVENTH SERMON vponupon the firſt verſe, and part of the ſecond.
The name of the God of Iacob defend thee.
COncerning the name of God ſpoken of here, I am further to adde this; That ſeeing neither we, nor any other can pray vntounto God, but according to the knowledge that we hauehave of his name: (As Salomon ſaith in his prayer, that the very ſtranger a farre off hearing of the name of God, ſhould be moued to come to the temple, and pray there, and deſireth God to heare the prayers of ſuch, as well as of the Iewes;1. King. 8.41. moreouer as touching the ſtranger, that is not of thy people Iſrael, who ſhall come out of a far countrie for thy Names ſake, (when they ſhall heare of thy great Name, and of thy mightie hand, and of thy ſtretched out arme) and ſhall come and pray in this houſe:We are to pray that all nations might know the name of God, that ſo they might ſeeke to him. heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place, and doe according to al that the ſtranger calleth for vntounto thee, that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and feare thee as do thy people Iſrael, &c: where wee ſee what ſhould moue them to come to the Temple and pray, euen the knowledge of Gods name·) ſeeing then I ſay without this men cannot call vponupon God, we are to pray, that all the Nations in the world, euen the Iewes, and the Turkes, and thoſe that are a far off, might know the great and glorious name of God, that they might ioyne themſelues vntounto the viſible Church, and with them pray vntounto God, & ſerue him: For according to the name of God, ſo is our feare of him, and louelove to him, and faith in him, and alſo prayer vntounto him. Eſpecially we are to pray for our afflicted brethren at this time, and thoſe that are viſited with the peſtilence, that God in the midſt of their troubles would make knowne vntounto them his name; euen how mercifull he is to al that repent, as our Sauiour Chriſt hath moſt comfortably ſhewed in the parable of the prodigall ſonne, who after hee had forſaken his fathers houſe, and had waſted all his goods with riotous liuing, at the laſt returned vntounto his father,Luc. 15.13. Eſpecially they that are viſited with the plague. and ſaid, Father, I hauehave ſinned againſt heauen, and before thee, and am no more worthie to be called thy ſonne: Then his father did not only willingly receiue him, and bad his ſeruants bring foorth the beſt robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and ſhooes on his feete; and kil the fat calfe, and make a feaſt for his ſafe returne: but when he was a great way off, his father ſaw him, and had compaſſion, and ranne, and fell on his neck, and kiſſed him. And as he hath alſo ſhewed the ſame merciemercy of God in his manifold gracious promiſes, moſt louingly calling vntounto him all thoſe that truly repent; as,Matth. 11.28. Come vntounto me all ye that are wearie and laden, and I will eaſe you: take my yoke on you, & learne of me, that I am meeke, and lowly in heart; and ye ſhall find reſt vntounto your ſoules: for my yoke is eaſie, and my burden is light. And againe, the Lord ſaith, Call vponupon me in the time of thy trouble, and I will deliuer thee: And,Pſal. 50.1…. Ioel. 2.32. Whoſoeuer ſhall call vponupon the name of the Lord, ſhall be ſaued, and ſuch like: that ſo according to the greatnes of his name they might be moued to come vntounto him, in this trouble of theirs, that God might heare them, and help them. For it is to be feared, that many (whoſe caſe is to bee pitied) for want of this ſauing knowledge of the name of God,That by it they may know his name, and ſo pray vntounto him. Hoſ. 7.14. roare and crie out for the extremitie of their paine, but doe not vnfainedly and from the bottome of the heart with true repentance and a liuely faith pray vntounto God: as the Lord complaineth of the Iewes, They hauehave not cried vntounto me with their hearts, when they howled vponupon their beds. They are ſo ignorant, that they know not the name of God, that is, his iuſtice, merciemercy, power, and truth. Now ſeeing Gods name is manifeſt not onelyonly in his word, but in his workes of merciemercy and iuſtice: (for the inuiſible things of God are ſeene in the creation and gouernment of the world, as his eternall power, infinit wiſedome,Rom. 1.20. merciemercy, &c. to leaue all men without excuſe): let vsus pray to God for them, that hee would ſanctifie vntounto them, the one and the other, euen this fatherly viſitation of his vntounto vsus all, that thereby wee and they may more and more know, and feare his name: euen that he is iuſt, and hateth ſin, and will not make the wicked innocent;Exod. 34.7. but viſiteth the iniquitie of the father vponupon the children, and vponupon childrens children vntounto the third and fourth generation; and that he is mercifull to all thoſe that repent, at what time ſo euer, as wee ſee in the example of the theefe vponupon the croſſe; who when at the laſt gaſpe he confeſſed his ſins, ſaying to his fellow, We are indeed righteouſly puniſhed, for we receiue things worthie of that wee hauehave done; and cried vntounto God for merciemercy,Luc. 23.41. ſaying vntounto Chriſt, Lord remember me when thou commeſt into thy kingdome: he receiued this moſt comfortable anſwere from him, Verily I ſay vntounto thee, to day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe: That ſo wee might all iudge our ſelues thorowly now at the laſt, that the Lord in his good time might ceaſe iudging of vsus, whileſt that we ſhall exhort one another, (as the Prophet willeth vsus) and ſay, Come and let vsus returne vntounto the Lord, Hoſ. 6.1.for he hath ſpoyled, and hee will heale vsus, hee hath wounded vsus, and he will binde vsus vp. And ſo many of vsus as do know the name of God aright, let vsus make that good vſe of it that we ſhould, namely that we ſeek vntounto him in prayer, both for our ſelues and for others; and ſay, as it is in the Pſalme,Pſal. 115.1. Not vntounto vsus, O Lord, not vntounto vsus, but vntounto thy name giuegive the glorie, for thy louing merciemercy, and for thy truths ſake: that is, that hee would helpe vsus euen for the glorie of his name.
The God of Iacob.The God of Iacob. Whereas he ſpeaketh not onelyonly of the name of God, but of the God of Iacob; If by Iacob we mean that particular perſon, the holy Patriarke; ſo called, becauſe when he was borne,Gen. 25.26. he held his brother by the heele: in token that though hee was the yonger, yet in time he ſhould ſupplant his brother, and preuaile againſt him; as alſo hee did, when he got the birthright firſt, and then the bleſſing of God from him: who was alſo afterwards called Iſrael, that is,Chap. 32.28. a mightie prince of the ſtrong God, when hee had wraſtled with the Angell, and preuailed with him in his returne frō Laban: to ſhew, that ſeeing he had preuailed with God, he ſhould much more preuaile with mē, euen againſt all his enemies, as he did againſt Laban, Eſau, and others: If (I ſay) it be thus taken, then they in their prayers hauehave reſpect vntounto that great deliuerance, that God gaue vntounto him againſt all his enemies, according to his name Iacob: and ſo by it they confirme themſelues by this great experience in him,They confirme their faith by the example of Iacob: and ſo muſt we by his, & others. that God would do ſo now to them in the like caſe: that as he defended Iacob from his enemies, ſo hee would defend Dauid from his: and as hee heard Iacob praying in his trouble, when he fled from Eſau, and from Laban, ſo he would doe Dauid now. And truly this was a very good meanes to confirme their hope at this time, to conſider the former dealing of God with others in the like caſe. Therefore by their example we muſt ſo read and ſearch the ſcriptures, that we may marke and apply the examples of Gods merciemercy and deliuerances vponupon others to our ſelues: That we may ſay, that that God hath done ſo and ſo to others, let him deale ſo mercifully with me now. For there is no change in God, or reſpect of perſons with him; but as hee hath puniſhed the wicked in former times, and holpen the godly, ſo will hee doe ſtill. And therefore as S. Paul doth rightly applie the examples of Gods iuſtice in the Scriptures to the Corinthians to keepe them from ſinne, ſaying, Let not vsus commit fornication, as ſome of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twentie thouſand: 1. Cor. 10.….neither let vsus tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them tempted him, and were destroyed with ſerpents: neither murmure yee, as ſome of them alſo murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. So doth Dauid here allude vntounto the merciemercy of God in Iacob, and applie the example of it vntounto them, to incourage them vntounto prayer.Rom. 15.4. For indeede whatſoeuer things are written afore time, are written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might hauehave hope.
And truly if we would thus do,Then might we hauehave great comfort in our prayers for eueryevery eſtate. then might we hauehave great confidence in our prayers, for there ſhould be no eſtate of our owne, or of others, but we might in the Scripture finde ſome example of Gods mercy ſhewed to them in the like caſe, that hauehave ſought to him for it. As if we cōſider the dangers and enemies of our King, which hee hath had ſince hee came into this realme, that we might pray for him with good hope, we muſt ſet before our eyes the eſtate of King Dauid, not only before he came to the right of the crowne by the continuall and cruell practiſes of Saul; but after that he was lawfully poſſeſſed of it, by treaſon at home, euen by the rebellion of his own children and others their confederates; but yet God defended him from them all, that wee might ſay, The name of the God of Dauid defend thee, that is, thou God that thus diddeſt maintaine Dauid in his right of the kingdome againſt al his enemies, defend thy ſeruant our King in his iuſt inheritance againſt all his enemies. But if we conſider (as wee hauehave great cauſe to doe) this dangerous time of the peſtilence,As in this peſtilence from the example of Dauid. that wee might bee incouraged vntounto prayer, let vsus bethinke our ſelues how it was in the daies of Dauid, when hee and the people had prouoked the Lord. Hee ſent ſuch a grieuous plague among them, that in the ſpace of three daies there died of it threeſcore and ten thouſand. But when Dauids heart ſmote him for that that he had done, and he repented, and confeſſed his ſinne vntounto God, and did iudge himſelfe for it, being willing to beare the puniſhment himſelfe, that the people might be ſpared, hauing pitie vponupon them, as it is written of him: It is euen I that hauehave ſinned, 1. Chron. 21.17and hauehave committed euill, but theſe ſheepe what hauehave they done? O Lord my God I beſeech thee let thine hand be on me, and on my fathers houſe, and not on thy people for their deſtruction: Then the plague ceaſed, and God commanded the Angell to ſtay his hand, ſaying, It is enough, let thine hand ceaſe. So no doubt if all men could come thus to confeſſe their ſins vntounto God, accuſing themſelues, and not laying them vponupon others: yea to iudge themſelues for thē worthie of death, as hee did, and accordingly be humbled before God: and eſpecially if wee could come to hauehave that feeling of the miſerie of our brethren, and pray for them in compaſſion; then this example might miniſter vntounto vsus ſome comfort; when we ſhould thus ſay, O God that diddeſt thus ſpare thy people in the daies of Dauid, when they confeſſed their ſinnes vntounto thee, ſpare vsus alſo, and our brethren, who deſire to humble our ſelues before thee.
Then alſo might we further conſider, how when the Lord ſent the Peſtilence into Egypt vponupon Pharoh and his people, according to that which he had threatned before, ſaying, I will ſmite thee and thy people with the Pestilence, and thou ſhalt periſh from the earth; Exod. 9.15.it was a very great plague, for it was in eueryevery houſe in the land, but it was in great mercy, for but one onelyonly in a houſe dyed,And of the Iſraelites, when the plague was in Egypt. euen the firſt borne: then they marked the doore of the Iſraelites by the appoyntment of Moſes, with the blood of a Lambe (which was a repreſentation of the blood of Chriſt) that the deſtroyer might not enter in. And by this we might ſee, that as ſinne is the cauſe of al plagues, ſo in the middeſt of them, God will be mercifull to thoſe that are his, though they be mingled with the reſt. In which reſpect wee muſt confeſſe, that it is no maruaile if this plague be ſo vniuerſal in the land, ſeeing that ſin hath ſo long abounded in all places: nay, it is Gods mercy that it is not in all places, and in eueryevery houſe, for all hauehave grieuouſly ſinned againſt him. For if wee rightly conſider the ſins of our time, we muſt needs ſay, that they are many & great. For how hath this long patience of fiue and fortie yeeres of the Goſpell bin abuſed of all ſorts? How little fruite of it is there in many places? what great ignorance is there of the will of God eueryevery where, and leſſe practiſe of that that men know? How is the worſhip of God prophaned, being placed of many in ceremony rather, than in truth?Whether we conſider the Egyptians, that were puniſhed for their ſinnes iuſtly. for they content themſelues with this outward comming to Church, but neglect the power of the meanes there vſed: and thus the name of God is diſhonoured by their carnall profeſſion and wicked liues. The Lords Sabbaths hauehave bin moſt grieuouſly polluted, by keeping of Faires on them, and by Interludes, Bearebaitings, Bulbaitings, and by other diſorders of football and ſuch like: and men would not bee ſpoken to in theſe caſes: if they were, they were readie to ſtand in the defence of them, ſo farre were they from amending thē: how hauehave theſe daies, I ſay (which wee ſhould conſecrate as glorious to the Lord,Jſai. 58.13. and call them our delight) how hauehave they been abuſed by not comming to Church? not bringing their whole families with them? by ſleeping and talking here? and not ſpending the reſt of the day in the ſeruice of God? What great contempt is there eueryevery where of ſuperiours? How vnruly the ſeruants and children? How is the aged deſpiſed, and the gray haires brought into contempt? What little care is there in the gouernours to amend theſe, by any good order in their houſes, either of priuate prayer, reading the Scriptures, and ſuch like? Who almoſt hath the care of Dauid to reforme his houſe? who ſaid, I will walke in the vprightnes of mine heart in the middeſt of mine houſe: Pſal. 101.2. Verſ. 7.and there ſhall no deceitfull perſon dwell within my houſe; he that telleth lies ſhall not remaine in my ſight. Who doth determine, and ſay with Ioſhuah, I and my houſe will ſerue the Lord, let all the world beſides doe what they will?Joſh. 24.15. Of how few can it bee truly ſaid, as the Lord ſaith of Abraham? I know him, Gen. 18.19.that he will commaund his ſonnes and his houſhold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteouſneſſe and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vponupon him that he hath ſpoken vntounto him. How few alſo hauehave any good orders in their houſes for praiers at morning & euening or other times? That it might be ſaid of them,Dan. 6.10. as it is of Daniel, that it was his manner three times a day to fall vponupon his knees to pray vntounto God, and to praiſe his God: yea then when hee could not doe it without danger of his life. That ſo it might be ſaid of them all as it was of Cornelius, Act. 10.2.that worthie Chriſtian ſouldier and Captain, That he feared God & all his houſhold: when his familie muſt needs be very great, being of that place that hee was, as it appeareth by the ſtorie, that indeed it was.
But to proceed (though I doe it with an heauie heart;) what hatred, rankor, and malice is there among many? that they are readie to kill one another, if it were poſſible with a word; though it be ſaid, that to call thy brother Raca, or thou foole, deſerueth hell fire?Matth. 5.22. Oh how many thouſand adulteries, and fornications without number hauehave bin and are ſtill committed, for which there fel in one day among the people of God three and twentie thouſand?1. Cor. 10.8. In which kind of ſinne aboue all others (as the Apoſtle ſaith) they ſinne againſt their owne bodies,Chapt. 6.18. therefore God many waies puniſheth them in their bodies: and if there were no ſinne among vsus but this, it were ſufficient to prouoke this great plague, and it may iuſtly raigne in the bodies of a great many vntounto death, and in others with noyſom and painfull vlcers and ſores. And I hauehave heard it obſerued (if it be true that is reported) that in London this peſtilence hath been moſt hot, in that part of the citie that hath been moſt polluted this way, as in Shoreditch, and in the ſuburbs, and ſuch out-places: where it hath ſwept them away by whole families and ſtreetes, like a deuouring fire, as the holy man Iob doth fitly compare the iudgement of God againſt this ſinne vntounto that, ſaying, This is fire that ſhall conſume to deſtruction, Job. 31.12.not onelyonly of the goods, whereof he ſpeaketh, but euen of the bodie alſo.
But there are more ſins among vsus than theſe, though theſe be too many, and enough to prouoke the Lords wrath againſt vsus: as the great hard dealing and iniuſtice that is among men, whereby they oppreſſe the poore both in lending to them vponupon vſurie, and when a man is vnderunder foot to exact the forfeiture vponupon them (what is this but to grinde the faces of the poore? Jſai. 3.15.) and otherwiſe in bargaining with them: beſides that vnmercifulnes, that there is little giuing to the poore, no not at this time, which is a time to receiue merciemercy from God, yet they that ſhould receiue it, will ſhew little or none vntounto men: when the verie day of faſting doth require at their hands, that they ſhould giuegive ſomething, yet they are hard hearted and ſhut vp their compaſſion. And what ſhould I ſay of them, that vnderunder the colour of the law hauehave taken away from the poore, euen from the fatherleſſe, and the widowes all that they hauehave had? whereby it hath come to paſſe that not onelyonly they hauehave cried vntounto the Lord againſt thē out of the abundance of their griefe: but euen the very ſtones in the walles, and the beames in the houſes of theſe oppreſſors hauehave made an eccho,Hab. 2.11. and anſwered vntounto the ſame. If the Prophet Amos prophecying againſt many nations did ſay, That for three tranſgreſſions, and for foure, Amos 1.3.God would not ſpare them: then when among vsus, not ſeuen but many (though by ſeuen hee there meaneth many) hauehave raigned long among vsus, and doe ſtill, no marueile if God doe not ſpare vsus. Which ſins are ſo much the greater among vsus, becauſe God hath borne with vsus ſo long in thē, and giuen vsus his word (which they had not) and many meanes beſides to call vsus from them, as benefits vponupon benefits, fauours vponupon fauours without number. Therefore let vsus iuſtifie the Lord in his righteous proceeding againſt vsus, and confeſſe as Daniel doth: We hauehave ſinned, & hauehave committed iniquitie, and hauehave done wickedly, yea wee hauehave rebelled, Dan. 9.5.and hauehave departed from thy precepts, and from thy iudgements: for we would not obey thy ſeruāts thy Prophets, which ſpake in thy name to our Kings, and to our Princes, and to our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteouſnes belongeth vntounto thee, and to vsus open ſhame, as appeareth this day; to eueryevery man of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, yea vntounto all Iſrael both neere and far off, becauſe of their offences, that they hauehave committed againſt thee. Which if we can come vntounto, thē we ſee in this ſtorie of Exodus, (from which vponupon occaſion we hauehave ſomthing digreſſed) what did preſerue the Iewes in that plague, & what muſt preſerue vsus, and all men;Or the Iſraelites, whom God ſpared of his merciemercy. euen that the bloud of the Lambe bee ſprinkled vponupon the poſts of our doores, to keepe out the deſtroyer: that is, the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt (that immaculate Lambe of God, that taketh away the ſins of the world) be ſprinkled vponupon our conſciences by faith, and that we earneſtly repent vsus of all our ſinnes,Iona. 3.8. and turne from all our euill waies, as the Niniuites did, and from the wickedneſſe of our hands, and crie mightily vntounto God, that for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, whoſe moſt precious bloud was ſhed for our ſinnes vponupon the croſſe, he would ſpare vsus: and ſay, Thou Lord, who of thy great merciemercy for Chriſts ſake didſt commaund the deſtroyer to paſſe ouer the houſes of the Iſraelites in Egypt, when there was an vniuerſall plague ouer the whole land; ſet a marke now at the laſt vponupon all places of this our land and countrey, that thy deſtroying Angell might paſſe ouer them.
Thus alſo in this caſe might wee ſet before our eyes the example of Aaron the high Prieſt,And when the plague was among the Iewes in the wildernes. who when there was a plague begun in the hoſte of Iſrael, for their ſinnes, euen for their murmuring at the death of Core and his companie (who iuſtly periſhed by the hand of God) tooke a Cenſer and fire therein of the altar, and put therein incenſe (whereby the ſweetnes of prayer was repreſented) and offered vp his prayers with this incenſe vntounto God for them,Numb. 16.47. and ſo made an attonement: and when he was come among them (for the plague began in one end of the campe, and ſo ſpread it ſelfe further and further in the hoſte, after the manner of a plague) and ſtood between the dead and the liuing, the plague was ſtaied. A great merciemercy of God; for it was a great plague, for of it in a ſhort time died fourteene thouſand and ſeuen hundred. The cauſe of it (as of al others) was their ſinne, but by the prayer of Aaron it ceaſed: if God did heare one for ſo many, then much more may we hope that God will heare many in his good time for the reſt. Let vsus then looke vponupon this example alſo, and ſay, Thou Lord, who at the prayer of Aaron waſt intreated to ſtay the peſtilēce among thy people, when there had died of it before foureteene thouſand and more; heare many, and all of vsus, or ſome one among all the reſt, that this plague now at the laſt, of which hauehave died already twenty thouſand and more, may be ſtaied: and ſo ſome may ſtand betweene the quick and the dead, that is, cauſe that the dead infect not the quicke, and ſo it proceede no further. Thus if we ſearch the Scripture, we ſhall both in this, and all other calamities by patience and comfort of them hauehave hope, as was ſaid before.
The God of Iacob. If by Iacob they meane him and his poſteritie, with whom God made a couenant,The God of Iacob. as with Abraham and Iſaac, that he would be their God, and the God of their ſeede; then they looke vntounto this, that they are of the poſteritie of Iacob, and ſo of that couenant that God made with him and his. And thus the whole poſteritie of the Iewes is ſometimes called by his name both of Iſrael and Iacob, as in the Pſalme: Often times from my youth vp, may Iſrael now ſay, they hauehave afflicted me from my youth, but they could not preuaile againſt me. Pſal. 129.1.And in another place, Let Iſrael waite on the Lord; Pſal. 130.7.and he will redeeme Iſrael from all his iniquities. And when Balaam the falſe prophet was ſent for to curſe the Iſraelites in the wildernes vponupon the borders of Moab, he often ſpeaketh of them by the name of Iacob: as, The King of Moab hath brought me from Aram, ſaying, Come, Numb. 23.7.curſe Iacob for my ſake: and a little after, Who can tell the duſt of Iacob? and laſtly, There is no ſorcerie in Iacob. Verſ. 10. & 23.According to this ſenſe they hauehave reſpect vntounto the couenant, that God made with Iacob and his poſteritie: (for the bleſſing came from Iſaac to him & his) which couenant included not only the promiſes of the life to come, but much more of this life alſo: (as Dauid expoundeth it in the Pſalm, where he hauing ſpoken before of many great outward bleſſings, concludeth thus;Pſal. 144.15. Bleſſed are the people, that be ſo, yea bleſſed are the people whoſe God is the Lord) and not onelyonly deliuerance from eternal deſtruction, but from all other enemies and dangers, ſo farre foorth as may make for the glorie of God. Now God hath renued or rather confirmed the ſame couenant with vsus, and with all beleeuers in Chriſt,They pray in the faith of Gods couenant made vntounto Iacob, and to his poſteritie. Heb. 1.2. and for his ſake; and is therefore called God the the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that is, not only his father, but of all that beleeue in him. And ſo look whatſoeuer was included in the firſt couenant made with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, wee are heires of them by faith in Chriſt, who is heire of all things, and in whoſe bloud the couenant is eſtabliſhed: who is alſo the Mediatour of it,Heb. 9.15. 1. Cor. 3.21. and ſo if Chriſt be ours (as the Apoſtle ſaith) all is ours. Therefore wee are to direct all our prayers vntounto God in the faith of this moſt merciful couenant, and looke to be heard for Chriſts ſake. As they conſider here, not only of God, and ſo pray to him; but as one that had made a couenant with them in Iacob, and pray the God of Iacob to defend him: So wee are to pray vntounto God, as to our father, who hath ſo reuealed himſelfe vntounto vsus in Chriſt, for whoſe ſake it is ſaid, that whatſoeuer wee aske of God according to his will ſhall bee graunted vntounto vsus. Therefore though God be in heauen,Joh. 14.13. Eccleſ. 5.1. and we in earth: though he be iuſt and we ſinfull, and ſo we can looke for nothing from him in our ſelues, yet becauſe of his couenant wee come vntounto him,So muſt we in the faith of his couenāt made with vsus in Chriſt. and pray him for Chriſts ſake to be good vntounto vsus, to ſaue vsus, and to defend vsus, calling him not God onelyonly, but the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, & ſo in him our father. Part of which couenant is, that if we offend him, or (as it is ſaid by God himſelfe) if they breake my ſtatutes, Pſalm. 89.31.and keep not my commandements, then will I viſite their tranſgreſſion with the rod, and their iniquitie with ſtroakes, yet my louing kindneſſe will I not take from them, nor falſifie my truth, my couenant will I not breake, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. And according to this part of his couenant we muſt pray him to deale with vsus, that is, that though he doth iuſtly chaſtiſe vsus with this plague for our ſinnes, yet he would not take his louing kindnes from vsus, and ſo play as Dauid doth; O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chaſtiſe me in thy wrath: Pſal. 6.1.where hee doth not ſimply refuſe to be chaſtiſed, (for then he ſhould hauehave been out of the couenant) but not in the anger of God:Euen in this time of the plague. ſo muſt we be willing to beare this viſitation of the Lord ſo long, as it ſhall pleaſe him to trie vsus with it; only let vsus deſire that his wrath may ceaſe from vsus, and that his louing kindnes may not be taken away: and let that be ſufficient for vsus. Therefore (to conclude this point) that we might now and alwaies pray in faith, let vsus looke to Gods couenant made with vsus, and to the promiſes included therein, and to Chriſt, in whom only the couenant is ſtedfaſt, and in whom onelyonly all the promiſes are Yea, and in him they are Amen, to the glorie of God.
2. Cor. 1 20.It followeth in the ſecond verſe. Send thee helpe from the Sanctuary, & ſtrengthen thee out of Sion. In which they continue to pray for their King, that God would defend him frō all euil,The interpretation of the ſecond verſe. as before; and namely to that end they pray, that God would ſend him helpe from his Sanctuary, and giuegive him ſtrength and courage againſt his enemies to that end from Sion. Where by Sanctuary he meaneth heauen. In the Hebrue it is Holy (namely, place) that is, heauen, which is the holy place of Gods abode: and in the ſixt verſe both are expreſſed, namely heauen and holy place. And it muſt needs be then takē here: for from whence ſhould God heare vsus, and helpe vsus but from heauen? Doe wee not when wee pray, lift vp our mindes, our eyes, and our hands vntounto heauen? and Chriſt hath taught vsus to pray, O our Father, They pray for helpe from heauen.which art in heauen, &c. He teacheth thē then to pray, that God would ſend them helpe from heauen; and thus he ſheweth his owne faith, and taught them alſo ſo to beleeue, that all his help in all dangers muſt come from heauen. Therefore as it is God that i… all troubles doth defend vsus; ſo the meanes that we hauehave are of him, and the ſucceſſe and bleſſing of them, and ſo all our helpe is from heauen. And this is that that wee muſt beleeue in all dangers, that what meanes ſo euer we hauehave, as wee muſt acknowledge them to be of God, ſo vnleſſe hee bleſſe them, they will doe vsus no good, for all our help is from heauen. If we want all meanes, yet God can ſend vsus help without them: therefore whether we hauehave them, aſcribe them to him with thankes, and pray to him to bleſſe them; or if wee hauehave them not, pray yet that he would ſend helpe from heauen, where and when there is none in the earth.
We ſee then with what minde Dauid goeth to the battell; he was a valiant man himſelf,Though they had many helpes for warre, yet they looke for all their helpe from heauen. 2. Sam. 23.8. as appeared in his combat with the great giant Goliah; hee had a great armie alſo, and all things meete for warre, and had gotten many great victories before, and ſo he knew by experience, what he and his companie were able to doe: and hee had many worthie Captaines, whoſe exploites and valour are highly commended in the Scripture: and yet they goe not on confidently and preſumptuouſly, thinking that they ſhould bee able to make their part good enough againſt their enemies, for they were able to doe ſo and ſo: one of them had ſlaine eight hundreth at one time; another of them defended a place againſt the whole hoſte of the Philiſtims, and another ſlew three hundreth at once: and three of them did breake through the armie of the Philiſtims to fetch water for Dauid, and returned ſafely, and ſuch like things they might hauehave boaſted of. But as though they were no bodie, nor euer had done any thing, or had no means to help themſelues, they pray, that God would ſend them helpe from heauen: acknowledging that all that they had, or that they could ſay for themſelues, was nothing without him, and his helpe. Contrarie to the common courſe of our time,Contrary to the common courſe of captaines and ſouldiers. in which men runne on deſperatly to the warre, and neuer thinke of God, or of his helpe, eſpecially if they be any thing well prouided againſt the enemie: and ſo God forſaking them, whoſe aide they do not ſeek, they ſpeede thereafter. As Benhadad King of Aram boaſted of himſelfe and of his power, and thought that he might do what he liſt, and therefore caſted out blaſphemous threats, ſaying, The gods do ſo to me, & more alſo, if the duſt of Samaria be enough for all the people that follow me, 1. King. 20.10.for eueryevery man a handfull: and after when his enemies came out againſt him, he thought hee might commaund them, and ſaid, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue: Verſ. 18.or whether they be come out to fight, take them yet aliue: but what came of it in the end? The King of Iſrael came out againſt them, and made a great ſlaughter. This became of his proud boaſting of his owne power before the victorie, as he was warned of it before, when King Ahab ſent him this meſſage, Let not him that girdeth his harnes, boaſt himſelfe, as he that putteth it off. And as Dauid doth teach them thus to pray for helpe from God, ſo in the next Pſalme he acknowledgeth, that it was God that had ſaued him,Who therfore commonly ſpeed thereafter. ſaying, The King ſhall reioyce in thy ſtrength, O Lord; yea how greatly ſhall he reioyce in thy ſaluation? If all Princes did thus, when they ſend out their ſouldiers, and if the Captaines themſelues did looke for all their helpe from heauen, and pray for it accordingly, they might hauehave had better ſucceſſe many time, than they hauehave had. And the want of this faith, and of prayer the fruite of it, as it hath brought great loſſe of men among other people, and made long warres, ſo alſo vponupon the Engliſh men both in Ireland, & in the Low Countries: and ſo wee ſee how theſe euils, by the grace of God may be preuented for the time to come. Now that that is ſaid here of this particular, as of warre, is true of all other troubles and dangers whatſoeuer, that our helpe in them muſt be from heauen, and therefore we muſt by prayer ſeek for it at the hands of God (as theſe do here) if we will hauehave it: but firſt of al we muſt beleeue that it is ſo. And that wee might ſo doe, let vsus conſider that that which Salomon ſaith of this thing, is true of all other: The horſe is prepared againſt the day of battell, Prou. 21.31but ſaluation is of the Lord: that is, what meanes ſo euer wee hauehave to preſerue vsus from danger,All helpe in al dangers and troubles is only from heauē. yet our help and ſaluation both of ſoule and bodie, that muſt be frō heauen. And this is that which the Church of God confeſſeth by the mouth of the Prophet, and aſcribeth all their great deliuerances (though they had meanes to bring them to paſſe, which they alſo ſpeake of) vntounto God, when they praiſe him after this manner: We hauehave heard with our eares, Pſal. 44.1. &c.O God, and our fathers hauehave told vsus the workes▪ that thou haſt done in their daies, in the old time: how thou haſt driuen out the heathen, and planted them; how thou haſt deſtroyed the people, and cauſed thē to grow. For they inherited not the land by their owne ſword, neither did their owne arme ſaue them; but thy right hand, and thine arme, and the light of thy countenance, becauſe thou fauouredſt thē. Thou art my King, O God: ſend helpe vntounto Iacob. Through thee hauehave we thruſt back our aduerſaries, by thy name hauehave we troden down them that roſe vp againſt vsus. For I do not truſt in my bow, neither can my ſword ſaue me: but thou hast ſaued vsus from our enemies, and hast put them to confuſion that hate vsus; therfore will we praiſe God continually, and will confeſſe thy name for euer. In all which words we ſee, that they attribute all their former deliuerances from dangers vntounto God, and profeſſe alſo that they looked for helpe from none but from him, and put their truſt in him, and ſo deſire him to ſend helpe vntounto Iacob, that is, to them that were of his poſteritie, and ſo the people of God. And thus Dauid again and all the people with him when they fought againſt the Aramites did confeſſe, and thus they did pray:Pſal. 60.11. GiueGive vsus helpe againſt trouble, for vaine is the helpe of man: where they doe not onelyonly beleeue, and ſo acknowledge, that all their helpe is from God, but all other helpe without it is vaine, and to no purpoſe, neither can it doe them any good.