A Demonstration of Family Duties, Proposition 43 – Proposition 44
XLIII. PROPOSITION. Extraordinary cauſes and occaſions of more ſolemne ſeeking of God by prayer and faſting, and of being more ſeriouſly humbled before him, are either I. When …ome notorious wickedneſſe and groſſe ſinne is committed in the land or family; II. Or when ſo… fearfull and greivous judgment … imminent, and ready to ſurpriſe… III. Or when ſome heavy calamity is already inflicted and executed; IV. Or when ſome important and weighty affaires a… to be taken in hand, and go… about; V. Or when ſome choy… and ſpeciall bleſſings are deſired … and ſought after.
PROOF. I. The notorious and odio… ſinne of the Jews in making ſtrange man… ges, after their returne from the Baby l… niſh captivity, was a cauſe and occaſion… Ezra his approved ſolemne humiliation, … he himſelfe profeſſeth, Ezra, 9.3, 5, … When I heard this thing, I rent my g… ment and my mantle, &c. I fell on … knees, and ſpread out my hands unto th… Lord my God. And ſaid, O my God … am aſhamed, &c.
II. The good King Jehoſhapat ſaw ſpeciall cauſe of an extraordinary ſeeking th… Lord by prayer and faſting, when he hea… of certaine potent enimies that were con… derate and came againſt Judah. See 2 Chron. 20.2, 3. Then there came ſome that told Jehoſhaphat, ſaying, There commeth a great multitude againſt thee from beyond the ſea on this ſide Syria, and behold, they be in Hazazon-Tamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoſhaphat feared, and ſet himſelfe to ſeeke the Lord, and proclaimed a faſt throughout all Judah, &c.
III. God complaineth of the Iſraelites againe and againe ſundry times, that he ha…ing executed judgment after judgment …pon them, even famine, drought, mildew, wormes, peſtilence, ſword, fire, &c. yet they were not deeply humbled. See Amos, 4.6, 8, 9, 10, 11. Yet ye have not returned to me, ſaith the Lord.
IV. Upon occaſion of weighty affaires there is ground for ſuch courſe, as theſe inſtances doe ſhew: Firſt, Ezra going from Babylon to Jeruſalem to reedify the Temple, which was an important buſineſſe, proclaimed a faſt. See Ezra, 8.21. Then I proclaimed a faſt there at the river Ahava, that we …ight afflict our ſelves before our God, to ſeeke of …im a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our ſubſtance. Secondly, when the great worke of the miniſtery was to be ſpecially gone about. See Act. 13.2, 3. The holy Ghoſt …aid, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the worke whereunto I have called them. And … they had faſted and prayed, and laid their h… on them, they ſent them away.
V. Gracious hannah, the wife of El… nah, in the want of a ſpeciall bleſſing wh… ſhe much deſired, even a ſonne; it is no… thus of her, 1 Sam. 1.10, 11. She was … bitterneſſe of ſoule, and prayed unto … Lord, and wept ſore. And ſhe vow… vow, and ſaid, O Lord of hoſts, if th… wilt indeed looke on the affliction of … handmaid, and remember me, and … forget thine handmaid, but wilt give u… thine handmaid a manchild, &c.
I. REAS. Becauſe there is a great dif… rence of the things mentioned as extraor… nary, even in Gods owne eſtimate and … count of them, and therefore ought acco… dingly to be regarded by us. For,
I. Some ſinnes are eſteemed by him m… crying and hainous then others. See G… 18.20. And the Lord ſaid, Becauſe the cry … Sodome and Gomorrah is great, and becauſe t… ſinne is very greivous, &c. True it is, God … teth all ſinne and iniquity with a perfect … tred. See Pſal. 5.4, 5. Hab. 1.13. Yet he hate… ſome ſinnes with a more ſpeciall hatre… Deut. 16.22. Pſal. 11.5.
II. Some judgments are in Gods eſtee… more heavy, albeit he would have none … …his proceedings in judgement to be ſleighted. See Ezek. 14.21. For thus ſaith the Lord, How much more when I ſhall ſend my foure ſore judgments upon Jeruſalem; the ſword, and the famine, and the noyſome beaſt, and the peſtilence, to cut of from it man and beaſt?
III. Some bleſſings which God beſtoweth, he accounteth more excellent and precious then others, albeit there is a reall goodneſſe in all his gifts. James, 1.17. See this in his giving and promiſing of Iſaac unto Abraham his friend, Gen. 17.21. But my convenant will I ſtabliſh with Iſaac, which Sarah ſhall beare unto thee, &c. See this alſo in Moſes his prophecie touching the bleſſing of Joſeph, Deut. 33.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. And of Joſeph he ſaid, Bleſſed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deepe that coucheth beneath; And for the precious fruits brought forth by the Sunne, and for the precious things put foorth by the Moone. And for the cheife things of the ancient mountaines, and for the precious things of the laſting hilles. And for the precious things of the earth, and fulneſſe thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the buſh. Let the bleſſing come upon the head of Joſeph, and upon the top of the head of him that was ſeparated from his brethr… His glory is like the firſtling of his b… locke, and his hornes are like the hon… of Unicornes: with them he ſhall p… the people together, to the ends of … earth: and they are the ten thouſands … Ephraim, and they are the thouſands … Manaſſeh.
I. REAS. Becauſe there is a great dif… rence of the things mentioned as extraord… nary, in regard of their greater or leſſer co… ſequence to the people of God, and in ſu… reſpect ought to be accordingly eſteem… and regarded. For,
I. Some ſinnes are more polluting … wounding to their ſoules, albeit every ſin… in it kind polluteth and hurteth. And th… David intimateth in that his penitenti… Pſalme, deprecating Gods diſpleaſure to… ching his foule murther of Uriah by th… Ammonites, according to his directio… See Pſal. 51.14. Deliver me from blood-gu… neſſe, O God, thou God of my ſalvation: … my tongue ſhall ſing aloud of thy righteouſneſſe.
II. Some croſſes and afflictions are m… ſharpe and piercing unto them, then … others; viz. The loſſe and taking aw… of their children; as it is implied in th… amplified denunciation thereof, Ezek. 2… verſ. 25. Alſo thou ſonne of man, ſhall it not … in the day, when I take from them their ſtrength, the joy of their glory, the deſire of their eyes, and that whereupon they ſet their minds, their ſonnes, and their daughters, &c. Parents in ſuch caſes are wont to be moſt diſconſolate. See Gen. 37.35. Jerem. 31.15. Zach. 12.10.
III. Some bleſſings doe more affect them then others, as is eaſily obſervable in Abrahams ſpeech, Gen. 15.2, 3. And Abram ſaid, Lord God what wilt thou give me, ſeeing I goe childleſſe? And the ſteward of my houſe, is this Eliezer of Damaſcus. And Abram ſaid, behold to me thou haſt given no ſeed: and loe, one borne in my houſe is my heire. It ſeemeth hence that Abraham preferred the having of a child before his great wealth, and his flouriſhing outward condition.
OBSERV. The people of God having their eies in their head, Eccleſ. 2.14. being furniſhed in their meaſure with the ſpirit of wiſdome and underſtanding, the ſpirit of counſell and might, the ſpirit of knowledge, & of the feare of the Lord; are made quick of underſtanding in the feare of the Lord, to judge impartially, & with righteouſneſſe, Iſaia. 11.2, 3, 4. Yea they diſcerne both time and judgment which is to every purpoſe, Eccleſ. 8.5, 6. And they guide their affaires with diſcretion, Pſal. 112.5. according to occaſions, Rom. 12.15, &c.
XLIV. PROPOSITION. As cauſes & occaſions of extraordinary religious ſervices ma… happen or fall out, and continue for ſome time, accordingly the… ought to be more frequent and renewed anſwerable courſes hel… in the performance of the ſaid religious duties.
PROOF. In this ſort the weldiſpoſed I… raelites demeaned & approved themſelves, as occaſion required: For when the Be… mites their enimies prevailed ſeverall time againſt them; they accordingly ſeverall da… ſought the Lord, and wept and faſted befor… him. See the hiſtory, Judg. 20.23, 26, &c See this alſo in Amos his iterated courſe … prayer, according to occaſion of iterate and continued judgments of graſhoppers and fire, &c. Amos, 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
I. REAS. Becauſe a continuing and perſevering in an iterated and renewed cour… of ſupplicating the Lord, will argue an… witneſſe a ſenſibleneſſe & due apprehenſio… of his proceedings in the way of his judgments. See Pſal. 80.3, 7, 19. The peopl… of God being in great diſtreſſe and troubl… of long continuance, they doe oftentimes renew the ſame prayers, and in a holy manner complaine in this wiſe, verſ. 4. How long wilt thou be angry againſt the prayer of thy people? In which complaint or expoſtulation of theirs, there are theſe particulars intimated: viz. 1. Gods diſpleaſure was great againſt his people at that time. 2. They were very ſenſible of Gods ſo great diſpleaſure. 3. They did deprecate, and ſeeke by prayer the turning of Gods wrath from them. 4. They oft renewed their prayer, whilſt his diſpleaſure ſeemed to continue.
II. REAS. Becauſe renewed and iterated importunity is very prevalent for obteining grace and helpe at Gods hands in time of need. For ſo our Saviour Chriſt teacheth in his parable of the importunate widow, propounded for this ſame end. See Luk. 18.1, 2, &c. And he ſpake a parable to them to this end, that men ought alwaies to pray, and not to faint, Saying, There was in a citie a Iudge, which, &c.
OBSERV. There is a marke and brand of infamy and diſgrace ſet upon King Ahaz, for his incorrigibleneſſe and impenitency, albeit he was againe and againe diſtreſſed greatly. See 2 Chron. 28.22. And in the time of this diſtreſse, did he treſpaſſe yet more againſt the Lord: This is that King Ahaz.