Gods Deliverance of Man by Prayer, Sermon
PSALM. 50. 15
Call upon mee in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me.
IN the forenoone few Auditors of thoſe many had the patience ſo much as to heare my Text named, I hope to finde you in a better temper this afternoone, however here I am againe to doe my duty, and from the Lord of Hoaſts is my meſſage; It is the charge of that ſupreme Generall to all; Call upon me in the day of trouble, I wil deliver thee &c. A heavy loade of trouble is on our ſhoulders; yea, on our ſoules, a loade for us unſupportable; we have long burdened our God which our ſinnes, and his judgements have we felt many wayes to our ſmart, I would I could once ſay, to our amendment. Wee are now under a generall humiliation, a faſt by publique authority enjoyned the whole Kingdome, and the firſt day falls on Aſh. Wedneſday, a ſolemne day of faſting in the Church of Antiquity, in the purer times of the Goſpell; when Ionah the Prophet and Meſſenger of the Higheſt to Niniveh, the great, the Head City of Nations began to enter therein (as his Commiſſion ſerved him) he cryed, and ſaid; yet forty dayes, and Niniveh ſhall be overthrowne, Ionah 3. 4. what followed? ſo the people of Niniveh beleeved God and proclaimed a Faſt, and put on Sackcloth from the greateſt to the least of them: For the word came to the King of Niniveh, and he aroſe from his throwne, and hee laid his robe from him, and he covered him with ſackcloth and ſate in aſhes, and he cauſed it to be proclaimed and publiſhed through Niniveh, ſaying; Let neither man, nor beaſt, heard, nor flock, taſt any thing, let them not feed, nor drinke water, but let man, and beaſt be covered with ſackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; Yea let them turne every one from his evill way, and from the violence that is in their hands; Who can tell if God will turne, and repent, and turne away from his fierce anger that we periſh not? And God ſaw their workes, that they turned from their evill way, and God repented of the evill that he had ſaid that he would doe unto them, and he did it not. Our danger is as neere (for ought we know) and as great (we may feare) as was that by Ionah threatned unto Niniveh; Nay Gods judgments have beene, and are upon us in much Variety; we are all a publique Faſt, a Faſt by the higheſt authority over us on earth ſolemnly proclaimed, and ſadly enjoyned: O let it not be a mock▪faſt in a bulruſhed Popiſhneſs or Phariſaicall diſfigured-n…ſs; what ever our outward garments, deportments, abſtinence be, betake we our ſelves to ardent prayers, and unfained reſolutions to ſhake off all our exorbitances, and ſacrilegious actions, and intentions; god-robbers can be no right faſters, neither the robbers of the honour due to his great name, nor of his Church revenews, the maintenance of thoſe ſet a part to the adminiſtration of duties holy, and of Gods owne appointment for the beſt wellfare of his people; Gods ſword is drawne, and will not be ſheathed till we be amended, Gods wrath is out, and will not be recalled in, till our ſins be caſt out, the troubles on us ſhall not be mitigated, but multiplied; not remitted, but increaſed; not away removed, but with armies of new ones aggravated till we be not humerous, but ingenuous, in our humiliations.
Soon, and eaſily may we be deceaved, and deceave each others, but God is not, cannot, will not be mocked by any of us all; he is ſerious, be not wee ludicrous, regular be out approaches, and addreſſes unto him, and the bleſſing of our text will come home into our boſomes, God will make us a yet more happy nation then ever we have beene, and we ſhall be the trumpeters of Gods prayſes all the world over.
The Contents, and extents of our preſent text are theſe. A deep Invocation; A ſeaſonable exaudition; A due returne of Thankfulneſse. Call upon me in the day of trouble; there is the firſt, the deepe Invocation. I will deliver thee; there is the next, a ſeaſonable Exaudition. And thou ſhalt glorifie mee; there is the laſt, of thankefulneſſe a due returne; a glorifying of the deliverour out of troubles in trophyes of prayſes
Call upon me in the day of trouble; a deep Invocation. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord, is the Pſalmiſts expreſſion, Pſalme 130. He was plunged in the depths of ſinnes, and in the depths of Calamities for ſinnes committed. None can ſinne and eſcape unpuniſhed, bee they never ſo high in worldly eſtate, or in the favour of the higheſt; preſumptions have precipitations, and heights of ſinne, have their depths of puniſhment. Gods owne people are not priviledged from miſeries, when againſt God they doe harden their hearts, provoke him, tempt him, grieve him with their tranſgreſſions; when they doe erre in their hearts, and will not know his wayes. Iſrael like troubles upon troubles involve even them, and till they humble themſelves in repentance unfainedly, no hope of entrance is there at all into his reſt: When ſinne, one depth, hath plunged us into miſery, another depth, and miſery into ſorrow, another depth; it is then high time to take hold on the encouragement in our Text, Call upon me in the day of trouble. Had not wee this gratious warrant, with ſmall comfort ſhould wee life up our drooping heads out of theſe depths; by ſolemne Covenant, we Chriſtians are the ſelected people of God, drawne out of the Maſſe of corruption, to be the heyres of ſalvation.
The ſcope of our faith, and the ayme of our Chriſtian hope is to be joyned unto the God whom wee ſeeke to be undiſtractedly, and unſeparably his for ever in the Lord Ieſus; this life of ours is but momentany: the life beleeved, and expected is the life of eternity, this is but a breathing: after that now, in our attendance by faith, and hope on that bleſſed day of eternitie, which ſhall not have any nights interpoſition.
God hath not left us to our ſelves, but communicates himſelfe to us, to uphold us in that attendance, by His Word addreſſeth He Himſelfe to us, and by our Invocation, is he unto us open; Seeke ye my face, is His expreſſion to us; thy face wee doe ſeeke, is our hearts, faiths returned anſwer, and practice; a bleſſed harmony in harmonious bleſſedneſſe, Pſalm. 27. 8. In the propheſie of Hoſea, we find this in an accurate way of expreſſion ſet downe, Thou ſhalt call me Iſhai, and not Baali, chap. 2. ver. 16. Iſhai, not Baali, My Husband, not my Idolized Lord; God will have us intire, not divided, halfe his, halfe not his, halfe the Idoll of our hearts, what ever that Idol bee: mungrell Religion, is to the onelyonly true God abominable. Now goe wee on with the Prophet, verſe 18. and ſo forward; for I will take away the name of Baalim out of her mouth; And they ſhall no more bee remembred by their name: And in that day will I make a Covenant for them, with the Beaſts of the field, and with the fowles of the heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; And I will breake the bow, and the ſword, and the battle of the earth, and will make them to lye downe ſafely, (and here comes in the Cordialneſſe of the buſineſſe) I will betroth thee unto mee for ever; yea I will betroth thee unto mee in righteouſneſſe, and in judgement, and in loving kindneſſe, and in mercy. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſſe, and thou ſhalt know the Lord. And it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, I will heare (ſaith the LORD) I will heare the Heavens, and they ſhall heare the earth, and the earth ſhall heare the corne, and the Wine, and they ſhall heare Iezreel, and I will ſow her to mee in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will ſay to them which were not my people; Thou art my people, and they ſhall ſay, thou art my God. Gods promiſes and our prayers thence make ſure worke indeed, none like it. Without the Word of God, and that ſounding, and reſounding in our eares with the miniſteriall application thereof to our hearts by the ſpirits operation wee ſhould live and dye in the groſſeneſſe of ignorance: and without Prayer alſo in humble, and fiduciall manner put up unto our God in the merits, and mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, wee ſhould be hopeleſſe, helpleſſe, deſtitute altogether of the conſolations from above, the heavenly conſolations in the times of afflictions, diſturbances, feares. That prayer is a moſt important part of our Religious ſervice to God ward, appeares in this moſt clearely, that the ſacred booke of God under thoſe appellations of prayer, and Invocation comprehendeth even the whole ſervice of God: Let that among the reſt be deepely weighed, and pondred in our hearts, Whoſoever ſhall call on the Name of the Lord ſhall be ſaved, Acts 2. 21. Gods whole worſhip is contained under this one phraſe, to call upon God, no duty of godlineſſe is to him more acceptable, no ſacrifice in better part taken, then is that: the calling on the name of the Lord is, the open profeſſion of him without dantedneſſe, Gen. 4. 26. Where ever Abraham, the Father, and patterne of the faithfull, where ever he came, there erected he an Altar, and called upon the Name of the Lord, Gen. 12. 7, 8. The houſe of prayer is the name of Gods houſe, and God gave it that name by his Prophet Iſaiah, and our bleſſed Ieſus ratifies it; Preaching we have here, and Sacraments we have here; but prayer gives it the denomination, as the major ſervice of God, and both implying, and including all the reſt, needs muſt we all if there bee any ingenuity of Chriſtianity in us, needs muſt wee acknowledge prayer to bee a matter of the greateſt conſequence even upon this conſideration deeply volved, and revolved in our hearts, that every ſoule to heaven-ward ſetled makes the recommendation of his ſpirit into the hands of God, his practice unceſſant, as being in no hands late but his; that of Davids is by frequency made his. Into thy hands I commend my ſpirit, thou haſt redeemed, me O Lord God of truth, Pſal. 31. 5. Gods promiſes are the faithfulls encourgaments, and in them preſenting themſelves to God, acceptance is to them confidently aſſured.
Prayer is that hand which we reach, and ſtretch forth unto our mercifull God, to receive from him all his foreign, Saint Iames calls them, all his givings, and all his good gifts, his good givings, and his perfect gifts; In the hand of faith prayer is a key, Heaven it openeth unto us, and from Heaven enricheth us with the beſt of treaſures, our wounds layes it open to the right curer of them, the binder up, and exquiſite healer of them all, up carrieth it, and diſpreads before our piteous God the ſobbings and groanings of our diſturbed hearts in an humble, and holy familiarity, that will have no denyall, no repulſe: of that force it is with God, when put forth a right, that it makes the rods and ſcourges of Gods correcting hand even fall there out, … powerfully his fatherly affections, and removeth his juſtly conceived indignations.
Prayer in parties, and in Families well ordered is the cuſtomary ſacrifice, is the Morning, and Evening perfume of the devoutly Religious: Let my prayer, (writes David) bee ſet forth before thee as incenſe and the lifting up of mine hands as an Evening ſacrifice, Pſalm. 141. 2.
Call upon me in the day of trouble. Saint Paul utters it thus, pray foreign, without ceaſing, without fainting, 1 Theſ. 5. 17. What ever the troubles be. Our Saviour thus; Watch, and pray that yee enter not into tentation, Matth. 26. 41. As juſtly wee may, and ſufficiently wee cannot, admire the goodneſſe of our God daigning his word to addreſſe himſelfe in ſpeech to our capacities; So are we to eſteeme likewiſe, that as an high, and honourable favour, that he will heare us in prayer, and prayſes approaching unto him, giving way to our importunities; nay even commanding us expreſly to be importunate; to ſuch prayers, yea only to ſuch are his eares opened, and his Fatherly affections chayned; And marke it, he wills us to call upon him importunately, but ſo reſteth not; hee preſcribeth us formes of prayer in his ſacred word, puts the matter into our hearts and the very words, and tearmes into our mouths. Hence it is, that the ſpirit by the Prophet is called the Spirit of grace, and of ſupplication: Zach. 12. 10. Hence that alſo of the holy Apoſtle, The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what wee ſhould pray for as wee ought, but the Spirit it ſelfe maketh interceſsion for us with groaning which cannot bee uttered; And hee that ſearcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, becauſe he maketh interceſsion for the Saints according to the will of God, Rom. 8▪ 26, 27. Alaſſe, faulty and guilty are wee all of us, and durſt not without warrant and enablement approach unto our God; the troubles on us would even overwhelm us, and as it were keepe us from ſo much as looking up, were we not thus amiably invited thereunto, Call upon me in the day of trouble.
What troubles of …te have theſe three kingdoms under one Soveraigne been caſt into? Nay ſtill are in, and under? Our ſiſter Nation Ireland even weltreth in bloud, and burneth in mutuall enragements: none there ſecured of▪ his life, ſcarce for a moment: and are not we, or we ought to be ſurely even drowned in teares for them? for them: Yea, and for our ſelves too, who are in mutuall enragements and various ſuddaine uproares through our miſaffections, and miſinterpretations, and miſconſtructions of every thing; bloudy mindedneſſe takes place in the moſt, and the caſting about how to entrap, and enwrap one another in miſeries, is the common miſery of us all; what calumniations are vented, printed, uncenſured, unpuniſhed? what jealouſies each gainſt others are every where cloſely fomented? Charity the badge of Chriſtianity, and coverer of what may be covered is from us exiled, and who can bee moſt of all uncharitable, is the thing every where laboured after. By this ſhall all men know (ſaith the patterne, and Patron of Charity our Lord Ieſus) even by this ſhall all men know that yee are my Diſciples, if yee love one another, Iohn 13. 35. But with ſorrow, and ſhame enough too may it now be ſaid, All men by this may know; We are none of Chriſts Diſciples, that wee hate one another; So raging, ſo outragious, ſo notorious is our mutuall hatred. Many knotts tye us, none will hold us being one to another eye-ſoares, if not heart-ſoares: As ſtrangers are our enter-viewers not as compatriots, our conferences, differences; our *Moaning the practice of Separatiſts, &c.proteſtations, deteſtations; Reformation is intended, deformation even in our Church aſſemblies, and moſt remarkably there, and unbluſhingly practiſed; O! into what Schiſmes do we runne? Into what Sects are we diſſected? Aſſunder are we rent, one from the other; yea where men rope together, it is but in a ſandy manner, the leaſt motion diſſipateth, parteth the ſandily roped together, and commotions not uſuall in this age Amſterdam, England. Beloved who ſo is not troubled with theſe troubles, hath no life, no ſoule of Chriſtianity at all left in him.
Theſe and the like conſiderations, as diverſe others there are, ought to incite us unto conſtant, and inſtant prayer amidſt them all, in throngs upon us of theſe Nations at this time; let us, I ſay, pray that from us they may yet timely be removed, that the full, and finall blow from heaven decide not our controverſies in ſo much rancor ſteeped.
O! that it were come to the Character of the Church, Chriſtians Primitive age, Corunum, via una. One heart, one way, and till it come to that, troubles will involve us; and when it comes to that to all the world about us may we be a Preſident, and an encouragement thereunto; mee thinkes the many, manifold, and manifeſt preſervations of our God ſhould frame us all as one Man to bring this about, to bee exemplary Chriſtians to the whole world round about us; I ſhall recite but a few, yet theſe pregnant, and of freſh memory, and remarkable obſervation: Can that Octogeſsimus octavus mirabilis annus▪ that wondrous yeare of 88. ever be forgotten? It was the yeare of Englands preſervation, and of Spaines, and Romes abaſement, trouble was on us, and we rid of trouble, ere we knew it was ſo neare: nor muſt the yeare 97. paſſe unremembred, Spaine then had a ſecond blow, and England, a ſecond triumph; As formerly the Armado, ſtiled invincible was ruined; ſo then were their forces, and policies too ſhamefully defeated, and the Engliſh fleete for another purpoſe deſigned, brought upon them by the windes to ſinke them into the waters, or bring them Captivated unto our Land: Thoſe fell out in the dayes of the Maiden Queene, famous Elizabeth, for peace at home, and victory abroad, renowned.
The next fell out in King Iames his Reigne, in the yeare 1605. The powder Treaſon was an helliſh plot, contrived moſt ſtrangely; Heaven went beyond hell in the buſineſſe, and providence outreached divelliſhneſſe, entangled them who long had the trap ready to have ruinated Proteſtancy for ever: In the yeare 1639. were not theſe two Nations in one Iſland, under one King (the preſent breath of our Noſtrils) put upon a mutuall internecion? and is not that turned into a moſt bleſſed reunion? We are both the wonder, & the envie of Popiſh Territories; God even then preſerving us when we were ready to be ſeized on as a prey unto mercileſſe teeth, and to the Sepulcher throates of the Pontifician generation amongſt us; no ſtories can more repreſent the vigilancy of mercy over any people then can ours, as David when hee was to encounter Goliah, the ſtripling ſhepheard (that Tower of fleſh loaden with Armes, and Inſtruments of death) ſaid, He that delivered me from the Lion, and the Beare, will likewiſe from this uncircumciſed Philiſtine deliver me; ſo may we ſay, He that delivered us from ſuch, and ſuch troubles, is the ſame ſtill, is willing, and ready to deliver us from our troubles incumbent, and imminent, all theſe intricacies we are in, and all the hovering and ſurrounding miſchiefes what ever. If our prayers can but lay hold on Gods promiſes, no troubles can trouble us.
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.
Will deliver thee. Gods promiſes are as good as performances, they are Yea, and Amen in Chriſt unto Gods glory, 2 Cor. 1. 20. Yea in the giving forth, Amen in the performance, certaine, conſtant, moſt firmly firme for evermore. Our welfare, and Gods glory are enwrapped in them: No marvaile then is it that Prayer is ſo effectuall with God, when by the heart, hand, mouth of faith unto him preſented in the Name of Our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: when thus we are enabled to pray▪ no marvaile that our prayer is to purpoſe effectuall; No marvaile, that God hearing Himſelfe in us, upon that audience giveth us deliverance in a way, and manner to the whole world remarkeable: And obſerve with mee that the Commandement, Call upon me, includeth the very promiſe of GOD therein. Beloved, God never calls us to call upon him as humble, and faithfull ſutors, to ſend us from him empty away, unſupplyed. Can we not be when our reſorts are unto God warrantable, regular, orderly? Our hearts, Eyes, hands are unto him never lifted up in vaine, never unanſwered, but for the moſt part above our thoughts and beyond even our hopes too anſwered.
Of prayers effectualneſſe memorable are the examples we have in the booke of God, and recorded they are for our cloſe imitation and encouragement to that weighty and moſt uſefull duty. Moſes the Man of God, ſtood often in the breach betweene God enraged, and the people madde in their open rebellions againſt him. We reade of Ioſhuahs prayer that made a ſtay of the Sunne, and Moone in the firmament, that he might cut off the malitious enemies of God, and the Church. Ionah his prayer mounted powerfully, and prevailingly mounted out of the Whales belly, (which hee calls hell) unto GODS Throne of Mercies, and Glories in the higheſt Heavens, Chapter 2. verſe 2. Eliah by prayer both ſtayed, and procured raine, kept cloſe and opened thoſe cloudy bottles. And Daniel thereby kept the affamiſhed Lions pawes, and jawes from doing him the leaſt harme amidſt them. Eccleſiaſticall ſtories mention, that the Chriſtian Souldiers were Legio fulminatrix, the lightning and thundring legion of Aurelius the Roman Emperor; by their prayers were the enemies thundered to deſtruction, and the whole Campe whereof they were a part with a ſupply of raine in their extremity of drought refreſhed.
Sweetely remarkeable is that paſſage, Iſaiah 65. 24. Before they call, I will anſwer, and while they are yet ſpeaking, I will heare. A preventing God often, and a God timely ſuccouring is our God ever, none waite, none depend upon him in vaine; He that ſupplyes the Lions, and Ravens in their affamiſhments (as the Pſalmiſt relateth) will not bee wanting in extremities to the redeemed with his Sons bloud, and by his ſpirit in them, calling in prayer on him. Even that unjuſt Judge importun'd by the oppreſſed Widow righted her: much more will God help them that ſuffer wrong, much more will hee avenge the cauſe of his choſen in all their tentations, tribulations, perſecutions, inſtantly calling upon him. Say not, Often have I prayed in trouble, but ſtill in troubles am entangled; prayed I have for my King, for my Country, for a reunion of all our diſtractions, but the worke comes on ſlowly, hath many pullbackes, and various interruptions; I have prayed for friends in Captivity, but ſtill they are unfettered, for friends on their ſick beds, but their death beds have they proved; againſt the Churches open, and cloſe Enemies have I prayed, but more, and more are they prevalent; prayed for peace, but behold Warre in his diſmall colours; Nay that favourite of God; holy Paul prayed to God to bee rid of Sathans buffeting: yet muſt reſt in this, My grace is ſufficient for thee, for my ſtrength is in weakeneſse perfected. To theſe and the like objections might this be an unreplyable anſwer: Yee aske, and receive not, becauſe yee aske a miſſe, that yee may conſume it upon your luſts. Saint Iames gives us that, Chapter 4. verſe 3. how may wee ſay, and ſay truly, God not hearing us, heares us the more? Hurtfull things demanded, and received would be a curſe on us not a bleſſing, would be to us as were the Quailes to the Iſraelites, not bliſſfull, but banefull; Plato the Heathen Philoſopher could fay, O God give us good things though wee aske them not, give us not evill things though we aske them; but to that of Saint Iohn, I refer you, and in that may we all reſt as a direction, and as an encouragement, God hath given to us eternall life, and this life is in1 Iohn 5. 11. his Son. By believing on the name of the Son of God we may know that we have eternall life, v. 13 Marke now his inference, v. 14. and 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we aske any thing according to his wil he heareth us, & if we know, that he heare us whatſoever we aske, we know, that we have the petitions that we deſired of him, eternal life, & the things thereunto directly tending are the proper object of our faith Chriſtian. The Creed Apoſtolicall is cloſed up with that, and for that have wee an abſolute warrant to pray, and are enjoyned not to waver in expectation thereof: heare the Apoſtle; Let us draw neere with a true heart in full aſſurance of faith, Heb. 10. 22. hold we faſt the confidence, and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end, Chapter 3. 6. 14. Where we have an Implication of their condemnation who ſo in a proud humility, and in a modeſty impudent enough teach men to hold the life eternall and their ſalvation by the Lord Ieſus in a doubtfull tenure. What doe they other, then labour to be faithleſſe with reaſon? Methinks cloſely, thus they ſeem to be ſpeake God; We find ourſelves unworthy to pitch our credence on thy Word, unworthy to believe what thou promiſeſt, the life eternall in Christ Ieſus.
Theſe doe make the Goſpells doctrine, a doctrine of unſetledneſſe, of diſtruſtfulneſſe, of diſtraction, which is the only ſetler of a waving and wavering Conſcience; no reſt hath this Dove, but in this Arke; yet theſe not relyers on eternall life by Chriſt, a rockie foundation and a building anſwerable are ridiculouſly perſwaded to relye on their own ſandy merits, in which no marvaile is it that they do ſinke into diſtruſtfulneſſe, and are ſwallowed up in the gulfe of deſperation. Leave we the Popiſh generation to their rotten abſurdities, and be we cloſe in our mutuall and ſpirituall edification of one another to Heaven-wards, in that faith which was once delivered unto the Saints, in Saint Iudes words, verſe 3. of his Epiſtle; On that faith, moſt holy faith build we up our ſelves, praying in the Holy Ghoſt, and keeping our ſelves in the love of God, looking for the mer…y of our Lord Ieſus unto eternall life, ver. 20. 21. of the ſame Epiſtle. It is prayer that holdeth us in acquaintance with God, the peace making acquaintance, yet in this acquaintance, we muſt in the next place, in our prayer approaches to him both remember what he is, and what we are, he our God, we his dependant ſubjects, not able one moment to ſubſiſt without his protection and ſuppliance of good givings and perfect gifts, from whom they all deſcend, Iames 1. 17. he Iehovah the eternall, we mortalls, and miſerables, in our ſelves vanity, yea lighter than vanity it ſelfe, dust and aſhes, borne in ſinfull, and haſtning to ſhamfull corruption in the ſlime-pits, our graves; Wormes meate and our ſelves wormes moſt contemptibly contemptible. As thoſe who addreſſe themſelves often to the Potentates of the Earth, Princes, Kings, Emperors, Monarchs, cloath themſelves the more neately, and more heedfully order their language then others doe; So he that frequently betakes himſelfe to God in prayer, the duty of every Chriſtian muſt compoſe himſelfe aright, and bee ever readier to heare than to offer the ſacrifice of fooles, babling, raw, undigeſted prayers unto the GOD of awe, and order.
In the third place know, that prayers rightly modelled and moulded up will frame us to avoyd that defiler of all good exerciſes, baſe hypocriſie. It is before God, that wee appeare in prayer, whether it be in private, or in publike, alone in our cloſets, or with others in our Families, or in Church Aſſemblies, God ſees us, heares us, obſerves us, there's no dallying with him, no deluding of him. The Copy of a faire countenance, and looks demurely compoſed cannot in his ſight bee availeable, whoſe eyes pierce all darkneſſe even that of hell, and doe ſee through, and through the thickeſt mantles, and coverture of the cloſeſt hypocriſie, even that which hypocrites in the very cabinets of their hearts cannot themſelves diſcerne.
Further Prayer in conſcience bindeth us that uſe it, not to wrong any, no not the eaſieſt to be wronged; to quit our hands ſpeedily of what is others, not our own; Nay it importunes us to deteſt and abhorre even as hell, all ravenous, greedy, oppreſſing courſes; None of which in whomſoever can poſſibly ſtand with the right profeſſion of Chriſtianity; obſerve that expreſſion of God in his Prophet, Iſai. 1. 15. When you ſpread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, yea when you make many prayers, I will not heare: your hands are full of bloud. In that conſideration religious David ſaid, I will waſh mine hands in innocency; ſo will I compaſſe thine Altar O Lord, Pſalme 26. 6. Hence that exquiſite counſell of Saint Paul, adviſing us to pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubtings, I Timothy 2. 8.
Further yet prayer adviſeth us to be rich to Godwards in the relievance of his poore Saints, as now the diſtreſſed and diſſipated Iriſh Proteſtants: The ableſt in power, honour, wealth is, or ought to be a daily begging ſuitor unto God. And can any think of God to be heard and anſwered in his petitions, that ſuffers the godly to periſh for want of their redundancies? Suffers bleeding Ireland, which makes our Kings heart bleed, ſtill to wallow, and welter in bloud, without ſtenching that bloudy iſſue? Who ſo periſh through want of our timely compaſſionate remedy, their bloud, (I feare me) will be put on our accompts againſt the reckoning day of the Doome finall. Can our prayers worke our deliverance, our eares and hearts rejecting the ſuites of bleeding Proteſtants, or not ſeaſonably relieving their almoſt deſperate condition, and humanely forlorne hopes? The ſentence is peremptory, Prov. 21. 13. Who ſo ſtoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore, hee alſo ſhall cry himſelfe, and ſhall not be heard. On the contrary, Bleſſed are the mercifull (evermore bleſſed) for they ſhall obtaine mercy, Matth. 5. 7. Nothing ſo ſure as their deliverance out of what ever troubles, dangers, cares, feares.
In the fifth place, Prayer it is that obligeth to diligence in hearing Gods Word, and uſing aright the Sacraments of his Ordination. For how thinke we that God will regard our prayers, if we bee overly in the obſervation of his ſerious enjoyments? will he receive our demands, if we …light over his commands? if wee waite not conſtantly in his Sanctuary, on his ſacred beheſts and appointments?
Sixthly, Prayer doth bind us all to the good behaviour, one towards another, nay more to the Reciprocation of enterchangeable Reconciliation in the occurrences of what ever differences and offences. That paſſage is full and faire, Matth. 5. 23, 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remembreſt that thy brother hath ought againſt thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar, and goe thy way; firſt be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. If wee ſerve not one another in love, which is an enjoyment Apoſtolicall, neither our perſons, nor our prayers can pleaſe God. When our Saviour had preſcribed us a forme of Prayer he reaſſumeth and reinforceth that Petition in it, Forgive us our debts as wee forgive our debtors, for, ſaith he, If ye forgive men their treſpaſſes, your heavenly Father will alſo forgive you, but if yee forgive not men their treſpaſſes; Neither will your Father forgive your treſpaſſes, Matth. 6. 14, 15. We have it thus related by Saint Marke, chap. 1. verſe 25. 26. When yee ſtand praying, forgive if yee have ought againſt any, that your Father alſo which is in Heaven may forgive you your treſpaſſes. Hold we to this, and we ſhall be happy in deliverances; but if thus cordially and really we pecce not up, in peeces ſhall we be like a Potters veſſell graceleſſe, uſeleſſe, in all troubles remedileſſe, which God avert, and bring us all into the right tune and temper of Chriſtianity, and regular charity.
I now paſſe on to the laſt parcell in our▪ Text;
Our due returne of glory to our deliverer out of all troubles.
We are never right till God ingenuouſly bee acknowledged by us, to bee foreign, the remover of evills, and of whatſoever is good the gratious beſtower. What we do muſt all be done to the glory of God, 2 Cor. 10. 31. To this end were all things made, in all creatures God ſets forth his glory, and in them all will he be glorified; light cannot be hid, and God of lights is the Father, and in them all is repreſented; to be glorified by Men, the Sonne of God became man; he is God manifeſted in the fleſh, and for that manifeſtation never can we men glorifie our God enough. By this hath God made his wiſdome manifeſt in finding out a way to ſatisfie his Juſtice exactly, without the leaſt prejudice at all to his Mercy.
Nay, His Mercy is moſt evident in his Juſtice, his Sonnes death on the Croſſe was the price of our Redemption, and the purchaſe of Heaven for us who had merited hell by the heinouſneſſe of our tranſgreſſions. To be glorified will God againe ſend his Sonne, and in our nature too, but glorified. To bee judged and to death ſentenced for our offences was his firſt comming; to bee the viſible Judge both of quicke and dead ſhall his ſecond comming be. To be glorified, God ſets up, and takes downe whom hee pleaſeth, Kings and Kingdomes are at his diſpoſall; to the Kings of the earth is hee terrible (writes the Pſalmiſt) Pſalm. 76. 12. And the Courtly Prophet is plaine; The Nation and Kingdom that will not ſerve thee ſhall periſh; yea thoſe Nations utterly ſhall be waſted Eſay 60. 12. To be glorified, God remarkeably puniſheth his owne tranſgreſſing people, and at his owne houſe many times begins his judgement, but ends in The ruine of his enemies. Wee ſee that in part fulfilled, and to the height at laſt ſhall it be made full; As truely as I live all the earth ſhall bee filled with the glory of the Lord, Num. 14. 21. Yet thinke not here, beloved, that God ſtands in need of being glorified by men, or felt in himſelfe a titillation from men; No, no, before we were, before the world was, glorious was he above our thoughts. Stood hee in need of Glory, the Angels are abler, and readyer to extoll him then all the whole race of Mortalls poſſibly can.
As we are leſſe than the very leaſt of all his mercies, ſo his prayſes are to him an abatement, to us onelyonly an advancement; our very thankſgivings are beggings, and our owne Intereſt and improvements in his various bleſſings, the foundation of our exalting his Name. It is a moſt Gratious vouchſafement of our God that hee will by us bee glorified.
I might expatiate here, but my weake and ſpent lungs preſſe me to abreviate, and to contract much, which I purpoſed largely to have diſcourſed of into a narrow compaſſe of time. Thus then wee are to glorifie God.
Firſt, by ſpeaking of his ſupreme Majeſtie with all due ſubmiſſiveneſſe and reverence; All colloguings, all diſſemblings, all hypocriſies muſt here bee farre, farre from us; this, this it is to give glory unto God, to ſpeake the truth though it be againſt a mans ſelfe: Give God the glory, (ſaid Ioſhuah to Achan.) That giving of glory was the open confeſſion of his cloſe ſinne, Ioſh. 7. 19. It is the acknowledgement that of all hearts God is the ſearcher, and the juſt avenger of wickedneſſe, though never ſo palliated. We muſt not ſhrinke from confeſſion in the caſe of Gods honour although it be to our owne temporall confuſion; It was Achans caſe, and in every oath and ſolemn proteſtation we make and take, it is ours. Juggle wee not with our all knowing God, equivocations, mentall reſervations, and other cunning evaſiions, may deceive, elude, and delude men, and bee we not deceived; God can we not deceive, hee will not be mocked: as we ſow, we ſhall reape, or corruption or life everlaſting, Gal. 6. 7, 8. If we hide our ſinnes, we ſhall not proſper, God will not loſe his glory, but if we confeſſe them and forſake them, God ſhall have the glory, and we ſhall have the comfort; Hee that confeſſeth, and forſaketh them ſhall have mercy, Prov. 28. 13.
Againe wee doe glorifie God when his promiſes even in all our troubles are laid hold on by our faith. We reade of Abraham, of all in the Faith the Father, that he ſtaggerd not at the promiſe, through unbeliefe, but was ſtrong in faith giving glory to God, Rom. 4. 20. The Receiver of Chriſts teſtimony hath ſet to his Seale, that God is true (as Saint Iohn the Baptiſt hath it) in the Goſpell by Saint Iohn cha. 3. 33. When God hath made knowne his will unto us in his Word, good reaſon it is that every one of us ſhould thereunto give our full aſſent and conſent, we muſt confeſſe it ingenuouſly, & profeſſe it openly never be aſhamed thereof. And this is as a ſetting too of our Seale, that God is true, and in ſo doing, we doe glorifie our God, and it is a chiefe point of honour which of us he requireth, and indeed to repent, and believe the Goſpell is the ſumme and ſubſtance of the Goſpell, the full of a Chriſtian, of God accepted for mans Righteouſneſſe, Marke 1. 15. Rom. 4. 3.
Thirdly, wee doe glorifie God in a perpetuated courſe of good workes; So our Saviour plainely and expreſly. Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven, Matth. 5. 16.
Fourthly, we then doe glorifie our God when we doe proſtrate our ſelves in the truth of humility, and and humiliation before God. That of Ieſus Chriſt to the proud generation of the Phariſees is remarkably obſervable. How can yee beleeve which receive honour one from another, and ſeeke not the honour that commeth from God only? Iohn 5. 44. An uſuall and a juſt courſe is it with God to abaſe the lifted up, and to lift up the abaſed in their owne eyes, to caſt down the mighty from their ſeates, and to exalt the humble and meeke; As the not givers of glory unto God ſhall be unglorious at the laſt for ever; ſo the glorifiers of God in the right way of humbleneſſe ſhall after petty diſregards and diſgraces here from unadviſed men be ſhining ſtars above in glory.
Laſtly, wee doe glorifie our God in our cloſe defending the cauſe of God, where ever and however oppoſed and vilified in the ſcornefull world, and in being ſeriouſly tranſported with a regular zeale unto the glory of our God, not regarding at all our diſeſteeme in the world in that regard. In this frozen age variouſly humerous this is rarely practiſed, the leaſt, very leaſt word that toucheth our owne reputation, goes as a dagger to our hearts; but God in horrid oaths and execrations is every where lewdlic and lewdly blaſphemed: his Church ſervants by the moſt vilified and ſcorned, and it troubles not our hearts at all, yea ſcarce our eares. O times, O manners!
Alaſſe! how few Lots are there in this Sodome, the preſent evill world? Lot vexed his righteous ſoule day by day, in ſeeing and hearing the unlawfull deeds of that City where he ſojourned. 2. Pet 2. 8. Wee ſee and heare enough the like every day, and every night, and all houres and moments of both: God is diſhonoured impudently every where, his ordinances abuſed, his holy name and attributes odiouſly polluted with rotten language, out of their reeking Sepulcher throat vented, and poyſoning where it is with delight entertained: no ſin abſtained from, yea even with greedineſſe unaſhamedly committed. It may be ſaid of the moſt of both ſexes in this age which the Prophet Eſay uttereth of Ieruſalem, and Iudah, Their tongue, and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory, the ſhew of their countenance doth witneſſe againſt them, and they declare their ſinne as Sodome; they hide it not, woe unto their ſoule, for they have rewarded evill unto themſelves, Eſay 3. 8, 9. We may adde with the Prophet Ezechiel, and paralell this Nation with that. Behold this was the iniquity of thy ſiſter Sodome. Pride, fulneſſe of bread, and abundance of Idleneſſe was in her daughters, neither did ſhe ſtrengthen the hand of the poore and needy; And they were haughty and committed abomination before mee, therefore I tooke them away as I ſaw good, Ezek. 16▪ 49, 50. That our ſelves prove not an Hiſtory in this kind let the recorded Hiſtories of Sodom, Gomorra, Ieruſalem be our forewarning, their plagues will befall us, if by ſerious and timely repentance we break not off our courſes in the very ſame kinde and degrees of ſinning. Saint Pauls ſpirit was exceedingly ſtirred in him, when he ſaw the City of Athens wholly given to Idolatry, Acts 17. 16. And do not ſome doate on Images with the Romaniſts, and others on Imaginations with Factioniſts? How few are right in the right way of Gods preſcriptions? which is Iehovah Elohenu, Iehovah Echad, the Lord our God is one Lord, Deut. 6. 4. Out of him all is but a fiction; and no Religion ſound and ſolid, but what wee have from the dictates of his holy ſpirit. This Lord our God, this one Lord hath made all things for himſelfe, even the wicked for the day of evill, Prov. 16. 4. Aſſuredly God will be glorified if not by us, then on us; if not for his mercies in our deliverance▪ Surely then for his judgements in our ſentencing to hell, according to that in the Pſalmiſt, The wicked ſhall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God. He that will not voluntarily glorifie God as the Father of mercies, in the rigour of juſtice will our God glorifie himſelfe in his eternall ruine. If wee prove not the Heralds of his glory; examples ſhall we be of his juſt indignation. When his wrath is kindled but a little, O bleſſed are they that in him repoſe their truſt, Pſal. 2. 12. accurſedneſſe ſhall enfetter all others in the chaines of everlaſting darkneſſe. O! my beloved in the Lord; What ever we have been heretofore, be this hence forward to the end of our pilgrimage, and warfare on earth, our maineſt care never any more to receave the grace of God in vaine, never turn the ſame into laſciviouſneſſe, which Saint Iude fitly calls, the denying of the only Lord God, and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: improve wee rather with all manner of alacrity and induſtriouſneſſe the talents thereof unto us concredited to the glory of our God, upon our receiving the end of our faith, even our endleſſe ſalvation.
By words; by works, in our lives and at our deaths ſet wee forth the prayſes of our gratious deliverer, with the Pſalmist from the ground of our hearts, ſaying; Bleſſed be the Lord God, who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even the God of our ſalvation, he that is our God, is the God of our ſalvation, And unto God the Lord belong the iſsues from death, Pſalme 68. 19, 20. Endangered is the Church of God at this day every where in the world, and in this Iſland, from the world divided endangered amongſt Atheiſts, Papiſts, Sectaries, in troubles are all right Chriſtians involved; O! now is the time of inſtant prayer for their gratious deliverance out of them all; Call we heartily upon our God, and his bowell mercies will tenderly reach us, and ſavingly relieve us, wee ſhall find and feele his timely ſuccours, there is yet balm in Gilead, yet mercies and the plenteous redemption with our God; He, he it is that ſhall redeeme Iſrael from all his iniquities, bring all his people every where out of all their depths of ſins, ſorrowes, miſeries, Pſa. 130. Vtterly will he never forſake his own people, the Iſrael of God, but upon their unfained repentance and faith without hypocriſie, ſettle them unremovably in himſelfe, and let them ſee even their full deſires on al their malicious enemies, and ungratious oppoſers; for, ſeeing God for the love of his Church made the world; Sathan who labours the worlds ruine cannot with all his forces and devices ruinate the Church. The eternall God, the Lord of Armies, and Mercies, who from that roaring, and circuiting Lion, hath many times and many wayes delivered us from the hands of men his Captives, and inſtruments how ever malitiouſly bent againſt us will ſtill and ſtill deliver us. Our Petitions ſhall be prevalent with him for us, and againſt them. And after he hath given us deliverance, upon deliverance here on earth, he will poſſeſſe us in Heaven with our inheritance there, our Inheritance immortall, undefiled, and that can never fade away, 1 Pet. 1. 4. to this inheritance the King of glory bring us that there wee may for evermore glorifie him und…ſtractedly.
AMEN.
FINIS.
Poſt-Script W. A. D. D. Minor invidiâ I. G. D. D. Major contemptu.
Leſſer than Envie; greater than contempt;
From th' One, and th' other, let me be exempt:
I wiſh not Much; with little am content:
So let My Yeares runne on; My Life be ſpent.
There are ſome words miſ-printed, others miſ-placed; and the pointing here and there, unobſerved. Pardon, and amend, friendly; then peruſe, curteouſly.