The Militant Christian, Text (3 of 4)

The Militant Christian · Text (3 of 4)

p. 126Here are Seven Totalities in this mighty Engine, in this one Text; take them abroad, and look into them; and then put them together again, and then see of what vehement and invincible force so many All's will be of, when united in one.

1 Totum temporis.1. Here is a Totality of Times and Occasions, Praying always. To pray Occasionally, and to pray Habitually, is to pray always, and to pray continually. Though the poises of the Clock be but Occasionally drawn up, yet, the Clock keeps going continually: So, draw up the poise of Prayer, in secret, in private, in publick, &c. upon all occasions, and this Engine keeps a perpetual motion (better than that, which hath been so much studied for) It will p. 127move and work whilest you are working, whil'st you are waking, sleeping, eating, drinking, in natural, secular, and sacred duties. Yea, set this Engine of Prayer a going whil'st you are living, and it will move and work, and do great execution after you are dead, to surviving posterity, to the end of the World: As long as the promises of God are in Force, so long will the Prayers of the Saints have Power. One Generation soweth Prayer, and another reapeth the Crop of Mercy.

2. Here is the Totality of Prayer in the Man,2. Totum subjecti, All the man in Prayer. as well as of Times of Prayer. Praying always with all prayer. Here is Totum in toto, all in all: Here is prayer Vocal, and Mental; in the Mouth, and in the Heart. All Prayer, Prayer in all the Faculties of the Soul: Prayer in the Understanding, Prayer in the Conscience, Prayer in the Will, and in the Affections; Prayer in the Gift of Prayer, and Prayer in the Grace of Prayer. All Prayer. Prayer with all the Heart, with all the Soul, with all the Might, and with all the Strength. All Prayer. Secret and Open, Private and Publick. All Prayer once more. It is Prayer in all Conditions, whether prosperous, or adverse, and in all places where a man is cast.

Will the Hypocrite (saith Job) alwayes Pray? Job. 27.10.Job 27:10No, he will not, He is not for all Prayer; But all Prayer, is to pray with Solomon on the Throne, and with Job on the Dunghill; with faithful Abraham in Canaan; and with righteous Lot in Sodom; with Moses in the Mount; and with Jonah in the belly of the Whale in the deep; This is all Prayer.

p. 1283. Totum supplicationis, Prayer in Prayer, not a bare reading, or speaking in prayer, but praying in prayer.3. A Third Totality is, All Supplication. H…re is all Prayer and Supplication, and when Prayer and Supplication are put together, it denotes the Ardency, the Fervency, and Importunity of Prayer. This is Prayer in Prayer, and Prayer upon Prayer. Supplication and Prayer, is prayer Emphatical, prayer with an Emphasis; All Supplication and Prayer, is prayer multiplied, and prayer magnified; It is prayer at wholesale, not at retale It is the sighs, the sobs, the tears, the groans of prayer, got up into strong cryes. This is as an Ab aham pleading with God for a Sodom; like a Jacob wrestling with the Angel for a blessing; like a Moses with his Hands, and his Soul lifted up together in the Mount, for to raise up a Bulwark against divine wrath; like a David, crying out of the Depths; like a weeping Jeremiah all floating in Tears for Sion's misery; like a Daniel setting himself to seek the Lord; like a Jonah crying out of the belly of the Whale; like our Captain, praying that the bloody and bitter Cup might pass away; like Paul once and again, beseeching the Lord; This is all prayer and Supplication. Prayer, like Providence, hath a Wheel within the Wheel, like Ezekiels Vision: and next, look on this Engine, and you shall see the Living Spirit that is within the Wheels, moving of them.

4. Totum in toto in Spiritu.4. The next Totallity in the Engine of prayer, is, Praying in the Spirit. Praying alwaies with all prayer, and supplication, in the Spirit. And now I have brought you into the very midst of your Engine, to behold its main spring p. 129and to see the very Heart and Soul, the Life, the Spirit and Power of it.

Here is the living Spirit in the Wheels, indeed. The Christian is said to be in Christ; and the Spirit of God and Christ to be in him; and the Spirit is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication; And hence it is the Scripture-Dialect doth phrase it thus, Praying in the holy Ghost, and Praying in the Spirit; Jam. 5.16. foreign The word signifies such a working which notes the most lively activity that can be; an actual and effectual forceJas 5:16This is Prayer which the Spirit of God works in the heart of man. The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much; that is, the in wrought prayer of the Spirit. O! what a Totality is here! The product of the only wise God, and of his blessed Spirit! this is indeed the chief Totum in toto in the Engine of Prayer? It is all wrought by the Spirit: It is all of the Spirits direction: It is all of the Spirits projection:The breath that comes from life in mans Body is warm, but the breath that comes from Bellows, is artificial and cold; but the Prayer that comes from Life is warm; breath that comes from God, goes up to God. It is all of the Spirits working, and it is all of the Spirits wording. Every sigh, every sob, every moan, every groan, every thought, and every word is of the Spirit: This is all Prayer, and Supplication in the Spirit; This is the Spirit all in all, in all Prayer. Here is a Soldier clothed with the Spirit, armed with the Spirit, strengthened with the Spirit, principled, springed, and carried out, and carried on with the Spirit in all prayer.

The Spirit is the Saints Primum Mobile, and Chrystaline in Prayer; It is not parts that enlargeth but the Spirit.It is that which makes them to move, to mount, & to shine! All Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit: O, what a thing is this! This is not Prayer in the Book, but Prayer in the p. 130Heart;Prayer is a most glorious piece, the work of God, every prayer that comes from the poorest of the seed of Jacob, is a work of the holy Ghost. Mr. Burroughs Jacobs seed. p. 33. Joh. 4.23, 24.John 4:23John 4:24 not prayer in the Letter, but prayer in the Spirit; not a Letany-prayer, but a living prayer; This is not unclean, or common, but sanctified, and divine prayer; the spirit hath made it, the spirit hath signed it, the spirit hath sealed it, the spirit hath delivered it, the spirit hath left it as a sacred depositum in the hearts and hands of the Militant Saints; and this is indeed Divine Service, to worshp the Father (through the spirit of Prayer) in spirit and in truth; and these are the Worshippers whom the Father seeketh. The Lord regards not those that have nothing but a noise of Arrows, or Romish Bells without them,Rom. 8.26. As the Nurse helps the little Child, upholding it by the sleeves; or as an old man is upholden by his Staff; it signifies properly to help together, to lift with us, and before us: It is a Metaphor borrowed from one who is to lift up some great weight which he is not able to take up, or to lift alone and another then joyns hands with him, or stands over against him at the end of the burhen, and helps him to take up the weight. Symps. Lex. Totum vigilantiae.Rom 8:26 and have nothing of the sounding of the spirit of Prayer within them. What cares the Lord for such, who put on Aarons dead Linnen Ephod, and use not Moses his living praying-Engine? The Lord is a Spirit, and he is for all Praye… and Supplication in the Spirit. O! What Engine is like to this? What were any of those, which Archimides (that famous Artist in Engine making) made for War? or those which the Pope, the Princes, the Parliaments, the Prelates, Convocations and Counsels have made for Worship, to this Engine of Prayer, to this all-Praying, and always Praying in the Spirit?

55. The next Totality, you may see in this mighty Engine of Prayer, is, Watching. All p. 131Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and Watching thereunto. All prayer, hath all watching joyned unto it: But having spoken somewhat large of the duty of watching in general, in the first Doctrine, I shall be the briefer here.

All watching, is watching in all things, in Prayer. There is watching in the Engine of Prayer,

11. That it be Fix'd well, that the rust of Formality and Hypocrisie, Diffidence, Deadness Distractions, &c. be well wip'd off; that the duty of Prayer be well cleansed, that the hands are pure, and the heart pure and holy, when lifted up to God The Spirit of God (saith one) is a delicate thing; surely so it is a delicate, clean, tender, dove-like Spirit: It is for clean Hearts, for clean Persons, and for clean Places, &c. That was good advice which Zophor gave unto Job, If thou prepare thine Heart, Job 11.13, 14, 15.Job 11:13Job 11:14Job 11:15and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle; For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear. Christians, you must watch that this Engine be made clean and prepared; that it be fix'd and scrued up to the highest peg. As Soldiers do fix their Arms and Engines for War; so Christs Soldiers should look to their Hearts, that they be rightly fixed and prepared for Prayer.Psa. 108.1.Ps 108:1 O God (saith David) my heart is fined.

22. There is watching required, that it be well placed; This Engine must be placed by the hand of Faith, upon the Promise, or else it will do no execution; you must place it no lower p. 132than a Promise of God, or an Attribute of God. Ignorant prayer, Unbelieving prayer, Hypocritical prayer, is but vain babling, and as the howling of a Beast; it is of no force with God, and like a broken Bow,The strength wherby prayer doth great things, it lies in the Engine, lower, in secret, in the purchase of Christ. Mr. Burroughs Jacobs seed. pag. 35. which casts back the Arrow into the Archers Face: Therefore watch, and set it sure on the living Promise, and on Christ the true, living and Golden Altar, which sanctifieth the gift, and maketh the sacrifice of prayer pass acceptable with God. Engineers are very watchful and careful, how and where they place their Engines of War. Why, Christs Soldiers have more reason for vigilancy and watchfulness about the Engine of Prayer.

33. There is watching belonging unto it, to see how it Works, and how it executes; to observe how well it goes off, how well it is discharg'd, what report it makes, and what execution it doth: An Engineer will not set his Engine a working, but will watch it also, and wait and look out to see and to hear what exploits it will do; so a Christian must observe how his prayers go off, and what exploits they have done, what sins they have slain, what temptations they have repell'd and overcom'd, what spoil they have done their Enemies, and what advantage they have done themselves; how much they have broken the Members, and let out the Blood of the body of Death; How far, and how fast they made the Devil to flee; what recruits of grace, of quicknings, of strengthnings, of comfortings they have fetch'd in, and brought home to their souls; what good they have done, or may do, for to advantnge themselves, p. 133or for the publick interest of Christ abroad in the World. Christians should watch their Prayers when they send them forth, as Noah did the Dove, to observe when it returns, and what it brings home to the Ark in its mouth. Like Jacob, to wrestle hard for a blessing, and watch when it will fall. This is, with David, to pray and look up, and look out, together; to pray and watch, to pray and wait; to watch and wait more than they that watch for the morning. I say, Psal. 103.6.Ps 103:6more than they that watch for the morning. The Soldier, the Centinel, the Watchman, when the wind blows cold, when the night is dark, when the dangers are thick, do not wait so much for the morning to discharge them, as I do for the morning of mercy in the return of Prayer. In a word, Christians, there is watching in the Engine of Prayer, in every spring, in the main spring, in the lesser springs, watching in all the wards of it, watching in all the Meeshes of it, that every thing move right, and Meesh right, without stop or jarr.

6. The next Totality in the Engine of Prayer,6 Totum perseverentiae. is, all Perseverance. Here is all prayer and supplication in the spirit, then, all watching and praying in the spirit; and now again, all perseverance in this prayer and watching: You see how it encreaseth piece upon piece, wheel upon wheel, iron upon iron, brass upon brass, lock upon lock, rivet upon rivet, strength upon strength, before we have gone through it. You see how it encreaseth grace upon grace, duty upon duty, in an harmonious and inviolable concordancy and concatenation. All Perseverance; p. 134that is, perseverance in all the times, the seasons, and occasions of prayer; with Isaac in the Field, in the evening; with David early in the morning; with the Spouse on her bed; with Peter and John in the Temple; with Moses on the Mount, and with Christ our Captain in the Mountain, in the Desart, in the Garden, and on the Cross. All perseverance in prayer, is for a Christian to begin his life with prayer, to continue his life with prayer, and to end his life with prayer: To pray with Daniel three times a day, when 'tis death to pray but once a a month; to pray for all persons, aad for all things that we ought; to pray for our cruel Enemies, like Stephen the Proto-martyr, in a shower, in a black shower of bloody stones.

Here is all perseverance in all prayer and all supplication (for so this totality doth grow bigger and bigger, greater and greater, until it goes through all the Engine, and fastens the several parts together) and this is to persevere, in keeping up the heart in life, in vigour, in heat, and in flame,It is said, that Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 20.3. It is translated, composuit faciem suam, he set his face, he gave up himself fully to seek the Lord.2 Chr 20:3 in prayer. It is to continue to keep up the heart, and to keep up the hands, in fervency and importunity, to greaten and multiply prayer, to make prayer to be prayers, to keep rowling the Snow-ball, up-hill and down, until, it be ponderous enough to weigh down what shall be put in the ballance against it; to keep winding up, and bending the spring of prayer, until the spring do break, or the Mercy be obtained: This is to pray with continued and reiterated importunity; this is to pray as our Lord Jesus directs in that Parable of the p. 135unjust Judg, and the importunate poor Widdow Luk. 18.1. And he spake a Parable to them to this end▪ That men ought alwayes to Pray, and not to faint. As this poor woman did run after, and follow this wicked Judg with importunate complaints and cries, so the Elect of God are said to cry till their prayers are heard, and their righteous cause be avenged.

This is to put on a kind of holy Impudence, and offer an holy violence to the Kingdom of God. Like a Jacob, to cast forth his grapple, to hitch, and hold fast the Angel, though it were the Angel of the Covenant, yet he would assume the boldness to close in with him, and say (as it were) Now I have you, now you are my own, and I will have something of you before you go hence; and so struggles with Omnipotency it self, from the evening until the morning, till his thigh was bruised, till the day did break, and till the blessing did fall betimes, like the morning dew: Wrestle he would, and get the blessing he would, though cripled in the Contest. Like a Hannah in praying, in bitterness, and weeping sore for a Son, and not give over till she had a Son, and a Samuel too. Like a Jonah crying out in the belly of the Whale, as if in the belly of Hell, until bread comes out of this great eaters mouth, and sweetness out of this bitter belly, and the great Leviathan delivers him safe a Shore. Like the poor Canaanitish woman with the Lord Jesus,Mat. 15.22, 23, &c.Matt 15:22Matt 15:23 following of him, and crying after him, and begging of him, until she had prayed the Devil out of her Daughter. As her Daughter was p. 136sorely vexed with a Devil, so she was sore… importunate in prayer. How many Barricado… did she break over in pursuing her enterprise, and persevering in Prayer.

1. A Bank in her way.1. She met with the Obstacle of Christ his silence; though she cryed aloud, yet not a word of answer came from him.

2. A Barricado raised against her by the Disciples.2. From the Disciples; she might have thought, possibly, that they would have helped her to usher her in, and spoke a good word for her to their Master, to dispatch her errand; but they, instead of speaking for her, spake against her; as she was beseeching for mercy, they besought him to send her away without any; without either an Almes or an Answer. Well, here she would not be stop'd, but over, crying and following them.

3. A Bulwark, to keep her from mercy.3. The Lord Jesus his (as soon as he spake) were cooling, and cutting words, one would think enough to knock off her fingers, and to break her heart; I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel. And alas! this poor woman was none of them, and what shall she do now? Why here she will not stop neither, but climbs up, and gets over this Bulwark also, by the scaling-Ladder of Faith; and whereas before she was behind him, now she runs and gets before him, and puts on with more force, and falls a worshiping and praying together, with her Lord help me, and yet here came no relief, worshiping and praying united, did not do it.

4. A Battery stronger than the former.4. But a stronger Battery is raised against her than either of the former; Christ calls her p. 137Dog; tells her, such mercy as she is come for, is for the Children, it is their bread, and their due, but it is unmeet to be cast to the Dogs, for them to eat it. Now one would think that this poor woman were quite blown up; that these words, like Arrows impoyson'd, had struck her dead: Well, struck down she was, but she scrambles up again, and skilfully bends the Engine of Prayer, and like a spiritual Politician, finds now a way to strike the Mark, when the standers by think it farthest off, and most at random. When Christ calls her Dog, she consents unto it, Truth Lord, said she; and now she would act in the capacity of a Dog: over this stile and wall, and all, she leaps, she comes into the House, and under the Table, and so begs and looks up for Crumbs, and is content to take them when they fall. There is something belongs to a Dog, let me have that: I will not sit down at the Table, to eat bread with Children; but will lie with the Dogs under-board, to wait when a Crust or a Crumb will fall.

And being so low, and putting her Engine on the Ground, she gets into the very heart of Christ, and there she hits the Mark at last, and gains the price of Mercy, and goes home with Trophies of Victory over the Devil. O Woman, great is thy Faith! be it unto thee, even as thou wilt; and her Daughter was made whole from that very hou…. This is all Perseverance in Prayer and supplication. To pray hard, and to continue in the pursuit of prayer hard also; To turn every stone that lies in the way of any Mercy; to get over all discouragements, yea, to p. 138form arguments for mercy, out of discouragements and misery. For thy name sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great, saith David, Psal. 25.11. It will make greatness of Sin, to be an argument for Pardon. A Jonah will fetch Faith and Patience, into the belly of Prayer, until Prayer hath brought him out of the belly of the Whale. This is all Perseverance in Supplication and Prayer.

All Perseverance in all Prayer, is always to pray in the Spirit. Perseverance must pass through this Totality likewise, in the Engine of Prayer. The Spirit of Prayer in the Soul, must be like the natural Heart in the Body,Cor est primum viveus & ultimum moriens. The first that lives, and the last that dies. The new Creature, is a living Creature; and we must live in the Spirit, and pray in the Spirit, and be led by the Spirit. We must walk always by the rule of the new Creature, the Spirit of Life and Grace within; and according to the rule of the Spirit, in the word of the Spirit without. It must not be prayer sometimes according to the will of God, and at other times according to the wills and lusts of men. It must not be sometimes according to Christs pure institutions, and sometimes according to mens inventions. Ah! where is this All-Perseverance of Praying in the Spirit with many Christians, and with too many Ministers at this day? All Perseverance is to continue to Death, praying by the Spirit of God, according to the will of God, and level right at the glory of God; to be edified here with Grace, and Crowned with Glory hereafter.

p. 13977. The last Totality in this mighty Engine of Prayer, is, Supplication for all Saints.Totum Sanctorum. None are to be Excluded out of our Prayers, but such as have sinned the Sin unto Death. We must not Pray for Departed Saints, for we can thereby do them no good Nor we must not Pray unto them, for they can do us no good. Is. 63.16.Isa 63:16 We are not to understand praying for all Saints Exclusively, but Indefinitely; not as shutting out all wicked men from the prayers of the Saints, but including all the Saints among themselves; And prayer must be for all the Militant Saints; But it must be neither for, nor unto any departed Saints. And this being premised: I shall open this Totality likewise, as I have the other before

To make Supplication and Prayer for All Saints, is to pray for the Saints Indefinitly, and Universally; for one Saint as well as another; for poor as well as the rich; for the Despicable; as well as the Honourable; for a Lazarus lying at the Rich mans Dore, as well, as for a Solomon sitting on the Throne. To Pray for all the Saints, in all conditions, under all providences, whether adverse, or prosperous; to pray for all the Saints, as such, to all intents and purposes that they have need of Prayer. To Pray for all Saints, whether known, or unknown.It is sad to consider, that those who fled to Frankford, in Queen Mary's time for their Religion and Lives, yet there were such breaches and bitterness, that they sought the Lives of one another, picking out some words against the Emperor, in a Sermon Preacht by Mr. Knox in England long before. Act. and Mon. vol. 3. To Pray for all Saints, though of different Judgments, and otherwise may go under divers Denominations; we must not divide in our Prayers, those whom Christ hath united unto himself, by the Spirit. We must not pray for Saints of this Judgment, and pass by, and Persecute Saints of another Judgment. Ah! 'tis p. 140sad to consider this, that the wild Birds, and Beasts of prey, and the tame, though of different Natures, as the Eagle and the Dove, the Lyon, the Wolf, and the Lamb, the (at and the Rat, &c. lived quiet together, when shut up in the same Ark, notwithstanding their Natural Antipathy. And that Saints, though of the same common Name, and of the same Divine Nature, and Imbarqued in the same Bottom, Christ, the best and true Ark, should yet instead of Praying for one another, prejudice and persecute one another!

Non sunt haec litigandi sed orandi tempora. These are not times of striving, but of Praying. Perkins.Ah Soldiers of Christ! this is not using your Engine of Prayer aright. It is your greatest strength in Prayer, to unite many Prayers, All Prayer in one. For every Saint to pray for all Saints, is for every Saint, for all the Saints to pray for one. And of what strength is Prayer when thus united? Striving together in your Prayers, saith the Apostle. Unity is the strength of Heaven, Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity. Unity is the strength of Hell; If Satans Kingdom should be divided, it could not stand. And so Unity among the Saints, and a sweet concord in Prayer of all Saints, and for all Saints, how strong will this Engine be? One Arrow may be broken, when a sheaf of Arrows cannot. A single Cord may be broken, when a Three-fold Cord will hold strong. It is Machiavils Politick Principle, Divide & Impera. Christians, you have had time enough, and occasion enough to see the truth of it.

And now I shall carry this last Totality back to the first, and bring it thorow that, and all the p. 141rest; And then all the parts of this Engine will be locked together very firm, and fit for any service.

11. Supplication for all Saints, at all times: Always praying for them, whether present or absent, whether prosperous, or adverse; not Pray for them at one time, and Reproach them, or Persecute them at another time or place.

22. All the Saints must be Prayed for, with all Prayer. Closet-Prayer, Family-Prayer, and Publick Prayer; and All Prayer, for all their occasions, for all Mercy Corporal and Spiritual, Temporal and Eternal.

33. All Saints must be prayed for, with all Supplication in Prayer. We must pray for all Saints with Fervency and Importunity, as we would for our selves.

44. We must pray for All Saints, in the Spirit. We must love them in the Spirit, and pray for them in the Spirit. They are all united to Christ by the Spirit, in one body; and so they should be all linked together, by the same Spirit, in Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit.

55. All Saints must be Prayed for, with all watching. Watching how to Pray for them aright, for to make Supplication suitable to all their wants; watching in Prayer, when they err and go astray, to reduce them; when they are overtaken in a fault, to restore them in a Spirit of Meekness and Supplication; not to stigmatize, and scandalize, and reproach them; when they are Weak, for to strengthen them, when they are Disconsolate, to comfort them, &c.

p. 14266. All Saints must be prayed for, with all Perseverance. We must Persevere in all Prayer for them, that they may Persevere in Prayer, and in every Duty, and in every Grace, that they may all use all their Armour aright, that they may all Fight Manfully under Christs Banner, and be Faithful unto Death, and obtain the Crown of Life.

77. Supplication for all Saints, for all that have obtained like precious Faith. Like precious Promises, and like precious Prayer, for all the Saints and Soldiers of Christ, whether Publick, or Private; whether Magistrates, or Ministers, or private Christians; whether Officers, or private Soldiers in the Universal Militant Church, the whole Army of Saints,St. James blamed the Saints for using partiality Jam. 2.1, 2, 3, 4.Jas 2:1Jas 2:2Jas 2:3Jas 2:4 and followers of the Lamb. For ragged and torn Saints, as well as for silken, sattin, and Gold-ring'd Saints, &c. And now I have opened all the Totalities of this great Engine of Prayer, and have shewed you all its parts, in an Allegorical and Metaphorical manner. I shall now set it together, and shew you the properties of it, in a further pursuance of the same Metaphor: And you shall find it to be a Mysterious and Mighty Engine for Service. It is a Triangular Engine, it hath the strength of the Trinity in every Totality; it is the Father through the Son, and in the Spirit. It stands like the Angel, with one foot on the Earth, and the other on the Sea; and the top of it, like Jacobs Ladder, reaching so high as Heaven.

p. 1431. Alwaies Praying.

2. All Prayer.

3. All Supplication.

4. All Prayer in the Spirit.

5. All watching in Prayer.

6. All perseverance in Watching and Prayer,

7. All Supplication for all Saints.

What is the summ total of all these Totalities, less than a little Almighty? Christ your Captain is God Almighty; And you Christians, in his Armour, with his Weapons, and Engine, are Soldiers, and Men Almighty; Strengthned with all Might. And I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Your Captains Almightiness, is of himself, and your Almightiness is through Him.

Secondly, I shall shew you now the Properties of this mighty Engine.2ly. The properties of the Engine.

1. It is perfect and entire for use.

2. It is portable, to be carried about.

3. It is occult, to lie secret, and hidden.

4. It is loud, to sound, and noise.

5. It is formidable and terrible.

6. It is potent and powerful.

11. This Engine of Prayer, is a perfect and entire Engine. Seven makes a number of perfection; Seven multiplyed by it self, compleats the years of Bondage, and brings a plenary Jubile for Freedom and Liberty. And Seven p. 144Totalities make a perfect and entire Engine of Prayer for every day in the Week, and for every day in the Year. There need no Collects conjoyned to it; Here is Prayer for Red-letter days, for All-Souls, and for All-Saints. The common Engine is very imperfect; many Cases, many Conditions, many Necessities, that cannot reach. Execution having one Foot on the Ladder, and the other stepping into Eternity; how the Ordinaries come thither with their Common Engine, for to help (at a dead list) those Forlorn Creatures, and fumble extraordinary about it, because it is Imperfection. For want of more perfect and pertinent Prayer, they make use of that, for the Visitation of the Sick (in private) where they are like to hit the Mark, as soon as an Engineer, who dischargeth his Engine Eastward in the Evening, and thinks to strike the Sun at his setting. They pray for them as Servants of the Lord visited with sickness, &c. And now they who could have no benefit of the Latine Book at the Barr, can find as little by the English Book at the Gallows. It is well the Martyrs had a better Engine to help them in Smith-field, than the Malefactors have, to help them at Tyburn. A Condemned Noble Man of this Land,The Earl of Castle-Haven. was sensible of the impertinency of this Book-prayer, to prepare him for Death; who when his learned Chaplain read much of it for this purpose, but little to the purpose; saith he, What is this to my Case, that am going to die, that must be beheaded to morrow, &c? A Learned Prelate delivered in a popular Auditory, p. 145that Saint Paul had his Meditations and Prayers, in his Parchments which he left at Troas; That is not to be conjectured: But this to be sure, if he had any there, they were better than any the Bishop hath in his Book. And he hath enough to carry with him beside, who could pray with the Spirit,1 Cor. 14.15.1 Cor 14:15 and with understanding also. And surely, though his Lordships Book hath an Almanack to direct it, yet it was never Calculated to Saint Pauls Meridian; it wants near Ninety Degrees of Latitude and Longitude. And what was in Saint Pauls Parchments, I know not; But am sure that the Common-prayer-Book was no more there, then the Bishops Book of Articles, in Pauls written Epistles.

Object. But some will say, That the Common-Prayer-Book was made, and hath been made use of, by many godly men.

Answ. 1. For answer, The Lord Jesus, nor his Apostles did never make it. And they had as much Power and Skill to make it, as any since, and as godly too. And it doth not look pure, and godly enough, to come from the Prim tive hands.

22. It may be no part of their godliness, what they did in the making of this;What they did then, was a stepforward to Reformation, but now it is a going back to Corruption. Then the Tide of Popery was stopt by it, and now it opens the Sluce, to let it return again. but rather of their darkness and weakness. And the Lord may wink at that, in time of Ignorance, which he will not bear with, in time of greater Light.

p. 1463. Let us give our Ancestors their due measure and weight, as to godliness, (without the least reflection on their honest intentions) and not to detract from the worth of many of this present age.Smectymnuus. Mr. Bernard. Mr. Powel. The Godly and Learned Divines, appointed by his Majesty, to examine the Liturgy, &c. Have not many as godly as the former, opened its weakness and errours, disused it, expunged it out of the Church, and something besides? And better Pens have Anticipated mine, and saved me the labour here. It is a very imperfect piece, when men have made the best of it; It is but like Carting of the Ark, and drawing of it with Beasts, when the Lord would have it carried on the Levites shoulders. There is often, Let us Pray, and yet when Priest, and Clark and People too, have took their parts, and united their strength, How imperfect is it, and far short of this All-Prayer, in the Text? Some say, that it is as Crutches for the Lame, and a good help to pray by: And to this I say, that there are two sorts of persons which make use of Crutches; The one out of meer necessity, and it were a piece of Cruelty and Inhumanity, for to deny a good Crutch to a real Cripple; But when the Crutch is more Cripled than the Man,Whosoever it was that gave them Commission, be sure they had none from the Headquarters, from the Captain General, Christ. it will but deceive him, and lame him the more, by trusting unto it. And the Scripture, and the Spirit are the best helps in the World, to Pray by. But if Ministers cannot go without such Crutches as these, they are not fit for that Preferment, to bear Office so high in the Militant Church. But rather to be Degraded, if not quite Cashiered from the Army of Christ.

p. 147There are another sort, who make use of these Crutches, that have been known to go well without them, (and as good at Climbing, as any in the Army) and it is not questioned by many, but they can go as well again, if these Crutches were but taken from them. Sirs, give me leave, to speak a word of Advice unto you; Take heed of Counterfeiting in such weighty matters as these. For it is no good mocking with such spiritual Edg-tooles, and spiritual Weapons; for fear lest the Lord should blast your Gifts, and Parts, and suffer your Graces to wither; and take away your Talents from you, because you improve them no better. It was a sad charge which Eliphaz brought in against Job, (had it been true) Job 15.4. Thou castest off Fear, and restrainest Prayer before God.

It is the note of an able Expositor on the Text,Mr. Caryl. "That it is an Argument of an evil heart, to shorten or restrain,There are five black stairs that lead down to Hell. 1. Quenching of the Spirit. 2. Grieving of the Spirit. 3. Resisting of the Spirit. 4. …exing of the Spirit. 5. Doing despight unto the Spirit. And quenching of the Spirit is the first step to utter Apostasie and Destruction. Mr. Jer. Dike. to lessen or to give off Prayer in times of trouble. Take heed of quenching the Spirit, and restraining of Prayer before God, lest the Spirit withdraw and leave you. And take heed lest your General find you out on your Crutches, in his Enemies quarters, and shew you Martial Law; and make you a Let-pass, and whip you home to his Colours for Cowardly Counterfeits.

p. 148Ah Christians, Soldiers of Christ! make use of this perfect Engine of Prayer, which lieth in your Armory; there is room for the Spirit to move you, to carry you forth, and to carry you up, to spring, to whe…l, and to wing your Souls. To help your infirmities, to make Intercession, according to the Will of God; and to offer up Spiritual sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God, through Jesus Christ, without restraining, limiting, grieving, or quenching of the spirit in Prayer.

22. This Engine of Prayer, is a Portable Engine. Although it be mighty and weighty, yet it can be carried about by its own strength, whither soever you go. What Byas the Phylosopher said of his Learning and Moral Virtues, may a Christian say of his Graces; Omnia mea, mecum porto, all mine I carry with me. Christs Soldiers can carry his Weapons, his Armour, his Engine, and all his spiritual Munition and Artillery with him, whither soever he goeth in following the Lamb; whither it be up-hill, or down-hill; whither by Land, or by Sea. This Noah could carry with him in the Ark and Abraham into a strange Country, and Isaac into the Field, and Jacob in his Journey to use it by the way; and though he was made to go halting with using it, yet (as lame as he was) he could carry this mighty Engine, and the great blessing it had gotten him together.

This Praying Engine, Jeremiah could carry with him into the miry Dungeon; and Daniel into the Lyons Den; and Jonah into the belly of the Whale (to help him from thence:) This p. 149Christ and Moses could carry with them, up to the top of the Mount; This the Apostles could carry with them into the Prison; And the Martyrs, into the Bishops dark Cole-House. This the Old Testament-believers could carry with them into the Dens and Caves of the Earth, &c. This Engine of Prayer Christs Ministers can carry with them five miles from Corporations, Burroughs, Cities, &c. and into a Foreign Land, remote in the World, to get a Blessing for their Native Country when cast out by it. This is a portable Engine, they can carry it with them; and they who have taken away their other goods, their meat, their drink, their clothes, &c. yet cannot take away this. When many have their Common-Engine taken from them, they cry out like Micah, that their All is gone.Judg. 17.5, and 18, 24.Judg 17:5Judg 18:24 You have taken away the Gods that I made, the Priest, the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and what have I more, said he? you have taken away my Consecrated things. But now if the Idol should be taken away, and the Idol-Priest, and the Idol-Ephod and Teraphim, Christs Soldiers have their All, and their Engiene of Prayer left them entire; and none can take it from them, to make them say, What have I more? It is a mercy, that they who do so much malign them for the Spirit and duty of Prayer, can not take it from them. Some complain of the weight and burthen of the Common-Engine; They say, how they have taken it up, as their burthen, and that they use it as their burthen. Let me speak to such,London Ministers Farwel-Sermons. pag. 279. 280. in the language of Mr. Collins, in his farwel-Sermon. I hope without danger I may comply with p. 150them considering I bear them as my burthen.

This is very like the young man in the Gospel; He came to Christ, and would have him come up to his terms; and when Christ told him, that he lacked one thing, Go sell All, &c. he went away sorrowful. So many Christians they would follow Christ, but they can not, because there is not such security in it; but they will go away sorrowful.

Thou Hypocrite, art thou willing to forsake All for Christ, yet cannot leave Life, Liberty and some of these small things? Will you wound the Name of Christ, and pretend to be sorrowful for it? I conclude, thy pretence shall not excuse thee: For so was Pilate loath to Crucifie Christ, and as a means and expedient, he calls for Water, and washes his hands, saying, I am innocent from the Blood of this Just man; But do you think God excused Pilate? no more will He you. Whatever is brought to you, is either forbidden, or commanded by God. If forbidden by God, why do you meddle with it? If commanded of the Lord, why are you burdened with it? Why do you it heavily? For the Lord loves one that is cheerful in his Service: Neither God, nor Man is pleased with such.

Ah Sirs, do not take up a load of Ceremonious, Impertinent, Formal, Superstitious, Contracted and Imposed Prayers, and carry them to the Lord for Sacrifice, for he will not accept them: If they are your burthen, they are much more the Lords, and he will not hear them, no nor yet bear them long. If you will not ease p. 151your selves, be sure, the Lord will ease himself, and will not bear such an unreasonable, as well as unscriptural burden as this. Oh! seriously consider that dreadful Scripture (which me thinks should be as a fiered Beacon, and a flaming sword to keep you from it) Mal. 1.13, 14. you said also, behold what a weariness is it, and you have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of Hosts, and ye have brought that which was torn, and the lame and the sick; thus you brought an offering; shall I accept this a your hands, saith the Lord. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his Flock a Male, and Voweth, and Sacrificeth a corrupt thing, &c.

Under the Levitical Law,Lev. 19.19.Lev 19:19 the Lord forbid- that Cattel of divers kinds should be suffered to engender together, and the Field must not be sown with mingled seed, neither must a Garment of Linnen and Woollen mingled together, be worn. And so the conjunction of the good Seed of the Word, with the evil seed of the Beast, makes but a Monster in Worship, for a Sacrifice for God. And do you think that such mixed, and Linsie-woolsie Monstrous Service will please God? Oh take up this portable Engine of Divine Prayer, which will please your Captain, and comfort your selves.

This is an Engine, that the weakest Christian, through the help of the Spirit, may carry with him, with a great deal of delight, When the Captain of our Salvation (through bodily weakness) was unable to carry his Wooden Cross, yet he could carry his Praying-Engine, to help him to endure the sufferings of it. The p. 152Romans weighty Engines and massy Ramms, required great strength to draw them about, but this Engine will fetch in strength enough to carry it self, and the Carrier too, through all the World.

3. This Engine of Prayer is a very hidden one, it can be carryed in secret, and plac'd in secret, and it can be used in secret, out of the Enemies sight. And it hath very occult properties and qualities in its Mysterious workings, that the Enemies with their greatest Inspection and deepest Policy cannot descry.

It can be laid in a Corner, and do great exploits. When Herod stretched forth his hand openly, and raised a Battery against the Church, and digged deep to blow it up; the Church made a Counter-mine, and laid this Engine of Prayer in secret, and very secretly and mysteriously it wrought.Act. 12.5, 6, 7, &c.Acts 12:5Acts 12:6Acts 12:7 Peter was cast into Prison, and into Chains in Prison; and the Church made that which is called a Conventicle. They got together in private, and made Prayer without ceasing. And this Engine of Prayer broke down the Enemies Battery, blowed up their Mine, and did their Work. Their Prayer went secretly to Heaven, and took a Courtier of the Throne by the hand, and brought him down to Earth, leads him into the Prison, unloseth the Chains, unbolts the Doors, and brings forth Peter. And the blessed Angel goes and steals upon Herod the King, and smites him down to the ground, and cuts him off with sudden and shameful Death. And he that was but little before, stretching forth p. 153his hand to vex certain of the Church, hath now the hand of God, and the hand of an Angel too, stretch'd forth against himself, to vex this Persecuting Prince to death. And notwithstanding all this Sublimity and Grandeur, though on the Throne, and in Royal Apparel, and cryed up with a shout of the People, to be a God, and not a Man, yet he was made know himself to be but a vile persecuting wretch, and a great despicable stinking worm, and meat for the lesser worms to eat. When Peter and John were apprehended and convened before the Rulers and Elders,Act. 4.Acts 4 they threatned them, and strictly charged them to Preach no more in Christs Name. But they would not observe, but return to their company, reporting what was done, and sets their Engine of Prayer a going, to counter-work the Enemies rage. They spread the threats, the cruelty and rage of the Enemies, before the Lord in Prayer, desiring the Lord to behold those threats; And at last, the Place where this Engine was set, did shake; And being cast into Prison, away comes the Angel secret by Night, and opens the Prison-Doors,Act. 5 18, 19, &c.Acts 5:18Acts 5:19 and brought them forth; and bids them go into the Temple, and speak all the words of this Life.

This Engine shoots sometimes directly, and sometimes obliquely, sometimes perpendicularly, down-right to Earth and Hell, and sometimes Elevated much again, to the last Degree and Minute of Altitude; Sometimes it is discharged forward, to pursue and overtake the Fliers in their fearful flight; and sometimes backward, p. 154to break down the Bridges, to open the Sluces, to draw the Hatches, to fill up the Moats, and to Barricado the waies, to stop the Enemies in their most vehement pursuit. Sometimes it goes off at a right level, point-blank, and sometimes at random. Somtimes it goes off through an absolute Promise, and sometimes through a conditional Promise, but always through a Mediator, and there it never misseth, or goes beside the Mark. Isa. 45.19. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain.

This the Lord hath spoken plainly and openly. I have not spoken (saith he) in secret, in a dark place of the Earth. The Heathen gods did speak darkly, and ambiguously to their worshippers,Mr. Burroughs Jacobs seed. that they knew not what to make of their words; but I have not done so to you, saith God. They would have you worship them, but they cannot help you when you have so done, But it is not so with me: I said not to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. If you use your Father Jacobs Praying-Engine, and grapple, and wrestle for the blessing, you shall be called Israels, and (as Princes) have power to prevail with me. This poor despicable worm Jacob, with the Engine of Prayer, shall prevail with God. Ah Christians! Soldiers of Christ! keep charging and discharging of your Engine, for it shall not be in vain. You have better than the word of a King, you have the Word of a faithful God, that your Prayers shall succeed, your Tears shall be botled, your Petition shall be filed up in Heaven, and God will put his own privy Signet and fiat at the bottom of p. 155them all, and issue forth a Decree for Mercy. It is one of Gods glorious Attributes, that he heareth Prayers. And those that sow in tears, Psal. 126.5, 6.Ps 126:5Ps 126:6shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoycing, bringing his Sheaves with him. Oh what a secret, and succesful Engine is this! O! little doth the World know, what is in the prayers of the Saints! What exploits they do even in secret, what good, or what hurt this Engine will secretly do them! Verily Prayer hath most Mysterious, most Sublime, most Secret and Subtil properties in it.

This Engine can shoot Sympathetical Ointment to spread a Plaister, and cure the wound which the same weapon makes: It can cast down, and comfort: It can break, and bind up the heart of an Incestious Corinthian.2 Cor. 2:7:2 Cor 2:7

It can deliver, and discharge Mercy and Misery, Judgment and Joy, Honey and Gall at once. Psal. 136.17, 18, &c. To him which smote great Kings; for his Mercy endureth fo… ever.

And slew famous Kings; for his Mercy endureth for ever.

Sihon King of the Amorites; for his Mercy endureth for ever.

And Og, the King of Bashan; for his Mercy endureth for ever, &c.

All this is the different Effects, and various Operations of the same Prayer: It can Kill, and Cure at once: It can float to the top the lowest Saints, and fink to bottom the highest Sinners, with the same Breath. It can shoot bladders p. 156to the one, and mill-stones to the other at once.

Oh! the Mystery of Prayer!

This is one of the great Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, which the Mighty Carnal Polititians of the World understand not; and yet Babes and Sucklings have it revealed unto them. They have the hand that will turn the Cock above, and draw the sweet Wine of the Kingdom, to Cordial, and refresh the Opressed Saints; and to fill the Cup to the brim with the bitter, the red, the sparkling wine of Divine wrath, for all implacable, oppressing sinners. These Babes have the key of the Kingdom of Heaven, where the Treasures of Mercy and Wrath are laid up and reserved. A Praying Hannah can go up, and fetch down a rich Mercy for her self and the Church together. And a Child, or a woman may take this Engine of Prayer, as Jael did her hammer, and secretly smite a Nail home to the head, in the head of a Sisera. Prayer is sometimes like Hack Gun-powder, it will deliver home to the Mark, and do Execution before the Report is heard; and somet…mes like white Powder, that will kill the Enemy, or get the Prize, and make no noise in Earth at all. Like Lightning, that will Mysteriously penetrate the smallest pores: That will melt the Sword, and not burn the Sheath. Prayer hath much intimacy, and goes hand in hand with the invisible God: It can deliver an Arrow to the heart of a Julian, and strike a persecuting Apostare dead, in his Tent, and no mortal eye can see whence it came. This p. 157Engine can shoot fire and water together, it can kindle a fire, and quench a flame at once. Ah subtil Sinners, seed of the Serpent! fear this secret, subtil, and sacred Engine of Prayer: It will Countermine your bloody Gun-powder Politick Plots. It will sink you down, or blow you up. It will cast your Fire-balls in your own Faces. Oh London, London! England, England! leave off the Common-fire, and the strange fire you have used so long, and hath been some of the Bellows that have blown the Coals, and kindled the flames of the other strange fire amongst you. And make use of this occult Engine of Prayer: when all your other Engines are broken, or have no water to feed them; this will dig a well, and draw water together, through the hardest Rock. It will open Rivers in high Places; and Fountains in the midst of the Vallies; and make the Wilderness a pool of Water; and the dry Land, springs of Water.

It is said of Archimedes, that admirable Engine-maker; that when the Romans laid Siege to Syracusa, where he lived, that he made Burning-glasses, and by them set on fire divers Ships which the Romans had in the Haven. He had variety of Engines, some for one purpose, and others for another purpose, because no one of them could be for all uses.Prayer can strike fire out of the Flint, and water out of the Rook, But this Engine of Prayer is for all uses, and to all intents and purposes. It is good for Fire-works, for Water-works, good to use in the Earth, and in the Air; It hath the Mystery of all the Elements in it: It hath divers and contrary effects, at p. 158one and the same time. It carries as Diametrically opposite, as the East is to the West. The Dutch new Engine is reported to have two bores, and delivers two Bullets at once, chained together but both these shots are carried along by one Chain to one place, and to one purpose. But this Engine of Prayer will deliver at once two shots of divers Metal, and carry them quite contrary waies. It will carry the Golden-Ball of Mercy one way, and the Granado of Wrath another way: The same Prayer can send one Angel to the Prison, to let go a Peter; and another to the Prelate, to knock down and execute a Herod, Esth Chap: 6, and 7.&c. It will dismount a Haman, and set a Mordecai on Horse-back; It will advance the one to Honour; and the other to the Gallows.

44. This Engine of Prayer is a loud Instrument to sound and noise. The Word hath a voice, the Rod hath a voice, and Prayer hath a voice; though the carnal careless, secure, sleepy, deaf, or rather dead ones of this World hear it not. Nay, when a good Eli could not hear a Hannahs voice, though standing by her on Earth,1 Sam. 1.13.1 Sam 1:13 yet her voice was heard loud in Heaven before the Throne of God.

It is a high expression of Luther, speaking of the Prayer of a Contrite Heart.

The least sigh of a Contrite Heart, so fills Heaven with noise, that there is no noise of any thing in Heaven, or Earth, heard at that time, but only the noise of Prayer.

This Praying Engine may make a great noise, when it makes no words.

p. 159There are Three things especially, which are said in Scripture, to make a cry.

11. The Sins of the wicked. I will go down now and see, whether they have done altogether according to the cry that is come up to me.

The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their Sin is very grievous.

Very grievous Sins, makes a very grievous cry in the ears of God,

22. The Sufferings and Blood of the Innocent is said to cry. The Blood of Abel was said to cry, from almost the beginning of the World: It was said to cry so long ago, and it continues crying to this day.

And the Blood of the New-Testament-Martyrs, is said to cry. Rev. 6.9, 10.Rev. 6.9, 10.Rev 6:9Rev 6:10 I saw under the Altar, the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held.

And they cryed with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judg and avenge our Blood, on them that dwell on the Earth.

And Blood cries at Rome, and Blood cries in England, and cries at London; O London, London! hearken to the voice of the Marian blood, of the blood of Martyrs, the blood of Smith-field, that Akeldema, that Field of blood where the Martyrs fryed. And all the Innocent and Royal blood, that have been spilt in thee from time to time, lies crying aloud to Heaven for Vengeance at this day. And the Martyrs fire so long ago, may kindle these fresh Flames of wrath.

33. There is the Prayers of the Saints, that p. 160are said to cry. Luk. 18.7. And shall not G… avenge his own Elect, which cry day and night unto him, &c. Prayer hath a loud cry, and it hath a long cry too. It cries day and night; It cries continually, from Generation to Generation▪ It cries until the Cause and Quarrel of the Elect be Avenged; and the Mercies they cry for, he obtained.

All these cries are up in the World, yea, and up in England, and that very high at this day. Though Prayer be look'd upon never so despicable, yet it hath a loud and successful voice. Though it may be look'd upon by many to be but as the noise of Rams-horns, yet it will make the Walls of Rome, like the Walls of Jerico, to fall down. Prayer hath a loud breath, and a long breath, yea and a strong breath likewise. Though Prayer may sound no more than a Tear on Earth, yet it sounds as a Trumpet in Heaven. And like some Engines that begins with a smoak, but ends with a sound. The Prayers of the Saints go up to Heaven with the smoak of Incense; but they make a report, and recoile with a loud eccho, and have voices as terrible Thunderings, and Lightnings, and Earth-quakes. Rev. 8.3, 4, 5. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar, having a Golden Censer, and there was given unto him much Incense, that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne. And the smoak of the Incense, which came with the Prayers of the Saints, ascended up before God, out of the Angels hand. And the Angel took the Censer and filled it with p. 161Fire of the Altar; and cast it into the Earth: and there were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake. Let me a little open this Scripture, that you may the better understand how your Engine of Prayer comes to make such a Report, and to sound so loud.

This Angel is understood to be the Lord Jesus, the true Angel of the Covenant; not a common and ordinary Angel, but a Covenant and extraordinary Angel. It is Jesus Christ that offers up the Prayers of the Saints.

And He is the true Golden Altar himself,Dr. Gouge Commentary on the Types which keeps in, and bears the living coals to kindle Prayer, and that sanctifieth the gift.

He is the Golden Censer, as well as the Golden Altar. The much Incense that was offered with the Prayers of all Saints, is his superabundant Merits and Mediation. His Spirit blows the Coals, and kindles the Incense, and fills the Censer with Fire; and then the Smoak and the Savour of Prayer is sweet. And then He, as our Great High Priest, carries them into the Holiest of Holiest, and layes them upon himself, the glorious Golden Altar that is before the Throne of God; and offers them up with his own hands,When Marcellus came gainst Syracuse with great Forces, Archimedes began to handle his Engines, and flew many kinds of shot, and stones of great weight, which sell with such exceeding noise and violence, that it beat back the Romans and brake down the Foundations of their Engines that was against them, &c Clark. Mir. p. 159. The Engine of Prayer is of greater Noise and Force. and makes them acceptable in Heaven. And having found acceptance in Heaven, what a noise will they make at their p. 162rebound when they are cast down into the Earth?

What a comfortable Eccho will it be to the Saints? And what a dreadful Thunder-clap and Earth-quake will it be to their Enemies? The lower in the Valley an Engine is discha…ged, the more it will Eccho. And so it is with the Militant Saints, when they dwell lowest in the valleys of Affliction, the greater report and redound will their Prayers make, the greater Eccho will they give.

The lower the Israelites lay in Bondage, in Affliction and Iron, the deeper did they sigh, the louder did they cry, the more grievous did they groan; And their cry came up to the Lord by reason of their Bondage, and accordingly did the Lord remember them: And at last their Prayers and Cry redounded with the voice of joy, in a Jubile for themselves, and Judgment and utter Destruction upon Pharoah and his Army, their oppressing Enemies, which made the Sea to roar, and the Earth to ring with a mighty voice.

The least sigh or sob, the least groan or moan, or tear of a gracious heart, makes a noise in Heaven. David knew it well enough, and therefore he is sometimes, with his Lord hear the voice of my weeping, the voice of my groaning, the voice of my moaning, the voice of my morning, the voice of my sighing, &c.

The great God makes much, yea he makes the most of the least of Prayer: When the Saints do but sigh on Earth in a Dungeon, he hears them on his Throne of Glory. When p. 163they do but sigh in the Prison, he hears it at his Palace. Ah Saints! what a God have you! that a sigh should sound so loud to be heard in Heaven, to awaken God, to rise him up, and to bring him down from the Throne to the Foot-stool, to help his oppressed People.Psal. 79.11.Ps 79:11 Let the sighing of the Prisoners come before thee; according to the greatness of thy Power preserve those that are appointed to dye: Or, as the Marginal reading is, Preserve the Children of Death. Ah Prisoners of Christ, and Children of Death! what a Cordial is this, That your sighing may be heard in Heaven, to break your bonds, though Affliction and Iron, yea, though bound with the bonds of Death? It can reverse the Sentence from the Children of Death, upon whom it is cast.

Jesus wept and groaned, and groaned again; and the groans were heard in Heaven: And he cryed out, and his voice was heard in the Grave, and the bonds of Death were loosed, and the Grave gave up her Dead.

Ah Soldiers of Christ!Gemitus oppressorum exaudit Deus. learn of your Captain to weep and groan over another Lazarus, and it may bring him from the dead, though he have lain in the Grave-bound hand and foot, under a heavy Tomb-stone, more years than the former did dayes.

Oh! go with Mary, and weep at the grave, till he whom thou lovest, and Christ loveth, come forth. The Prayer of Faith, though in sighs and groans that cannot be expressed, may cry loud enough to save the sick, and to raise the dead. What a precious Text is that, worthy p. 164to be written in letters of Gold! Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the Poor, for the sighing of the Needy; Now will I arise (saith the Lord) I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. Or, as the Marginal reading is, From him that would ensnare him.

Ah poor and needy ones! are men puffing at you, and ensnaring of you? When you cannot utter your complaints openly, yet you may secretly sigh out your Oppressions before the Lord, and that will be loud enough to awaken the Lord to arise.

For with him the Fatherless find Mercy.

Prayer is a Weapon, an Engine, which your Enemies with all their skill and power cannot take from you, or wholly hinder the use of it, as long as you live. Let a Saint have all his Books taken away, yet he can pray. Cast him into Prison with Peter, yet he can Pray. Cast bloody stones at him with Stephen, Act. 7.60.Acts 7:60yet he can Pray in that dark storm. Stop his mouth with a gag, or a cloath, as some of the Martyrs were, yet he can sob, and sigh, and that is Prayer. Pluck out, or cut off his Tongue, as other Martyrs were used, yet he will moan and groan, and that is Prayer, yea and loud Prayer too. The more men go to silence Prayer, the louder it cries; the more they go to stop, and damm up Prayer, the more it breaks forth and runs over, like waters, with a greater noise.

Let out his Blood, and that will still speak, and cry with the Blood of Abel. Burn him to ashes, his dust will fly up to Heaven with the Martyrs, and joyn Forces with that blessed p. 165Army, and besiege the Throne of God, the Throne of Grace and Glory, with a loud voice, How long, holy and true, Rev. 6.10.Rev 6:10dost thou not avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth? And all the Prayers they made in the time of their life, will reinforce their strength again, and follow them when they are dead. This the Spirit of truth Proclaims from Heaven, Rev. 14.13.

Oh Enemies to Prayer, Persecutors of Praying-Saints! What do you mean? bethink your selves before it be too late. Can you stop the running of Jordan, or the over-flowing of Nilus, or the roaring of the Sea? Or can you silence the clamor and terrible shout of the last Trumpets sounding, when you are called to Judgment? Then may you silence the Noise of this Praying-Engine, and not till then.

55. This is a Potent, Powerful Engine. You may guess much at this by what hath been said already. The Engine of Prayer is powerful every where. It is powerful in Heaven, in Earth, in Hell, the Sea and all deep places. Behold and see well what it hath done, what it can do, and what it shall do. It hath had power over Devils, power over Men, yea, and power over God. It hath healed the Sick, it hath raised the Dead; it hath chained up the Devil, and cast out Devils; when the gift of Miracles could not do it, the gift of Prayer could.One said of the Prayer of Luther, Non dubito quin multum subsidii ad desperatam hanc causam comitiorum preces illius illaturae sunt. That he was confident the business had some life in it, because Luther Prayed. When Paul knew no other way to break his Chains, and open the Prison door, he questioned not p. 166but this Engine of Prayer would do it. He was a Prisoner, when he wrote his Epistle to Philemon, and he writes to him for to prepare a lodging, upon the confidence he had of the power of this Engine of Prayer. Philem. 22. But withal prepare me a lodging; for I trust that through your Prayers I shall be given unto you. This Engine can fetch a Paul out of Prison, a Jonah out of the belly of the Whale in the Sea, and a Lazarus out of the Grave, on the Land: This is that Engine that hath shut up Heaven, and opened it again; This Engine hath stopt the Sun, and the Moon in their courses, until the people had avenged themselves upon their Enemies. All those great exploits that are attributed to Faith, Heb. 11. of being valiant in Battel, of putting to flight Armies of Aliens, of subduing Kingdoms, &c. may be all attributed to Prayer; it was by Faith, by Faith in Prayer.It is said of Luther, that he could have whatsoever he would of God in Prayer. Potuit quicquid voluit. Said Archimedes, give me a place to set my Engine on, and I will move the World. Soldiers of Christ, you have not only an Engine that will move the World, but you have a place to set it on, very firm; There is the Promise of God, and the Mediation of Christ, a place on purpose, put the Engine of Prayer there, and it will more than move the World: It will move the Maker, and (with holy Reverence be it spoken) command the Maker of the World. What a memorable Text is that Isa. 45.11. Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel and his Maker, Ask me of things to come, concerning my Sons, and concerning the work of my Hands command ye me. O of what power is p. 167Prayer, and of what condescention is God! Prayer can command the Holy One for things to come, yea, and for things present! It can command open, and it can command up, and fasten the Omnipotent hands! it can command down Mercies, and command away Miseries! See another memorable Text, which will prove the latter, as well as the forementioned have proved the former, Exod. 32.10, 11.Austin glosseth thus on the words, Domine quis tenat te. Lord who holdeth thee? who can lay Fetters and restraints upon Omnipotency &c? Now therefore said the Lord to Moses, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and consume them, &c. Why, what did Moses do, that the Lord could not fire, and pour out the Vials of Wrath? Why, he kept off, and shut up the Omnipotent Hands and the Everlasting Arms, with his Praying Engine. O what a powerful thing is Prayer, that will in a sense overcome an infinite God! O Praying Souls, Praying Soldiers of Christ! you are the Mighty ones, the most powerful Princes and Potentates in the World. You have power as Princes, to prevail with God the only Potentate. O! What Engine is like unto yours! What were many of those mighty Ramms, and battering Engines which Vespasian brought against Jerusalem? Or that Archimedes made in Sicily? Or those which Nebuchadnezzar set against the Walls of Tyrus? Or those which the great Turk carries about with his Artillery,Ezek. 26.8, 9Ezek 26:8Ezek 26:9 to this mighty Engine of Prayer, that Christ Jesus hath left in the Hearts, and in the Hands of the Militant Saints?

By Blood and Prayers (saith Luther) the Church overcomes the World. Ecclesia totio Mundum sanguine, & oratione convertit. Luther.Ah Saints! Sufferings and Prayers will Conquer p. 168the World, be it never so strong▪

66. The Engine of Prayer is very Formidable, Cruel, and Terrible to the Churches Implacable and Irreconcilable Enemies. Against such, this Engine is loaden and full charged, with dreadful Powder and Shot of terrible Threats and Imprecations. And Wo to them that are the Butts and Marks that it is levelled at, when it's fired and discharged. What Terrible shot did David charge his Praying-Engine with, when he put in, and rammed home one fearful Imprecation after another, and fired all at once? Psal. 35.1, 2, &c. (1) Fight against them that fight against me. (2) Take hold of Shield and Buckler, and stand up for my help. (3) Draw out also the Spear, and stop the way against them that Persecute me (4) Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seek after my soul (5) Let them be turned back, and brought to confusion, that devise my hurt. (6) Let them be as Chaff before the Wind. (7) And let the Angel of the Lord Chase them. (8) Let their way be dark and slippery. (9) And let the Angel of the Lord Persecute them: for without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my Soul. (10) Let Destruction come upon him at unawares. (11) And let his Net which he hath hid, catch himself; into the very Destruction let him fall. Ah Persecutors of Saints, implacable Enemies of Christ and his Militant Church, by what names or titles soever you are distinguished, whether Clergy, or Laity, whether Bishops, Archbishops, Deans, or Deacons; whether Nobility, Gentry, or Commonalty; whether Popes, or p. 169Prelates; whether Princes or Parliaments; whether Convocations or Counsels; whether Judges of Oyer and Terminer, Justices of the Peace, and Jury-men of the Inquest, one and all, seriously consider, and behold this Terrible Engine which King David did use. There is no Mortar-piece, nor no Murdering-piece in all the World so Terrible. Behold the number and the weight of the fiery Granadoes, and Imprisoned Bullets, that it delivers against you at once.

Here are no less than Ten Imprications in one Prayer. There were Ten fearful Primitive Persecutions; and here are Ten fearful Imprecations against all the implacable Persecutors in the World. The Militant Saints have the same Engine, for the same use that David had, only with this small difference: David by an Infallible and Prophetical Spirit did better see his Mark, he levelled point-blank, sometimes at particular persons. As Saul the King, Cush the Courtier, wicked Doeg, Judas Iscariot, with others of that Regiment. But now though the Soldiers of Christ shoot more at random, conditionally, that they be such; and though they cannot level so direct, yet Gods Infallible Hand will carry home the shot, and make it hit the right White, as well and effectualy as if they knew the very Numeral and Individial persons by name. Ah Persecutors of the Saints! beware, and stand clear, and shake, and fall down, when this Engine is charged with Deprecations and Imprecations together: For if this White-Powder carry home the shot, it will be a dark p. 170night,Two Soldiers in Waymouth Garrison, strived which of them could cast a stone into the Muzzel of a gun; at length one of them obtained his end; but the Gun being charged with Powder, the force of the stone did strangly cause it to fire, and Mortally wounded him that threw it; it was supposed to be the same stone that he threw which wounded him. It is easy to apply it. or at least, a black day for you. I have been told by a Low-Country Soldier, and an Honourable English Commander, That a great shot came from their Enemies Fort, and went directly into the Muzzel of one of their Ordnance, which being charged, the force of the shot fired the Gun, which sent back the Enemies shot, and their own together, as soon as it came. Implacable Persecutors, you fire your Ordnance, and let fly your shot point-blank at Christ, and his Soldiers; take heed, lest your shot enter the mouth of their Engine, and force it to fire, and carry back your own shot and another too, and that with a powder.

You that fire your Chase-Guns at Christ and his Soldiers, Take heed that the shot do not recoile home to your selves, out of Davids Engine, with a Let them be as the Chaff before the Wind; and let the Angel of the Lord Chase them. The Angel of the Lord can Chase, and drive you about, and drive you along at another rate, then you, and the Angel of Darkness together, do drive up and down, and chase about the Soldiers of Christ.

You that have made the way of the Saints to be dark and slippery, that they know not whither to go, nor how to stand, because of your Acts, and Ordinances, and Canons, &c. Take heed lest this come back with a like rebound; With a Let their way be dark and slippery. And as they have Persecuted the Saints of God, let the spirit of God convince and convert them, or else, Let their way be dark and slippery; And p. 171let the Angel of the Lord Persecute them.

Saint John describes the Monstrous, Cruel, Ter…ible, Antichristian Beast, to have Seven Heads and Ten Horns, and Seven Crowns, and a long Tail of Apostate wandring Stars, the third part of the Stars of Heaven; which waited to engage, to devour (Christ) the man Child, and the woman (the Church) as soon as she brought him forth.

Well, Soldiers of Christ, hath this terrible Red Dragon, this cruel Romish Beast, numbers of perfection? hath this Beast the strength of Seven Heads, and the honour of Seven Crowns? you have a Praying-Engine that hath Seven Totalities, to shoot at every one of these Heads, and knock them too, and to strike off those Seven Crowns!

Hath this fiery Dragon Ten Horns, more Horns than Heads, to goar and grieve, to pierce, to push, and persecute? Why, you have an Engine of Persecution, that will carry Ten terrible shots at once, as many Imprecations as the Beast hath Horns; and the Horns, yea all the Horns of the wicked shall be broken. Hath this Prodigious Beast of Rome, of Sodom, of Hell, goared the Saints with Horns, to their Hearts, and let out their Blood? Then charge your Engine full with Blood, and use this terrible Murdering-piece, and let fly a Granado full of Blood and Fire, to the very Seat of the Beast, to the very Gates of Rome. It is the Royal Law of the King of Heaven, and it is the probation and prayers of the Saints on Earth, Blood for Blood, good Lord. How long holy and true, dost thou not avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth!

p. 172Rev. 16.6.Rev 16:6For they have shed the Blood of Saints, and Prophets; and thou hast given them Blood to drink, for they are worthy. There was no Sanctuary, nor City of refuge for wilful-Murder, under the Law, nor is there any under the Gospel; neither the Temple, nor the Throne can protect or priviledg from a righteous God, and an Almighty Hand.

As the quarrel and injury relates only to our selves; we must with Christ our Captain, and with Stephen the File-leader and First Martyr, pray for Forgiveness, and Conversion, if possible it may be obtained; but as the Cause is Gods, and the Enemies Implacable: Then to them it is, O Lord God, to whom Vengeance belongeth: O God to whom Vengeance belongeth, shew thy self. Lift up thy self, thou Judg of the Earth; render a reward to the Proud.

O What a Terrible Engine is this! able to affright, to astonish, and confound the Enemies of Christ! What were those Engines which Ʋzziah made in Jerusalem, 2 Chr. 26.15.2 Chr 26:15Engines invented by cunning men, to be on the Towers, and upon the Bulwarks, to shoot Arrows, and great Stones withal. He grew Famous, and Strong, and Terrible to the Enemies by these. But Christs Soldiers Engine is the most Terrible and Dreadful that is in all the World. This Engine will not only shoot Arrows, and great Stones; but Snares, Fire and Brimstone; Blood and Wrath, Plagues and Death, to all Irreconcilable Enemies of the Militant Church.

It is said of the Queen of Scots, that she was more afraid of Mr. Knox his Prayers, than p. 173of the Invasion of a great English Army. And if one Saints Prayers be so dreadful, what are all the Militant Saints, when united together? when all the Saints are compleatly Martialled in Rank and File, with Armour on, with Weapons drawn, with their Banners displaying, and with their Engine firing, Then thou art beautiful, O my love (saith Christ) as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an Army with Banners. Comely in Christs eyes, but Terrible to the Enemies.

And now having shewed you the parts and the properties of your Engine of Prayer,The Third thing to direct, and to press to the use of the Engine. I shall in the next place direct you, and press you to the right use of it, for our present occasions; and so I shall hasten out of the Armory, and go forth into the Field again.

And, for brevity sake, that the Paper may not swell too big, I shall reduce all that little I shall say more to this great Engine, to two heads.

1First, Make use of it at home, about all your Domestick occasions and concernments.

2Secondly, Make use of it abroad more remote, to negotiate your more Foreign Affairs.

1First, At home in the Heart, the nearest of all homes.The Main-Guard is the Heart. Cant. 1.6.Song 1:6 Do not be (as the Church complained she was) the keeper of others Vinyards, but mine own Vinyard have I not kept. Set this Engine a work to catch all the Foxes, to kill all the noxious Vermine of Lusts and Temptations; and to cut down, to root up, to carry away the Luxuriant broods, and branches, and the wicked Weeds of Sin and Corruption.

p. 174Fire your Engine at the heart of Sin, in your own Hearts, the head-quarter, where it doth lodg: keep firing into the Main-guard, until your Enemies be there killed and blown up, and there be a general Rout.

And so make use of it, to fetch in Soul-Provision, and Heart-Ammunition to get in more Spiritual Might and Force from the Spirit of Christ, and the Word of Christ; of the Fruits of the Spirit, and more of the Truths of the Spirit; to quicken, comfort, strengthen, stablish, settle, and to carry you on in the wayes of Christ.

2Secondly, Make use of this Engine of Prayer at home in the House, as well as in the Heart; in your Housholds and Families; resolve with Valiant Joshua, Josh. 24.15.Josh 24:15that you, and your Housholds will serve the Lord, and seek the Lord, whatever others do, or will do; pray for, and pray with, and pray over your Family-Relations, Do not lie open to that Wrath which is threatned to be poured out on the Heathens, and the Families that call not on the Name of the Lord. Let the Bethaven become a Bethel, and your houses, like the House of God, (viz) A House of Prayer. Let this Engine of Prayer be the key to open the eyes in your morning, and the barrs and bolts to make them fast and safe at night. Saith Godly Bradford in his Letter, Pray, Pray, Pray.

33. Thirdly, Make use of this Engine in the Churches of Christ (at home) amongst the Congregations of the Righteous, in the Assemblies and Societies of the Saints, the Companies, p. 175and Companions of Christ. Can. 8.13.The Gardens that are enclosed, the Fountains that are sealed up, Can. 4.12.in the Clefts of the Rocks, Can. 2.14.in the secret places of the Stairs; where the Companions hearken to Christs voice; there do you pray, that you may hear it also, and he may hear yours too. There in the Gardens Christ dwells, and there he smells the odoriferous spices, and feedeth among the Lillies, on the tender Grapes, and precious Pomegranates; and there he waiteth for the Incense of Prayers to perfume them with sweetness, and smoak that will carry them up before the Throne of God. Ah Soldiers of Christ! set your Engine a work together, and Pray; though you pay for praying, and are punished for praying, yet pray for your selves, and for them that punish you. If men will send you to the Goal or Bridewell for praying, yet pray in Prison, and make the Den of Theeves a House of Prayer; and pray for your Persecutors, that after they have sent you to Goal and Bridewell for praying,Jude. 6.Jude 1:6 they be not bound like mad-men, and cast into black-Bedlam, into utter darkness, blackness of darkness, and chains of everlastingness with mad malicious Devls, and desperate reprobate men. And pray, that the Flames of Gods Wrath be not hotter and longer on them in Hell, than the Fire of Persecution hath been on you in Earth. If the Sun of Persecution gets up to its Meridian Altitude, and keep noon all day until you are black with its looking on you, yet it will sett at last; But when the flames of Wrath once kindle on Persecutors, in the dark World, on the other side p. 176of the Grave,Mark. 9.48.Mark 9:48 they will never cease. There the Worm dieth not, a…d the Fire is not quenched. O! meet together and pity them, and pray for them; mingle your prayers with tears, and if possible, your tears with blood; that they may believe Moses and the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles, and may not come to that place and state of Eternal Torment. If they do smite one shepherd into Prison, and another into the Grave with praying, yet let the Flock of Christ, the Friends of Christ, the Soldiers of Christ, learn of the Primitive Persecuted Saints, to meet together, and to make Prayers without ceasing. Acts. 12.5.Acts 12:5Servants of Christ, Soldiers of Christ, come together at this Engine-duty; do not be afraid of a Statute Turn-pike, or a Cathedral Canon-Basket: your Praying-Engine will help you over, or help you under, and at last remove them. Do not put off Christ with less than a Rank, or with less than a File. Half-Files of the Rear, come up in Order, and double the Front entire, once. And make up a little Company, (at least) for the sake of your great Commander, and for the service of your great King.Heb. 10.35.Heb 10:35 O! do not forsake the Assembling of your selves together, as the manner of some is; but be meeting together, and striving together in your Prayers.

If you be despightfully used, and persecuted for Praying, Let it be all a Case; yet meet and Pray for all Saints, and for all men, for Kings and others under them in Authority, that you may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all Godliness and honesty. And pray for them (like p. 177Stephen stoned) that despitefully use you, Acts 7.59. Mat. 5.44, 45Acts 7:59Matt 5:44Matt 5:45and persecute you; That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven; and the good Soldiers of your Captain Christ, to obey his Commands in the Earth. And let the Mighty ones of the World know, that though they can worst you at Regal, Legal, Statute-weapon, yet they may meet with their match at this Engine-praying-exercise; and here you have Power as Princes to prevail with God.

It was a true saying of that Court-Chaplain,Mr. Baxter in his Sermon preached before the King, on Heb. 11.1. Gen. 32.28. Isa. 41.14.Heb 11:1Gen 32:28Isa 41:14 who said to the greatest of men, That they were but the great Worms, and we the small Worms. And it is most true, that the little worm Jacob, was as mighty at Prayer, as David the great Worm, the King of Israel. And Oh that Court-Clerks, and Prelatical-Parasites would leave off flattering in Preaching and Praying; That Christ and Cesar might have both their dues; That Kings might Reign for Christ on Earth, and Reign with him in a better Kingdom in Heaven.

4Fourthly, Make use of this Engine at home in the Kingdom, and at home for the Kingdom; for the Kingdom of England, and for the Kingdom of Christ. Christians, it is high time to Pray to the purpose,

In reference to Evils and Miseries.

And in reference to Good and Mercies.

There is a Two-fold Evil that you should set this Engine of Prayer a work about to remove out of our Land: The evil of Sin; and the evil of Suffering.

11. The evil of Sin, the evil of evils, the enemy p. 178of enemies. And what a large Field and Wilderness-Labyrinth am I got into here! A deep Abyss, a miry Sodom, Legions of Devils, boundless, and bottomless Hell! Here is terra cognita, and terra incognita; The known, and the unknown Land, in our own Country. They are more then I have time to tell, or am able to enumerate the Muster-roll of this black Death-guard of Enemies. It will silence all, to give a true number of false, innumerable, Godprovoking, and Land-destroying Sins.

And many of them, such as will make any modest face to blush, and heart to grieve, and eyes and heart to mingle tears as red as blood, to wet the pen that writes them down, in their Crimson, Scarlet, aggravated, complicated, bloody colours in grain.

Swearing and forswearing, loving to swear too much, and learning to swear more; Cursing and swearing miserably, mingled with a Damn-me, Ram-me, with a dreadful Devil Confound me Body and Soul; using these as fast as Lust can command, and the black-mouth let out the bloodiness of the filthy heart; and though they are marched as far as Blasphemy already, in many of this kind and rank, yet wait when the Devil their Captain will invent them more, and worse if he can, and lead them further in his black Field. Blaspheming very high Gods Holy Name; opening the wounds, letting out the Blood of the great Son of God; Crucifying him like Jews, worse than Jews; every day, many times a day. And yet all this counted little or nothing, by many sad Subjects p. 179of the King, and Sons of the Church, and Enemies to the Cross and the Crown of Christ. Truce-breaking, lying, loving to lye, living in lyes, living to lye, dying in lyes, and at last, dye for ever, for ever, for lying for a time.

The (wicked) works of the Flesh which are manifest, that Cursed Catalogue, Adultery, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21, 22.Gal 5:19Gal 5:20Gal 5:21Gal 5:22Fornication, Ʋncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witch-craft, Hatred, Variance, Emulation, Wrath, Strife, Sedition, Heresies, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings and such like; May we not put in all these, and many more, in the List of our Land, and leave room for an almost ad infinitum, for the rest?

The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles, saith, It is a shame for to speak of what is done by them in secret; how much more then of professed Christians, that commit them openly.Job. 24.15.Job 24:15 In Jobs time the Adulterers sought the Twilight; now they take the noon-day. Pauls Doctrine of Matrimonial propriety is left off, and the Nicholaitan Doctrine of Community of Women is grown in fashion with many.

In Pauls time, those that were drunken, 1 Thes. 5.7.1 Thess 5:7were drunk in the night; but now drunkenness keeps company with Whoredom, and with a Harlots impudent face and fore-head, walks the Streets by day. Heretofore it was a Pint and a Cake, but now 'tis a Quart and a Quean. Heretofore 'twas as drunk as a Begger, but now the Proverb is changed, to as drunk as a Lord. The worst of unrighteousness is to be found amongst the Gods.

Ah Christians, Soldiers of Christ! The Sins p. 180of the Land hath made sad work for your Praying-Engine! These are the sowers of Sedition in Court and Country. These are the greatest Incendiaries; these are the worst Malignants, and the most dangerous Fanaticks that are most likely to embrue the Land in Blood and Wrath. These are the greatest Enemies to the Court and Countrey, to the King and Kingdom. These High-Treasonable Sins against the King of Heaven, are threatning to betray, and destroy both high and low by their treacherous evil. They have betrayed and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah a great while ago, and Jerusalem long since; Sin hath cast out Adam out of Paradise, and destroyed all Mankind for a time; It cast Angels out of Heaven into Chains of Darkness,2 King. 9.22.2 Kgs 9:22 and destroyed them for ever. Never think of Peace and Settlement, as long as these Whoredoms, and Witch-crafts of Jezzabel be in the City, and in the Countrey.

These be Devils that have possessed our Land, like the man in the Gospel; and they will cast it sometimes into the Fire, and sometimes into the Water; sometimes into the Plague, sometimes into the Sword, and sometimes into the Famine; And they are such a kind of Devils, as goes not out, but by fasting and prayer; and it is well if that will do it. Ah Christians! Arms, Arms, awake quickly, and to your Engine-duty; Charge it well with Fasting, and play it hard, to cast out these Devils, to kill Sin in the Land, that it doth not kill the King, and kill the Parliament, and kill the Courtiers, and kill the Citizens, and the poor Countrey-men, Gentry and Clergy, one, and all.

p. 181It is said of Archimedes, that when the Enemy had broken in, and taken the City of Syracusa, that he was so busied about drawing of Lines, and contriving to strengthen the Fortifications to keep them out, that he never stirred from his Fortification-work, until the Romans came to his house, broke open his Study Door, and killed him in the Place.

Ah Christian-Engineer, be very busie about your Engine-contrivances; and though you may be looked upon as Incendiaries, and the troublers of Israel, for praying for England, and may be killed in the place for Praying: yet it shall be said of you, as was said of Josiah, That though he was slain in War, yet he dyed in Peace. And though men write down your names as Infamous Rebels for Praying, yet your great Captain and King will give you that Royal Motto, Beati Pacefici, King James.Blessed be Peace-makers, when you are dead.

22. Make use of your Praying-Engine in reference to the evil of affliction, the Judgments and Miseries of the Land; Those already inflicted, to remove them; and those that are yet threatned, and depending, to raise up Bulwarks against them, to stop and prevent them. See if you can stop the destroying Angel, that have Marched so far in the Head and Heart of the Land, and slain so many, and filled so many pits and graves with the dead; and so many houses of joy, to become houses of mourning. Oh strive to pray out the Plague, and let the Noisom Infectious Houses and Places p. 182be perfumed with the sweet incense and smoak of your Praying-Engine, that the voice of joy and health may be heard in theirs, and continued in ours.

And Pray again, and pray hard, to remove a far worse Plague out of the Land than the former, (viz.) An Ignorant, Sottish, Debauched, Superstitious Ministry, the Soul-destroying Plague of the Nation; these Black and White Angels of Darkness, which sweep away, and destroy more Souls in Hell, than the Angel of Light doth bodies in the Grave. Oh! Charge your Engine with strong Breath-powder, and if it be possible, blow more life, more light, and put in better Oyl in the Lamps (or rather Dark-Lanthorns) or else keep blowing until those stinking Snuffs be utterly extinguish'd, who offend with their stink, and give no light. It is Recorded in Church-History, of one who said, That heretofore, they had Golden Priests, and Wooden-Chalices, but now they had Golden-Chalices, and Wooden-Priests. We may say so much now, and more too: We have many Wooden-Priests, and Dirty, Filthy, Sottish, Superstitious, Swearing and Unclean ones likewise. We have those Priests that have Babylons Cup, and the Poyson and Filthiness of the Mother of Harlots in it too. We have Painted and Guilded Churches, and Chappels, and Chalices; but many Wooden, Filthy, Church-men and Chaplains that use them.

This is the Plague of Plagues in England, at this day, That the Priests-House, should be more Infectious than the Pest-House; And that p. 183the White-Devil should destroy more Souls in the Church, than the Black-Devil doth in the Market. Oh! as you love your Native Land, and your own and others Souls, set your Praying-Engine a work, and pray those better, or blow them out, who cannot pray for themselves, or theirs.

Set your Praying-Engine a working to stop the March, and remove the misery of Poverty, which is come in, and coming on upon the Land like an Armed man, and that not only upon the sloathful and sluggards,Pro. 6.11.Prov 6:11 but upon the industrious and diligent also. The Trade and Manufactory of the Land is sadly decayed: Many rich men are become poor already; many Masters are become Servants, many Wise men become Fools for want of money and necessaries to supply their occasions, and negotiate their business. Many houses in which hath been found riches and plenty, now poverty and penury. Many faithful Ministers turned out of House and Home, out of Parishes, out of Cities, out of Towns-Corporate, and Five miles out of petty Burroughs too; many of them, with many Children, and more Debts, without any outward Estate of their own, or Fifths, Tenths, or Unites allowed them by others.

Many poor men work for Brass, instead of Silver; and others would work for almost any thing, but cannot get Imployment, their Clothes lies at pawn, the Brass is sold to buy bread, and the Children cry for more when that is eaten. The Husbandman knows not how to pay his King his Royal-Aid, and his Landlord his p. 184rightful Rent, and live meanly with his poor Family. The Lenders have but little money, and the Borrowers less credit. Oh pity much, and Pray much for the Land, because of this, because of the misery of Poverty which doth so much already, and is likely more to distress and distract the poor Nation, your Mother-Countrey that hath brought you forth.

Set your Praying-Engine a work to sheath the Sword that is drawn; and to tomkin the Muzzels of the Guns, that are fired between the Two near Protestant Nations; That there be no more such Battels of the Warrier at Sea, with such confused noise, and garmen…s rolling in Blood, as there hath been al eady; that the Fish may live no longer upon …rotestant Flesh; and the salt-Sea which is full enough, have streams of Blood from England and Holland (as well as water) to fill it fuller, and unnaturally alter its Natural colour, from Sea-green, to Blood-red; that we do not name Englands Narrow-Seas, from the colour of the water, as the Egyptian Sea is called, from the colour of the Sand, The Red-Sea. Have not the devouring Fish eaten Flesh enough, and the unsatisfied Sea suck'd Blood enough? Are there not Orphands, Fatherless, and Widows enow in our Land already? hath not Limbs and Lives been sufficiently lost?A day of Battel is a day of Harvest for the Devil. hath there not been dayes of Battel and slaughter enow for men? and dayes of Harvest enow for the Devil?

Hath not the deep Sea swallowed up Bodies enow, and the deeper Hell Souls enow ere this time? Are not Protestant Nations few p. 185enow, and poor enow, and weak enow already? are they not low enow, and the Common-Enemy, the bloody Popish Nations high enow, of playing sweep stakes with both at once?

Oh! set your Engine going, and keep it going, till these bloody Issues be stopt and healed; until there be an honourable, and profitable, and happy Peace made up between these Lands; that they may strengthen each other hereafter, as they have weakned each other already. Soldiers of Christ, your Captain is the Prince of Peace, Let your Engine of war be used for Peace.

Again, set your Praying-Engine a working, to work in the Liberty and Prosperity of the Gospel of Peace into the Land. Set your Engine to open the mouths of the Dumb, and to raise from the Grave the many Ministers who are Legally dead. Though their mouths are gagg'd; and as to Office, Place, Preaching and Praying, Publick or Private, Sacraments or Censurers, are made by Law Ipso facto dead; yet your Prayers may make Null and Void those Acts of Men, by an Act, or Acts of the righteous God; and get out the Gags, and loosen the Tongues, and cause a spirit of Life from God, to enter into the slain Witnesses, that they may rise again, and stand up and Prophesie.

Ah Soldiers of Christ! use this Engine, and Pray as the Lord Jesus instructed his Disciples, That the Lord of the Harvest would send forth Labourers into his Harvest, Luk. 10.2.

Pray that the Gospel may have a free passage, p. 186and run, and be glorified every where in the Land; that Peace and Purity in Doctrine and Discipline may meet together amongst all the Churches of Christ in the Land; that God would raise up a Bulwark, yea, a mighty Battery against the Bloody Romish Religion; and that his Spirit may lift up a Standard against those Assyrians, whensoever they shall Invade our Land. Oh pray for the blessings of the Gospel of Peace, and Prosperity with the Gospel; that the Ark be not taken, and kept in uncircumcised Philistines hands, but we may leave it to the Generations that be to come; that after we have served God, in our Generation the Generations to come may stand up, and call us blessed. That those who have but little or nothing of this worlds goods to bequeath to their Children, may leave them the unsearchable riches of Christ, in the great Truths and precious Ordinances of the Gospel Oh! Pray in purity of Worship, and Unity among the Saints into the Land.

2Secondly, Make use of your Praying-Engine about Foreign Affairs, whether more near, or more remote abroad in the World.

11. For the good of the Neighbour-Nations: For all the Mercy that they do stand in need of as well as our selves. There be many that do Pray for us. Oh let the Forces of Three Kingdoms meet, and unite at the House of the Trinity, at the Throne of Grace, in the Kingdom of Heaven. There are many in these Nations that are (as it were) bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh: Let us not be guilty of p. 187such a Negative Cruelty, as not to afford them that Assistance which lies in our own Power, and not regard the bitterness of their bonds, when in the anguish of their Souls, they are beseeching of us: In Praying for them, we do in a special sence Pray for our selves; our own lives are bound up in the lives of these Lands, these Children.

2Secondly, Make use of your Praying-Engine, for the welfare of the Protestant Churches more remote, in the Foreign parts of the World. Those in America, which dwell among the Heathens, the poor Waldenses, and the rest in Europe, that dwell among Persecuting Bloody Papists, &c.

3Thirdly, Make use of your Praying-Engine, for to batter down the strong holds of Popery, every where: And plant it especially against the Wall of Babylon, and encompass the Walls of the Great City, by Faith in the noise of Prayer, until you have done Execution, and hear the Eccho of your Engine, with a Babylon, Babylon the great City is fallen.

4Fourthly, Make use of this Great Engine for the bringing down of the Great Turk, and the Conversion of the poor out-cast Jews. The Jews were once Gods Church and People, when we were not, and Prayed for Us, that We might be Called, Cant. 8.8, 9. We have a little Sister, and She hath no Breasts; What shall we do for our Sister, in the day when she shall be spoken for, &c? As they have spoken for us, let us speak a good Word for them.

p. 1885Fifthly and Lastly, Set this Engine a work for the carrying forth of the Gospel of the Kingdom into all the Kingdoms of the World; that the forces and fulness of the Gentile Nations may come in; Rev. 11.15.Rev 11:15And the Kingdoms of the World be aloud Proclaimed to become the Kingdoms of the Lord, Isa. 11.9.Isa 11:9and of his Christ. And that the knowledg of the glory of God doth cover the Earth, as the Waters do cover the Sea. And all the Militant Church, and all the World be filled with the glory of the Glorious God, until he hath filled and glorified the House of his Glory.

And now fellow-Soldiers and Christians Let us put on this blessed encouraging-Armour, and take up these Spiritual Weapons, this Mighty Engine, and all the Artillery, and hasten forth of the Armory into the Field again, for more encouragement. Do you not hear the Gospel-Trumpet, how it sounds a comfortable Call, Come away, Come away, Soldiers of Christ, Arms, Arms, hast and away; and behold the S andard of your General that is set up in the Field already?

5. Encouragment.Fifth Consideration; Soldiers of Christ, you have an Encouraging Standard. There is no Standard in the World like to the Standard of your Captain Christ. The Standard is an Ensign and Embleme of War; and it is to distinguish between Army and Army, Company and Company. It is the Generals Colours, whether at Land, or Sea; and it hath commonly the Arms of the Kingdom and Countrey to whom it belongs, visibly displayed in it; to bring together, to encourage, and comfort p. 189the Soldiers who belongs unto it; and to dismay, discourage, and discomfit, and terrifie the Enemies. It is a mark of Dignity to the Soldiers that are under it, and for it; and for Dread and Destruction to those that are against it. What are the stately Standards of the World, to this of Christs? (What is the great Standard of the Great Turk, with his Half-Moon; or the German Emperour, with his blazing Spread-Eagle; or the King of Spain with his strong Castle; or the French Kings Flower-deluce; or the Kings Arms of the Three Kingdoms, supported and guarded with a Lyon rampant, and Ʋnicorn, that hath Faced and Fought so terribly the Dutch at Sea) to this Great, Glorious, and Terrible Standard of Jesus Christ? The glorious Gospel of Christ which brings Life and Immortality to light, is the Standard, the Ensign, and Banner of your great Commander. And there are the Arms of the Ancient of Days; of the Royal Family of the Coelestial Kingdom. It bears the Names, the Attributes, the Titles, and the Eternal Truths of the Blessed Trinity. It bears both the Natures, all the Offices, and all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ, (your General…ssimo and great Emperor) and lively displays them to the World. Isa. 62.10, 11, 12. Go thorow, go thorow the Gates; prepare you the way of the People; cast up, cast up the high-way, gather out the stones: Lift up a Standard for the People, &c. Isa. 49.22. Thus saith the Lord God, behold I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my Standard to the People, and they shall bring thy Sons in their p. 190Arms, and thy Daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

This Standard is a Flag of Truce, a Banner of Love to all the Faithful Soldiers of Christ; and full of encouragement to all that will come under it; to them it is a Standard of Grace and Peace. But it is very Terrible to all that withstand and Fight against it; to them it is a bloody Flag, a black Banner of Death and Wrath. There is no Quarter for those that will not submit and List under it. It is a Standard that will certainly Conquer, and Crush all the Persons and Powers that shall continue to oppose it.

The Inscription which Julius the Third had stamped on his Coin, the Lord Jesus hath written on his Standard, Gens & Regnum peribit, quod mihi non inservit: That Nation and Kingdom shall Perish, which doth not serve me.

Syrus the Second great Monarch, had for his Motto Stabi…itur: yet was he Conquered by Thomtris Queen of Scythia. But Christs Standard shall be lifted up, and stand in the VVorld until all the Nations be Conquered.The Lord Jesus summons in the Nations and Kingdoms of the World, by the Standard of the Everlasting Gospel, and Wo to those that obey it not. There is a memorable Scripture to this purpose, Rev. 14.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven, having the Everlasting Gospel to Preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, and to every Nation, and Kindred, and Tongue, and People: Saying with a loud Voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his Judgment is come; and Worship him that made Heaven, and Earth, and the Sea, and the Fountains of Waters. And there followed another Angel saying, Babylon is fallen, p. 161is fallen, that great City: because she made all Nations to drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornications. And the Third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man Worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his Mark in his Fore-head, or in his Hand: The same shall drink of the wine of the Wrath of God, &c.