times to fuch as would not give them the hearing: fo doth he now in the time of the Gofpel, but that must not difcourage our Miniftry,at their peril be it, Gods Word will ever be Gods wildom, though the prophane count it foolishness, and it will be Gods truth though herefie and fchifme pick quarrels.

Therefore, if you would learn to pray, and be prepared for that holy worship? hear Gods fpeech firft, and that will teach you what to ask as you ou ought.Hear the word from us as the Theffalonians did. When ye received the word of God which 1 Thef.2. ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is truth the Word of God,which effectually worketh alfo in you that be

lieve.

2 Here is metus. I was afraid, the Seventy read; i&usiv I was in an extafie, as St. John faith, when he saw the vifion of the Son of man, I fell at his feet as dead.

There were two things to strike the Prophet vvith astonishment;

S1 The Majeftie of the Speaker.

22 The matter of the speech.

And both these must both meet in our understandings, and in our affections, to enlighten and to move them, that vve may know what vve have to do, and vvith vvhom, vvhen vve pray; that vve may come before him vvith fear and holy reve

rence.

13.

Rev. 1.17.

The great glory and Majesty of God to vyhom vve refort in prayer,is fuch,as no creature can endure the fight thereof The Angels Standing before him, cover their faces with their Ifa ̧6.2. wings.

2 The matter of his fpeech conteined in his vvord to the Prophet, is the fumme of the Bible. Juftice punishing fin in his Church: Vengeance deftroying the enemies of his Church: and Grace redeeming his Church from the povver of Satan, by the glorious Kingdom of Jefus Chrift.

Qua. Why should the Prophet be afraid at this? here vvas matter of comfort, the heaviness of the night; is promised the joy of the morning: The Church though it must fuffer Ddd 2

for

Joh.10.27.

for a time for fin, hath here a promise of tvvo main confolations.

I Their ovvn deliverance from dangers, into a reftitution of them into Gods favour.

2 Their eye fhall have their defire also upon their enemies, they fhall fee the vvheel of vvrath go over them, and the Lord fhall let out of their throats the bloud of his people, vvith vvhich they have made themselves drunk all this is matter of joy, and vvhat needeth this fear?

Sol. Who can come without fear before him, that can and will do all this? for if he be angry,yea but a little,they are bleffed that truft in him, fear is a proper paffion of a true believer, and is infeparably joyned with faving faith.

For feeing the bond of our union with Chrift by faith, whereby he dwelleth in us is.

Partly, the hold that he hath of us by his Spirit:

Partly the hold that we have of him by faith.

The first is firme, There shall not any one pluck them out of my bund, he giveth a ftrong reafon for it, for my Father who gave them me is greater then att, and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand. we are his gifts,and his gifts and calling are without repentance.

But the flesh doth put the Spirit to it fo hard fome times, even in the elect of God, that the hold.on our part is weak, which breedeth fear, and that fear makes us hold fo much the fafter.

From hence it comes, that all the intelligence between God and man doth begin at fear in us.

This is not the fear of an evill confcience, as it was in Adım, when he hid himfelf from God, but the fear of reverence of God, and the good confcien e of our unworthineffe being fallen from our originall righteoufneffe.

The Shepheards that were keeping watch by night, becaufe of their flocks were fore afraid, when they faw the light fhining at that time of night, that the Angel, began with, Nolite timere, fear not, yet were they in the lawfull bufineffe of their

cal

calling. The bleffed Virgin,no doubt, wel and holily employed, Zecharie the Prieft in the Church about the occafions of his office, yet all afraid.

This is the feafoning and preparing of the heart for God to be caft down before him, it is humbling our felves under the mighty hand of God, and we cannot pray as we ought with

out.it.ca

་་་

When the Apostle faith, we cannot pray as we ought, and that the fpirit helpeth our infirmities,he fheweth that fuch as he have infirmities and they feel them,when they come to appear before God; and where infirmities are, there muft needs be fear, if they that have them be fenfible of them...

Yea, I dare fay, that they that come to prayer without fear, come without faith, and all their prayers are turned into fin. ob. We read of comming with boldneffe to God Because we have an high Prieft which is touched with the feeling of our in- Heb.4.15, firmities, in all points tempted like as wee are yet without fin. Let us 16. therefore come boldly to the throne of grace be chut wee may obtein mercy, and finde grace to help in time of need rail od

Sol. Tihisas cleered by the fame Authour in the fame. Epid ftle, declaring how many confiderations must concurre, as, in grediences in this bur fpirituall boldnessievai si sa

I Let us draw neer with a true heart.

noits bronco Heb. 10.22

2 In full affuranccafioFaithly dive ob of ovad 57% 3 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Confciences. I 0294 - Our bodies plashed with pure waters not sugod

5 Let us hold fast the profeffion of our Faith without wavering. Le6, Let us confider und another, to provoke to love and good works. 7 Not forfaking the assembling of our felves together, &c. 8 Exhorting ondanothen,dqooq sai paimsɔnoo,

Let a man before he pray try his vvayes and examine his foul, upon thofe interrogatories, and I dare fay the beft of us (if we fin not allo in presumption) vvill. finde himself short in every one of thefe perticulars of that perfection that fhould accomplish boldneffe, orada hemoVigo Put having those things in fome meafure, and more in de

Ddd 3

I

fire

12 Dom.

fire and endeavour, our boldness muft needs be as much fhaken with fear as thefe graces in us are fhaken with infirmity.

And upon this fear our Church teacheth us to pray to God

in these words.

Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy, forgiving us those pat Trinit, things whereof our confcience is afraid, and giving unto us that which our prayers dare not prefume to ask, through Jefus Christ our

1

Lord.

And this fome of our brethren have quarrelled, as a contradiction in our prayers, because we fay, we pray for tha we dare not pray for.

To whom, I answer, in these words of my Text; O Lord, I heard thy voice and was afraid In thy word, I fee how corrupt I am, for that fheweth me what thou requireft: my confcience feareth those fins of which it is guilty, for which I come to thee for mercy.

O give me through Iefus Christ our Lord, that which my prayer without him dare not prefume to ask Heis fpirituall boldness through Jefus Christ our Lord, here is fear in respect of our felves; for we muft ferve the Lord in fear, and rejoyce in trembling: it is vvell that that is not branded vvith a mark of contradiction.

We have to do vvith three forts of persons.

1 The prophane and carnall.

2 The generation the Wife man nameth, of fuch as are wife in their own eyes, yet want washing.

3 The truly zealous faithfull ones that do worship God with fear and trembling all

Firft, concerning the prophane and carnall.

Thefe do not pray at all, the reafon is, because they do not Pfa.9.29. fear, of fuch David faith, Put them in fear, Lord, that they may know they are but men: for when they know that, they will fee and confeffe, that they have need of help.

Thus was Saul converted, there fuddenly hoon a light from heaven upon him, a voyce fpake to him, he was caft down to the earth. Ebba

Then

Then trembling and aftonished he faid, Lord,what wilt thou have A&.9.6. mee do? then was hee fit to be wrought. To fuch wee must preach as Paul did to Felix of righteousnesse, temperance, A&.24.25. and the judgment to come to put them into trembling, better to put them between the two mil-ftones of the law of Mofes, and the lavv vvritten in their hearts, and to grind them as small as the duft of the earth, then to let them make finne out of measure finfull, by holding out to be abominable, and to every good vvork reprobate.

We cannot open the gates of hell too vvide for fuch to fhevv them the anger to come, a fit text for a generation of Vipers, vve cannot lift up our voyces too loud in the deaf ears of fuch, to tell them their tranfgreffions, and to put them in fear.

David vvept rivers of vvaters for fuch, and that is a good remedie, let the faithfull vveep for them, for xxxi vvhich fignifieth to vveep, comes of xxdw, frango.

So vvhen the man of God looked on Hazael, and fore-savv 2 Reg. 8. the cruell butcheries, vvhich his bloudy hand fhould perform, 11. he vvept, this vveeping of the Prophet brake the heart of Hazael for the time, and he said, Is thy Servant a dog, that he Should do these things

So St Paul putteth them together.

What mean you to weep,and to break my heart, their vveping brake A9.21.13.

his heart.

The hearts of the prophane are hardened with the custome of finning. St. Bernard.

Aperiatur vena ferro compunctionis, vve muft dravy bloud of them, by the preaching of the terrour of the Lord to them. This bloud is the tears of compunction, of which David, My foul melteth, or drippeth for heaviness. St. Auguftine faith, that Lachryme compunctionis be fanguis vulnerati cordis, vvhen the remembrance and confideration of their fins hath vvounded them, and left them half dead, then the good Samaritan vvill come vvith his Wine and Oile, even the Oile of gladneffe, and the poor patient vvill fay, Thou haft put gladneffe into my heart.

Thus

Epift. 193.

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