-------- ---------------------- Sermon in the . .:,5\.1ount, ~!ini!!crs "'av f~ck to auOidpcr(~ cutions. cution rhoft: that bee the mdfcngers of the word vnto them. In this reafon Chri!l Jl1cwerh, that it is not oncly la·wfull, but ncccffarie, that Gods mini– ftcrs !hould feckc to avoid and Ihunnc the ma– .Iice and rage ofobllinarc cnimics,by alllawfutl mcancs which may iland with Gods gloric & the keeping of ;1 good con1Cicncc, Hence hcc b:~d his difciples 1 rvith the innocenci~ ofdnucs,iopt Mmh.Jo.l6, tbewifodomcofftrpmt.r; now the fcrpc:nt is mo{l wily and waric to fauc her felfe frol'n harmc. Ioh.ro 1:.. 06ic£f. But it is the propcrtic ofan hiuling ~:,~;~:~~~... to j/ie from hw fockf whm hu fmh the wolf< commmg: therefore it fcemcs Gods miniflcrs m11y notflic in timcofpcrfccution. Anfw. To flie in pcrfccurion is nor alwaics a forfaking of the flockc 1 but fomctime:; tends to thctr grea– ter good: as when pcrfccution is intended di– rectly againll the minifler, then he may with good coufcicncc fHc for hi;; fafctie I inhope of rcturne for their future good, els Chri{l: would nothaue faid to his Dikiplcs, If theyp<r[tcuu JoU in on~citiejlie intoanother, Matth. J o. 23. Yea, not oncly the miniftcr mull thus lookc to his OWAe fafetie, but his people alfo mu£t doe I what lies in them for h1s prcferuation, So did the bcleeuers in the Prhnitiue Church for S. I Paul, whmhw!if: ''""fought in Damafcus, the Jt[c,p!eJ let him down~ 1ft a wi~tdowe m If !NukJt I throughrhewaO, andh: rfcaprd, Act.9.25. And at Eph,[U4 when the great tumult was about Diana, Paulwouldhauethruft himfo/f< inamong 'zhtp<aple,6ut rh: Difcip/ufo:ing itwouldh"-!n– J/rouJ vnto him, k.§pt himhar:lij, and wouldnot f1{ethim.ACt.t9.JO. . v. 7· J s~, and itjhaUbee giuenyou :Jeek!, and yee fhaU \jinde:ftnock!, andit }haD be o- \ penedvnto yon. t. Pan of In this vcrfe and thofe which followc vnto ;~r~~ se,. the twclft, is laid downe the third panof this 1 chapter, concerning prayer: and it conllficth I of tWo branches :a commaml.ement to pray,and I clfcCtuall r~AfonJ to ptify.radevs thereto. The comm3ndemtnt is propounded in three fcue1 r3ll tcanrics,.AJk,s,[uk.,;, Andk,z.tockf:each whcr– ! ofhath hjs promifc anntxed thcte[O, ru flJaU ' h•«<,y< fo•ll find: ,Andrt Jh•ll {u op:n:dvntoyou. :Now for our better vnderltanding of Chti!ls 1 meaninghcrcin,two rules mufl be obferuc:d.I. \That Chrilt here fpeakes not of euetie kindc i ofasking in pr:ycr, but of that oncly wl1ich himfclfe comm:mdcth &aJiowcth: for "''C may 2ske and not rccciut, lucaufow~ .uft~ amijfo, as a hm+J· 'S.lamo faith; but hec that askcth according to Chrifls direCtion in thi~ place, (hall rrcciuc. Now in all acceptable pr:1yerto God, foure •• Condiripr.11~r. 1,·:;~_~~:: I conditionsmu!lbcobfcrucd. I. We mufl :1skc while th.e tim~ of grlfr:t and mtrci~ r~maimth : for if the day of grace be once palt, we may ~-<:.' fccke, and knocke, but all in vainc: this A isplaine by the fiu cfoo!ifb virgim wboa.1k.§dand fought for o;l~; 611t found none, JM thq (.·died and /z.nocJ:..~d, !mt it lJit!J not opened Vnlo thtm, Matth. 2 s-8·9· I 2. Now t:hc time of this life, wiHlc God offers mcrcie vnto vs in his \\Ord;is 1 theacceptab!~tb11taJidrh~ da)'ofgracr 1 : . Cor. ! 6. 2. and therefore ht·rein mnft we .ulze ,foe"s, I andlz..noc/:..!. I I. \Vcmtil1: not askc ;~s fccm<.·lh good vntoour JClucs, but according to Gcd.r rri/ 1 1 andas hUwordttl!onwh. The fonnts of Zcbcdic WCrC denied their rcqucfi' beCJUfC ti:Jt'} ttJk.Ed I tluJk!mvt11otwhat,Matth. 20. 22. But thi.sU oura.Q;t1ana that Jv~ haue inhim, that if w(.·c .tU/:..f lf11J thing according to hi5 willheheart'th VJ , I. Ioh.5.I4.lll.Vv'cmu(l Mk,; infailh,that is, B h~!eeue that God will graumvs thotethings which we: askc :lccording to his <vvlll : Jantr.), ·6. If any man lacke vvifcdomc Jet him askc- of Cod.-.-/;m let him&f:.s iHfiu"th, and wat:ernor: for the wau~ring minded manjl;a/lreccirte nothing ofGod: therefore faith Clnilt, wh,ufoeueryede– fir~ inpraierbc!ecue thatye•jl;a//h,me it,andit f/::Ja'q bcdon:vnto_you, Mark.ll.2f. IV. WeeJhuf! -1 rcferrc the ti111c and marioncr of Gods accom~ plilhing our reqndls to his good plcaGJre'. I\ was the linnc 6f the Ifraclitcs that they limited the hof.r oneoflfrael , by prefcribing what they would hauc for theirprouilion,and when they would hauc i't; Pfal.78. 41. we therefore mull: wait on God, as Da!tiddJd,Pfal.4o. r. I lMitcd 1 ptitient(Jforth~ Lord, andhe incliucdhiJ ctwe vnC t~m~, ~t.nd heardnu. God defcrrcs d1egr:mn– tmgofourrcqucHs , bccaufe he would n ic thC affeC\ions of his children. Cant. 3: r. 'rhe Church foekfrh Chrift, but cannot find: him; that is, where and when 01e will, And indeed herein doe we fhcwc forth faith when wee rc– ferrc the time and lnanner ofrecc:h1ing our re.. quelts,to thegood pleafure ofGod :forhe that belmtethwillnotmakfhaft, lfa.28.t 6. ·l The fccond rule to be here rcmembrcd con- :. Rule. cerning ptaier, is :That thefcpromifes arc· not G1d~: rrt made direCtly to the workc of pro.ycr, btlt r"9 ~n~dcr:'frc~r the pcrfon that prayc:th; and yet not tohiiu ~ht(h;i~.n {imply, a~ he doth this goorl ae!ioil of prayer, but as he 1s in Chritl, for\'vhofe mcdt fake the prott1ifc is accon,plif11cd: and therefore Chtlfi D here fpeaks to them, whom he takes for graun: red to be the true members ofhis mvfiicall bo– dy \vhich is his Church. This rule ~ma1 be rc– membred for the tight vnderflanding of the promifcs ofGod concerning prayer; for here– by it is plainc,that our praic::r is not the caufe of the bldlin gs we recciuc from God, but ondy a way and inftrument in& by which God con– uaycth his blcffings vnro hls childrcn;for :1. true prayer is a fruit ofour (.'lith in ChriH,in "\\'hom aloneall th~promi{e1o[ Godarc )'eR, And amen, that is, fure and ccrrcn vnto v:s. Now haulng found Chtifts mcanino let vs come to fuch inHru£\:ions as arc to b~ 'nathc– re:d hence. Firfl:~ obfcruc that Chrifi do~h not barely propound this commaundemcnt to'l 'Z.ralc- ~ferpray, butrc:peates the f:1mc by akind of gra- ~~:·i~;.rn ~_:______ <l:ni~--
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