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1. THat these onely are in a true League & Co∣venant with God; and there∣upon* 1.1 are such as his heaven∣ly Majestie doth not disdaine to call his Friends, as Abra∣ham was called the Friend of God. And therefore they (though they be but dust and ashes) may presume through
the merit of the Lord Iesus to intreat even for filthy Sodom; yea, to importune his heaven∣ly Majesty, and expect to ob∣taine of him, that if there bee but ten righteous persons in five wicked cities, he wil spare all for ten sake.
These onely are fit men to* 1.2 helpe by their prayers, to res∣cue their Brethren out of the hands of Sathan, and of all their cruell enemyes, vvhich have carried them away Cap∣tives, and who do so insult & triumph over all, and over the Lord himself, as thinking that they have already made a conquest of all. These are the* 1.3 men, and these alone vvhich can with Moses stay the lords hands, that he should not de∣stroy his people. These are* 1.4 they, to whom God can de∣ny nothing. Onely these, who having thus put their shooes off their feet▪ are fit with that
holy Moses to stand before the Lord▪ to be sent to fetch* 1.5 his people their brethren out of Egypt from the Tile-killes, and to pull them out of the middest of the fire.
These are with Aaron, tho∣row* 1.6 the continuall intercessi∣on of our great High-Priest, meete to helpe to pacifie the Lords displeasure towards the remnant of his people, to stand betweene the living and the dead. These being supported* 1.7 by Aaron and Hur can holde up their hands, till God have got himselfe a glorious victo∣ry against Amalek.
These, and these alone, are* 1.8 able with Iosuah to cause the Sunne to stand still (so farre as the Lord shall see it best for his owne glory) until he shall be avenged of all his enemies; and therfore much more may they be confident in matters of less moment. For, vvhat
cannot the prayer of Faith* 1.9 bring to passe? These men are able with Eliah, to moove the Lord (so farre as in his divine wisedome he shall see it best)* 1.10 to send fire from Heaven to consume their Sacrifices, and to make knowne to all, that he hath accepted them. And moreover to move the Lord,* 1.11 to manifest to all the World (and that as clearely as if hee spake from Heaven) who is the Lord, which is his true re∣ligion, and which the false:* 1.12 who they are that are the true children of Iesus Christ, and who they are of the otherside that are the Servants of Sa∣than and Antichrist: who are with him, who against him.
These are they▪ who vvith Mordokey and Hester, and the rest of the faithfull amongest* 1.13 the Iewes, are able to obtain the reversing of that most bloody decree procured by
wicked Haman against Gods* 1.14 people, although it be to doe all the decrees of the Medes & Persians, such as to man see∣meth impossible euer to bee* 1.15 reversed; and to cause Haman to be hanged upon his owne Gallowes. To turne the plot devised agaynst Gods people to their joyfullest day, a day to be remembred for ever; a day of shame and confusion* 1.16 to all Gods enemies.
These are they whose prai∣ers* 1.17 come up before the Lord, as the prayers of holy Daniel, Cornelius, and Peter, and who may looke for an answer from heaven at the evening Sacri∣fice, above all that they can imagine; even by the ministe∣ry of Gods blessed Angels so farre as shall be best.* 1.18
These are they that in the greatest perils of the Church, may hope through their prai∣ers, with holy Paul to save* 1.19
themselves and all in the Ship with them, in such sort as the heavenly Wisedome shall see it best, that at least they may swimme out, though for not hearkning unto the Lord in time, they may all first suffer shipwracke, and be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into the Sea.
These are they, with whom* 1.20 at their cryes, our Lord Iesus will be, as he was with those three Worthies of the Capti∣vitie, in the middst of the hot fiery Furnace, and in the verie* 1.21 Lyons den with holy Daniel, to stop the mouthes of those hunger-bitten Lyons, that the least hurt shall not come unto them, more then shal be for his eternall glory, with the* 1.22 greater good of his Church & People; and by whose trialles our blessed God and tender Father, hath made knowne the truth of his Religion, and of his causes, with the inno∣cencie
of his people, to Kings, Princes and Rulers, and to cause it by them to be publi∣shed, as it were to the world, like as he did when it was commanded by them to bee spred and divulged in all the Dominions of the mightie Monarchs, and so from them to goe to all other Nations with whom any of them had any trafficke or familiaritie. And by whom he hath beene wont to effect & accomplish his owne glorious workes as he hath foretold, above all that any of his owne deerest Servants could ever imagine, o•…•… could have beene perswa∣ded of by any humane reason, that they could ever haue bin brought to pass.
And thus much for this ge∣nerall* 1.23 Meditation; viz: who they be that exclude them∣selves; and also who they are, and who alone, that can ever* 1.24
looke to be committed as ap∣proved of the Lord for this blessed and glorious worke. And how wee must strive to* 1.25 passe thorow all the difficul∣ties, before wee can approach with any true confidence and assurance to put our hand hereto, and much more so as to bee able to preuaile with our God to bee made as his Israel: and what confident boldnesse we may houe here∣in;* 1.26 for that if wee bee such as these, our God is stil the same, hee is not changed, neither is there with him any variable∣nesse* 1.27 or shadowing by tur∣ning.
These only in a true league with God. Deut. 16, 17, 18, 19.
These fit to helpe to res∣cue their Brethren from Sathan.
To stay the Lords hands. Exod. 32. 20. •…•…4.
To whom he can deny no∣thing.
These fit to fetch Gods people out of Egypt.
Thesemeet to pacific the Lord and to stand be∣tweene the living and dead.
To hold up their hands a∣gainst Ama∣lek.
To make all creatures to be for his people untill he haue got himselfe the victory.
Heb. 11.
1. King. 18, 38, 39.
To move the Lord to ma∣nifest the truth of his religion.
1. King. 18, 36, 37, 38, 39. Dan 3, & 6.
To reuerse Hamans de∣decree.
Hest. 8, 5, 6.
Hest. 7, 8.
Hest. 8, 18.
The prayers of these ever come up be∣fore the Lord and they may surely expect an answere in his due time. Acts. 10, 10, 11, 12, &c, 30. Dan. 9, 20, 23, 24.
These may hope with Paul to save them∣selues and all in the ship.
Acts. 27, 24.
With these will Christ Iesus be in the fiery Fur∣nace, and the Lyons den.
Dan. 3, 24, 25. Dan. 6. 22, 23.
And in their greatest try∣als make their inno∣cency, & his religion kno∣wen. Dan. 3, 29, 30, 31, &c. Dan. 4, 33, 34 Dan, 6, 22, 23.
Conclusion of this gene∣rall Medita∣tion.
Who meete.
How we must strives heere∣to.
And what confident boldness we may then have.
Iam. 1, 7.