peace because I came so lightly by it Page 14 Answ All peace is the free gift of God for Christ his sake not for our sufferings Page 15 Object I want that Peace within how shall I come by it ibid. Answ The Lord only can speak this peace to thee which he doth speak in the way of his Ordinance ibid. Quest What doth the Lord speak in his Ordinances that may quiet my Soul ibid. Answ 1 You are willed to consider much of the fulness of Christs satisfaction ibid. God for Christs sake works all our works for us Page 16 2 Christ is our Peace-maker we must go to him ibid. The manner how we must go 1 Go in uprightness Page 17 2 Carry the Promise with you ibid. 3 Wait long on Christ till Peace do come ibid. Quest Must we not be humbled for sins committed ibid. Answ In all your Humiliation carry Christ along with you ibid. 4 Labor to mortifie your affections ibid. 5 Walk not with doubting company Page 18 6 When God speaks a little peace to thee refuse it not for it will encrease Page 19 This is amplified Page 20 Sermon II. DOCT. 2. The Saints may be under much discouragement Page 21 Two words in the Text most Emphatical Cast down Disquieted ibid. The words opened by four Questions Page 22 1 How far a good man may be discouraged 2 How it comes that he is discouraged 3 How discouragements can stand with Grace 4 How they may be cured Quest 1. How far may a good man be discouraged Page 22 Answ 1 A Saint may refuse Comfort for the Soul ibid. 2 For the Body also ibid. 3 A good man may refuse Duty Page 23 4 He may be weary of his life ibid. Quest 2. Why doth God suffer his Children to be so discouraged ibid. Answ In general It is for their good Page 24 More particularly 1 It is Gods way to deal so with men ibid. 2 This way God sets a greater price on our inward peace Page 25 3 God will have us to love him only ibid. 4 He thus trains up his Children to more perfection ib. 5 He doth this to keep his Chil-from security Page 24 6 This is explained by the similitude of a Chyrurgeon dealing with his Patient Page 26 Object Can any man foretel a mans discouragement ibid. Answ Affirmatively 1 It may be foretold when a man placeth his Spiritual Comfort on outward Blessings Page 27 2 When a man is unthankful for true peace and not humbled for false Peace ibid 3 When a man doth raise his Comfort only from Grace within and not from Christ without Yet Grace within is 1. A Cause sine qua non 2. It removes all impediments of Comfoâ—t 3. It is a witnessing Cause 4. It is a confirming Cause ibid. 4 When a man layeth his comfort on the impression or coming in of the Word rather than upon the Word iâ— self The words on Psal 16.4 critically expounded Page 28 Quest 3. How can all this stand with Grace ibid. Answ Affirmatively The Saints are never so discouraged but there is some Grace left ibid. Quest Is there no evil in Discouragements Page 29 Answ Affirmatively Very much ibid. Quest 4. What must a poor Soul do to recover its peace lost Page 30 Answered partly by way of Question partly by Direction ibid. 1 Hast thou quite forgot thy former peace Page 31 2 Do you not use the means for restoring your Comforts ibid. Some seek Comfort by way of reasoning with God Some seek it in Duty neglecting their Calling Both are dâ—ceived 3 Have you not so far strained for some outward comfort as to lose your inward comfort ibid. Quest What shall I do that my comforts may be restored Page 32 Answ By Direction in three things 1 Do what you would do to be justified ibid. 2 Seek whether God hath withdrawn his presence for your sin ibid. An Objection answered Page 33 3 Read the Scriptures much ibid. Object What if I do they may not comfort me ib. Answ You cannot tell till you prove it Page 34 Somtimes the Promise comes to us somtimes we go to it ib. Object I shall meet with threatnings in the Scripture ibid. Answ Negatively for Threatnings lead you to the Promise Page 34 Object There are many other things in Scripture that concern noâ— my Condition ibid. Answ Negatively Christ cureth us somtimes by diverting our minds ibid. Quest Where Peace returns what must I do Page 35 Answ 1 Be sure it be true Peace ib. 2 Fall upon Satans Quarters ibid. 3 Put all your Comforts into Christs hands ibid. 4 Spend all for Christ comfort others Page 36 Sermon III. DOCT. 3. Davids condition is put for a pattern Page 42 Habakkuks Condition ibid A Godly man may rejoyce in any Condition ibid. The Saints think they have reason for their Discouragements Page 43 The Saints may have reason for their Discouragements ibid. Quest What have the Saints that is a sufficient Bulwark against all discouragements ibid. Answ 1 A godly man hath a propriety in God ibid. How God is my God Page 44 2 God knows him and his condition ibid. 3 God will not have his People to be discouraged proved from God the Son to God the Father Page 45 4 The Saints have no discouragement but there is a greater Encouragement bound up with it Page 46 God makes our discouragements causes of encouragements Page 47 5 A prayâ—ng man can never be very miserable Page 48 4 The matter of our discouragements is but as a cloud ibid. Quest How shall it appear to be but a cloud ibid. Answ 1 If this Cloud come after the Promise Page 49 2 If a man can see to work Page 50 3 If there be some openings of light with the darkness by intermission ibid. Application Page 51 Object I have reason to be discouraged for I have no feeling of Gods Love ibid. Answ 1 We do not live by feeling but by Faith ibid. 2 The great difference between a Godly man and a wicked man in this Page 52 3 An Exhortation to the Saints not to be dscouraged for four Reasons ibid. 1 You rejoyce Satan when you are discouraged ibid. 2 You grieve the heart of God ib. 3 You do thereby make void the end of Christs coming ibid. 4 You make your self unfit for Christs Service ibid. Quest What shall a man do to bear up against all discouragements Page 54 Answ 1 Never lay your Comforts upon any Condition ibid. 2 Think of Christ in a right way Page 55 3 Check your self for being discouraged ibid 4 Mix the thoughts of your Discouragements with thoughts of Comfort ibid. 5 Mortifie Self-Love Page 56 6 Question your self for being discouraged ibid. So much for the Proof in general Page 57 Sermon IV. The Point is cleered and proved by nine particular Instances Page 58 1 Discouragements from gross sins Page 59 2 From weakness of Grace 3 From their failing in Duty 4 From want of evidence of Gods
in due season to this poor wounded and wearied soul Thus go to Christ Only in your Addresses to Christ Be sure that ye go in Uprightness Take heed that you do not desire peace meerly for the comfort of it but as an help unto your Grace He will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from him that walks uprightly Good men seek Peace for Grace sake but wicked men and Hypocrites seek Grace for Peace sake When you do make your Addresses for Peace be sure you come to Christ in uprightness and take heed that you do not desire peace only for the Comfort of it but as an help unto your Grace 2. And when you go unto Christ for peace Carry the Promise with you go in the way of the Promise 3. Go and waite long on Christ wait upon him onely and kâ—ep his way Some say they do wait on God but they do not keep his way they throw up their Duty if they have not comfort presently but in your addresses to Christ go and wait long on him and in case that peace and comfort doth not come presently lay by that great question a little Whether you be in Christ or no whether you be the child of God or no. The great trouble is this O! I am affraid I am not the child of God if I did but know that I am the child of God I should have peace If peace and comfort therefore do not come presently lay that question aside a little and in due time Christ wil answer that question too onely now for the present wait on him and keep his way But because it wil be said should not we be humbled for sin committed Oportet te saepe agere quod non vis et quod vis oportet relinquere and is not Humiliation a good means to get peace within therefore in the Third place In al your Humiliation carry Christ along with you When you go to mourn for sin begin aloft with Christ and do not alwayes think to begin below with sin and so to come up to Christ but begin aloft with Christ and so by your Humiliation fal down upon sin You say O! but I would be first Humbled before I do go to Christ but I pray tel me Can ye be Humbled and not see your sin and where can ye have such a prospect of sin as in the death of Christ is there any thing in the world that can shew you the misery ugliness and damning nature of sin as the death of Christ If you begin with Christ then you wil certainly come down to your sin and be Humbled for it but if you begin with sin you wil not certainly come up to Christ There is many a poor soul that hath said I wil be first humbled for my sin and then I wil go to Christ but he hath stuck so long in the legal work that he hath never come at Christ And if you be humbled before you do come to Christ you wil have no great peace and comfort in your Humiliation but if you first come to Christ and then carry Christ along with you to your Humiliation then you wil have much comfort and peace therein would you therefore be so Humbled as you may have peace thereby Be sure of this that you carry Christ with you unto that work do not begin alwayes with sin to go up to Christ but rather begin at Christ and so fal down upon sin In the Fourth place labor to Mortify your affections and to get your will melted into the wil of God As the winds are to the Sea so are the affections to the soul of man so long as the Sea is hurryed with the wind it hath no â—est or quiet and what is the reason that our hearts are no more calmed and quieted but because wee have not yet resigned up our wils to the wil of God t is our own wil that troubles our peace Propria voluntas turbat pacem get but your wil Mortifyed into the wil of God and you 'l say Lord I would fayn have peace yet not my wil but thy wil be done I would have peace presently yet I have no wil but thine therefore Lord when thou wilt and as thou wilt not my wil but thine own wil be done Thus do and you are at rest presently Fiftly Doest thou want peace and comfort and quietude of soul Take heed how you walk with doubting company take heed how you walk with those that are ful of fears and doubtings As one drunkard doth make another and one swearer doth beget another and one opposer of Godliness doth draw on another and one adulterer doth make another So one doubting Christian doth make another You that are weak and ful of doubtings should go and lean upon those that are strong and have ful assurance and you that have assurance should give the shoulder to those that are weak and say come and lean upon me and I wil be an help unto you You know how it is with the Ivie and the Vine the Ivie leans upon the Oak and the Vine upon the Posts or the house-side the Ivie and the Vine do not lean one upon another if the Ivie and the Vine should come and lean one upon another what twisting would there be and both would sal to the ground but the Ivie leans upon the Oak and the Vine upon the Posts or the house-side So a weak Christian should go and lean upon a strong Christian but if one doubter leanes upon another doubter both wil fal to the ground I have read of a woman that was under great temptations and meeting with another in the same condition said to her I am affraid I shal be damned so am I too said the other O but said she again I do not onely fear but I am sure of it certaynly I shal be damned I but said the other yet my condition is worse for I am damned already Here was damned and damned O! said one I shal certainly be damned O! said the other I am damned already O! what communion is here is this to build up one another Do you therefore want Comfort and peace You that are weak go and lean upon those that are strong and have ful assurance and you that have assurance be not unwilling to give forth your shoulder unto those that are weak and are ful of doubtings And to end al. Doest thou want peace and inward quietude of soul Whensoever the Lord then doth but begin to speak the least peace unto thine heart take heed that you do not refuse it but rather improve it and stir up your selves then in a way of beleeving praise God for every smile and rejoyce in the least If a bowed sixpence as it were be sent you from Heaven lay it up even every love-token Peace is a tender thing Doth the Lord begin to speak peace to any of your souls now stir up your selves in a
SOmtimes the discouragements of the Saints and people of God are drawn From their Duties the failings and successlessness of their Duties For they reason thus Through the Lords Grace and Mercy I have been kept from great and gross sins yet if the Lord loved me indeed he would draw my heart neer unto himself but when I come to prayer or duty I find so much deadness dulness and awkness of heart and spirit that I fear the Lord wil never accept such a one as I am nor such duties as mine are when I go to prayer either prayer is altogether absent from me or I have no life therein if I go to hear the word I am not attentive but filled with distractions and whatever duty I perform I want life and love in it O! my heart is like a rock or stone and therefore I fear the Lord wil not accept my duty and the rather because I find that I have been long at prayer and I am never the better the Lord hears me not the Lord regards me not and have I not just Reason and Cause to be discouraged now Answ No Here is reason indeed why you should be afflicted but no reason yet why you should be discouraged I confess indeed here is cause and reason of grief and of affliction for take Prayer to instance only in that and it is That act and work of the soul whereby a man doth converse with God God conversing with man and man with God And is it not a sore affliction for a poor creature to be shut out of Gods door such a freind as God is O! saith Chrisostome it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of Prayer and hereupon as he observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his Prayer Prayer is the souls Weapon and is it not a grief to want a Weapon in our spiritual warfare Prayer is the souls Ornament the excellent Garment of a Christian and is it not an affliction to be without this Garment and to be found naked Prayer is the Christians Element And as the fish lives in the water as in its Element and dyes when it is out so a Christian lives in prayer as in his Element and his heart dies when he is out of it Prayer is the souls Provisioner fetcheth in Provision for the soul and for al its Graces The old bird the Dam goes abroad and fetcheth in meat for the young ones and they lye in the nest gaping to receive the meat upon its return and if the old one be kild abroad the young ones wil die presently at home So here Prayer goes abroad and fetcheth in provision for al our Graces and they al lye gaping to receive this provision from the mouth of Prayer if this be killed how can those other Graces live The truth is The more sweetness a Christian finds in any work the greater is his affliction if he want that work now what abundance of sweetness doth a Gracious soul find in Prayer therefore when a man is narrowed or shut up in Prayer it cannot but be a great affliction to him But though it be a matter of great affliction yet a good man hath no reason to be quite discouraged yea though he meet with many failings therein and cannot pray as he would nor perform duty as he should Quest How may that appear Thus. Answ First Every Godly Gracious man is in Covenant with God by Jesus Christ and that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace which is the great Charter the Magna-Charta of al his spiritual Privilidges and Immunities Now in this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim this That sincerity shal go for perfection That a little done for God in the time of temptation shal be counted much In this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim unto al his people That he doth rather regard the bent of the heart than the inlargment of the heart That he dorh rather regard the wil to do than the doing In this great Charter the Covenant of free Grace the Lord proclaims unto al his people That if they do fail in prayer and other duties for I speak not of prayer only though I instance in that He wil not cast them off but he wil rather be moved to pity them for the Covenant that the Lord makes with his people is as the Covenant that a man makes with his wife I wil betroth thee unto me for ever saith the Lord. Hos 2 Now a man wil not put away his wife for every failing neither wil the Lord put a way his people nor cast them off because he is betrothed to them though they do fail in duties Again in this great Charter and Covenant of Grace the Lord doth proclaim unto al his Children That what they want in performance he wil make up in indulgence He proclaims this unto them That he wil require no more than he gives he wil give what he requires and he wil accept what he gives Now therefore am I in that Covenant of Grace and are there many failings in al my duties yet if this be true That the Lord is more moved by my failings to pity me than to cast me off then I have no reason for to be discouraged And thus it is with every child of God he is in this Covenant of Grace and so the Priviledges and Immunities of al this great Charter belongs unto him Secondly Though there be many failings in a Godly mans duty yet so long as it is a duty there is som-what of Christ therein there is som-what of God therein Now God wil not cast away his own becauâ—e it is mixt with ours but he wil rather pardon ours and accept ours because it is mixt with his The Husband-man doth not cast away his wheat because it is mixt with chaff he brings it into his barn and there is a time when he wil seperate the chaff from the wheat but he doth not cast away the corn because it is mixt with chaff yet this grain of wheat hath nothing of the Image of the Husband-man upon it but there is never a duty of a Godly man but hath somwhat of the Image of Christ upon it and therefore I say he wil not cast away His because it is mixt with Ours but he wil rather pardon and accept of ours quamvis odibilis detestabilis et execrabilis sit causa mea in ore meo nihilominus in ore tuo benedicto in ore tuo sacratissimo et in labiis tuis quibus tanta gratia diffusa est est favorabilis Parisiens de Rhetor. Div. cap. 21. Est et alia firmitas et confirmatio meae partis quod tu ipse advocatus es et propitiatio qui es et Judex meus et propter hâ—c non est possibile ut patiaris causam meam periclitari in manibus meis Apud homines enim non est possibile ut advocatus fidelis et justus permittat
in altero Where Nature is deficient in one thing it is abundant in another thing If a man wants his Eyes he hears the better and the less he sees the more he remembers where Nature is wanting in one thing it is exceeding in another And as Nature so the God of Nature and the God of Grace too It may be you do want a Head-memory but hath not the Lord given you a Heart-memory to remember thâ— Sermon as you have occasion to use it Some have Parts and Gifts and they want plainness and openness of heart for God some again have a plain heart and they want Gifts and Parts It is said Jacob That he prevailed with God in Prayer and he was a plain man Mark how the Holy Ghost doth put these two together That that man should be the prevailing man with God in Prayer who was the plain man and that man that was the plain man should be the prevailing man in Prayer a plain man but prâ—vailing with God Well then though thou beest but a plain person and hast no Parts or Gifts as others have yet thou maiest prevail with God and thy Name may be called Israel prevailing with the Lord When God denies one he gives another Mercy Thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and a godly gracious man may say thus Well though I have not great Parts and Gifts yet blessed be the Lord I have a plain and an open heart for God and if the Lord hath done thus much for you and recompenced you in another way have you any reason then to be discouraged for want of Parts and Gifts in Duties Certainly you have not Object O! but yet this is not the matter of my Discouragement I am not discouraged for want of Parts or Gifts in Duty but I want the Grace and the Holiness of Duty I want the Grace and the Holiness of Prayer I go to Prayer and Duty but the Lord knows wiâ—h a dull dead and a straightened heart I think verily that there is not a more rockie stony flinty heart in the world than mine I offer my self to God somtimes in Prayer but when I come at it I am not able to speak a word my heart is so shut up and straightened and have I not cause and reason now to be discouraged is not this matter of just discouragement Answ No. For Pearls somâ—imes grow upon Rocks and possibly there may be some Pearl of Grace growing upon that rocky heart of thine Yet further First You say That you are straightened in Duty but are you satisfied and contented with that condition or if you had enlargeâ—ent in Duty would you be satisfied therein No I am not satisfied with my straightened condition and the truth is though I had never so much enlargement enlargement alone would never satisfie my soul but if I had more affection I would give it up to God yea if I had a Sea of Affection I would powr it out before the Lord and if I had Prayers and Tears and Enlargements like the Sands upon the Seâ—shore I would offer them all up to God Well and is not this to be enlarged towards God A poor man that hath never a penny in his Purse sees another or many others in want but he hath nothing to relieve them with yet saith he if I had wherewithal I would relieve all these men I would cloath them all or I would feed them all is not this mans heart enlarged now towards the poor though he hath not a penny to help them with So in your case for the present thy Affection is poor and thou aâ—â— straightened but thou sayest if I had a Sea of Affection I would give it all to God and if I had Prayers like the Sand upon the Sea-shore I would give them all to God is not this to be enlarged towards God God doth give by denying somtimes and thus he hath dealt by you Secoâ—dly If your Condition herein be no other than the condition of the Saints and People of God then you have no just cause and reason to be discouraged in this respect Now Psalm 77.3 4. saith the Plalmist there I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was over-whelmed Lord saith he at verse 4. Thou holdest mine Eyes watching I am so troubled that I cannot speak I cannot pray I am so troubled I cannot speak A Mother hears her child cry and saith she now doth this Child cry for the Breast yet the Child speaks not a word but the Mother knows the meaning of the childs crying and the language of it And doth a Mother know the language of her Childs crying and doth not God our Father know the Language of his Childs cry that cannot speak unto him The Beggar that follows you for an Alms is a Beggar though he be dumb and cannot speak and you say send him away with some gift for he follows us So here though your heart be shut up in Duty yet if you can follow God he looks upon you as a Beggar at the Throne of Grace and in due time he will serve you and send you away with Comfort Thirdly You would fain have enlargements and workings of the heart in Prayer but what would you do with those enlargements Would you shew your Enlargements your Excellencies your Graces to God when you come to Duty A Beggar you know if he have any excellent thing as Gold or Silver he hides that and he shews his wounds he shews his sores if you mean to give him a penny and ask him if he have any money I have two-pence or threepence Sir saith he or a penny but he hides his excellency and he laies open his wounds and if he can but open his sores before you he thinks he doth beg effectually Beloved we all go to God in Prayer in forma Pauperis every man sues in this Court in the form of a Beggar If thy heart then be straightened if thy heart be hard and if thy Spirit be dull in duty you may go to God and open your sores and wounds before him you may go and say Lord what an hard heart have I and what a dull and straighâ—ened Spirit have I This father becomes a Begger and you must come as a Begger when you come before him yet you must know Etsi non sit possib le per ea moveri immobilem et per omniaque immutabilem Deum potentia enim mihi videatur esse ad movendum ipsum recitantem vel meditantem ipsa ad moveadum inquam et preparandum ad gratiam devotionis etâ— gratitudinis et largitatis et beneficentiae incogitabibis Dei Parisiens Cap. 22. de Rhetor Div. That neither your Poverty nor your Riches neither your straightenings in Duty nor your enlargements do make any alteration in the Mind and Will of God Indeed God seems to deal by us somtimes as a Father doth by his little Child he holds a piece
cold in prayer then comes these ill distractions So that certainly there is a great deal of evil indeed in these distractions Yet there is no reason for Discouragement For First What Rock is there so firm or fast but hath some seams of dirt upon it and what foul is there so firm and fast and immovable in Duty but hath some seams or dirt or distractions growing upon it Abraham the Father of the Faithful had Birds coming down upon his Sacrifice and what Child of Abraham is therâ— but hath these foul Birds unclean Birds of distraction one time or other coming down upon his Sacrifice Secondly If that these distractions shall not hurt the Servants of God nor their Sacrifices neither them nor their Duties then they have no reason be discouraged under them though to be humbled for them Now it is a true Rule non nocet quod non placet that which doth not please doth not hurt These distractions in Duty do not please the Saints they lie under them as a heavy burden they do not please them therefore they shall not hurt them You know what the Psalmist saith If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer Psal 66.18 Distraction in Prayer is a great iniquity if I regard this iniquity in my prayer the Lord wil not hear my Prayer But when may a man be said to regard iniquity You know that if you regard a man thae comes to your house you run and meet him at the door you bid him welcom have him in and set a stool for him and you give him entertainment but if you bid the man be gone saying I will have nothing to do with you you are my burden I pray be gone then you do not regard this man Thus it is with the Saints and People of the Lord distractions press in upon their prayer and Duty but doest thou fetch a stool doest thou give entertainment and doest thou bid welcome to these distractions No the Lord knows I bid them be gone the Lord knows they are my burden then certainly as that is true If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer so on the contrary if I do not regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will hear my prayer A man doth somtimes open a door for one of worth and others press and croud in with him and if the Master say to his Servant why did you let all these men in he answers Sir I did not open the door for these but for another and these did press and troud in upon me and I could not hinder then is the Master satisfied and the Servant excused So in this case it is and that often with the People of God Christ stands at their door and knocks they run to meet with him in Prayer and by Prayer they open the door of their heart to him but then distractions press and croud in upon them yet they can say in truth Lord I never opened my door for these but do desire that these and al these may be put out again What then do you not think that God wil be satisfied with this answer of uprightness Surely he will and therefore though these distractions do croud in upon you here is matter of affliction but not of Discouragement Thirdly If these destractions in Duties do move the Lord to pity then thou hast no reason to be quite discouraged though humbled under these distractions Ye know how it is with a loving Father a Father hath a Son whom he loves dearly this Child of his is crazy-brained but be hath his Lucida intervalla and he will speak very good reason somtimes his Father loves to hear this Child speak when he speaks reason but all on a sudden the Child is out What then doth his Father hate him for that No but the bowels of the man yerns O! now my Child is out then the Fathers heart doth ake over this Child whom he takes pleasure in Thus it is between God and a poor soul God loves his Children dearly Cant. 2.14 he loves to hear them pray Let me hear thy voyce and see thy face saith Christ for thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance is comely God loves to hear his Children pray but every foot they are out in and then out again out and then in again But what then is the Lord moved hereby to destroy his Children No but now the heart of your Father akes and now his bowels yern Shall there be bowels in the heart of an Earthly Father this way and shal there not be bowels in the heart of God our Heavenly Father this way Surely there is Well therefore though in regard of thy distractions thou hast cause for ever to be humbled yee certainly thou hast no cause to be quite discouraged Object O! but This is not my case For though I am troubled with many distractions for which I have cause to be humbled and though my heart be dead and dull and hard in duty and though I have no Parts and Gifts in Duty yet this is not the matter of my discouragement especially but that which discourageth me concerning Duty is this I pray and pray and am never the nearer I have been praying thus long thus many yeers and am never the neerer I have an undutiful disobedient child and I have been praying thus long and he is never the better I have been praying for the sence of Gods Love thus long and am never the neerer I have been praying for such and such a spiriâ—ual mercy thus and thus lâ—ng and am never the holier God regards me not for he answeâ—s me not and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragements now Answ No For First Though God doth not answer you presently yet he doth hear you presently Cito semper audit tardus aliquando respondet He heard Moses when he prayed though he did not gâ—ant his prayer and it is a great mercy that God will receive my prayer though I never do receive the thing that I pray for and I may yet say Father I thank thee that thou hearest me alwaies But Secondly It is usual with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes that the Lord doth not answer their prayer when the Lord doth There is a Two-fold return or Answer of Prayer There is a Visible Return of Prayer and there is an Invisible Return of Prayer As it is with the Vapors that are drawn upward by the heat of the Sun some there are that do fall again in great Rain and Hail and ye hear and sâ—e the returns of those vapors in the day but somtimes the Vapors fall in a dew in the night and you do not see the return thereof but you go abroad in the morning and you find the dew upon the ground although you did not see when the dew fell So here your Prayers are drawn up by the heat of
Gods Love in Christ some return upon you again in the day visibly some return in the night invisibly when you see them not there is a visible and there is an invisible return of Prayer What more usual with Gods People than to say and think thaâ— the Lord doth not hear their Prayer nor make return to them when indeed he doth and that visibly unto others also Luke 1. you read of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they were very righteous verse 6. They were both righteous before God And Zacharias and Elizabeth had no Children but Zacharias prayed for Children for at verse 13. the Angel said unto him Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy Wife Elizabeth shall bear a Son and thou shalt call his name John The Lord heard his Prayer and sent an Angel to tel him his prayer was heaâ—d but Zachaâ—ias doubted thereof verse 18. Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in yeers Here he doubts and it was his sin thus to doubt as you may see by verse 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words Here plainly now was a return of prayer yea here was a visible return of Prayer and yet Zacharias though a Godly and a Holy man doubâ—ed whether the Lord had heard his Prayer or no. So that I say this is no new thing with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes That the Lord doth not answer their Pâ—ayer when the Lord indeed doth anâ—wer and thaâ— visibly too But Thirdly If the Lords not hearing granting and answering your Prayers presently be â—omtimes matter of great encouragement then it is not alwaies a matter of discouragement Now the Lords not hearing and granting your prayer preâ—eâ—tly is somtimes matter of great encouragement You have divers â—hildren at your Table some yonger and some elder some Babes and little ones some grown whâ—n you come to carve out your meat unto them you carve first to the little ones and you do noâ— carve first to the greater for say you these little ones will cry and they have not Patience to stay and thereâ—ore they shâ—â—l be first â—erved but those greater have more wiâ— and more patience and they will stay Beloved thus now it is between God and us The Lord hath two sorts of Children that come to him in Prayer and hâ— intends to serve them both but he looks upon those that are weak and serves them first as for thâ—â—â— that are strongâ—â— and have more faith and patience saith the Lord you are able to stay I see your faith and patience and therefore I wil serve the little ones first but as for you I wil serve you last Thus it was with Abraham after the Lord had made Abraham a Promise of a Seed he made him stay a great while Why Because he saw he had faith to stay So now thou hast not presently a return or answer to thy prayer Why Because the Lord it may be sees thou hast strength faith and patience to stay And is not this rather matter of encouragement than discouragement But Fourthly Who ever stayed and waited long upon God but he had more than he prayed for Either God answers your prayers presently or if he do not he will not only pay you the principal but he wil pay you forbearance money and you shal have good Security and a pledg for the principal too The desire is a pledg of the thing desired Prayer is a pledg of the thing prayed for a waiting heart is a pledg of the thing waited for and the longer you stay the more your hearts shal be weaned from the thing prayed for and the more you shal be taught to wait upon God and somtimes a waiting frame of heart is a greater mercy than the thing waited for By this means also you shal be weaned from your prayer so as not to rest on it A Child may so love the Nuâ—se as to forget the Mother and one may possibly so love Duty as to forget Christ but by Gods delaying to answer you are weaned from this Nurse and kept from resting on it Or it may be you came to Duty with too high esteem of your own performance and too low esteem of the Duty it self Hereby God teachech you to come to the Duty with high esteem of it and with low esteem of your own doing it Yea the longer you stay the more you shal be humbled and your self-despising thoughts because you cannot pray may please God more than your best prayer You see that when a man angles he throws his line into the Water and there is the hook and the bait those are heavy then there is the Cork and that is light and when the Fisher or the Angler sees that the light cork is drawn under water now the Fish bites saith he now there is hope now there is somthing coming So you go to prayer and there is somwhat heavy and weighty in your spirit but there is somthing that is of a corky and light Nature in your spirit the longer you stay the more your Cork shall be drawn under water that lightness of Spirit shal be drawn under water and so the more you shall be humble and humbled Thereby you are caught to fan your prayers There is much Chaff amongst the good Wheat of our Duties and Gods delaying time is our fanning time when the Fish doth not bite the Fisher mends his bait it may be saith he my hook is not well baited So should you do when you take nothing by prayer Gods delay cals for your amending Yea by this means you may remember how you delayed the Lord he spake often to you and it was long ere you heard him shal we think it long ere he hear us when it was so long ere we heard him it may be you have forgotten your delayes of God but by this forbearance he doth Graciously mind you thereof Yea by Gods forbearance to answer you the Lord teacheth you to forbear Gods forbearance doth teach us forbearance and is that nothing let al this be considered and you wil say indeed here is more matter of incouragement than discouragement Fiftly If you would be discouraged in case God should alwaies answer your prayer presently then you have no reason to be discouraged because he doth not answer you presently But now if the Lord should alwaies answer thy duty and prayer presently you would be discouraged why because you would say thus I look into the scripture and there I find that God doth not alwayes answer his children presently his children have prayed and then they have waited and this hath been the way that God hath taken with his children now God doth not take this way with me and therefore I fear I am none of Gods children and so you would
them not now wil I remember their iniquity Mâ—â—k the word Now Now when Now when they do come to prayer now wil I remember your iniquity saith the Lord. I know saith the Lord al your carriage in such and such a pâ—â—ce I know your uncleanness and your adulteries when you wâ—â—e in the dark when the curtains were drawn about you and the candle out I know your carriage at such a Tavern and upon such an Ale bench how you sate there and scâ—rned and reviâ—â—d my children I know your opposing scoffing and jeering at tho e that are Godly I know al this and now thou comest to prayer now Swearer now Adulterer now Drunkard now thou comest to duty now wil I remember thine iniquity Is it not a sad thing that the Lord should remember a mans sin at the time when he comes to prayer yet thus the Lord deales with the wicked But as for the Godly and Gracious man it is not so with him when he comes to prayer though he have many failings in duty yet the Lord remembers his mercy then the Lord remembers his loving kindness then the Lord remembers his Covenant for he is ever mindful of his Covenant O! what incouragement is here then for every man to become Godly to get into Christ and what incouragement is here for the Saints and people of God to come to duty O! you that have but a little faith have you any reason to be discouraged wil you not at last say to your soul why art thou cast down O my soul and why are thou thus discouraged Quest But suppose that I have done foolishly and have sinned in being discouraged upon al occasions suppose I have many failings in duty and the Lord doth not answer my prayer presently what shal I do that I may bear up my heart against this discouragement either in regard of my own failing in duty or in regard of Gods not answering Answ 1 First Take heed that you do not lay the stress and weight of al your comfort upon duty cither the gift of duty or the Grace of duty or the present answer of it So much as ye lay the stress and weight of your comfort upon duty so much wil you be discouraged in case you do either want duty or an answer to it When Paul was tempted and buffetted he prayed thrice For this saith he I besought the Lord thrice thâ—t is often and the Lord gave him no other answer than this 2 Cor. 12.8 9. Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength shal be made perfect in thy weakness Whereupon Paul saith Now therefore wil I Glory in mine infirmities that the pâ—wer of the Lord may rest upon me Hast thou therefore been at prayer and hast thou prayed thrice or often and hast thou no answer but this My Grace is sufficient for thee know that thou hast a Pauls answer and therefore rather Glory in this that the Lord should find thee faithful for to wait upon him than be discouraged knowing that the Lords strength shal be perfected in thy weakness Answ 2 Secondly Consider seriously and frequently of this rule That difficulty doth commend duty the more difficulties your duties do press through to God the more acceptable they are to him The less there is to sweeten your duty to you the more sweet is your duty to God It is in our performing of duty as in the offering of the Jewish Sacrifice in the offering of their Sacrifice there was two things The Sacrifice and the Obedience in offering the Sacrifice and the more difficult it was for any poor Jew by reason of poverty or the like to offer this Sacrifice the more and greater was his Obedience in offering it the more difficulty in offering the greater the Obedience offered So also it is in our Gospel Sacrifices and in al our duties there are two things in them There is the Sacrifice the duty and there is the Obedience in bringing the duty and the more difficulty in performing the duty the greater is the Obedience to God in the performing of it Now is is not an hard thing and very difficult for a man to pray and continue praying when his heart is hardned and his spirit streightned especially if he be sensible thereof then he is ready to despond and say I can pray no more and is it not a very hard thing for a man to pray and persevere in prayer when he thinks that God doth not regard his prayer then he is apt to say why should I pray any longer for God regards me not yet now if you do pray and perform your duty your obedience is the more obediential the more acceptable and if you would but think of this rule Difficulty doth commend duty and the less you have to sweeten your action the more sweet it is to God I say if you would but remember this it would both incourage you to duty and keep you from discouragement in it And lastly We must al learn to leave the event and success of our spiritual things unto God himself so shal we never be discouraged in any duty For the word of the Lord is sure and God hath spoken it Psal 55. Cast thy Gift upon the Lord Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierom. projice super Dominum charitatem tuam Rab. Salv. Jar. abbreviate dictus Rashi vel Rasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod etiam pro dono usurpatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 11.8 Bibl. Bomb. and he wil sustain thee he wil not suffer the righteous to be moved for ever You read it thus Cast thy Burden upon the Lord but in the Hebrew it is thy Gift Cast thy Gift upon the Lord. That is saith Shindler quicquid tibi dari donarive expetis Whatsoever thou dost desire that God should give thee cast that upon the. Lord thou comest to prayer and thou prayest for such a mercy or such a Gift cast that on God and leave it wholly to him O! but the mercy I pray for is a necessary mercy Be it so yet it is to be cast on God But it is a spiritual Gift I pray for pardon of sin the sence of Gods love growth in Grace consolation to my poor drooping soul Be it so yet thou must cast this on God Many there are that can leave the event and and success of these outward things unto God but to leave the event and success of prayer and their spiritual things unto God this they cannot understand and this they are utterly unacquainted with but whatever thy Gift be cast it upon the Lord leave the success and the event of al your spiritual things upon God what then And he wil sustain thee and thou shalt not be moved for ever Thou are moved for the present and thy heart is moved and thou art much discouraged yet do but try this way leave the