not perform it And Psal 56.4 In God I will praise his word And Psal 60.6 7. God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce c. In a word It 's to little purpose to the children of God in a waiting posture to offer to be acquaint with the Word and make use of it except they lean their weight on it and be determined by it otherwise a man may sâ—arve beside his allowance he may see enough in the Bible to make him up and yet not be the better of it because he will not captivat his sense reason and carnal imaginations to credit and lay weight on it But to press and follow this forth I proceed to the 3d thing I proposed to be spoken to in this Head of Doctrine and it is the main thing to the end we may lean weight upon the Word and it may put an end to all controversies that may arise in our bosoms we would fix this principle that the Word of God is of Divine Authority and of infallible verity and certainty That 's a Principle a man that would live by Faith must fix that as it is Tit. 1.2 The Scriptures are the word of him that cannot lie Here it is that Faith resolving to wait on God must begin his exercise to fix this well that the Scriptures and the Doctrine contained therein are the Word of the faithful God that they are of infallible verity and Divine Authority and therefore when the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.19 is pressing upon believers to take heed to the Scriptures as a more sure word of prophecy than the voice that came from heaven He intimats in the two following Verses that that will be to no purpose except they know first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation The meaning whereof is not that privat spirits must not Expone or give the sense of Scripture for the Passage speaks not of the interpretation or giving of the sense but of the authority of the Scripture In which sense Prophets were inspired to reveal the Word of God and his will betwixt him and men as Aaron was betwixt Moses and Pharaoh when Moses was unto him as a God as the Heathen Sybills werâ— called Deorum Interpretes and so the meaning is that the Scriptures are not of any private inspiration by men but from God as is contained in the reason which he gives in the next Verse For the Prophesie came not of old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost These sure words of Prophecy â—ould he say to which I invite you to take heed are of Divine Authority spoken by holy men as they were inspired by the Spirit and his ye must know and believe ere ye can receive light and comfort from them Hence Paul dealing with Agrippa Act. 26.27 presses him to look to the Scriptures Divine Authority as being a solid ground of Faith King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest he threaps upon him that he believed This Principle being necessary to be fixt our work in fixing it might soon be at an end if we were quit of the wicked and perverse clamours of Papists who expecting little kindness of the Scriptures as I asserted the last day are in tops with it at every bout they will have none to read the Scriptures without their licence and when they are read they will not have them a perfect rule for Faith and Manners without their traditions not will they grant that they can be understood without their interpretations And in the point I am upon they will not have the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority in respect of us what ever Authority they have of themselves more than the Fables of Aesop without the testimony of their Church so blasphemously speak they against that Scripture from which they expect so little friendship For us we acknowledge it is a mercy that there is a Church to hand down the Scriptures to us and that we have the testimony of the Church by her Ministry 〈◊〉 sure that testimony is not from the Romish Church only The Ancients when they speak of Testimonies concerning the Doctrine of the Scriptures adduce the Testimony of the Romish Church being then Orthodox only among other Churches and there are many other Churches beside the Protestants who acknowledge the authority of the Scripture and yet do not acknowledge the authority of the Church of Rome such as the Grecian Ethiopian Armenian Churches and others whatever the Church do in asserting the Authority of the Scriptures she is in that like the woman of Samaria Joh. 4. Who testified to the Samaritans concerning Christ saying Come see a man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ but when they came to him on her information they said Now we believe not because of thy information and saying for we have seen and heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world They founded not their faith on her Testimony though that was inductive to their meeting with Christ but ascended to their own perswasion which was founded on their hearing of him themselves But to batter out this a little which ye may have to do with ere long to let you see that the Scripture must not subject its authority to the Roman Church I shall speak a little to these four 1. I enquire whether they have given this Testimony or not Further Whether it be arbitrary for them to give it or not if it be arbitrary and the Word have no Authority but at their pleasure they put a cheat upon the World by asserting the authority of that which hath no antecedent authority in it self But if it be not arbitrary but they are bound to give it and have given their Testimony already as Pope Innocent long ago pronounced his authority in his Decretal concerning the Scripture Then they can no more be heard pleading against the Authority of the Scriptures determining in these Controversies that are betwixt them and us 2. Who gives this Testimony The Pope or his Counsel or both Again How came they to give this Testimony They are perswaded or not perswaded are they not perswaded and yet give it then are they the grandest cheats in the world If they are perswaded how came they to that perswasion If they go up to the Church preceeding how was that Church perswaded and let them ascend as far as they can ascend they must still fist at some who were perswaded of the truth of the Authority of the Scriptures without any antecedent Testimony of the Church as for Revelations witnessing the Divine Authority of the Scriptures they will not pretend to them they call us Enthusiasts though falsely on that account and if they had that perswasion from the Scriptures themselves why may not others having the Spirit of God discern that Divine Authority of
the Scriptures without the Testimony of the Church as well as they But I shall add 3dly If any should ask who gave them that warrand to determine concerning the Authority of the Scriptures If they should say to a Pagan that is the Word of God I say it and I have authority to declare it If the Pagan should say where is your evidence that ye have that authority if they cannot adduce any may not he justly alledge that they bear Witness of themselves All the evidence they afford to any is that the Church of Rome is infallible and when they are put to that they adduce these passages Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter c. Luke 22.32 Joh. 21.15 well say I have these Testimonies Divine Authority to perswade men concerning the infallibility of the Church of Rome and must men believe that antecedently to their receiving their testimony concerning the Scriptures If so then not only themselves who testify but others who are to receive their testimony must be perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures antecedently to that testimony In a word when they would prove their Authority they run to the Scriptures and in proving the Authority of the Scriptures they recurr to their own testimony and so run in a circle I might add a 4th thing to discuss their Authority from their own principles for the clearing of which I shall hint at three words I hope they will grant that they who testify concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must be Christians not Pagans Church-Officers not Laicks Now by their principles how can they satisfie the Christian world that their Pope is not an un-baptized Pagan or a meer privat person I shall not found my doubt upon Pope Leo the Tenth his Creed that said The Fable concerning Christ had been a gainful Fable but upon their making the real administration of the Sacraments to depend upon the real intention of the Priest that administrats them And so I reason it is impossible morally to know that the present Pope is a baptized Christian or a Church officer in regard we cannot know what were the intentions of him that baptized or ordained â—im and what a blind is it to cause the authority of the Scriptures depend upon such an uncertainty 2. Consider again their sin of Simony we find their Histories full especially in these dark times some while bâ—fore the Reformation of their Symoniacal Popes who by budds and bribes and one by faigning a Voice from Heaven to out his Predecessor did advance themselves into the Chaiâ— Now by their own Cannon Law Symony makes void the Election and nullifies all the Acts following thereon Now suppose a Pope get into the Châ—ir by Symoâ—y and â—â—eats Cardinals who elect his successor their Act his Election are null and it is impossible they can be capable of any Ecclesiastical Act particularly for testifying concerning the authority of the Scriptures 3. I would know how the Christian world should know the Popes declaring concerning the authority of the Scriptures since very few have access to him except we take the Testimony of humane Writings or some wandring Priest with his Papal Bulls and Lead affixt to them Shall we give credit to these Bulls carried by his Priests because they have the ordinar Characters of Papal Bulls and shall â—e not for all the Divine Characters that are found in the Scriptures creâ—â—t them to be the Word of God From all which ye would learn to look upon the Romish Religion as a Religion wherein ye have no ground of certainâ—y to go on and so that there is no Faith in the Romish Religion but that which is ultimatly a humane Faith for if they give us Scripture how know 〈◊〉 that it is Scripture They tell us their Church says so 〈◊〉 know we the certainty of the Churches Testimony 〈◊〉 Pope says so and for that we have but the testimony of his humane Writings and of his Priests Bulls and suppose we should go to Rome we should not get easie access to him and though we should get access to him we know not what he is whether a baptized Christian or an unbaptized Pagan and the Priest that baptized him had not the due intention so that ultimatly all the Faith in the Romish Religion result into an humane report but if the Lord will I shall in the afternoon let you see other evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that we shall not need to go to Rome for their Testimony Take the Bible seek that Spirit that dictated the Bible look on the Scripture as a true History look oâ— it with that credit ye look on Titus Livius Quintus Curtius Buchannan or any other humane writing and they will prove their own Divinity This I say if the Lord will I shall follow forth more distinctly in the afternoon and therefore I leave it and speak a word to profane Cavillers at the Scriptures authority There is a word Christ hath in assorting the Divine Authority of Hâ— Doctrine which ye would notice Job 7.10 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me if any man will do his will be shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self The meaning whereof is not that folks must first obey ere they know the Divinity of his Doctrine nor is it that the Word needs the charity of well disposed persons but this is it that he must be in a good frame that would take up the Divine Authority of the Word I mark it for this end because there are so many Atheists Anti-scripturists mockers of Scripture denyers of the Being of Spirits immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and Punishments after this Life and it is to little or no purpose to discourse to them of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures It is with them as with that man who said non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris although thou convince me thou shalt not perswade me they have done with their part of happiness if the Scriptures be of Divine Authority and therefore they will not be perswaded that it is so for these I shall leave them to these two words one is Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth They that will not see God in his Bible shall see and find him in the execution of his Judgments upon them The other word is Zech. 1. when verse 4. he has spoken of their Fathers who when they were bidden turn would not hear nor hearken he says verse 6. But my words and my statutes did they not take hold of your fathers and they returned and said as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us I leave these malitious and desperat men who are hardned in their impiety to have the Scripture verified on them but a man that does the will of God that walks humbly
and soberly shall find that there are as many Characters shining in the Scripture it self as may refresh and satisfie him and all those who have their all in God God bless his Word to you for Christ's sake SERMON XXVIII Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his word do I hope A Person without skill will readily mistake the best contrivances whoso without skill should look slightly upon a man building an House and digging very deep to seek a sure foundation for it whereby a great part of his expenses and pains is hid under ground would they not be ready to go and count that great cost but when the foundation is well laid the superstructure will stand the better So may it be with many in reference to the purpose I am now upon needy bodies would fain have something presently to fill their mouth they are not for frist but little do they consider that the Doctrine of this Text lays the foundations that cannot be destroyed The foundation of all their other food that they get from the Scripture and because this foundation is not well laid other things relating to their cases in the superstructure proves slipâ—y I am now upon the great Task of the Psalmist here waiting for God I have shewed the necessity of Faith and Hope for that undertaking the fastning of Faith and Hope in waiting on its sure ground the Word of God And I have laid before you the necessity of being acquaint with the Scriptures that it is your duty to be determined by the Scripture and to judge of all things according to the verdict of the Word and in prosecution of that I am led upon this great Truth That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority they are the Word of God I laid by the pretence of the Romish Church to assert the Authority of the Scriptures whose principles lead men in the matters of Religion to a labyrinth of unextricable uncertainties Now it would remain that I should hint at some things to clear the Divinity and Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Doctrine therein contained not to Atheists to Whom I spake a word in the close of the mornings Exercise but to sober minded folk who would fain have their Faith helped in that concern and as the last day I recommended your Bibles to you to be made more use of that ye might have the word dwelling richly in you So this day I would recommend to all to take another and a better look of their Bibles that they may see them and the Doctrine held out therein clearly and distinctly to be Divine One word I premit which would lead me to that I would speak to here and ye will find it Psal 119.152 You read it in your Translation Concerning thy testimonie I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever but the Original reads it word for word thus From thy testimonies I have learned of old that thou hast founded them for ever wherein ye may take notice of these three 1. What he learned concerning the Scriptures that God had founded them for ever that is That they were and are an unalterable and everlasting foundation of Faith having a Divine Authority stamped upon them 2. When he learned this of old not only from experience but he learned it as the first principle he had drunken in That was would he say the A B C. of my Religion a Peter hath the word in that forecited place 2 Pet. 1.20 Know this first c. 3. Whence he learned this From thy testimonies I learned it saith he I needed not another evidence thy Testimonies when my eyes were open discovered to me their divine authority and infallible verity Hence ye may gather that which I closed with in the morning That if ye suppose the Historical verity of the Scriptures they will prove their Divinity to any who have the Spirit of God or to any who receive the Scriptures as a true History the Scriptures themselves will prove themselves to be Divine Writings So here ye have 1. The Historical verity of the Scriptures supposed 2. Their Divine Authority proposed and 3. The necessity of the Spirit to discern that 1. I suppose that men receive the Scriptures as a true History that is that men will give that credit to the Word that they give to any common History handed down to their days to wit that there was such a Nation as Israel that there was such a man as Moses that gave them Laws that was instrumental in working miracles in bringing them out of Egypt and in the Wilderness that there was such an one as Jesus Christ that preached in Palestine was crucified at Jerusalem that he had twelve Apostles that followed him c. This is to be supposed in this inquiry concerning the Authority of the Scriptures neither is it irrational to suppose it Though there be no vestige of that antient City of Troy now yet who doubts but such a City was And that Homer wrote not a meer Romance whatever Poetical enlargements he has when he wrote of it Who doubts of Alexander the Great though his Empire be now gone and that Q Curtius wrote of him Who doubts of the Roman Wars and that Titus Livius wrote of them when men get these Books in their hands they look not on them as fables and if so how rationally do we plead that the like Credit be given to the Scriptures that they may have the like acceptance if any account this irrational he must grant that he will not believe any thing done before his own time nay that he will not believe any thing done in his own time if he see it not done with his eyes and thus a man questioning the Historical verity of things should nonpluss himself with absurdities and declare that he were fitter for a Bedlam than to be Disputed with But 2. This being supposed there is their Divine Authority proposed to be spoken to the Scripture it self will prove it self a true Divine word they often do solemnly declare they are of God that God spoke them to Moses the Prophets and assert that what they spoke are the truths of God and that they do not cheat in this assertion whoso will go through the Characters of the words Divinity they will be convinced of it But a man falling on that subject must say as Psal 106.2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise I might here speak of the form and stile of Scripture of the scope and end of it leading to God and Everlasting happiness but I shall limit my self to the antiquity of the Scripture the instruments employed in transmitting it to us the matter of the Scripture the efficacy and success of them and the adjuncts of the Scripture 1. For the antiquity of the Scripture that is most true which is most antient and so is the Scripture for however error may plead antiquity yet truth had
used by the Papists against us concerning the Spirits testimony it is not by way of Enthusiasme or any new Revelation but by way of gift from God opening our eyes to discern the wonders of his Law and so it is not required to prove the Scriptures to be Divine but to assure us they are Divine because there be some to whom the Gospel is hid not that a saving work of the Spirit is requisite to take up these evidences of the Divinity of the Scriptures for a temporary may taste of the good Word of God and yet fall away Heb. 6. But a common illumination of the Spirit is necessary to take up these evidences the Scripture gives of its Divinity Now I have been long upon this Head which is Doctrinal and though it be so it shall not be in vain if it be a mean to fix your Faith and Hope in this Principle that the Scriptures are the Word of God and of Divine Authority The Scriptures are the Word of Truth by which we are begotten Jam. 1.18 His Law is the truth Psal 119.142 The Scriptures are a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 When David is comforting himself against the rising of enemies like the mighty Waters and Waves of the Sea he says Thy testimonies are very sure Psal 93.5 And then they are a tryed word Psal 12.6 The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Ye would reduce these things to your practice and seek to have the Word of God to be found that which it is called in your experience But that which I intended to have insisted upon is to leave a sad check upon the generality of you that see so little of God in your Bible Something hath been said to hold forth the Divine Authority of the Scriptures but I confess it 's but a spilt commendation that hath been given this word yea it fears me more hath been said than even ye that have Bibles discern O will ye consider how men of old have experienced the Divinity of this word and have found it to be of God and have fallen down and confessed worshipping God saying God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.25 All the fores that Christianity now hath do not contribute to make the Word so successful as it hath been in times of persecution wherefore it is so soon passed from by many in times of trial because the Divine Authority thereof is not stamped on hearts and God is not made use of and imployed to write it upon the heart Let this be looked upon partly as the practical use of what ye have heard partly to excite you to bless God ye have this Word Ye are not behind so long as ye have your Bibles though ye were straitned in many other things and partly to humble you that ye may blush and be ashamed that the Divine vertue and efficacy that wont to accompany the Scriptures is so little found in this generation and upon your hearts SERMON XXIX Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope WAiting for God being the great and trying task of of the godly man as ye have heard who afterhend his wrestling with the deeps of difficulties and with insupportable pressures of guilt must learn also by patient waiting for God to wrestle with delays to the answers of Prayer or the longed for outgate prayed for whether as to issue or comfort These that are put to this trying task and seriously engaged in it had need to be well supported that they may bide it out till they meet with the end of the Lord. This is it which I am now upon in these words wherein the Psalmist after that he hath profesâ— he is waiting waiting for the Lord that his soul doth wait he adds in the next place an account of his support in waiting that therefore he waited because he hoped in the Word of God I wait c. I have spoken already to the first general Doctrine in these words that patient waiting on God cannot be gotten cherisht without the exercise of Faith and Hope no man can say I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait but he that can say he hopes and trusts in God I wait saith he because I hope I have also near put a close to what I would say from the second general Obervation to wit that this Faith and Hope that supports the patient waiter for God that sends the believer and carries him thorow in waiting for God till the outgate come must take the Word for its ground and measure I wait because I hope and hope because I have the Word of God for the ground of my hope Ye may remember that from this I have spoken to these three which I wish may not evanish with the Preaching 1. That really needy Saints put to wait for God and in waiting for him put to live by Faith and Hope will be much conversant with the Word of God they must learn to be acquaint with the Scriptures to know what is there for their direction or encouragement or both 2. That these who would wait for God in the way of believing and hoping must learn to judge of things according to the Word and be determined by the Word that it may be the ground of Faith and beget Hope otherwise it will be to little purpose for a man to be acquaint with the Scriptures from end to end if he improve it not but starve beside his allowance And 3. For this end such as are put to wait for God and to have their encouragement from the Word that they may lean weight upon it they would be fixed in this Principle that the Word of God is of Divine Authority and infallible certainty they would believe and hope in in it as Gods Word In his Word do I hope And as the day before I pressed upon you thâ— use of your Bibles that ye might be better acquainted with them and with the grounds of your Faith and Hope therein contained so the last day I insisted long to give you a right impression of the Bible that it is the Word of God and of Divine Authority the Historical verity whereof being granted which cannot rationally be denyed the Scriptures will prove themselves to be of Divine Authority and I would now intreat you to study these two Sermons well that ye may have the Divine Authority of the Scriptures fixt upon your hearts that ye may lay weight on them feed on them and converse with them with more delight And then what shall I say for the need of proofs for the Divine Authority of the Scriptures when the efficacy of it upon your hearts shall be a proof thereof as the effects and success of it of old is a standing Witness that it is not the word of man but the Word of
Psalm of David or that David was the Pen-man for these doubled Expressions vers 2. of this Psalm are used by him Psalms 54 55 and 61. and many others For the particular difficulty to which this Psalm relates it is not needful to determine what it was It may suffice us for taking up the scope of the Psalm in general that the Psalmist is in a Distress and being in a Distress ye will find him first Wrestling and then secondly Victorious For the first His Wrestling ye shall take it up in three Branches 1. Ye will find him wrestling with plunging Difficulties and Perplexities and these he expresseth under the name of Depths and the way he takes to win out of them is wrestling by Prayer vers 1 2. 2. Ye will find him wrestling with the Sense and Conscience of Guilt putting back his Prayer and Offering to crush his Hopes and this he wrestleth with by claiming to Pardon vers 3 4. 3. Ye will find him wrestling with Delays to his Answer of Prayers or Delays of the Outgate prayed for and this he wrestles with by Patience and Hope vers 5 6. Again in the last two Verses ye have him Victorious for having gotten an Issue he hoords it not up he does not conceal it but he brings it forth and improves it for the use of the People of God whom he encourageth to hope in God upon the account of Mercy and Pardon and plenteous Redemption and on the account of his redeeming Israel from all his Iniquities So much for the Scope and Partition of the Psalm To return to the first two Verses upon which I may be the more brief that I had occasion to speak to you before of the Troubles and Trials of Gods People of Prayer and Gods Answering Prayer yet we shall not pass this part but we shall endeavour to gather some things useful from it In this his Wrestling then take notice of these four things 1. Ye have that that the Psalmist is put to wrestle with which is expressed under the name of Depths 2. The way of his wrestling therewith out of the depths he cryed Out of the depths have I cried 3. Ye have him reflecting on this his Practice he takes a back-look of it and he avows it before God Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord. 4. Ye have the prosecution of this his Wrestling or his pleading for Audience in a new and doubled Suit vers 2. Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications For the first of these the Depths out of which he cried I cannot accord to understand it thus that he prayed from the depths or bottom of his Heart So the Commentators I spoke of before understand it of that degree of Vertue which is profound Prayer from the inward parts or bottom of the Heart There is a truth in that I confess that Prayer should come from the bottom of the Heart and in Prayer we should write our Hearts on our Tongues but I find it not a Scripture Phrase that People are said to pray from the Heart when they cry out of the Depths Neither can I understand it of the Conscience of Sin only that as some would understand it he is under a deep of Despair upon the account of Guilt that he speaks of vers 3 4. and hath a promise of Redemption from vers 8. The word is Depths in the Plural Number and therefore it is safest to understand it more generally of plunging and sinking Difficulties both outward Trouble and inward Perplexity resulting thereon and of the Conscience of Guilt wakened up in Trouble that may come in under these Depths and this interpretation agrees best with the current of Scripture where we find the horrible Pit the Miry Clay Depths Deep Waters Water Floods made use of to hold out great Troubles as Psal 40.2 Psal 42.7 Psal 69.2 14 15. I shall here touch upon one Observation That not only the visible Church but even the truly Godly may be brought under plunging Difficulties and Perplexities both inward and outward to their great sinking or at least their apparent sinking They may be and are very often in the Depths and put to their Prayers in the Depths so it was with the Psalmist here and in these Psalms formerly cited And in prosecution of this point 1. I shall first speak a little to the Metaphor of Deep or Depths 2. How it comes to pass that the Lords People are brought to these Depths 3. To a word of Use First For the Metaphor of Deep or Depths I shall shortly offer what I conceive is the Import thereof in these four 1. That which is a deep is a thing very dark dig a Pit and make it deep the light of the day cannot penetrate into it Thus the unintelligible mysteries of Seducers are called Depths as Rev. 2.24 the depths of Satan spoken of Thus also the wise counsel of God that men cannot indagate are called Depths Psal 92.5 Thy thoughts are very deep and 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God and thus also Ezek. 3.6 a people of a strange speech and of a hard language whose whose words the people could not understand are spoken of in the Original it 's a people of a deep Lip Deepness then imports Darkness Unintelligibleness that which is Mysterious And that this Notion is not strained even in this case of Trouble is clear from Hemans lament Psal 88.6 Thou hast laid me saith he in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps where to be in Darkness and in the Deeps are exprest as Synonymous or one and the same And truly this is ordinarily incident to the People of God their deep Trials are in themselves so dark and in their effects so astonishing that they are often at a stand either to know what God says to them by them and hence are these Wherefores and Whys as to this or that which is come upon them as also in reference to their Duty as Jehoshaphat expresseth his Distress 2 Chr. 20.12 Lord we know not what to do But 2ly This Metaphor of a Deep or Depths as it imports that which is Dark and Unintelligible so it imports that out of which it is not easie to get up cast a Man upon the Ground he may easily get up but cast him in a deep Pit he can hardly get up out of it without help Some Emblem we have of this in Jeremiah chap. 38. where he is put into the Dungeon where there was no Water but Myre and he sunk in the Myre Ebedmelech had a hard task to get him up and the People of God their Troubles may be Depths upon that account Refuge may fail them no man caring for their Soul Psal 142.4 All hope that they shall be saved taken away as it is said by Paul in that Voyage Acts 27.20 all their expectations of an outgate may be crushed as Jer. 14.19
the Depths he Prayed but out of the Depths he cryed to God in Prayer with that earnestness and fervour that a drowning man presently going to sink cryes for relief if any relief may be had The general Observation which I take from this is That the kindly result of sinking and surchanging exercise in the Saints is when it puts them to Prayer and to fervency in Prayer when being in the Depths Out of the depths they cry unto God This is the general Doctrine of trouble Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee c. And that I may so far as is necessary lay the Point in broad-band before you before I come to a word of Vse I shall deduce the Importance of it in a few particulars And 1. The Psalmist's practice who is content to be at exercise doth import That sleeping and idleness is a very unsuitable posture when the people of God are in the Depths to be at any time without exercise is very dangerous for as the Animal Life is still in motion so the Spiritual Life of a Christian must still be in exercise so in particular to be without exercise in a distress and particularly to be without Prayer is yet more dreadful an idle man in a difficult lot I can compare him to nothing but to that drunken man Prov. 23.34 That is as one that lyeth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast he is a desperat man drunk with some Distemper that is not at exercise in the Depths May I add the idle man in the Depths is readily the Guilty man that draws on the Storm and the Tempest Hence we have a sad Narration Jonah 1.5 where Jonah a Godly man fleeing from the presence of the Lord in the Storm is down in the sides of the Ship sleeping and one might think in the case he was in he might have an unsound Sleep there but the Text tells he was fast asleep and shall I add that 's a sad Posture vers 6. when a Pagan Ship-master reproves a Prophet Jonah what meanest thou O sleeper saith he arise and call upon thy God That then is the first thing imported that it is a dangerous thing to be sleeping and idle in the Depths 2. That the Psalmist when he is in the Depths cryes out unto God it imports That kindly Saints whenever they come in any Distress have no refuge but God It 's with God and his Saints as it 's with a Parent and a Child in a Croud as long as nothing ails the Child he will go beside any body but when he comes in a difficulty he will leave the rest single out his Parent to protect him so I say it 's with the Saints when any thing ails them they have no refuge no shift no gate to go but God Would ye know the Character of a Child of God in Distress ye have it in that fore-cited place 2 Chron. 20.12 we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee This is the Scope of the most part of all the Psalms A Saint is no sooner put to it but he puts at God a Cross is no sooner laid at his door but he tells it 's the wrong Door and he goes and layes it at God's Door the reason of this is double partly the difficulties of the Children of God may be so great that they are left allenarly upon God It is with them as it was with that hypocritical king when he said to the Harlot if the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee out of the Barn-floor or out of the Wine-press What will become of the Saints in many difficulties and hard cases if God step not in David looked to all Airts and could find no relief Psal 142.4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul what follows I cried unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge Kindly Saints must therefore look unto God in every Distress partly because whatever right means they have to make use of they must either begin at God or they will find they have followed a wrong method Saul pretended to this 1 Sam. 13.12 The Philistines will come down upon me and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I must begin at God saith he and as Saul pretended to it David really practised it 1 Sam. 30.7 whatever mind he had to pursue the Amalekites that had burnt Zâ—klag and taken his Wives captive he will do nothing till he consult with God That then is the second thing imported that as the Saints are not asleep are not idle in the Depths of trouble so they have no refuge but God A third thing imported in this that the Psalmist out of the Depths cryed unto God is this that there is no case of the Saints so desperate wherein Prayer is useless ye know what was that wicked Kings Determination 2 Kings 6.33 This evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer and how many in Heart and Practice in difficult Cases say so it is to little purpose to wait on God to look to God The Psalmist here was of another temper out of the Depths have I cried unto thee Lord saith he he finds it to good purpose to cry unto God So Jonah 2.4 I said I am cast out of thy sight and he had as much to say for his being so as any other the Waters compassed him about and went into his Soul The Weeds were wrapped about his Head he went down to the bottoms of the Mountains The Earth with her Bars were about him yet even then he sees not Prayer to be an useless Trade wherefore he adds yet will I look again to thy holy Temple Prayer is to good purpose for all that and no wonder for there is no condition of the Saints so low no Pit so deep wherein they can be caught but an humble Supplicant will from thence reach the Throne A David buried quick in a Cave a Daniel in the Lyons Den find that Prayer can win up to God and find audience for the high and lofty One who hath the Heaven for his Throne and the Earth for his Footstool hath an Eye also to them who are of a poor and of a Contrite Spirit and trembleth at his Word Isa 66.1 2. and he who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth he raiseth the poor out of the Dust and the needy out of the Dung-hill and therefore no desperate case of the people of God renders Prayer useless But 4ly That the Psalmist out of the Depths cryes unto God it imports That as there is no case so desperate as it renders Prayer useless so it imports that it is the property
do all this and not consider that he is doing evil he is quite out and knows not of it and ye have an Idea of that Man that is not in Reflection on his Case and Carriage under it in Trouble Jer. 8.9 I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done every one turneth to his course as the horse rusheth into battel He goes Hand over Head like a wild Horse in his Course why he Reflects not upon his Carriage under Trouble Not to dip on this let me in short from it recommend Self-Examination to you especially in Trouble if ye would haunt it in ordinary it would be more easy to you in a Distress if ye be in ordinar reflecting upon your Weaknesses and examining your Wants upon your Predominants your Temptations what are your Suits that are most binding on you and your Success ye will the more readily as we use to speak hit the Nail upon the Head when ye come to Pray And these your Prayers that come from Self-Examination though they be less busked they will be to better purpose than when a Man with all the Oratory he can reach vents his Gift in in Prayer and particularly look what ye are doing as to this Duty when ye come in any Distress I gave you before some Scriptures that speaks to them that neglect Prayer in Trouble Now let me mind you of some words whereby to try your Self Examination in Trouble one is Lev. 26.41 if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity that were a blessed reflection that did produce this effect but on the contrary look that your reflection be not like that Jer. 44.10 They are not humbled even unto this day And like that Dan 9.9 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities understand thy truth and Ezek. 24.13 Because I would have purged thee and thou was not purged thou shalt not not be purged from thy filthiness any more until I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Ye would make use of these and the like Scriptures in your Reflection upon your way and what ye are doing when ye are in the Depths And further when ye are Reflecting upon your Carriage under Trouble ye had need of tenderness of Conscience Passion will give you a blind guess of your selves or of your Case or Carriage under it when the Lord says to Jonah 4.5 Does thou well to be angry Jonah the passionate Man says I do well to be angry even unto death they that would Reflect on their Case and Carriage under Trouble would seek a composed frame of Spirit and tender Conscience from God But to come a little nearer unto this Reflection taking the words in the by past time Lord I have cryed unto thee They will import that God had keeped him long at that Trade and to this purpose we have a word Ps 69.3 After that he hath complained in the two first Verses that the waters are come in into his soul that he sinks in deep myre where there is no standing that he was come into deep waters where the floods did overflow him he adds v. 3. I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God and Ps 119.82 mine eyes fail for thy word when wilt thou comfort me but this I may pass because it will occurr v. 2.5 and 6. and because the Hebrews exprest things present in the by past time because their Verbs have not a present time That which I shall speak to from the words considered as a Reflecting on his bygone wrestling I reduce to these two 1. That he owns it as a thing that hath been and is his Practise to be crying to God out of the Depths 2. Because Folks may be ready to say what is he the better of that he hath not got an answer of his Prayers I shall add this that his Supplication out of the Depths affords him a Testimony For the first ye may take up the Note thus that no distress no dispensation of providence warrands the Saints to cast all that they have been doing as unsound though he be put to the deeps he owns it that he is a cryer out of the deeps unto God Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Thus the Church owns her integrity Psal 44.17 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons c. Smite us as thou will we avow it that we are in thy way And Job 13.5 Though he should slay me yet will I trust in him I will maintain mine own ways before him that is my integrity And Chap. 27 5. I will not remove mine integrity from me And so Heman Psal 88 15. Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee do what thou will with me I avow it that I have been at Prayer and I will continue in it It is true men would be humble in this matter of avowing their integrity they would mainly be studying their wants and short-comings and the iniquity of their holy things and it is true also that when they are in the deeps of distress and these trysts them with Gods seeming not to notice them but rather his anger smoaks against their Prayers Psal 80.4 It should humble them yet more and make them search their imperfections in their best things and it 's also true that the people of God in reflecting on their Diligence and Prayers should be far from that quarrelsome humour in hypocrites Isai 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not c. As readâ—y the greatest Hypocrites are the greatest quarreders when they want success yet all this notwithstanding it is our duty to stick by what is right in our way while we are in the deeps Men must not be baffled out of their integrity because they are under the Cross and have the wind in their teeth they must not cast their Prayers because God holds them in the deeps it 's no small part of the Saints service to stick by and to avow their integrity that white Robes are allowed them though their Prayers be not answered Rev. 6.10 11. And therefore they have silly spirits who when they meet with a torrent of Crosse providences are baffled from avowing their integrity and ly by and dare not face the storm upon that account But I proceed to the 2d Observation It may be said what the matter of folks owning their integrity and crying out of the deeps when they are not heard but ly in the deeps for all that I Answer in
the pardoned sinner upon the account of sin partly to prevent sin partly to rouse him up to repentance when he hath sinned partly to set sinners to their feet that they may be rightly affected with sin when it is pardoned and that they may be excited to make a right use of pardon There remains yet other two Questions or Cases to be cleared anenâ— the nature of remission of sin to which I shall now briefly speak as the Lord will give The 3d Case or Question in order to this whether the truth of pardon depends upon the intimation thereof to our hearts yea or no so that when a sensible sinner fallen down at Gods foot-stool in the confession of sin and crying for pardon through Christ yet he finds nothing like a pardon intimate to his Conscience In this case the Question is whether hath he ground to doubt that neither hath he repented of sin nor gotten a pardon from God for it The general Answer to this is that pardon and Gods intimation of pardon to the Conscience are not to be confounded The Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 gives a general rule concerning all supernatural gifts that when we have received these things freely of God we must receive the spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God It 's one thing to get these supernatural gifts gifted to us another thing to get the spirit which is of God to know they are given us and this hath place particularly in the matter of pardon of sin for the pardon of sin is a sentence already past in the Word of God in favours of all believers and penitents in Christ so that no sooner doth the penitent sinner flee unto him and look unto him as to the brazen serpent for pardon and cure but as soon that pardon becomes his before he can subsume and say I am fled unto Christ for pardon and am pardoned his direct act of faith draws out pardon before he can reflect and pass a judgment on that his pardon And hence when Nathan hath pronounced that David's sin is pardoned him 2 Sam. 12.13 Yet in the 51. Psalm he crys instantly for mercy for pardon and blotting out of his transgression Why Though he was pardoned in the Court of Heaven yet he was not pardoned in the Court of his own Conscience The intimation of pardon was suspended and kept up And hence is that which I named before Mat. 9.2 Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee It 's one benefit to him to have his sins forgiven him and another benefit to be of good chear on that account Therefore as Christ tells him that his sins are forgiven him so he must bid him be of good chear Thus ye see the truth of a penitents pardon depends not on the intimation thereof to his conscience But this wakens up another Case or Question the following forth whereof will deduce this more distinctly and that is how it comes and for what ends it is that a child of God cannot get it discerned and closed with that he is pardoned For clearing of this Case we should look first to our selves and then to a wise hand of God suspending the intimation of pardon If we look to our selves when we are pardoned we cannot discern it because of our weakness that cannot discern our happiness we are blind and discern not our happiness discern not our health we confound the reality of pardon with the sense and feeling of pardon and we will not believe pardon except we feel the effects of pardon and it is also because we are ignorant of getting pardon through the satisfaction of another when we are brought to be sensible for sin and to look to Christ for pardon and God hath spoken pardon we are like the Sea which being raised by a storm doth tumble a while after the storm is over and there is a calm These are some hints on our part why the pardoned sinner gets it not discerned that he is pardoned But if we look up to God he may have a holy hand in keeping up the intimation of pardon upon several accounts As 1. The Lord would have us looking more to his Word wherein pardon in the Gospel is holden out to us on Gospel-terms and less to sense he would breed us to grip the promise while sense come and to grip the promise that sense may come and they that will suspend all assurance of pardon while it be sensibly intimat the Lord in his holy providence keeps up the intimation of pardon from them to teach them to pay more due respect to his Word and to seek and feed upon the consolation that depends upon pardon promised and pronounced therein that by following his method by faith they may come to sensible intimation of pardon 2. The Lord may keep up the sensible intimation of pardon from the penitent and pardoned man that he may learn him to look upon pardon not as a necessary result and effect of his repentance but as a free gift of God which though the Lord will not bestow without repentance yet he doth not bestow it for repentance therefore doth he suspend the intimation of pardon from the penitent man that he may learn to look less to his Repentance and more to the free Grace of God in obtaining of Pardon 3. The Lord sees it fit to keep pardoned sinners in suspence as to the sense of Pardon or the intimation of it that he may let them see that when he is provocked by their sinning it is not so easie to recover themselves and get into his favour Therefore though he have pardoned them yet he will keep them at the back of the door as to the intimation of it partly that they may be put to resent how bitter a thing it is to depart from God and to raise a Cloud betwixt him and them and partly that they may be affrighted to dally with sin again he will have them to know that though he give them mercy it is not so easie to bring a Delinquent in Court and Favour again And 4. The Lord keeps up the intimation of pardon from the penitent and pardoned sinner for this among other ends that he may be fit for sympathy with others that may come in the like case with himself he may cause his reconciled people feel the bitterness of departing from him and may suffer them to ly in the sense and under fears of their un-reconciled condition as to the intimation of pardon that they may bear burden with others that come to be in their case 5. The Lord keeps up the intimation of pardon from them that he may set them on work to repent more that they may search out sin more and repent more for their sin and for the sinfulness that is in their sin that possibly as yet they have not laid well to heart These reasons of suspending the intimation of pardon even
be a God of Judgment and therefore blessed are they that wait on him and blest shall ye be if ye believe these things and if ye make it your exercise to let your patience be seen in your meek waiting for him for there shall be a performance of these things which are told you from the Lord. I shall insist no further The Lord bless his word to you for Christ's sake SERMON XXIII Psalm 130. Verse 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and c. I Am now broken in a little upon this third part of the Psalmist's wrestling and exercise how that after his imploying of God by Prayer under trouble and taking a right method for purging away of the guilt of Conscience he is exercised with delays and protracting to his sense of delivery and comfort which he wrestles with by confident affectionat and patient waiting on God Having spoken somewhat to the general Doctrine of Perseverance and Constancy and broken in the last day upon and spoken to the first Head of these Words the Psalmist's exercise he was waiting I spoke to these two first Heads of Doctrine 1. That which was supponed here That the Psalmist was put to wait and shew that God may and often doth exercise his people when they are walking tenderly with delays And 2. I spoke to that which is proponed that when he is put to wait he doth wait under these delays waiting for other things from God according to his word than the present Dispensation did promise he waited he proved he did believe without making haste and he waited without bitterness fretfulness passion c. These two I took some time the last day to press on you as needful Lessons that when God exercises you with delays and suspends the performance of Promises ye should wait for God believing his Word not making haste with meekness and calmness of Spirit I proposed a second thing to be spoken to in the Words to which I proceed and that is the Object of his exercise I wait for what for the Lord says he that was the Object of his waiting whether he was waiting for Comfort against desertion or for delivery out of trouble or for both he is waiting for the Lord and this if we shall batter out a little will give some mo things to be taken notice of in a man that is truly a waiter for God and what I would say on it I shall briefly reduce to these three which I conceive imported in it 1. A waiter on God hath his Eyes taken off all other things and set on God only for what he wants and would have That is one thing imported in it not only is a waiter on God taken off sinful shifts that will disappoint all that use them as it is said when the Lord should smite Egypt and Ethiopia the people of that Isle or Countrey should be ashamed of Ethiopia their Expectation and Egypt their Glory and they shall say in that day Behold such is our expectation whither shall we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria and how shall we escape Isa 20.5 Now there our expectation is blown up And Jer. 3.23 Truly in vain is salvation looked for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains That is all the poor shifts they had betaken themselves to they shall be frustrat as to their expectation of help from them But I say not only are waiters on God taken off sinful shifts but have what they will to eye this is the Character of a waiting man that his eyes are taken off all things and set on God Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou only on God for my expectation is from him And ye have the posture of them whom God will notice Zeph. 3.12 I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord They are a people emptied of all expectation from any other art but trusting in God they are left on him and betake themselves to him alone Now the Saints that are waiters on God indeed are put to this shift of waiting on God on divers accounts 1. Because all other shifts may and often do misgive upon their hand not only sinful shifts but all other disappointment on disappointment from one thing to another may be the lot of them that are put to this exercise of waiting on God it was not enough for David that Saul persecute him that the Ziphits were ready to betray him and that near relations Father and Mother should forsake him as he hints Psal 27.10 but he must be put to that Psal 142.4 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would owne me refuge failed me There was no man that cared for my soul when he is shut up in the Cave all his men that were about him slight him think him an unhappy man and themselves unhappy in following him And Psal 124.1 If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us They had swallowed us up quick c. There the people of God are left on him alone And Psal 94.17 Vnless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost or as it is on the margine quickly dwelt in silence There was nothing betwixt me and utter off-cutting but God's stepping in to be my help From this in the by ye may take this with you that the waiting people of God are never tryed enough till all things fail them but God till they be stripped naked of all things they expected help from and they left on God alone and whatever be God's condescendency to their weakness in giving them means of help at any time they would lay their account to be brought that low as to have none to look to for help but God only 2. The saints have their eyes only on God in their waiting because when they are stript of all other things that promised help They see there is ground enough to wait on God for all that They look not on the blasting of all their expectations as a nolumus on the back of their Bill or as inviting them to say there is no help They will wait on God when nothing invites them to it and why I shall offer to you a threefold account on which saints afflicted emptied and stripped of all things without God do not give over waiting on God 1. This is one they see God all-sufficient to do their turn not only without the help of second Means but when seemingly they combine to oppose what they would be at they wait for Jehovah and see their delivery or comfort not to be further off that there be nothing visible promising it yea when all visible means and causes threaten the contrary why Their King is Jehovah who can command deliverance Psal 44 4. Thou art my King O God command deliverance for Jacob A word from him can bring deliverance though
their own hand so far are they from being neglected 〈◊〉 shall not insist any more on this there being something before my hand which I would speak at more length un-unto I know not if there be any among you that are loath to look out to those riches in the Promises but ye would know that hope in God is the allowance of all the Israel of God that on the nail fastned in a sure place and who is given as a glorious Throne to his Father's House not only will be hung the Vessels of Flagons but the off-spring and the issue and all Vessels of small quantity Isai 22.24 That in noticing his followers he will lose none he will despise none the dust shall be as near to his Footstool as the most eminent and things shall go well thou shalt not want so long as the supply is betwixt him and thee if he have thou needs not fear want these may much encourage them who look upon themselves as the out-wails and draiglers of the Flock and have not the confidence to look to the priviledges of the Children Thou maâ— hope in God and lay claim to the Promises made to Israel as well as the most eminent Believer if thou be studying to be an Israelite indeed And this leads me to the 3d thing that I proposed to be spoken to upon this Head That is That however hope in God be the common allowance of all Israel great and small yet it is the allowance only of them who are Israelites indeed and therefore all that I have spoken hitherto concerning an allowance to hope in God will be of little purpose to thee and me except that we can make it out that we are of the Israel of God who are allowed to hope in him it is dangerous for dogs to take the childrens bread No but when folk endeavour to be children they may have hope but when they cheat themselves with hoping they are children and take a blind guess to lean to in stead of hope it is dangerous Remember what I marked in the morning from Rom. 9 6. That they are not all Israel which are of Israel there is a Jew outwardly and a Jew inwardly and there is a circumcision and baptism which is outward in the flesh and there is a circumcision and baptism which is inward of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter a circumcision whose praise is of men and another whose praise iâ— not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. And therefore hope being the great cordial that is allowed to the Israel of God I would have all excited in order to the making of it sure to make sure work in this business to prove and try whether they be Israelites indeed upon whom this cordial is allowed and here if I should follow out this purpose at large it would lead me to give all the marks of Regeneration the marks of an Israelite indeed or if I should insist on these Characters of the true Circumcision that worship God in the Spirit rejoyce in Jesus Christ that have no confidence in the flesh Philip. 3.3 A man cannot get true Religion in shorter bounds nor in these words whether ye read them backward or foreward or both backward and foreward as bairns do the A B C. A true Israelite must have no confidence in the flesh all must be flesh to him that 's not Christ and he must deny all confidence in it whether they be fleshly priviledges or any thing but Christ and his renouncing confidence in the flesh should lead him to believe in Christ alone for Salvation and rejoyce in him and the truth of his rejoycing in Christ should appear in worshipping God in Christ with inward and spiritual affections And go backward his worshipping of God in Spirit leads him back to rejoyce in Christ Jesus for his salvation and his rejoycing in Christ leads him back to renounce all confidence in the flesh and to look upon believing in Christ as no hopeless bargain But I say if I should insist upon these I should digress too much on this Head Therefore in deciphering who are true Israelits that have ground of hope in God I shall confine my self to these two 1. The time and occasion of Jacob's getting the Name of Israel when he wrestles with God in prayer 2. The Epithet of a clean heart that is given to Israel Psal 73.1 A little to these two as time will permit For the first if ye will read the 32 of Genesis the first time Jacob got this name of Israel was when he is at Prayer with God and compare it with Hos 12.4 Ye will find some notable Characters of an Israelite indeed and especially of an Israelite or regenerat man when he should be at the exercise of Hope in particular difficulties and exigencies And first in general Jacob got that Name when he was at his Prayers that was the posture wherein he was when instead of Jacob he got the Name of Israel a prince and prevailer with God the Lord tells it him verse 28. He was a man who when he had any thing to do in the world he seyed God first with it he laboured to discuss all his difficulties at the Throne of Grace A Prayerless frame although it be not alwayes an evidence of a graceless man yet it is an evidence of a graceless frame wherein the ground of Hope is much under the water in a cloud and in the dark a Praying Supplicant is an Israelite indeed in nearest capacity to put forth Hope on God thou that can go through thy difficulties and not begin at God to discuss them to seek an account of thy pressures and griefs remember Sauls pretence 1 Sam. 13.12 For his sacrificing he would force himself and offer a burnt offering without Samuel before he made not supplication and intreated the Face of God for favour and peace now this of Prayer being the general the other particulars that follow will deduce it more distinctly 2. When he is called Israel he is at occasional Prayer Jacob as he was a godly man he had his ordinar addresses to God Isaac his Father had his times of going out to the fields to pray Gen. 24.62 and David at evening at morning and at noon will cry aloud Psal 55. â—7 But Jacob's ordinar diligence in prayer will not serve him when a particular emergent of Providence presses him but he then doubles his diligence we find him twice at it once verse 9. when he hears that Esau was coming against him he runs first to God by prayer and another application we find verse 24. when he had sent over his Goods and his Wives and Servants over the foord he falls a wrestling with the Angel of the Covenant until the break of day what shall I say to many Israelites in profession who have not an habite of ordinary conversing with God in prayer But what shall I say further to them who though they have