science, diligently listened to, doth witness that thou art sincere in thy course, though compassed with many failings. If it overtakes thee in any runaway voyage with Jonah, or rambling course with the prodigal from thy Father's house, then, indeed, thou hast reason to question ; j'ea, it is beyond all question, that an acceptable prayer in this postiu'e cannot drop from thy lips. What ! run from God, and then send to him thy prayers ! This is to desire mercy to spend upon thy lust. But if, upon thy faithful search, thou findest this storm overtakes thee in the way of duty and exercise of thy sincerity, like the tempest that met the disciples at sea, when at Christ's command they launched forth, be not dis- couraged ; for it is ordinary with God to put on the disguise of an angry counte- nance, aiul to use rough language, when his heart is resolvedupon ways of mercy, and meditates love to his people. Jacob, you know, wrestled hard and long, before victory inclined to his side. And the woman of Canaan was sent away like a dog, with harsh language, who at last was owned of Christ for a dear child, and sent away to her heart's content. Sincerity needs fear no ill from God. This very consideration kept Job's head at another time above water, chap. xvi. 12. There we find God taking him by the neck, shaking him, as it were, to pieces, and setting him up for his mark : but, ver. 17, this upheld his troubled spirit, that all this befell him walking in the way of obedience ; ' Not for any injustice in my hands ; also my prayer is pure :' wherefore he rears up his confidence, ver. 19, 20 : ' Behold my witness is in heaven, and my record on high; my friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.' The holy man was not for all this scared fi-om the throne of grace, but still looked on God, though with tears in his eyes, expecting good news at last, after so much bad. And we have warrant to do the same ; 1 John iii. 21, ' If our heart con- demn us not, then have we confidence toward God.'
Secondly, Inquire whether, under these frowns from God, there be 3-et a spirit of prayer working in thee. Haply thou canst not deny but that thy heart is rather stirred up from these to lament after the Lord with more restless sighs and groans, to pray with more feeling and fervency, than driven away from duty. This spirit of prayer upheld in thee, may assure thee of these two things. First, That the cloud of anger wliich seems to sit on God's brow, is not in his heart. It is but a thin veil, through which thy faith might see the working of his bowels toward thee. The presence of the Spirit of God at work thus in a soul, cannot stand with his real anger. If his wrath were up, this in thee would be down. Thou shoiddst have him soon calling back his ambassador of peace, at least, suspend and withdraw his assistance. When that sad breach was made between God and Uavid in the matter of Uriah, David's harp was presently out of tune, his right hand had forgot its cunning, and the spirit of prayer received a sad damp in his heart. Where is the psalm to be found that was penned by David in that interregnum of his gi-ace ? I do not say he never did pray all the time he lay soaking in that sin ; but those prayers were not fit to be joined with the holy breathings of that Sjnrit which actuated him before his fall, and after his recovery ; therefore, when by repentance he came to himself, like one recovering out of a dangerous sickness, (which had for a time taken away his senses,) ho begins to feel himself weak, and how much the Spirit of grace was by his sin enfeebled in him ; which makes him so vehemently bog, that God would renew a right spirit in him, and not take his Holy Spirit from him, Psa. li. 11, 12. The Spirit is so choice and peculiar a mercy, that if thou canst find lively actings of his grace in thee, (and where are they more sensibly felt than in prayer, help- ing the soul to sighs and groans which cannot be uttered ?) thou canst not, in reason, think God is not friends with thee, though it were at present as dark as midnight with thy soul. Secondly, It may assure thee that his ear is open to thy cry, when his face is hid from thine eye. For, consider but who this Spirit is that thus helps thee in prayer, and furnisheth thee with all thy spiritual ammunition with which thou so batterest the throne of grace ; is he not one that knows the mind of God, and that would not have a hand in that petition which should not be welcome to heaven? Having, therefore, this assistance from the Spirit, doubt not thy accepta.nce with the Father. In a word, the Spirit that helps thee to thy groans and sighs in prayer, is no other than that God thou prayest to; and will God deny himself? This I conceive a principal part of that scripture's meaning, Isa. xlv. 19, *I said not unto the seed of
QQQ PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.