that will make thee so happy in heaven, where few of this worlds enjoyments shall be seen, cannot he make thy life comfortable on earth withont some of them? Secondly, Consider how thou prayedst when thoii didst meet with this denial. Didst thou pray peremptorily, and absolutely, or conditionally, with submis- sion to the will of God ? If peremptorily, thou wert beside the rule, and art the cause why the prayer came back without its errand. God will not hear or bear commanding prayers ; he that must have a temporal mercy, if he gets it, may have a spiritual curse, but he is sure to get a temporal cross. So Delilah proved to Samson, who would not take his parents' counsel, but must have her, whatever comes of it, — ' Get her me, for she pleaseth me well,' Judges xiv. 3. But he paid dearly for his choice. May be such an enjoyment pleaseth thee well, thy carnal heart is in love with it, and that sets thee a praying inordinately for it. Alas ! poor creature, if thou hadst it, what wouldst thou do with it ? Thou wouldst fondly lay thy head in its lap, and let it rock thy grace asleep, and then betray thee into the hand of some sin ; but if thou prayest with a submissive spirit, on condition God liked it as well as thyself; why then dost thou now recant thy prayer, seeing God hath declared his will, that it is not good for thee to have thy desire ? Wilt thou not be determined by him, to whom thou didst refer thyself? Hast thou not reason to think that God takes the best way for thee ? There is never a prayer put up but God doth, as it were, weigh and ponder it, and then his love sets his wisdom on work to make such a return as may be most for his own glory, and his child's good. Now, it being the product of such infinite wisdom and love, thou oughtest to acquiesce in it, yea, to praise God for it. Thus did David in a great strait : ' O my God, I cry in the day-time, and thou hearest not,' Psa. xxii. 2. Well, what hears God from him, now he hears nothing from God, as to the deliverance prayed for? No murmuring at God's proceedings ; nay, he hears quite the coutrary, for he justifies and praises God, ver. 3 : ' But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel !' Thirdly, Observe whether thou canst not gather something from the manner of God's denying the thing prayed for, which may sweeten it to thee. Haply thou shalt find he denies thee, but it is with a smiling countenance, and vxshers it in with some expressions of grace and favour, that may assure thee his denial proceeds not from displeasure. As you would do with a dear friend, who, may be, comes to borrow a sum of money of you, lend it you dare not, because you see plainly it is not for his good ; but in giving him the denial, lest he should misinterpret it, as proceeding from want of love and respect, you preface it with some kind language of your hearty affection to him, as that you love him, and therefore deny him, and shall be ready to do for him more than that comes to. Thus God sometimes wi-aps up his denials in such sweet intimations of love, as prevents all jealousies arising in the hearts of his people. When David was denied to build a temple for God, he gave him a large testimony of his affection, how highly he accepted his good-will therein ; though he should not build a temple for him, yet his desire was so kindly taken, that God would build a house for him that should last for ever. Thus sometimes a faithful minister prays earnestly that God would bless his labours to the converting of his people, and is denied, yet intimations of God's love to his person are dropt, with a promise that his reward is with the Lord ; so that his prayer, though denied as to them, is returned with peace into his own bosom. Another prays passionately. Oh that he might see Jerusalem a quiet habitation! and that truth and peace might flourish in his days. This may be is not granted, because his desire antedates the period which God hath fixed in his purpose for the fulfilling of his promise to his church ; but he manifests his love to him, and expresseth how highly he respects his love to the church. Thus God did by Daniel, to whom an angel was sent, to let him know what kind entertainment his prayer had, and that he was a man greatly beloved of God, Dan. ix. 23. So in temporal mercies, haply thou art pleading with God for deliverance out of this tro\ible and that afHic- tion, and it is denied thee ; but a message with the denial that doubly recom- penseth it : may be, some sweet declaration of his love he drops into thy bosom, or assiu'ance of seasonable succours, that shall be sent in to enable thee to charge through them with faith and victory. So God dealt with Paul : ' My grace is sufficient for thee.' I hope now thou wilt not say thy prayer is lost. When Saul sought his father's asses, was he not shrewdly hurt to find a
ggg PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.