Rom. VIII. 32-34i.] heaven on eaeth. 371
choice a mercy, thou art not able to bear so great a favour. Many heads are not able to bear strong waters. Why, the very quintessence of all the strong consolations of God are wrung out into this golden cup of assurance ; and can you drink of this cup, and not stammer norstagger? Believe it, assurance is meat for strong men ; few babes, if any, are able to bear it, and digest it.' The apostle saith, Heb. V. 12, 14, that ' strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age' (or that are comparatively perfect, or full-grown), 'even those who, by reason of use' (Greek, by reason of habit, which is got by continual custom and long practice*), ' have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.' The Greek word properly signifies such an exercise as wrestlers, or such as contend for victory, do use, which is with all their might and strength, being trained up unto it by long exercise. It may be, O complaining Christian, that thou art but a scrub,^ a babe in gi*ace, 1 Cor. iii. 1-3 ; happily thou art not yet got beyond the breast, or, if thou art, yet thou art not past the spoon. Ah ! Christian, if it be thus with thee, cease complaining of want of assurance, and be up and growing ; be more aged in grace and holiness, and thou shalt find assurance growing upon thee.* Divine wisdom sparkles much in this, in giving milk to babes that are more carnal than spiritual, and meat, i.e. assurance, to strong men, that have more skill and will, that have a greater ability and choicer faculty to prize arid improve this jewel assurance than babes have. The Hebrew word chahodh signifies both weight and glory^ ; and verily, glory is such a weight, that if the body were not upheld by that glorious power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave, if it were not bore up by everlasting arms, it were impossible it should bear it, Deut. xxxiii. 27. Now assur- ance is the top of glory, it is the glory of glory. Then certainly they had need be very glorious within that shall be crowned with such a weight of glory as assurance is, Ps. xlv. 1 3. Well ! remember this, it is mercy to want mercy till we are fit for mercy, till we are able to bear the weight of mercy, and make a divine improvement of mercy.
Ans. 3. Thirdly, You Diust distinguish between delays and denials.^ God may delay us, when he does not deny us ; he may defer the giving in of a mercy, and yet, at last, give the very mercy begged. Barren Hannah prays, year after year, for a mercy. God delays her long, but at last gives her her desire ; and the text says expressly, that her coun- tenance was no more sad, 1 Sam. i. 1 8. After many prayers and tears, the Lord comes in, and assures her, that she should have the desire of her soul ; and now she mourns no more, but sits down satisfied, com- forted, and cheered. After much praying, waiting, and weeping, God usually comes with his hands and heart full of mercy to his people. He loves not to come vacuis manibus, empty-handed, to those that have sat long with wet eyes at mercy's door. Christ tries the faith, patience, and constancy of the Canaanite woman, Mat. xv. 21-29 ; he deferred and delayed her, he reproached and repulsed her ; and yet at last is
" Job XV. 11. Divine comfort is a delicate thing, and it not given to him that admits of any other. ^ rtktiut , . . ^la rtiv t|jv ret alfSri'ri^ia lytyvfttairftivK.
3 ' A mean fellow.' — G.
* Invalidum omne natura qutrulum. — Seneca. Weak spirits are ever quarrelling and contepnding. " 1U3. So the Chaldee lp\
® Every audience increaseth love, thanks, and trust, Ps. cxvi. 1-3. And those mercies are best improved, which we receive after we have been long upon our kuees.
372 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
overcome by her, as not being able any longer to withstand her impor- tunate requests. ' O woman, great is thy faith ; be it unto thee, even as thou wilt'^ Christ puts her off at first, but closes with her at last ; at first a good word, a good look is too good for her, but at last good words and good looks are too little for her : ' Be it unto thee, -even as thou wilt.' At first Christ carries himself to her as a churlish stranger, but at last as an amorous lover. Though at first he had not an ear to hear her, yet at last he had a heart to grant her, not only her desires, but even what else she would desire over and above what she had desired. God heard Daniel at the beginning of his supplications, and his bowels of love was working strongly towards him, but the angel Gabriel doth not inform Daniel of this till afterwards, Dan. ix. 15-25. Praying souls, you say that you have prayed long for assurance, and yet you have not obtained it. Well, pray still. Oh pray and wait, wait and pray ; ' the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it ; because it will surely come, it will not tarry,' Hab. ii. 3. God hath never, God will never, fail the praying soul ; at the long run, thou shalt be sure to obtain that assurance that will richly recompense thee for all thy praying, waiting, and weeping ; therefore hold up and hold on praying, though God doth delay thee, and my soul for thine, thou shalt reap in due season such a harvest of joy and comfort, as will sufficiently pay thee for all thy pains, Gal. vi. 9. Shall the husbandman wait patiently for the precious fruits of the eai'th, James v. 7; and wilt not thou wait patiently for assurance, which is a jewel more worth than heaven and earth ? Pra3'ing souls, re- member this. It is but weakness to think that men shall reap as soon as they sow, that they shall reap in the evening when they have but sowed in the morning. Titus Vespasian never dismissed any petitioner with a tear in his eye, or with a heavy heart •,'^ and shall we think that the God of compassions will always dismiss the petitioners of heaven with tears in their eyes ? Surely no.^