[.5.] It is very likely God will come in and meet with us if we seek him in his own ways ; and who would not venture upon a likelihood of safety to come out of a certain danger ? If you do not use the means, you are sure to perish ; if you do, you may be likely to obtain mercy ; and certainly it is the safest course to adventure upon these hopes. The soul reasoneth in such a case just as the Aramites did: 2 Kings vii. 4, ' If we enter into the city, there is the famine, we shall die there ; if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come and let us fall into the host of the Assyrians ; if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.' So if we continue in our sins, it is death ; if we neglect i)raycr, or hearing, or meditation, it is death ; though there be but an ?/'of mercy, venture upon it, a little to keep up the heart. Men near drowning will catch liold, though it be but of a reed or a twig.
[G.] This is God's usual way, to meet those that seek him. The God
ISA. LIII. 1.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 217
of Jacob would not have them seek his face in vain, Isa. xlv. 19, and Luke xi. 9 ; though he would not arise and give as his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will arise and give him. When the soul is importunate with God thus, it is a sign of mercy, and it is through the precedaneous efficacy of the Spirit. This earnestness after faith is the first impression of the Spirit's efficacy. Thus I have answered the doubts.
I shall now come to the application.
The first use is exhortation, to press you to divers duties ; as —
1. To wait for the Spirit's motion and revelation. Do not look to the words that are spoken, but how the Spirit giveth you the savoury sense and meaning of them. They that were at the pool looked for the angel's, stirring of the waters ; so do you look for the Spirit's revelation, to see how the confusedness of your light and knowledge is done away. The mind knoweth some things, but doth not know things as it should know them. See how the Spirit giveth you satisfaction. If you would have faith, your chief care is to attend the Spirit ; and therefore, faith is called by the Spirit's own name, ' the same Spirit of faith,' 2 Cor. iv. 13, because it is the faith of the Spirit.
2. Yield to it. Many are of an unteachable heart, they are not won by the Spirit's allurements : Gen. ix. 27, ' God shall persuade (or en- large) Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem.' God shall allure the allurable. Take heed you resist not the secret whispers and persua- sions of God's Spirit. There is a great deal of thwarting in the heart against it, that God's Spirit, when it should allure, it is forced to dis- pute it ; and therefore God saith, Gen. vi. 3, * My Spirit shall no longer strive with men.' The Spirit convinceth us this is right, and then our interests and vile affections set the heart a-disputing against it ; and we would fain put off these inward motions and checks of conscience. Many of God's elected servants do very often resist those motions, so that it were even just with God to cast them off, but that Christ's word is passed : John vi. 37, 'All that my Father giveth me shall come to me, and I will in no wise cast them out.' But as to reprobates, God stayeth a great while with them too. No longer, implieth a long time, even as long as he shall think fit, and then he leaveth them. Take heed of these withdrawings.
3. Cherish it. Many have had strong resolutions, but they die away without this. They have a great many previous workings of the Spirit, as, much knowledge of the will of God, much sense of sin, fear of pun- ishment, many thoughts about their freedom and deliverance, some hopes of pardon, some kind of care and desire ; but then they drown these things again by the cares and pleasures of this world, and so they are to no purpose. This is called by the apostle ' quenching of the Spirit,' 1 Thes. v. 19. Now, the Spirit is quenched two ways : —
[1.] When they do not blow up the coals, stir up the graces of God that are in them, and labour to feed and cherish by prayer and medi- tation these desires, which is the strengthening of the things which are ready to die. Rev. iii. 2 ; when we do not labour to rouse up our- selves, and keep in the heat and warmth in our souls : Mat. xiii. 19, ' Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in their hearts.'
'213 A rnACTiCAL exposition upon [Isa. LIII. 1.
[2.] Wlien tlicy do as it were cast water on the Spirit's motion by tlie return of their hists. Men are apt to return to their old ways, after these partial desires and partial care to get Christ ; but 2 Peter ii. 21, 'It had been better for them not to have known the way of rigliteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the lioly conimandraent delivered to- them.' Enraged lusts return the stronger, and have the greater force upon the heart.