2. As to sins, let me tell you, go to God with clearness and open- ness; reveal your whole state, tell him what are your temptations and conflicts, and how your heart works. Though he knows it already by his own omnisciency, yet let him know it by your own acknowledg- ments. Let him not know it as a judge, take notice of it so as to punish you ; but go deal plainly, and confess your sins. To this end — ■
[1.] There will be need of light, that you may be able to judge of things : Heb. v. 14, ' They have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.' When a man hath not only a speculative knowledge, but hath his senses exercised, able to judge of the workings of his own heart, he can discern what is of flesh and what is of spirit, and so can give an account to God. When we have not only some naked theory, we shall be able to see what is a temptation, where our help, and where our weakness lies.
[2.] There needs observation of the workings of our own hearts. A man that would give an account to God need to observe himself narrowly, and keep his heart above all keepings. David, that saith here, I declared my ways, saith elsewhere, I considered my ways. It is but a formal account we can give without serious consideration ; we must therefore ' keep our hearts with all diligence,' Prov. iv. 23.
[3.] There needs in many cases a serious search. For instance, in deep desertion, when God withdraws the light of his countenance, and men have not those wonted influences of grace, those glimpses of favour, and quickenings of spirit, and enlargings of heart : Ps. Ixxvii. 6, ' I call to remembrance my song in the night : I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search.' When under any despair of soul, trace it to its original cause : Wherein have I grieved the Spirit of God ? So Lam. iii. 40, ' Let us search and try our ways.' There needs a very distinct and serious inquiry into the state of our souls, that we may deal ingenuously with God, and lay open ourselves before him.
Secondly, The second clause, and the Lord heard me.
JDoct. After an ingenuous and open declaration of ourselves to God, we find audience with him.
So did David, and so do all the saints. He was never yet wanting to his people that deals sincerely with him in prayer. How doth God manifest his audience ? Either inwardly by the Spirit, or outwardly by providence.
First, Inwardly by his Spirit, when he begets a persuasion of their acceptance with God, leaves an impression of confidence upon their hearts, and a quietness in looking for the thing they had asked. Before they have an answer of providence, they have a persuasion of heart that their prayer hath been accepted. There is a great deal of difference between accepting a prayer and granting a prayer. God's
250 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeK. XXVII.
acceptance is as Foon as we pray, but the thing we beg for is another thing and distinct : 1 John v. 14, 15, ' This is the confidence that we have in him, that if wq ask anything according to his will, he heareth us ; and if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that w^e have the petitions that we desired of him.' God's hearing of us, his audience, is a distinct thing from the answer of his providence ; and therefore when he begets a confidence that we are heard, and the soul begins to be quieted in God and look up for mercy, it is a sign of his accepting our prayer, though the benefit be not actually bestowed. David found a change in his heart many times, as if one had come and told him the j^osture of his affairs was altered. It is otherwise with you than it was when you began to pray ; therefore you have him in the beginning of a psalm come in with bitter complaints and groaning ; his eyes Avere ready to drop out with grief, and presently he breaks out with thanksgiving, as Ps. vi. 8. 9, ' Mine eye is consumed because of grief ; it w^axeth old because of all mine enemies.' Presently, ' Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.' So Hannah, she had commended her request to God, and was no more sad, 1 Sam. i. 16. That is one way of answer ; when we have declared ourselves to the Lord, the heart looks out to see what will come of its j^rayers ; it begins to rest, and is quiet in God, and looks for some answer of the mercy.
The second consideration, that the outward mercy in his providence is either in kind or in value. God doth not always answer us in kind, by giving us the thing asked ; but doth give us something that is as good or better, which contents the heart, by denying the thing desired, and giving something equivalent. Many times we ask temporal mercies, defence, victory, deliverance, and God gives spiritual ; we ask deliverance and God gives patience, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Paul asked thrice that the thorn in the flesh might depart from him ; but God gives him sufficient grace, God doth not answer us always according to our will, but certainly according to our weal and profit. Many times he will give the blessing in kind, but at other times he gives the value of it, which is better. God may give temporal comfort in kind, in anger ; but the value, the blessing, he never gives in anger, but always in love. When they asked meat for their lusts, God gave it in kind, in anger, Ps. Ixxviii. : ' And I gave them a king in my wrath,' Hosea xiii. 11. When we are passionate and eager upon a temporal request, God doth answer in wrath ; the mercy is more when he gives us that which is better.