[2.] A man prays but with a piece of his heart when he prays rather ■with his conscience than with his affections. Will you distinguish this, a dictate of conscience must be distinguished from a purpose of heart. Conscience may tell us what is to be done, yet the heart have no liking to it. Austin saith when he was a carnal man he had some kind of conscience, and prayed against his sins ; but, saith he, I was afraid God would hear me. The favour of God is necessary, but the heart many times is not engaged in the pursuit of it. We oftener pray from our memories than our consciences, and oftener from our consciences than our affections ; the heart is not put into the duty.
[3.] When our affections are divided to carnal things, and the com- fortable part of spiritual things. No doubt there is no man but would have the favour of God, but it is with a condition that he may live as he does, and be as he is, and so the prevailing part of his soul bends him to his present course ; he regards iniquity in his heart, and sin hath an interest and lies very near ; he would have the favour of God abstractedly, but when he considers how his lusts must be parted with, there his heart is divided.
Use. Oh ! then, look to it that you beg the Lord's favour with all your heart. God knows the heart. Rebekah dressed up Jacob so that his father mistook him. Ay ! but God cannot mistake ; his eye is not dim as Isaac's, he sees tlie heart ; therefore let your heart, and whole heart, go out in the pursuit.
Quest. How shall we know when our hearts are thus thoroughly bent, if you seek him with all your hearts ?
Ans. Then you will observe how you speed when you look after him ; you will see what becomes of your requests. ' I will hearken
124 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeE. LXV,
what God will speak,' saith David, and 'will pray and look up;' as Elijah looked up to see the cloud a-coming. Again, if we pray with the whole heart there will he importunate arguings ; desire will take no nay : Ps. Ixiii. 8, ' My soul followeth hard after thee.' Oh ! it wilt he a painful, grievous thing to your souls if you do not speed in your prayers. Not a slight motion, or cold wish, hut such as deeply affects the heart, and not easily put off and satisfied with other things. Wicked men would have the favour of God, hut they are easily put out of the humour. Again, then we pray with the whole heart when there is such a desire as not to he discouraged, hut you venture again ^ when the Lord seems to put off and give a check to your requests : Isa. xxvi. 8, ' The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remem- brance of thee.' Still desires grow hotter and hotter, and when there is a kind of impudence not to be put off. Again, such as do excite endeavours for the obtaining of God's love and a sense of his favour. It will cost us pain and trouble when we are hard at work, and will be diligent in this thing. But when you rest in a few cold prayers^ you are never hearty with God : Ps. xxvii. 4, ' One thing have I de- sired.' What then ? ' That will I seek after,' and use a great deal of diligence to come by it.
Thirdly, The fountain of all that we expect is mercy. All that seek God's favour must expect it upon terms of grace : ' Be merciful unto me.' We cannot say. Pay me what thou owest, or. Give me for my money. All whom God accepts to his grace and favour are un- worthy: Isa. Iv, 1, 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy and eat, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price.' Secondly, They who are received to favour still need mercy to pardon failings. Gal. v. The best are but sanctified in part, and have the dregs of corruption always remaining, and frequently stirring in them.
Use. Let us thus deal with God : Hosea xiv. 2, ' Take with you words, and turn to the Lord ; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously,'' The sum of all our requests is, that God would be merciful to us.
Fourthly, The rule and ground of confidence is ' according to thy word.' God's word is the rule of our confidence, for therein is God's stated course. If we would have favour from God and mercy, it must be upon his own terms. God will accept of us in Christ, if we repent, believe, and obey, and seek his favour diligently: he will not deny those who seek, ask, knock. We would have mercy, but will not observe God's directions. We must ask according to God's will, not without a promise, nor against a command, God is made a voluntary debtor by his promise. These are notable props of faith, when we are encouragecl to seek by the offer, to apply by the promise. We thrive no more in a comfortable sense of God's love, because we take not this course.