For the reasons : —
1. God is the party with whom we have to do ; whencesoever the trouble doth arise, there is his hand and his counsel in it ; therefore it is best dealing with him about it, in all afflictions, public or private : Amos iii. 6, ' Is there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it ? ' Let men but awaken their reason and conscience, who is it that is at the upper end of causes, that casts our lot upon sucli troublesome and distracted times? So in private afflictions, David owned God's hand; Shimei had mocked him, but he looks higher ; the Lord hath bid him curse. So Job ; he doth not say the Chaldean and Sabean hath taken away, but the Lord hath taken. Job i, 21. Afflictions have a higher cause than men ordinarily look at ; they do not come out of the dust, but come from G<Ki. See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle. Job v. 8, ' I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause ; ' that is, I would go and deal with him about it ; it was Eliphaz's advice to Job, and it is seasonable to us all.
2. It is God only that can help us and relieve us, either by giving support under the trouble, or removing it from us ; so saith David, Ps. Ivii. 2, ' I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me.' A believer looks for all things from God ; when all things go well with him, God is his best friend ; when all things go ill with him, God is his only friend ; he runs to none so often as to
100 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXVII.
God, Now upon these princi[)les \vc go to God ; but for what end ? Let us see what we go to God for.
[1.] That we may know his mind in all his providences. The affliction hath some errand and messnge to us, something to deliver us from God ; now we need to ask of God to know his mind : Micah vi.
9, ' Hear the rod, and who hath appointed it.' We should not only be sensible of Ihe smart, but look to tire cause ; therefore, if we would know the cause, let us go and expostulate with God about it ; as Joab, when Absalom set his corn-field on fire; he sent for him once and twice, but he comes not, until he sets his corn-field on fire, and then he comes and expostulates with him, 'Who hath done this?' 2 Sam. xiv. 30, 31. So when we make bold, and will not come to God, nor take notice of his messages, God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences ; now let us deal with God about it ; wherefore is all this ?
[2.] That we may have strength to bear it. Alas ! we can bear or do little of ourselves, for that doing refers to bearing : Phil iv. 13, 'I can do all things through Cln-ist that strengthenetli me ;' that is, I can suffer want, need, hunger, thirst, nakedness, and run through all con- ditions, ' through Christ that strengthenetli me.' Now you must ask it of God : James i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God.' Jt is wisdom to bear affliction, if he would wisely carry himself under the rod ; that he may not discover his folly, he must ask this strength and grace of God.
[3.] Wisdom to improve our chastisements, that we may have the benefit and fruit of them : Isa. xlviii. 17, ' I am the Lord thy God, which teachcth thee to profit;' that is, to profit by afflictions, to reap the fruit of tliem. So Job xxxiii. 16, ' He openeth the cars of men, and sealeth their instruction.' God, by a powerful work upon the heart, impi'esseth their duty upon them, that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them.
[■i.] We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble : Ps. xxxiv. 19, ' J\rany are the troubles of the righteous, but out of them all tlie Lord will deliver them.' It is God's prerogative to set us free. We break prison when we attempt to escape merely by our own means ; therefore cither we shall have no deliverance, or no kindly one. God hath delivered, doth deliver, and we trust will deliver. This must be sought out of God ; God helping together with your prayers, 2 Cor. i.
10, 11. Prayer must fetch it out from God, or it is no kindly deliver- ance. Well, then, in our affliction, we need to be often with God.
SEPtMON CXVII.
Quicken me, 0 Lord, according unto iluj word — Ver. 107.
Use 1. To reprove the stupidncss and carelessness of them that neglect God in their troubles : Dan. ix. 13, 'AH this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God.' A very senseless slight spirit, that when they are under the blows of God's
VeR. 107.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 101