[2.] Our spiritual welfare is concerned in such temporal deliverances, that we may serve God without impediment, and without distraction. (L) The oppression of man is an impediment ; it taketli us off from many opportunities of service and bringing honour to God; and though God will dispense with us at such a time, yet it is uncomfort- able ; as God dispensed with David when he was hunted up and down the wilderness: Ps. Ixiii,, Ixxxiv., xlii. As Christ biddeth them pray, Mat. xxiv. 20, ' Pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath-day.' Though it was lawful, it was grievous ; as grievous to the body to have their flight in winter, and grievous to the soul to have it on a sabbath-day, that might call to mind their pleasant oppor- tunities of conversing with God by prayer. When God denieth liberty and opportunity of enjoying and performing the exercises of religion, we are excused from positive duties. But yet it is a great mercy to have our liberty restored, to serve God in peace without distraction, to have a little breathing-time: Acts xix. 31, 'Then had the churches rest.' The oppressions and persecutions of men are among the temp- tations, and may weaken obedience to God ; and if not altogether drive us from his service, yet clog our spirits and hinder our cheerfulness and readiness in it : Eccles. vii, 7, ' Oppression will make a wise man mad.' It will strangely shake and discompose our spirits, especially as it may be circumstantiated ; that is, when we have base indignities put upon us, as when exposed to all manner of insolency and contempt: Ps. cxxiii. 4, ' Have mercy upon us, for we are filled with contempt.' Our friends afraid to pity us, Eccles. iv. 1. Take it at best, it is no small discouragement and trial to a godly man. Therefore it being so that oppression is ever reckoned among the temptations, we may pray not to enter into temptation ; as Theophylact observeth well on the place, the rather because one way by which God helpeth his people is by taking away the temptation, as well as ministering a supply of grace : Ps. cxxv. 4, ' The rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous ;' 1 Cor. x. 13, ' But will with the temptation also make a w^ay to escape, that we may be able to bear it.'
[3.] The glory of God is concerned. His people will honour him more if one, especially an eminent one, be delivered from the oppres- sion of man : Ps. cxlii. 7, ' Bring my soul out of prison, that 1 may praise thy name : the righteous shall compass me about, for thou slialt deal bountifully with me.' They will be flocking about him, and inquiring what experiences of God and his goodness he hath found : 2 Cor. i, 11, 'Helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.' Much more when the whole church is deli-
VeR. 134.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 401
verecl: Ps, li. 18, 19, *Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion ; build thou the walls of Jerusalem : thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifice •of righteousness,' &c. Every heart will be thinking of honour and praise to God. And besides the honour done to God by his people, God will more discover himself to the world, his justice will be more evidenced: Ps. ix. 16, 'The Lord is known by ttie judgment which he executeth.' The world is led by sense ; he will not be taken to be a friend to persecutors and oppressors. In short, it is not for the honour of God that his people should be left under oppression, as if he sought not, and cared not for their welfiire. You shall see the afflicted condition of the church is called ' the reproach of the heathen,' Ezek. xxxvi. 30 ; and Ezek. xxxiv. 29, * Thou shalt not bear the reproach of the heathen any more.' The heathen would cast this in their teeth, as if their God had no respect to them, or were not able to help them.
[4.] Prayer engageth us to constancy. God's deliverance will be better for us than our own ; that is, than those sinful shifts and ways of escape that we can find out. What we ask of God must be had in God's way. It bindeth us to seek no other way of escape than we can commend to God's blessing in prayer. It is said of the saints, Heb. xi. 35, ' That they were tortured, not accepting deliverance ; that they might recieive a better resurrection.' Would any refuse deliverance when it is tendered to them ? Yes, upon such spiteful conditions : they were commanded to do something contrary to the laws of God ; therefore they would have God's deliverance, not their own. Every one of them w^as offered release in the midst of their torments and tortures, if they would yield to the eating of swine's flesh, or that which was forbidden by God.
[5.] Seeking deliverance at the hands of God doth ease the heart of a great deal of trouble, and deliver it from those inordinate affec- tions and afflicting and tormenting passions which otherwise the oppres- sion of man might raise in us ; as fear, grief, sorrow, anger, envy, and despair ; fear and dread to suffer more, grief and sorrow for what we sufier already, anger and envy against those oppressors by whom we suffer, and despair and impatience because of the continuance of our molestations and sufferings. All these are mischiefs to the soul, and all these are cured by prayer.