52 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SER. CLXIII,
fain have Ishmael the child of the promise, but God intended Isaac : Gen. xvii. 18, ' 0 that Ishmael might live before thee ! ' Thus doth God often blast instruments we most expect good from, and make use of others to be instruments for our good which we did least expect it from. God may give us our will in anger, when the mercy turneth to our hurt. Therefore the kind of God's answer must be referred to his own will, in all things for which we are not to pray absolutely ; and when we have discharged our duty, endeavoured to approve our hearts to God, take what answer he will give.
Doct, From the manner of praying, with the whole heart, the saints have the more confidence of being heard in prayer. David allege th his crying with the whole heart as a hopeful intimation of a gracious answer.
1. Because a prayer rightly made hath the assurance of a promise. The promise is, John xvi. 24, ' Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.' Now this beareth no exception, but that we ask according to his will, 1 John v. 14. Si bona peta/nt, boni, bene, ad bonum. Good men, asking good things, in the name of Christ, for a good end, thou canst not miss.
2. Where there is sincerity and fervency, we have two witnesses to establish our comfort and hope — the Spirit of God, that knoweth the deep things of God ; and the spirit of man, that knoweth the things of man. God's Spirit, who stirreth up these groans in us : Bom. viii. 26, 27, ' He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.' And the testimony of our own spirits, that we have done our part and discharged our duty, and so have true joy and confidence : Job xvi. 19, 20, ' My witness is in heaven, and my record is on high : my friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears to God.'
3. God doth not use to send them away comfortless that call upon him in spirit and in truth, because by one grace he maketh way for another ; by the grace of assistance for the grace of acceptance : Ps. x. 17, ' Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble ; thou hast prepared their heart ; thou wilt cause thine ear to hear/ Where God hath given a heart to speak, he will afford an ear to hear ; for God will not lose his own work : he cannot refuse those requests which are according to the direction of his word and the motions of his Holy Spirit, when they are brought to him.
Use. This exhorteth us to look more after the manner of praying. An earnest and sincere prayer cannot miscarry ; judge by this and you cannot want success. You cannot judge of your prayers by the wit, by the length, by the kind of words ; but by the faith, the sincerity, the obedience, the holy desires expressed in them. Cry with your whole hearts, and God will hear you. (1.) Look to the fervency of the prayer ; set yourselves in good earnest to seek God, and good will come of it: Dan. ix. 3, I set my face to seek the Lord God by- prayer and supplications.' I seriously minded the work : 2 Sam. vii. 27, ' Thy servant hath found in his heart to make this prayer unto thee ; ' he found his heart disposed to call upon God. There is many a prayer we force upon ourselves, we do not find it there. What encouragements from the word, what motions from the Spirit ?
VER. 146.] SEEB10NS UPON PSALM CXIX. 53
Kesolve to seek after it till you have found it : Ps. xxvii. 2, 'When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.' Wrestle with God : Hosea xii. 3, ' He had power over the angel, and prevailed ; he wept and made supplication unto him.' {Such as wrestle with God, and have their hearts broken and melted before the Lord, will prevail. (2.) Look to the sincerity of your prayers ; see that you do not feign and pretend to pray for a thing you desire not. Is your confidence wholly in the Lord ? When your heart is divided, and you hanker after carnal lusts, you cannot pray aright. (3.) Look that you ask more for his glory than for your own ease : James iv. 3, ' Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, to consume it on your lust.' The less by-ends in prayer, the more hope of success.
Thirdly, The promise of duty, 'I will keep thy statutes.' Doct. God's children, when they think of mercy, are at the same time thinking of duty and obedience.
1. Because they are ingenuous and thankful. Now obedience is the best expression of gratitude : and therefore, when they ask mercy, they mingle resolutions of duty with expectations of mercy : Born. xii. 1, 'I beseech you by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.'