4. Consider, it is profitable to begin the day with God, and to season the heart with some gracious exercise; as David, Ps. cxxxix. 18, ' When I awake, I am still with thee.' It sanctifieth all our other business, as the offering the first-fruits did sanctify the whole lump. And to whom should the first-fruits of our reason and sense restored be consecrated, but to him that gave us all, and is the author and pre- server of them ? When the world gets the start of religion, it can hardly overtake it all the day : the first thoughts leave a powerful impression upon it = Micah ii. 1, ' They devise evil upon their beds.
72 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXV.
and when the morning is come they practise it/ With carnal men sin beginneth in the morning, stayeth in the heart all day, playeth in the fancy all night. But if you begin with God in the morning, you take God along with you all the day to your business and employment.
5. This will be some recompense for the time lost in sleeping : half our lives are consumed in it; our time is parted between work and sleep. It is the misery and necessity we are subject unto, whilst we are in the body, that so much of our time should be spent without doing anything for God, or showing any act of love and thankfulness to him. None of the other creatures ever stand still, but are always executing and accomplishing the end for which they were made. And in heaven the blessed spirits are always beholding the face of God, and lauding and blessing his name, and need not those intermissions which we bodily creatures do. Now, though this be our necessity, and so no sin to need the refreshings of sleep, yet because so much of our time is lost, by way of recompense, the least that we should do is to take the next season ; and if health and bodily constitution will permit, to prevent the dawning of the morning, and to be as early with God as we can. All the time we can well spare should be given to God. Do but consider, since thou wentest to bed the sun hath travelled many thousand miles to give thee light this morning, and therefore what a shame it is that the sun, being continually in so swift motion, should return and find him turning and tossing in his bed, like a door upon the hinges, Prov. xx. 14, after nature is satisfied with sleep ; and that we should not rise, and own God's mercy in the rest of the night, and sanctify the labours of the day by some serious address to him. This meditation is enforced by Augustine, indecus est Christiano, si radius solis earn inveniat in lecto, posset enim dicere sol, si potestatrm loquendi haberet, Amplius laboravi heri, quam tu : et tamen cum jam surrexerim, tu adhuc do?*mis. So Ambrose on this text, grave est si te otiosum radius solis orientis in verecundo pudore conveniat, et lux clara inveniat occidos somnolento adhuc corpore depressos.
Thirdly, It was a vehement and earnest prayer ; for saith David, ' I cried.' Observe —
Doct. It was earnest, though private ; and it was earnest, though he could get no satisfactory answer.
1. Earnest though private. In all our addresses to God we must be serious ; whether men see or hear or no, God seeth and heareth. A hypocrite hath a great flash of gifts in company, but is strait when alone ; but God's children are most earnest in private, when they do more particularly open their hearts to God, without taking in the necessities of others. Christ when he was withdrawn from his discijiles, then he prayed eKrevearepov, ' more earnestly,' Luke xxii. 44. Jacob sent away his company to deal with God in good earnest, and then wrestled with him : ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet. Peter went out and wept bitterly. So a Christian trieth it out between God and him, when he hath a mind to plead for his own soul or for the church ; therefore hath no outward reason to move him but conscience and spiritual affection. The pharisees would pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets; but Christ saith, ' Go into thy closet, and shut the door, and pray to thy Father in secret/ Mat. vi. 7. This is the
VER. 147.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 73
love and confidence we express to our Father in secret. A man may- put forth himself with great warmth and vigour before others, that is slight and careless in secret addresses to God. In these secret inter- courses we most taste our spirits, and discern the pure workings of affection towards God. A woman that only bemoaneth the loss of her husband in company, but banisheth all thoughts of him when alone, might justly be suspected to act a tragical part, and to pretend sorrow rather than feel it. Some will pray in secret, but customarily utter a few cold words; but David saith, ' I cried.' Remember there is one seeth in secret ; as Christ saith, ' I am not alone,' John xvi. 32 ; and Mai. i. 14, he is a God of great majesty ; he will not be put off with anything, with a short good-morrow or a hasty sigh. Consider, if you pray in good earnest, the prayer will not be lost ; there is a register kept in heaven : Acts x. 4, ' Thy prayer is come up as a memorial before God.' Surely a man that believeth and consulteth these things dareth not be slight, though there be none present but God and his own soul.