2. It was earnest though the answer was delayed : I cried, I cried ; I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried. The Lord can- not away with cold asking and a ceasing upon every repulse. You must continue to pray when God continueth to deny, otherwise you do not pray in faith ; for when the word warrants you to pray, either by way of command or promise, you must not give over. David saith here, ' I cried, for I hoped in thy word.' When providence giveth no answer, you must take your answer out of the covenant or promise, and so answer yourself when God doth not answer you : 1 Sam. xii. 23, ' God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.' You cannot dispense with your duty, whatever the success be. Sometimes duty keepeth up prayer, sometimes the promise, and so hope of the mercy prayed for; there is no way to bring the promise and the providence of God together but by prayer or putting the promise in suit. Your obedience will be assaulted by the ingratitude of those whom you pray for, and your confidence by God's seeming denials ; therefore, as long as God commandeth, and he promiseth encouragement, you are not to give way, but hold up the suit still, whatever discouragements there be without. A good dog hunts by sight as long as he can see his game, but when that is lost, he hunts by scent. Visible probabilities be a good encouragement to give a lift to the mercy, when it seemeth to be coming on ; but though it be out of sight, faith keepeth the scent of the promise, keeps crying still; he heareth though he doth not answer, and the prayer will not be lost : but of this before.
Fourthly, It is the prayer of a public person, who had his distrac- tions, and more occasions than we can possibly pretend unto, yet he would not lose his praying hours. This consideration will yield us two notes : —
1. That David had his times of converse with God.
2. That rather than fail of them, he would take them from his sleep.
1. That he had his times of converse with God : Eccles. iii. 1, There is a time for all things,' much more for the best things :
7-1 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXV.
therefore, if you have a time for other things, to eat and drink, and follow your worldly business, surely you should have a time for prayer. Shall we have a time for everything, and no time for God? Certainly we could not want time if we did not want a heart. Many complain they have no time, and many distractions ; if you have no time to pray, you have no time to be saved, no time to maintain the life and comfort and peace of your souls. David had as many employments as thou hast or canst have, therefore it is but a vain excuse. He that will regard what his own sluggish heart will allege, will never pray, never retire or be alone with God : a willing mind will find time in the midst of the greatest distractions ; whomsoever he compounds with and payeth short, he will not make bold with God, and serve him by halves. Look, as David speaks in 1 Chron. xxii. 14, ' Behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of silver.' He was involved in wars, his exchequer impoverished and diminished, yet he kept vast sums for the temple. Surely the lean kine should not devour the fat, nor religion only be thrust out of doors. It is a more happy thing that Martha should complain of Mary than Mary neglect her duty. Holy privacy and closet work should not be neglected. It would be no loss lo our other occasions if we did more prudently divide and allot out our time, and give God a good allowance rather than straiten him. Indeed, what part you should give to God is another question.
In the general, it is good to dedicate a certain part and portion of our time to the Lord of time. Idle servants must be tasked, and required to bring in their tale of bricks. A prudent allotment, such as is consistent with our occasions and course of life, would be no burden to you. I am sure it will make your duties more seasonable and orderly. It is an expression of love to give him somewhat that is our own. In the general, we are not tied to the seasons of eating and drinking, yet for conveniency we have our stated hours. The most necessary work should have a turn, and not be taken up by chance, and not left to a mere haphazard ; it will make you more careful and watchful how you spend your other hours, that you may not be unfit for duty when your time of worship cometh, 1 Peter iii. 7.
Again, though we cannot bind you absolutely to a time, they that are most holy will be most frequent with God. Love will direct. They that love one another cannot be strange to each other : he that loveth God cannot be long out of his company. God trusts love ; that grace is liberal and open-hearted. Christ resorted often to Bethany, because he loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, John xi. The Spirit of God will direct you by his motions, Ps. xxvii. 8. Sometimes he sendeth you into the closet ; your own necessities will put you in mind ; he hath left many wants upon us to bring us into his presence : James i. 5, 'If any man want wisdom,' &c. ; Heb. iv. 16, ' Let us come with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in a time of need.' The interest of the spiritual life directs you ; you cannot maintain it in any vigour but by some recourse to God ; some time God must have.