Doct. That meditation of the promises is very seasonable when the answer of our prayers is denied.
For this is very powerful to support our fainting hopes, and to cheer and revive our drooping spirits. There is support in the word, and comfort in the word ; therefore we should much meditate on the pro- mises at such a time. The best holdfast that we have of God is by his promise. Whatsoever his dispensations be, this will give satisfac- tion enough. Though you cannot find what you would, his word is certain ; though no appearance of performance, his word is sure enough to fasten upon. The grounds of faith are more sweet and satisfactory the more they are examined and looked upon.
SEKMON CLXVII.
Hear my voice, according to thy loving-Mndness : 0 Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment. — Ver. 149.
In these words you have — (1.) David's prayer ; (2.) The grounds of his support, or his encouragements in asking.
1. His prayer is double — (1.) General, for audience, ' Hear my voice ; ' (2.) Particular, for quickening, ' Quicken me.'
2. His encouragements and grounds of confidence in asking are also two — (1.) God's loving-kindness ; (2.) His judgment. Both together imply the loving-kindness of God manifested in the word or expressed and engaged in the promises. The points are three : —
Doct. 1. One blessing which the children of God do see a need often and earnestly to ask of God is quickening. David ever and anon reneweth his request, and he is loath to be denied; and therefore, before he saith, ' Quicken me,' he saith, ' Hear my voice.'
Doct. 2. The main argument which God's children have to plead in prayer is his own favour and loving-kindness. That is David's argu- ment in the text, ' Hear my voice, according to thy loving-kindness/
Doct. 3. The mercy and loving-kindness of God, manifested and impledged in the promises of the gospel, doth notably encourage us to ask help from him ; for David doth not only say, ' According to thy loving-kindness,' but, 'According to thy judgment.'
Doct. 1. For the first point, one blessing which the children of God do see a need often and earnestly to ask of God is quickening. Here I shall inquire —
1. What is quickening.
84 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SER. CLXVII.
2. Give you some reasons why the children of God do see a need so often and earnestly to ask it of God. First, What is quickening ?
1. By quickening some understand restitution to happiness ; for a calamitous man is as one dead and buried under deep and heavy troubles, and his recovery is a life from the dead, or a reviving from the grave. So quickening seemeth to be taken, Ps. Ixxi. 20, ' Thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again, and bring me up from the depths of the earth.'
2. Others understand by quickening the renewing and increasing in him the vigour of his spiritual life. That he beggeth that God would revive, increase, and preserve that life which he had already given, that it might be perfected and consummated in glory, that he might be ever ready to bring forth the habits of grace into acts.
The use which we should make of it is to press you —
1. To be sensible of the temper of your hearts, and see whether you want quickening, yea or no. The feeling of spiritual deadness argueth some life and sense yet left. You have attained to so much of life, and do retain it in such a measure, as to be able to bemoan yourselves to God. Most observe their bodies, but very few their souls : if their bodies be ill at ease or out of order, they complain. Men that go on in a track of customary duties see no need of quickening ; therefore this humble sense is a good sign. Matins and vespers coldly run over never put us upon the feeling of indispositions, but only duties done with some spirit and life, as a smith blows not the bellows on cold iron or a dead coal. Who would seek quickening when not serious in the work ? They that go on in the cold wont of duties never regard the frame of their hearts.
2. When you want quickening, ask it of God. He brought us into the state of life at first, and therefore every moment we must beg of him that he would quicken us, that he would continue it, and perfect his own work : Cant. i. 4, ' Draw me ; we will run after thee.' There is no running, no preserving the vitality of grace, without his renewed influence : Ps. xxii. 29, ' None can keep alive his own soul.' There- fore, when we find this deadness or decay of life, to whom should we go but to the fountain of life to repair it ? No creature doth subsist of itself, or act of itself.
3. Ask it earnestly. David prefaceth a general prayer before this request, and saith, ' Hear my voice,' as loath to be denied. Many ask it of course, rather use it as a mannerly form when they are entering upon holy duties, than a broken-hearted request. See you desire it heartily : Ps. cxix. 40, ' Behold, I have longed after thy precepts ; quicken thou me in thy righteousness.' A man's heart is set upon it, and will not sit down with the distemper, as contented and satisfied with a dead frame of heart : quickening is for longing souls, that would fain do the work of God with a more perfect heart.