VeR. 26.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIH. 231
suit, and it will come to an hearing-day ore it be long: Jonah ii. 7, ' When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came unto thee into thy holy temple.' When our infirmity Cometh to a degree of faintness, then it is a time to be earnestly deal- ing with God.
6. What will you get by your fainting, but the creature for God ? Heb. iii. 12, ' Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.' Murmuring for prayer ? Lam. iii. 39, 40, ' Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins ? let us search and try our ways, and turn to the Lord.' Unlawful shifts for duty ? Isa. xxviii. 15, ' For we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid our- selves.' This is overmuch haste ; will you choose God for your enemy to escape the enmity of man ? and perdition for salvation ? Heb. x. 39, ' But be not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.' Will you run into hell for fear of burning ?
7. The Holy Spirit blesseth these considerations, and doth further comfort the saints, partly by shedding abroad the love of God in their hearts, Kom. v. 3-5 ; God's smiles are infinitely able to counterbalance the world's frowns ; and partly by a clearer sight of their blessedness to come. Kemember your eternal blessings, and how far your afflic- tions prepare you for them : 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17, 'For this cause we faint not ; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which ii but for a moment, worketh fer us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' The greatest trouble cannot make void this hope ; yea, it doth prepare you for it ; your spiritual estate is bettered by them.
Doct. 2. That prayer is one special means by which the Holy Spirit helpeth God's children in their troubles and afflictions.
1. Troubles are sent for this end, not to drive us from God, but to draw us to him: Ps. 1. 15, 'And call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Trouble in itself is a part of the curse introduced by sin. When God seemeth angry, we have a liberty to apply ourselves to him. In trouble we are apt to think God an enemy, and that he putteth the old covenant in suit against us, but then God expects most to hear from us.
2. Prayer is a special means to ease the heart of our burdensome caves and fears : Phil. iv. 6, ' Be careful for nothing, but in everytliing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made knovi^n unto God.' When the wind is got into the caverns of the earth, it causeth earth- quakes and terrible convulsions till it get a vent ; we give vent to our troublesome and unquiet thoughts by prayer, when we lay our burden at God's feet.
3. It is a special means of acknowledging God as the fountain of our strength and the author of our blessings. First, As the fountain of our strength and support ; we have it not in ourselves, and therefore we seek it from God ; he is able to keep us from falling, therefore we pray to him : 1 Peter v. 10, ' But the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.' Secondly, As the
232 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXXIV.
author of our deliverance : 2 Tim. iv. 18, ' He shall deliver me from every evil work.'
Use 1. Is to exhort us to prayer. First, He deliglits to give out blessings this way: Jer. xxix. 11, 12, ' For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you;' and Ezek. xxxvi. 37, ' Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do them good.' And our Lord Christ, as mediator, was to ask of the Father : Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession.' Secondly, All mercies come the sweeter to us as they increase our love to God and trust in him : Ps. cxvi. 1,2, 'I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and any supplication ; because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.'
Use 2. Is information. If we would have the Spirit's help, let us pray. There we have most sensible feeling of his assistance ; our strength lieth most in asking ; and when we are at a loss what to do, your liearts are more eased in prayer than in any other work. Every condition is sanctified when it bringeth you nearer to God ; if crosses bring us to the throne of grace, they have done their work ; your trouble is eased. I'Doct. 3. That the prayers of the godly come from God's Spirit.