SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL VII. 27. 63
thine own understanding: in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.'
3. The next thing observable is the Lord's rectifying the prophet's mistake by a special revelation, ver. 4-17, wherein the Lord recapitu- lateth the several favours and honours he had put upon his servant David, with promises of blessing upon his family ; but denieth him this one honour of putting his designs in execution of building him an house, because that was reserved for his son, a more peaceable prince, and whose hands were not defiled with blood. And it teacheth us this lesson, that we should be content with those other honours and favours which we have received at God's hands, though he in his Avise providence deny us the liberty of perfecting some enterprises which we have designed for his glory. If God cut us off in the midst of our service, or interrupt us in our work, he knoweth how to carry it on by others ; and it is a mercy that we have had his presence hitherto in former services. God had been with David whithersoever he went, but would not allow him to build him an house.
4. David's carriage upon this message : ver. 18, 'He went and sat before the Lord,' or abode in his presence, and expresseth himself both by way of praise and prayer.
[1.] Praise, in the 18th, 19th, and 20th, to the end of the 24th verse ; acknowledging that all his goodness to him and his people came from his mercy and truth, for his word's sake, and according to his own heart, to fulfil his covenant, and his self-inclination to do good ; admiring the greatness of these favours to such an unworthy creature as himself : ' Who am I, 0 Lord, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hither ? ' &c. ; ' And is this the manner of man, 0 Lord God ? ' &c.
[2.] Prayer, from the 25th verse to the end ; wherein he beggeth a performance of the things promised ; showing that he should not dare to ask and expect these things if God had not prevented him by his word : * Thou hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house ; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.'
In which words there is a directory for prayer. And (1.) The qualification of the person, ' Thy servant ; ' (2.) The sincerity of the prayer, * Hath found in his heart ; ' (3.) The instance and vehemency of it, in the doubling of the words ; not simply ' to pray,' but ' to pray thisprayer :' James v. 17, 'He prayed earnestly,' irpoaev^fi Trpoarjv^aro — he prayed in his prayer. It is one thing to say a prayer, another to pray a prayer. (4.) His reverence, ' Unto thee ; ' or, as it is more emphatically repeated, 1 Chron. xvii. 2.5, ' Therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.' When we set ourselves as before the invisible God. And that may be part of the meaning of the phrase used, ver. 18, ' He sat before the Lord.'
But the main circumstance which I shall insist upon is that, * Found in his heart.'
Doct. That the birthplace or proper rise of prayer is in the heart ; or, whatever prayer we pray to God must be found in our hearts before it be uttered witli our tongues.
First, I shall inquire concerning the sense and meaning of this expression, what it is to find a prayer in our hearts. That implieth
64 SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL VII, 27.
two things — when we pray as inclined, and pray as encouraged. And 60 David must be interpreted here : ' I have found in my heart ; ' that is, I am inclined by a due esteem and desire of the blessing promised ; for he admireth it, and was exceedingly ravished with the thought of it, that God should have such respect to his house and family. Again, * I have found in my heart ; ' that is, I am encouraged by the Lord's goodness, and the experience of his blessing, and the assurance of his promises. So in every general case, all that would pray must find in their hearts to pray to God ; that is, be inclined, and be encouraged.
1. We are inclined or stirred up to pray for such good things as we ask of God.
[1.] By a sense of our wants : James, i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God ; ' and Heb. iv. 16, ' Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in a time of need.' Our addresses to God must begin in a broken-hearted sense of our own wants, otherwise it is but an empty, careless, formal way of praying. We have a quick and tender feeling in all bodily necessities ; the worst will express themselves sensibly enough in such cases : Hosea vii. 14, ' They have not cried unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds ; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.' Those that rebelled against God howled upon their beds for corn and wine, as beasts will make their moan when pinched with hunger ; but in soul-necessities we are not so sensible ; and prayers put up without sense of want and need are but dead and lazj'-. Many think their condition so good that they need not trouble God about it, but they can manage it well enough themselves, and therefore either pray not at all, or without poverty of spirit, and their prayers are but an empty compliment to God. But now a godly man is sensible of his daily necessities ; he is kept poor in spirit, and seeth that he can- not subsist a minute without God, and that he is environed with dangers, and obliged to a multitude of duties, which require assistance from above ; that Satan is continually tempting, and he is continually sinning ; and so he needs daily pardon, and daily sustentation, as well as daily bread : ' Give us ai^ixepov, this day our daily bread,' Mat. vi. 11 ; and that if he should forget to pray to God, he should forget to bid himself good-morrow or good-day. In short, the more men exercise themselves unto godliness, the more their necessities and wants will be discovered to them. Painted fire needeth no fuel, but real fire must still be supplied with matter for it to feed upon.