HOSEA XrV. 1, 2.] THE EETUBNING BACKSLIDER. 259
and in the battle, being encompassed with enemies, yet had words with him ready, and after prayer found deliverance, 1 Kings xxii. 32. Elijah, likewise, after a great drowth and famine, when rain had been three years wanting, and all in a manner out of frame for a long time, ' took with hiTTi words,' James v. 18 ; and God sent rain abundantly upon the earth again.
The reason is, because prayer sets God on work ; and God, who is able and willing to go through with his works, sets all the creatures on work, Hos. ii. 21, 22. As we heard of Elijah, when he prayed for rain, the creatures were set a-work to effect it, 1 Ivings xviii. 45, seq.
Obj. Where it may be objected, Oh, but rain might come too late in that hot country, where all the roots and herbs might be withered and dried up in three years' space.
Ans. Yet all was well again. The land brought forth her increase as formerly. For faithful prayer never comes too late, because God can never come too late. If our prayers come to him, we shall find him come to us. Jehoshaphat, we read, was in great distress when three kings came against him ; yet when he went to God by unfeigned and hearty fasting and prayer, God heard him, fought for him, and destroyed all his enemies, 2 Chron. XX. 3. seq. The Scripture sheweth, also, how after Hezekiah's prayer against Sennacherib's blasphemies and threatenings, the Lord sent forth his angel, and destroyed in one night a hundred fourscore and five thousand of the Ass_yrians, 2 Chron. xxxii. 21, seq.
Use 1. This is, first, /or re/jroo/ of those who, in their distresses, set their •wit, wealth, friends, and all a-work, but never set God a-work, as Hezekiah did in Sennacherib's case. The fii'st time he turned him off to his cost, with endui-ing a heavy taxation, and yet was never a whit the better for it, 2 Kings x\'iii. 15, seq.; for Sennacherib came shortly after and besieged Jerusalem, until Hezekiah had humbled himself and prayed ; and then God chased aU away and destroj^ed them. He had better have done so at first, and so saved his money and pains, too. The like weakness we have a proof of in Asa, who, when a greater army came against him of ten hundred thousand men, laid about him, prayed and trusted in God, and so was de- livered, with the destruction of his enemies, 2 Chron. xiv. 11, yet in a lesser danger, 2 Chron. xvi. 2, against Baasha, king of Israel, distrusted God, and sent out the treasures of the house of God and of his own house unto Benhadad, king of Syria, to have help of him, by a diverting -= war against Baasha, king of Israel, which his plot, though it prospered, yet was he re- proved by the prophet Hanani, and wars thenceforth denounced against him, 2 Chron. xvi. 7. This Asa, notwithstanding this expeiiment, afterwards sought unto the physician, before he sought unto God, 2 Chron. xvi. 12.
Use 2. Secondly. This hlameth that barrenness and ivant of words to go unto God, which, for want of hearts, we often find in ourselves. It were a strange thing to see a wife have words enough for her maids and servants, and yet not to be able to speak to her husband. We all profess to be the spouse of Christ. What a strange thing, then, is it to be full when we speak to men, yet be so empty and v/ant words to speak to him ! A beg- gar, we know, wants no words, nay, he aboundeth with variety of expres- sions ; and what makes him thus fruitful in words ? His necessity, and, in part, his hope of obtaining.
These two make beggars so earnest. So would it be with us. If we found sufficiently our great need of Christ, and therewith had hope, it * That is, ' diverging or dividing. — G.
260 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON II.
would embolden us so to go to God in Christ, that we should not want words. But we want this hope, and the feeling of our necessities, which makes us so barren in prayer.
Prepare thyself, therefore, to prayer, by getting unto thee a true sense of thy need, acquaintance with God, and hope to obtain, and it will make thee fervent in prayer, and copious in thy requests.
Use 3. Thirdly, this is for consolation. Though one should want all other means, yet whatsoever their misery be, if they can take words, and can pray well, they shall speed well, Isa. xxxviii. 3. If the misery be for sin, confess it, and ask pardon for it, and they shall have it, ' and be cleansed from all unrighteousness,' 1 John i. 9. Words fetch the comfort to us, though it be the ' blood of Christ only that hath paid the debt,' Isa. liii. 5.
THE SECOND SEKMON.
Take ivith you words, and turn to the Lord ; say unto him, Take aiiay all iniquity, and receive us graciously : so will ice render the calves of our lips. — Hos. XIV. 2.
As we lost ourselves in the first Adam, so the mercy of God, in the cove- nant of gi'ace, found out a way to restore us again by the ' second Adam,' 1 Cor. XV. 47, Jesus Christ, in whom all the promises are ' yea and amen ; yesterday and to-day, and the same for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. And as the wisdom of God did freely find out this way at fii'st, comforting our first parents with it in paradise ; so this bowels of incomprehensible love of his hath so gone on fi-om time,* in all ages of the church, comforting and raising up the dejected spirits of his church, fr'om time to time, and awakening them out of their drowsiness and sleepy condition. And many times, the greater sinners he dealt with, the greater mercies and tender bowels of compassion were opened unto them, in many sweet and gracious promises tendering forgiveness, and inviting to repentance ; as here in this chapter, and whole prophecy, is shewed. What tribe so wicked, so full of idolatiy and rebellion, as Ephraim ? and yet here Ephraim and Israel are taught a lesson of repentance. As the tender nurse feeds her child, and puts meat in its mouth, so here the Lord puts words in the mouth of this rebellious people.