Therefore, as any would hope for comfort, and have God to wipe away their tears from them in another world, let them work upon their hearts hore, to shed tears for their own sins first, and then for the sins of the time ; for their own first, I say, for a man must first be good in himself before he can be good to others ; and then let their grief extend to their brethren even beyond the seas, to the forlorn estate of the church there.
Now the last thing that is noted in Josiah's weeping, is the sincerity of it, ' Thou hast wept before me ;' that is, sincerely, before God. He sinned before him, and is humbled before him. There is nothing hid from his sight, not only open sins, but he knows the very thoughts of our hearts : therefore let us weep before him without hypocrisy. No matter whether the world see it or no ; but let us weep before God, as the prophet saith, Jcr. xiii. 17, ' My soul shall weep in secret for you, and mine eyes shall weep, and drop down tears in the night season.' Let us weep in secret before God ; for this is without hypocrisy. Now follows the issue of his ■weeping and humbling of himself.
' I have even heard thee also,' saith the Lord.
In which words is set down God's fjracious acceptation of Josiah's humi- liation : which was not without his special observation. ' For I have even heard thee,' saith the Lord : so that it seems Josiah did utter some words of grief, because God saith, ' I have heard it. And we may the rather think so, because usually God's children do in their prayers add words unto their tears, as David and good Hezekiah did. Howsoever then his prayer was not a distinct prayer of a composed tenor of speech ; yet it was a prayer, because that with these tears he did send up sighs, and groans, and uttered brolien words from a broken heart. There was such a language in his heart that God did understand, for God understands the language of his own Spirit in the hearts of his children. The Spirit knows what we mean, as Rom. viii. 20, 27. God hath an ear to hear our desires, our sighs and groans ; for tears have the weight of a voice, they spsak for us. Where there is true grief, many times there cannot come a composed tenor of speech ; for a broken heart expresseth itself more in sighs, groans, and tears, than in words. Though we do not utter distinct words in a fonn of prayer, yet he hears our sighs and gi-oans : his ears are open to the cries of his children. So we learn from hence, for our comfort against all Satan's temptations,
Doct, 6. TJiat God takes a particular notice, and understands the prayers ue make unto him: he hears the groans of his children. So David saith, ' My groaning is not hid from thee,' Ps. xxxviii. 9. So the prophet says, Ps. clxv. 18, 19, ' He will fulfil the desii'e of them that hear* him ; he will also
* Qu. 'fear?'— Ed.
THE ART OF MOURNING. 73
hear tlieir cry, and will save tliem ;' yea, lie knows our thoughts long before. This must needs be so.
Beasoii 1. First, Because he is gracious and merciful; he is a God hear- ing prayers.
2. Because of the relations which in his love he hath taken upon himself, to be a Father. So that when a man shall, by the Spirit of adoption, call God Father, there is such a deal of eloquence and rhetoric in this very word, it works so upon the bowels of God, that he cannot choose but hear. Even as a child, when he speaks to his father, and calls him by this name, this word father doth so work upon him that he cannot but hear. So it is with God ; when he hears us call him Father, he cannot but hear us.
3. Because of his nature and love, which is above the love of an earthly father. Though a mother should forget, and not hear her child, yet the Lord will hear us.
And likewise this is his promise : ' Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt glorify me,' Ps. 1. 15.
4. Again, God cannot basely esteem of our prayers, because they are the motions of his own Spirit. Oh, but they are broken prayers. It is true ; but the Spirit understands them and makes intercession for us, with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed ; and none can understand them but the Spirit, Eom. viii. 26, 27.
6. Again, God cannot but hear our prayers, because they are offered up in the name of a mediator. They are perfumed with the incense and sacri- fice of his Son. Therefore he cannot but hear them.
7. Again, God must needs hear our prayers, because they are made according to his will. When we pray for ourselves, and for the church of God, it is according to God's will. So then, if we consider these respects, God cannot but hear our prayers.