' Prosper now thy servant.'
* That is, ' anticipatiug.' — G.
104 THE SPIRITUAL FAVOURITE
It is an excellent point, if I hiul time to stand on it. I beseech you, lot it have some impression upon your hearts.
What is the reason that God blasts and brings to nothing, many excellent endeavours and projects ? Men set upon the business of God, and of their callings, in confidence of their wit- and pride of their own parts. They carry things in the pride and strength of their parts. Men come as gods to a business, as if they had no dependence upon him for wisdom, or direction, or strength, v They carry things in a carnal manner, in a human manner, with human spirits. Therefore they never find either success, or not good success. Let us therefore commend all to God : ' Prosper thy servant.' Before he went about the business, holy Nehemiah he sowed prayers in God's bosom, and watered the seed with mourning ; as it is in this chapter, he mourned and prayed. "When this business was sown with prayers, and watered with tears, how could he but hope for good success ! He mourned and prayed to God, ' Hear thy servant.'
Now when we deal with things in a holy manner, we may, without tempt- ing God, trust him. That which is set upon in carnal confidence and pride, it ends in shame ; when men think to conceive things in wit, ay, and in faction and human afiections, God will not be glorified this way. God will be glorified by humble dependent creatures, that when they have done the business, will ascribe all to him. * Not unto us, but to thy name giye the praise,' Ps. cxv. 1. The direction and assistance and blessing was thine. Saith God in Isa. 1., towards the end, ver. 11, ' Go to now, ye that kindle a fire, walk in the light of your own fire : but be sure you shall end in sorrow.' You will kindle a fire of your own devices, and walk in the light of 3'our fire ; you will have projects of your own, and be your own carvers : but be sure you shall lie down in darkness and discomfort, you shall lie down in sorrow.
A proud unbroken heart accounts these poor courses. It is but a course of weak and poor spirits to pray and fast, and humble themselves to God, and to fear God. Alas ! what are these ? These are weak courses. I hope we have stronger parts and means to carry things. So they have a kingdom in their brain. What is the issue of these vain men, when God discovers all their courses to be vain at length, to be wind, and come to nothing ? ' Prosper now thy servant,' saith he.
Let us learn this lesson likewise. If we come to God in a particular business, that we are not so confident in, to be pleasing to God, yet in general to submit ourselves, ' Lord, prosper thy servant ; ' go before thy servant ; let me deal in nothing against thy will ; direct me what is for thy glory ; and not to prescribe or limit God. ' Prosper thy servant this day.'
' And grant him mercy in the sight of this man.'
He comes more particularly to this request, ' Grant me mercy in the sight of this man.' We see that
A king is a great organ or instrument to convey good things from God, the King of kings, to men.
Therefore he prays that God would give him favour in the sight of the king. For a king is the first wheel that moves all other wheels, and as it were the sun of the commonwealth, or the first mover that moves all inferior orbs. Therefore in heavenly wisdom he desires God to give him favour with him ; for if he had that, the king could turn all the inferior orbs to his pleasure. Indeed, it were a point worthy enlarging, but that * That is, ' wisdom.' — G.
AT THE THRONE OF GRACE.
105
it is not so seasonable for this time, the time behig ah-eady spent. You see -what great good God conveys by kings and princes. And when God means to do good to a church or state, he raiseth up ' nursing fathers and nursing mothers,' Isa. xhx. 23. He will raise up both kings and subordinate Nehemiahs, excellent men, when he hath excellent things to do.
But the main thing here intended, which I will but touch, is, that con- sidering they stand in such a subordination to God as to be instruments to convey so much good or so much ill as they may, as it is said of Jeroboam, they either cause others to sin or to worship God, therefore we should do as good Nehemiah : he prays that he might find favour in his sight.
A wise and holy prayer ! He begins at the head ; he goes to the spring of all good. Prayer is the messenger or ambassador of the soul. Being the ambassador of the soul, it goes to the highest, to the King of kings first ; to the Lord of lords first. It goes to the highest mover of all, and then desires him to move the next immediate subordinate mover, that is, the king, that he may move other orbs under him, that things may be carried by a gracious sweet course to a blessed issue. Therefore the observation hence is this, that when tve have to do anything ivith great men, with kings, dv., houever, begin ivith the King of kings, and do all in heaven before we do it in earth ; for heaven makes the laws that earth is governed by. Let earth conclude what it will, there will be conclusions in heaven that will overthrow all their conclusions. Therefore in our prayers we should begin with God, and desire him with earnest and fervent entreaties that he would set all a-goin^, that he would set in frame -these inferior causes. And when we have gotten what we would in heaven, it is easy to get in earth. Let us win what we desire in heaven at God's hands, and then what an easy thing is it to work with princes and other governors in state when we have gotten God once ! Hath not he ' the hearts of kings in his hand as the rivers of water,' Prov. xxi. 1, to turn this way or that there way ? As a skilful man derives water by this channel or by that, as he opens a vent for the water, so God opens a way to vent the deliber- ations and determinations of kings and princes, to run this way or that, to this good or that, as he pleaseth. Therefore considering that there is an absolute dependence of all inferior things from God, when we have to do with kings or great men, let us always begin with prayer.