First, We must take it for granted ;
Obs. 1. That there ivill be a second glorious coming of Christ, that will be far more glorious than the former.
The best times and things.are to come for Christians every way. Every day they rise they are nearer to their happiness.
Again, We must know this ;
Obs. 2. That a Christian, if he hath true faith in the times to come, he will have answerable desires, and correspo7ident prayers.
For, beloved, there is always an harmony between the heart and the brain, between the understanding and the will and aifections. What we assent to as true, and consent to as good, that we shall both desire and pray for. Therefore, if you know there will be a glorious coming of Christ, and if you assent to it, that the best times arc yet to come, surely thera will be this prayer too. There is alway a sweet agreement and harmony between a sound convinced knowledge and gracious affections. Hence it is, that in Scripture what we do not wish and affect, f we are said not to know. We see not things in their proper light, when we know and affect them not ; but we have received them only by tradition and from others. But when we see proper things with a proper light, spiritual things with a spiritual light, then there will be always prayers and desires accordingly. * That is, ' wishing.' — G. t Thn^ is, 'choose,' 'lov?.' — G.
THE bride's longing. 545
As the church here, after ' Amen, even so,' there is the desire. ' Come, Lord Jesus,' thci'e is her prayer.
And therefore, Ave may know whether our knowledge be spiritual or not, by this, if the heart be subdued to yield unto it. Otherwise the heart will swell when it comes to petition, and to particular truths. What ! Shall I yield to this ? No. I have heard of this by the hearing of the car, but I know not whether it be true or not ; I have heard much talk of the Scriptures. But when the Scripture comes to cross a man in this or that particular lust, then if his knowledge be not spiritual, his heart will rise and swell against it, and begin to call into question and doubt ; yea, and to think it folly and a base thing for a man to yield to it. I am sure of my pleasures, I am sure of my profits,. but I am not sure whether this be true or no. And thus the heart of an atheist comes to stand out, because his knowledge is not spiritual. But if it be, then it carries an assent to it with it, and a desire drawn into a prayer.
Again, You must know this before we come unto the main point,
Obs. 3. That a gracious heart turneth promises into desires and jjrayers.
The promise was, * I come quickly.' Here faith clasps about the pro- mise, as a vine about the elm, and saith, ' Come, Lord Jesus.' Faith puts the promise into suit presently. Christ had no sooner said, * I come quickly,' but the spirit of faith saith, ' Nay, come. Lord Jesus.' But then we must be sure that we have a promise out of the word of God. Faith hath no ' amen' for the word of a man, or for anything else but the word of God ; and when it fastens upon that, as it doth here, you see it turns it into a holy desire and prayer, ' Come, Lord Jesus.' Beloved, we believe not the promise as we should do, else we would do so. We have rich, ' exceeding great and precious promises,' 2 Peter i. 4, but where is our rich, exceeding great and precious faith, to lay hold upon them, and to turn them presently into suits, desires, and prayers ? Thus if we would do, we should bind God with his own word ; he cannot deny himself, or falsify his truth.
06s. 4. You see again, that the more assured one is of anything, the more effectually it icill make him to pray.
An atheistical heart would say thus : Such a thing will be ; Christ will come whether I pray or no ; what need I pray then ? Nay, therefore pray, because he will come. * I come quickly ; ' therefore, ' Even so come. Lord Jesus.' Christ himself was fully assured that his Father would grant him all that he prayed for : 'I know that thou hearest me always,' saith he, John xi. 42 ; yet you see what an heavenly prayer he makes, John xvii. Nay, God bids him do it : ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,' Ps. ii. 8, &c. Christ himself must ask before God will give him ' the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.' So Ezek. xxxvi., where you have the covenant of grace itself, with many promises attending it ; to all which it is added, ver. 37, ' Yet for all these things will I bo inquired of by the house of Israel, saith the Lord.' Though he had made great promises to his church, yet he must be prayed to for the performance of them. He will have things received as fruits of our prayer, as well as of his promise and providence. We cannot be so thankful for things that come only as fruits of his providence, as when we look upon them as fruits of our prayers. David was a king of prayers ; but Saul came by providence only, and by the people's importunity. Whether was the more blessed ?