I shall not be to seek for a way in any want or strait that can befal me.

In this there is need of direction: but too many rules may as much confuse a matter as too few, and do many times perplex the mind and multiply doubts, as many laws do multiply pleading. Briefly then,

1. Slothful minds do often neglect the answers of God, even when they are most legible in the grant of the very thing itself that was desired. It may be through a total inadvertence in this kind, never thinking on things as answers of our requests; or, possibly, a continual eager pursuit of more turns away the mind from considering what it hath upon request obtained; still so bent upon what further we would have, that we never think what is already done for us, which is one of the most ordinary causes of ingratitude.

2. But though it be not in the same thing that we desire, yet when the Lord changes our petitions in his answers, it is always for the better; he regards (according to that known word of St. Augustin') our well more than our will. We beg deliverance, we are not unanswered, if he give patience and support; be it under a spiritual trial or temptation, My grace is sufficient for thee. And where the Lord doth thus, it is certainly better for the time than the other would be. Observe here, his ears are open to the righteous, but his eyes are on them too: They have not so his ear as blindly to give them what they ask, whether it be fit or no, but his eye is on them, to see and consider their estate, and to know better than themselves what is best, and accordingly to answer. This is no prejudice, but a great privilege and happiness of his children, that they have a Father that knows what is fit for them, and withholds no good from them. And this commutation and exchange of our requests a christian observing, may usually find out the particular an-swer of his prayers; and if sometimes he doth not, then his best way is not to subtilize and amuse him1 Si non ad voluntatem, ad utilitatem.

self much in that, but rather to keep on in the exercise, knowing (as the apostle speaks in another case) this for certain, that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; and as the prophet hath it", He hath not said unto the house of Jacob, seek ye me in vain.

3. Only this we should always remember, not to set bounds and limits to the Lord in point of time, to set him a day, that thou wilt attend so long and no longer. How patiently will some men bestow long attendance on others, where they expect some very poor good or courtesy at their hands? but we are very brisk and hasty with him, who never delays us but for our good, to ripen those mercies for us, that we, as foolish children, would pluck while they are green, and have neither that sweetness and goodness in them which they shall have in his time. All his works are done in their season. Were there nothing to check our impatiences but his greatness, and the greatness of those things we ask for, and our own unworthiness, these might curb them, and persuade us how reasonable it is that we wait. He is a king well worth waiting on; and there is in the very waiting on him an honour and happiness far above us and the things we seek are great, forgiveness of sins, evidence of sonship and heirship; heirship of a kingdom; and we condemned rebels, born heirs of the bottomless pit. And shall such as we be in such haste with such a Lord in so great requests! but further, the attendance that this reason enforces, is sweetened by the consideration of his wisdom and love, that he hath foreseen and chosen the very hour for each mercy fit for us, and will not slip it a moment. Never any yet repented their waiting, but found it fully recompensed with the opportune answer in such a time as then they are forced to confess was the only best. I waited patiently, says the Psalmist, in waiting I waited, but it was all well bestowed, He inclined to me and heard my cry, brought me up, &c.; and then he afterwards falls into admiration of the Lord's method, his wonderful workings and thoughts to us-wurd. "While I was waiting and saw

m 1 Cor. xv. ult.

n Isa. xlv. 19.

• Psm. xl. 1.

"nothing, thy thoughts were towards and for me, "and thou didst then work when thy goodness was "most remarkable and wonderful."

When thou art in great affliction outward or inward, thou thinkest (it may be) he regards thee not; yea, but he doth. Thou art his gold, he knows the time of refining thee, and then taking thee out of the furnace, he is versed and skilful in that work. Thou sayest, "I have cried long for power against sin, and

for some evidence of pardon, and find no answer "to either;" yet leave him not, he never yet cast away any that sought him, and staid by him, and resolved, whatsoever came on it, to lie at his footstool, and to wait, were it all their lifetime, for a good word or a good look from him. And they chuse well that make that their great desire and expectation; for one of his good words or looks will make them up, and make them happy for ever; and as he is truth itself, they are sure not to miss of it, Blessed are all they that wait for him. And thou that sayest, thou canst not find pardon of sin, and power against it; yet consider whence are those desires of both, that thou once didst not care for. Why dost thou hate that sin which thou didst love, and art troubled and burdened with the guilt of it, under which thou wentest so easily, and didst not feel before? Are not these something of his own work? Yes sure. And know he will not leave it unfinished, nor forsake the work of his hands. eye may be on thee, though thou seest him not, and his ear open to thy cry, though for the present he speaks not to thee as thou desirest. It is not said that his children always see and hear him sensibly; but yet when they do not, he is beholding them and hearing them graciously, and will shew himself to them, and answer them seasonably.

His

David says, I cry in the day time, and thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent; yet will he not entertain hard thoughts of God, nor conclude against him; on the contrary, acknowledges, thou art holy', where, by holiness, is meant his faithfulness (I

PPsm. cxxxviii. 8.

4 Psm. xxii. 2.

r ver. 3.

conceive) to his own, as follows, that he inhabits the praises of Israel, to wit, for the favours he hath shewed his people, as ver. 4, Our fathers trusted in

thee.

Let the Lord's open ear persuade us to make much use of it. Be much in this sweet and fruitful exercise of prayer, together and apart, in the sense of these three considerations mentioned above; the duty, the dignity, and the utility of prayer.

1. The duty: It is due to the Lord to be worshipped and acknowledged thus, as the fountain of good. How will men crouch and bow one to another upon small requests; and shall he only be neglected by the most, from whom all have life, and breath, and all things! as the apostle speaks in his sermon. And then,

Poor

2. Consider the dignity of this, to be admitted. into so near converse with the highest majesty. Were there nothing to follow, no answer at all, Prayer pays itself in the excellency of its nature, and the sweetness that the soul finds in it. wretched man, to be admittted into heaven while he is on earth, and there to come and speak his mind freely to the Lord of heaven and earth, as his friend, as his Father! to empty all his complaints into his bosom, to refresh his soul in his God, wearied with the follies and miseries of the world! Where there is any thing of his love, this is a privilege of the highest sweetness; for they that love, find much delight to discourse together, and count all hours short, and think the day runs too fast that is so spent ; and they that are much in this exercise, the Lord doth impart his secrets much to them". And

3. Consider again it is the most profitable exercise; no lost time, as profane hearts judge it, but only gained. All blessings attend this work; it is the richest traffic in the world, for it trades with heaven, and brings home what is most precious there. And as holiness fits to prayer, so prayer befriends holiness, increases it much. Nothing so refines and pu

Clavis diei & sera noctis.

t Acts xvii, 25.

u Psm. xxv. 14.

rifies the soul as frequent prayer. If the often conversing with wise men doth so teach and advance the soul in wisdom, what then will the converse of God? This makes the soul to despise the things of the. world, and in a manner makes it divine; winds up the soul from the earth, acquainting it with delights that are infinitely sweeter.

The natural heart is full stuffed with prejudices against the way of holiness, that dissuade and detain it; and therefore the holy scriptures are most fitly much in this point of asserting the true advantage of it to the soul, and in removing those mistakes it has of that way.

Thus here, and to press it the more home, v. 10, &c. the Apostle having used the Psalmist's words, now follows it forth in his own, and extends what was said concerning the particular way of meekness and love, &c. in the general doctrine to all the paths of righteousness.

The main conclusion is, that happiness is the certain consequent and fruit of holiness; all good, even outward good, so far as it holds good, and is not inconsistent with a higher good. If we did believe this more, we should feel it more, and so upon feeling and experiment, believe it more strongly. All the heavy judgments we feel or fear, are they not the fruit of our own ways, of profaneness, and pride, and malice, and abounding ungodliness? All cry out of hard times, evil days; and yet who is taking the. right way to better them? Yea, who is not still helping to make them worse? Are we not ourselves the greatest enemies of our own peace? Who looks either rightly backward, reflecting on his former ways, or rightly forward, to direct his way better that is before him? Who either says, What have I done* ? or, What ought I to do? And indeed the one of these depends on the other2, I considered my ways (says David) turned them over and over (as the word is) and then I turned my feet unto thy testimoniesa.

* Jer. viii. 6.

y Acts xvi. 30.

2 Consilium futurum ex præterito venit, SEN.

a Psm. cxix. 59.