Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 22 · Verse 27
Verſ. 27. Thou ſhalt make thy prayer unto him, and he ſhall hear thee, and thou ſhalt pay thy vows.
The Second Branch of this Encouragement, is, that he ſhall receive ſuch a comfortable return of his Prayers as ſhall excite him to praiſe, and pay his vows unto God. Wherein,
Obſ 1. Somewhat is here propoſed and implyed of a converted mans duty; that he prayeth and makes vows which he payeth when God hears him, as it is in the end of the verſe.
It teacheth,
1. Converſion to God, and delight in him, will not take away nor hide a godly mans wants from him, nor his need of Prayer; For, he inſinuates that, when Job is converted, and delighting in the Almighty, he will yet be praying. So alſo the Diſciples, when they are abiding in Chriſt, muſt yet be praying, John 15.7. The nearer men draw to God, their neceſſities and wants will be the more diſcovered to them; The more they have of Communion with God, and partake of the ſweet fruits of his friendſhip, they cannot but thirſt after more; and, It pleaſeth God to keep the iſſue of his peoples neceſſities ſtill running, that they may live in a conſtant courſe of dependence and communion with him, and may abide ſtill in him. All which, upon the one hand, may give a check to theſe who pretend to Communion with God, and yet are filled with a conceit of their own fulneſs. See Rev. 3.17. And, upon the other hand, thoſe who grow in the ſenſe of their neceſſities, and who, the more earneſtly they purſue, find their neceſſities the more diſcovered, have no cauſe therefore to ſuſpect that they have no fellowſhip with God, ſince ſuch a condition is a ſure evidence they have it.
2. As a man reconciled to God will be kept in a lively ſenſe of his wants; ſo Prayer unto God is the courſe he follows for the ſupply of his wants and relief of his neceſſities; Thou ſhalt make thy Prayer unto him, ſaith he. The Spirit of God, which is given to a reconciled perſon, is a Spirit of Supplications, Zech 12.10. whereby he cries, Abba, Father, Rom 8.15. Gal. 4.6. The reconciled man is not ſo much ſatisfied with the receipt of ſuch a particular mercy, as, that he receives it out of the hand of God, in anſwer to his Prayers; And he is ſo diſcerning as to know that, without employing of God, no other mean (how promiſing like ſoever) can do him good, and that, however a wicked man may neglect God and yet proſper; yet his expectations cannot but fail him, if he preſume to follow ſuch a courſe. This ſhould put men to try their ſtate and condition, by the courſes to which they betake themſelves when their neceſſities preſs them.
3. Saints, engaged in Prayer, will find, oft-times, a neceſſity of joyning vows therewith, or, to engage themſelves with their own conſent to their duty, and to perform what is enjoyned by the Authority of God; For, paying of vows, when Prayer is heard, preſuppoſeth the making of Vows in Prayer. See Gen. 28.20, 21, 22. Now this joyning of Vows with Prayer imports,
1. That ſuch as pray aright, have an high eſtimation of what they ſeek; For, the granting thereof of engages them to God with their own conſent. And it is no ſmal evidence of our ſincerity in Prayer, when we ſet a value upon what we ſeek, and when delays in anſwering do heighten our eſtimation thereof, and our affection in ſeeking of it.
2. That right ſupplicants have alſo an high eſtimation of Gods favour, evidenced in his anſwering of their Prayers; that his love comes over their ill Deſervings, and his Power and Wiſdom break thorow all difficulties and improbabilities, to do them good; This cannot but engage them to God. Pſal. 116.1, 2. &c.
3. That they who ſeek God aright will alſo be ſenſible of much ſhort coming and laſineſs in ordinary, which needs thoſe new reſolutions and vows to excite and engage them. And when the Children of God come to be in any particular diſtreſs, they will be put to look upon their ordinary negligence, with ſorrow.
4. That Supplicants, who know themſelves well, will alſo be ſenſible of their own inconſtancy, and how ready they are to ſhake off all theſe convictions and reſolutions they have in a day of trouble, unleſs they ſecure themſelves by theſe engagements and vows.
Obſ. 2. The Promiſe concerning the ſucceſs of the godly mans undertaking in Prayer, is, He ſhall hear thee.
It teacheth,
1. That reconciled men do not pray for the faſhion, and ſit down upon the work wrought, but do need the Anſwer of their Prayers, and will be put to look what account they get of them; For, ſo is ſuppoſed here, that he needs a promiſe of Audience.
2. A reconciled man, making his Prayer to God, for things agreeable to his Will, will get an anſwer in Gods due time and way; For, thou ſhalt make thy Prayer unto him, And he ſhall hear thee. See Pſal. 50.15. Iſa. 45.19. Joh. 15.17. 1. Joh. 5.14. Pſal. 65.2. And though it be the frequent exerciſe of godly men, that God hears not their Prayers; Yet, for clearing of this, it would be conſidered.
1. When Anſwers of Prayers are withheld, oft-times the Spirit of Prayer, or livelineſs in Prayer, is wanting, though the form and faſhion of it be kept up, and that (it may be alſo) with ſome ingredient of ſincerity. Men may luſt and long, but not pray▪ Jam. 4.2. And if they pray (as no doubt the Jews did, during the time of their captivity) yet that life in prayer which their neceſſity calls for may be far to ſeek. See Ezek. 24 23. Dan. 9.13.
2. Many times we get a bad account of our Prayers, becauſe our diſtance from God makes us wild in our Prayers; either luſting after things unlawful, as Iſrael did in the wilderneſs; or crying up theſe things as our happineſs, which nearneſs unto God would make us undervalue; and complaining of lots as intolerable, which a right frame of ſpirit would make us eaſily digeſt; or not prefering the beſt things in our deſires, though the things we ſeek be otherwiſe lawful, See Matt. 6.33.
3. Though we ſeek things lawful, which God minds to grant, and do ſeek them in the due order, and earneſtly; Yet he may delay to anſwer, becauſe the general frame of our condition is not good. A Child of God, under ſome particulat preſſure, may be very earneſt to have ſome good account of that, and his affection may be a loſt about it; when yet (like ice which is a little thawed above) his condition otherwiſe is not good, and he may be regarding ſome iniquity in his heart, Pſal. 66.18. and living ordinarily at a diſtance from God, and hath not taken up a reſolution to walk more cloſely and tenderly with him. And therefore God doth ſhut him up under the power of his preſſing diſtreſs, till he amend theſe evills in himſelf, and recover out of the ſnare of ſecurity.
4. Even when Saints are in a good frame, and ſincere and lively in their Prayers, they may yet be much bemiſted, in the matter of the anſwer of their Prayers, through their own haſte. They cannot think that God regards them, or will at all anſwer their ſutes, becauſe he anſwers not when they would. But Believers ſhould not make haſte. Iſa. 28.16. and ſhould learn to put a difference betwixt Gods hearing, or, acceptation of their Prayers, and the granting of their deſires, which is not attained till firſt he prepare their hearts for it. Pſal. 10.17. See alſo Dan. 10.12.
5. It is alſo to be adverted, that we are ſlow of heart to adore and truſt the Wiſdom of God in the way of anſwering our ſupplications, which is the cauſe of many miſtakes. A Child of God having an honeſt deſign in all his ſupplications, that he may be enabled to honour God, and walk as becometh a Pilgrim &c. is undoubtedly anſwered by God in that. But his folly and weakneſs pitcheth upon ſome means, only, for attaining that end, which if they be not granted to him, he thinks he miſſeth of his deſign and aim: Whereas God, in his Infinite Wiſdom, can by other (and thoſe little promiſing) means, bring about the ſame end. He can bring about theſe ends, as well by emptying and humbling of him, as by granting him ſenſible comforts.
(6.) Therefore do Saints miſs of a ſenſible account of the anſwer of their Prayers, becauſe they do not firſt exerciſe faith, in that mater, as 1 John 5.14, 15. But do ſtill doubt and queſtion whether they be accepted and heard.
Obſ. 3. The event of this ſucceſs, or a new emergent duty when God anſwers Prayer, is, And thou ſhalt pay thy vows, or be thankful unto God, and and teſtifie it by performing what thou engagedſt to in trouble.
Learn,
1. Gods anſwering of his Peoples Prayers obligeth them to praiſe; as here is ſubjoyned. Such as highly prize the riches, ſeaſonableneſs, and ſutabl…neſs of the mercies they receive, and Gods condeſcending to notice them and their Prayers in granting them, will ſee cauſe not to ſpend theſe mercies upon their luſts, James 4.3. but to return back all the refreſhments they receive in praiſes to God, Pſal. 50.15. and withal, a Child of Gods tryals do not all end by the anſwer of his Prayers; But when God delivers him out of his diſtreſs, a new tryal and exerciſe begins, how to acknowledge and improve his mercies, and to give evidence that his luſts are mortified, which, otherwiſe, would abuſe mercies.
2. Albeit praiſe be a commanded duty, yet it is ſweet when we are engaged thereunto with our own conſent; as here is imported, That they ſhould be under a vow to praiſe. Albeit no pretence of affection, or voluntarineſs, in us can juſtifie our doing of any thing, as ſervice and worſhip to God, which is not commanded by himſelf, Col. 2.18, 23. yet it is deſirable when affection doth ſubſcribe to the command, particularly in the matter of praiſe; and when we look not upon commanded duties only as that which we muſt do (as they ſpeak, Ezra 10.12.) but that which we will do voluntarily and cheerfully, as loving our duty. So that whatever be wanting in our performances, affection muſt not be wanting, to out-ſtrip all our other activity, and mourn over our ſhort comings.
3. Special care ſhould be taken by theſe whom God anſwers, that their vows in trouble be not forgotten, but conſcientiouſly performed; For, as it is ſuppoſed he vowed in trouble, ſo now he is to pay his vows. See Pſal. 116 14. It is a ſad thing to ſee men ſet ſuch a value upon mercies in trouble, as makes them engage themſelves with their own conſent to God, if they be obtained; And yet, when the trouble is over, they undervalue them as much, and forget all their diſtreſſes and engagements. Such do evidence that they ſought not their mercies for a right end. And however, being delivered, they think now they have no more need of God…, nor are in his reverence; Yet, ſuch forgetfulneſs is a ready mean to draw on new troubles, wherein reflections upon their miſcarriages and ingratitude will be very bitter to them, Jude 10.6.—13.
4. It is a great evidence of Reconciliation with God, and of delight in him, when men love praiſe, and conſent and engage to it in trouble, and faithfully perform theſe Vows when they are delivered; For, all this is here promiſed of the man who is acquainted with God, returned to him, and delighting in him. Godly men are not like Hypocrites, who will do ſomewhat at Praiſe, but neglect Prayer; But they love the one as well as the other, and their ſhort coming therein is matter of ſad humiliation to them.