The Zealous Christian Taking Heaven by Holy Violence, Sermon 8
LUKE 11. 8.
Though he will not riſe and give him, becauſe he is his friend: yet becauſe of his importunity, he will, &c.
III. SERMON.THE fourth particular is this; Difference between holy and … in 7. ….wherein lyes the difference betwixt that holy importunity, in the hearts of Gods people, and the ſeeming importunity which flowes from the gifts of nature.
Anſw. It lyes in theſe ſeven things.
1. An holy importunity, makes a man reſtleſſe till his prayers be heard, Pſal. 143. 6, 7.—I ſtretch forth m…ne hands unto Pſal. 143. 6, 7.thee. My ſoul thirſteth after thee, as a thirſty land; hear me ſpeedily, my ſpirit failes; hide not thy face from me, leſt I be like them that go down into the pit. As a thirſty land. A thirſty land is never ſatisfied, till it gets rain. So Pſal. 119. 20. My ſoul breaks for Pſal. 119. 20. Pſal. 42. 1.the longing it hath—Pſal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, ſo panteth my ſoul after thee, O God. The Hart never eſts, never gives over running, till it come to the water. Such is the importunity of a godly man, he is never quiet, never ſatisfied till his prayers be returned into his boſom. But it is otherwiſe with an hypocrite, he prayes for mercy, for pardon of ſinne, but he can reſt contented, though God doth not hear him; he can beg grace, but he can be very well ſatisfied without grace, Prov. 13. 4. The ſoul of the ſluggard deſires and hath nothing, but the ſoul of the diligent Prov. 13. 4.maketh fat.
2. An holy importunity is known by this, That it makes a man more earneſt for ſpiritual, then temporal mercies. This hath been the temper of Gods people, Pſal. 4. 6. There be many that ſay: Who will ſhew us Pſal. 4. 6.any good; but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Obſerve the difference, between Davids and wicked mens tempers: Their great queſtion and deſire was, Who would ſhew them any good, any temporal good; Who would give them the increaſe of corne and wine: But Davids heart breathed after other things, after Gods favour, and the light of his countenance. So Pſal. 143. 6, 7, 8. I ſtretch forth mine hands unto thee,—my ſoul thirſteth after thee— Pſal. 143. 6, 7, 8.Pſal. 63. 1. O God, thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee; my ſoul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee in a dry and thirſty land, where Pſal. 63. 1.no water is. David was in a wilderneſſe, he wanted water: One would have thought he ſhould have ſought God for water; But you ſee Davids deſires runne in another channel; he thirſted more for God then for water; he more deſired ſpiritual advantages, then temporal enjoyments. This importunity, makes a man more to endeavour againſt ſin then affliction; more to deſire ſaving, grace, then common mercies. But now the heart of an hypocrite, is more deſirous of temporal then ſpiritual mercies. You read in Hoſea 7. 14. They have not Hoſ. 7. 14.eryed unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they aſſemble themſelves for corn and wine, and they rebel againſt me. They howled, for what? Was it for grace and ſpiritual bleſſings? No, it was for corn, and wine and oyl; not for grace, not for acquaintance with God. Another inſtance you have, Acts 8. Simon Magus offered money to purchaſe the Holy Ghoſt. What Act. 8.was his end in deſiring the Holy Ghoſt? Was it to obtain a ſpiritual mercy? No, but it was that he might work miracles. And further, when Peter put him upon the begging of a ſpiritual mercy, verſ. 22.—pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee. But Simon Magus followed not Peters rule, he had no great deſire of the pardon of ſin, or any ſpirituall mercy; but he prayes, That none of thoſe things, which Peter had ſpoken might come upon him, verſ. 24. That is, that his money might not periſh, nor he periſh with it, that his gifts might not periſh; this was his great requeſt and deſire.
3. An holy importunity of Gods people, is more in ſenſibleneſs of the inward affections of the heart, then in the outward expreſſions of words, Pſal. 38. 9. All my deſire Pſal. 38. 9.is before thee, and my groanings are not hid from thee. Davids heart panted and failed him, verſ. 10. but not a word of expreſſions, though his expreſſions were very good. Rom. 8. 26. The ſpirit helps our infirmities, with ſighs and groans that cannot be uttered. It Rom. 8. 26.is ſaid, Revel. 5. 8. The four and twenty Elders had golden vials full of odours, which are the Rev. 5. 8.prayers of the Saints. They are called odours for their ſweetneſſe, golden, for their excellency, and vials, which are veſſels of large extent in the belly, but narrow mouthed. The hearts of Gods people are like vials, many times, inlarged within, when they are ſtraitned in their words and expreſſions. There are many times, moſt dilated deſires in the hearts of the Saints, and yet they are ſo narrow mouthed, that they are not able to utter. But now it is otherwiſe with hypocrites, they have more in the expreſſion then in the action. It was Gods complaint againſt the Jews of old, They draw nigh to God with their lips, when their hearts were far from him. An hypocrite Iſai. 29. 13.indeed performes duty, but his duties never reach to his heart: They are like a pot, that is hot at the top, but cold at the bottom.
4. An holy importunity, makes a man more inlarged before God in ſecret, then before men in publike. O my Dove that art in the clifts of the rock in the ſecret places of thy Cant. 2. 14.ſtairs; let me ſee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for ſweet is thy voyce, and thy countenance is comely. The voice of Chriſts Church is ſweet, even then when ſhe is in ſecret, when none but God beholds her, Cant. 8. 13. Thou that dwelleſt in the gardens, the companions Can 8. 13.harken to thy voice; cauſe me to hear it. But now an hypocrite, doth never care to have any ſecret communion with God; he cares not to pray alone; and if hee bee brought to that, hee takes no care of his heart, he curbs not his thoughts; all his care is in company, popular applauſe, and vain-glory, is as the wind to the ſails of a Ship, that makes their affections move the faſter. An hypocrite, in this regard, may be reſembled to a Nightingale, which ſings ſweeteſs when any man ſtands neer her. So carnal men when others are witneſſes of their actions, then they put forth the utmoſt of their ability. They are of John's temper, he was zealous onelyonly upon that condition, that others would ſee it.
5. This holy importunity, makes a godly man the more humble, the more enlarged he is to prayer: The reaſon is, becauſe he looks upon his enlargements, not as coming from the ſtrength of his natural parts or abilities, but as the free-gift, and gracious diſpenſation of Gods Spirit: and ſo he ſees he hath nothing whereof to boaſt; and ſo it makes him low in his own eyes. You know a violet, that is one of the ſweeteſt flowers, growes loweſt in the earth. The fulleſt ears of corn, do moſt hang down: The fulleſt barrels, make the leaſt noiſe: So the moſt gracious heart, is the moſt low and vile in its own apprehenſions, is the neareſt earth, but duſt and aſhes. The fuller he is of divine diſcoveries, or enlargement, the leſs boaſting doth he make in the world. A ſhip, the heavier it is laden, the leſſe it is toſt with winds and waves; the more empty it is, the more it is lifted up above the water. ſo a man, the more empty, the more toſt too and fro with every wind of applauſe. Grace is, as it were, the balaſt of the ſoul, to keep down a mans ſpirits, and make him humble in the midſt of wit and parts. Be ye therefore ſober and watch unto prayer. Be ſober and not puffed up, do not 1 Pet. 4. 7.boaſt of your enlargements. Though it is true, it doth refer to another thing, yet Byfield refers it to prayer; and he ſaith, That man that prayes to God, with moſt enlargedneſſe of affections towards God, that man cannot but he muſt watch and be ſober. Sobriety is oppoſed to pride, for a man may be dumb with his own gifts and graces; and watchfulneſſe is oppoſed to remiſneſſe, and deadneſſe, and careleſneſſe of ſpirit in the performance of duties. Thus it is with a ſincere man, that hath this true importunity in him. But now wicked men, if ever they have enlargements in duty, it puffs them up. It is with them, as it was with, Uzziah 2 Chr. 26. 16. When God had helped him marvellouſly, til he was ſtrong. But when he was ſtrong, his heart was lifted up to his deſtruction. When God helps the ſoul of ſuch a man in duty, it makes him to lift up himſelf againſt God, and be puffed up above his brethren.
6. He that hath this holy importunity in him, his deſires are rather quickned, then abated by denials. You finde this in the woman of Canaan, Matt. 15. 22. She cryed unto Chriſt, ſaying, Have mercy on me, O Mat. 15. 22.Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grie vouſly vexed with a divel: Jeſus Chriſt takes no notice of her; He anſwered her not a word, verſ. 23. There is one diſcouragement. One would have thought ſhe would have d…ſted; but ſhe prayed again, and the Diſciples beſought him to ſend her away, verſ. 23. There was another diſcouragement, which would have knocked off the deſires of many; but ſhe continues her requeſt ſtill. Jeſus Chriſt himſelf anſwers her, I am not ſent, but to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael, verſ. 24. There is a third diſcouragement; and yet this doth not cool her affections, but ſhe comes afreſh upon Chriſt, ſhe came and worſhipped, ſaying, Lord, help me, verſ. 25. Yet ſhe found another repulſe, and that worſe then any of the former; It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and give it to doggs, verſ. 26. Chriſt you ſee calls her a dog; and yet all this doth not caſt her off, but ſhe takes encouragement, even from this diſcouraging anſwer: And ſhe ſaid, Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their maſters table, verſ. 27. She was reſolved ſhe would not give over, till ſhe got what ſhe came for, till Chriſt had ſaid, O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, verſ. 28. Denials are to the Saints, as water to the Smiths-forge, when it is ſprinkled upon it, it is ſo far from cooling or quenching it, that it makes it burn with the greater heat: So the denials, and diſcouragements Gods people meet with, they ſerve for bellowes, to blow up thoſe ſparks that are in them into a flame, to make their deſires ſtronger, their affections to burn the hotter. But now to an hypocrite, denials and diſcouragements, do take off the wheels of his affections, and make them to move ſlowly and heavily: Job 21. 15. What is the Almighty that we Job. 21. 15.ſhould ſerve him, and what profit ſhould we have if we pray unto him? We get no good by it, the mercies we ask, are not yet in our hands. Now this argues a ſinful impatiency, and a want of holy importunity.
7. Holy importunity is kindled in the heart, by the motions and operations of Gods bleſſed Spirit, Gal. 4. 6. Becauſe you are Gal. 4. 6.ſons, God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts, crying, Abba father. In the time of the law, thoſe ſacrifices that were accepted were burnt with fire from heaven, Levit. 9. 24. There came fire out from before Levit. 9. 24.the Lord, and conſumed upon the altar the burnt-offering—And ſo in Elijahs time, 1 King. 18. 38. When Elijah had laid his 1 King 18. 38.ſacrifice upon the altar of the Lord, Then the fire of the Lord, fell and conſumed the burnt-ſacrifice and the wood—So the Heathens veſtal-flames were kindled with ſun-beams. The true importunity is from above, it is a fire kindled, by God himſelf, in the hearts of his people. But there is another importunity, that comes from natural principles, from natural abilities, a ſtrong memory, a profound judgement, a ready wit, a fluent tongue; and theſe are very advantagious to the duty. There is the gift of prayer, as well as the grace of prayer. Some are importunate in prayer, out of fl…thly reſpects. Now this is but a counterfeit importunity. And thus much for the fourth particular, the difference between holy and natural importunity.