Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 14
HEB. 4.16.
Let us therefore come boldly ùnto the throne of grace, that we may obtaine mercy, and finde grace to help in time of need.
IN handling heretofore the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner, I declar'd and shew'd you what mans misery was, and what that great hope of mercy is that the Lord proposeth to the greatest sinner in the world. I shew'd unto you the means whereby we may be made partakers of Christ; and that was by the grace of faith, which doth let fall all other things in a mans self, and comes with an open and empty hand, to lay hold on Christ, and fill it self with him. I shew'd you also the acts of Faith as it justifies.
And now because it is a point of high moment, wherein all our comfort stands, and in which it lies, I thought good to resume it all again, so farre as may concerne our practice, that we may see what the work of Gods Spirit is from the first to the last, in the conversion of a sinner from the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh in which he wallowed; and to this purpose have I chosen this place of Scripture, wherein we are encouraged by Gods blessed Word, that what ever we are, though accursed, and the greatest sinners in the world, and that whatever we want, we should come to Gods throne of grace.
And we are to think that whatever sinnes are or have been committed, and though our sinnes are never so great, yet that they are not so great as the infinitenesse of Gods mercy; especially having such, not only an Intercessor, but Advocate to plead the right of our cause, so that Christ comes and he pleads payment; and that however our debts are great, and we runne farre in score, yet he is our ransome; and therefore now Gods justice being satisfied, why should not his mercy have place and free course? This is the great comfort that a Christian hath, that he may come freely and boldly to God, because he comes but as for an acquittance of what is already paid: As a debtor will appear boldly before his creditor, when he knows his debt is discharg'd, he will not then be afraid to look him in the face. Now we may come and say, Blessed Father, the debt is paid, I pray give me pardon of my sinnes, give me my acquittance. And this is that boldnesse and accesse spoken of, Rom. 5.2. In whom we have accesse by faith.
Now that I may not spend too much time needlesly, come we to the ground and matter in the words: Wherein there is
1. A preparative for grace.
2. The act it self whereby we are made partakers of the grace of God.
First, the preparatives are two, The law and the Gospel, and wrought by them.
The first preparative.
1. Wrought by the Law. The Law works in a time of great need; this is the first preparative, for a man to be brought to see he stands in great need of Gods mercy and Christs blood, so that the sinner cries out, Lord, I stand in great want of mercy. His eyes being thus opened, he is no longer a stranger at home, but he sees the case is wondrous hard with him, so that he concludes, Unlesse God be merciful unto me in Christ, I am lost and undone for ever: This is the first preparative; and till we come to it, we can never approach the throne of grace. The second is,
2. Wrought by the Gospel: I see I stand in great need; but by this second preparative we see a Throne of grace set up, and that addes comfort unto me: If God had onelyonly a throne and seat of Justice, I were utterly undone; I see my debt is extreme great; but the Gospel reveals unto me, that God of his infinite mercy hath erected a Throne of grace, a City of refuge, that finding my self in need, my soul may flie unto.
And now to fit us for this, Gods blessed Spirit works by his Word, to open unto us the Law and our wants; to enlighten our understandings that we stand in great need; to win our affection, and open the Gospel and its comforts.
Therefore first for the time of need, the Law reveals unto us our woful condition, to be born in sin, as the Pharisee said, and yet not able to see it. Every man may say in generalities, I am a sinner; yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is, to stand in such need, that he cannot do. This one would think to be a matter of sence, but unlesse Gods Spirit open our eyes, we can never see our selvs to be such sinners as we are; or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sinne and the weight thereof, after his conversion than he did before? What, are his sinnes greater or more than they were formerly? No, but his Light is greater, his eyes are open'd, and now he sees more clearly what sinne is. When the Sunne shines, and its rayes come in, what a number of motes do we discover, which before we saw not? Not as if the Sunne-beames made them, or the Sunne raised the dust; no, there are here as many motes, and as much dust flying about as if the Sunne shined here: What's the matter then? Why this: the Sunne discovers them to us. So that here's the point, Our sinnes in our souls are as motes in the ayre, and are not more than they were before conversion, but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of Gods Spirit shine upon us. The sight of sinne, and of the danger that comes by it, is the work of Gods Spirit. The Spirit discovers sinne unto us, John 16.8. When the Spirit cometh, he shall convince the world of sinne, the word is foreign, the Spirit shall convince them; and the same word is used; Heb. 11.1. where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seene, foreign· Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sinnes, but to have our mouth stopped, and to be convinced, is not a work of flesh and blood, but of Gods Spirit, Rom. 3.19. Till we are awakened by his Spirit, we cannot see nor feele the mountains and heaps of sinnes that lie upon our souls. Thou art dead in sinne, Rom. 8. Thou art in bondage; and to know it is a work of the Spirit, not of nature. The spirit of bondage, what is that? Why, however we are all bondmen, untill the Son hath made us free; in a woful estate, slaves to sinne and Satan: yet till Gods Spirit convince us, and shew it us, and make us know it, we sleep secure, are not afraid, but think our selves the freest men in the world, and see not this to be a time of need: This therfore is the first preparative, when God brings his people by Mount Sinai, Heb. 12.18. For you are not come unto the Mountain that may be touch't, and that burned by fire, nor unto the blacknesse and darkness, and tempest: so Gal. 4. Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law, which begets bondage. Not that Mount which might be touch't, and that burnt with fire, where was the sound of the Trumpet, and voice of words, such a sound as never before was heard, nor never will be till one day we shall hear the same. The sound of the Trumpet which sounded at the delivery of the Law, Exod. 19.19. where it is described; for when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, that Moses heard, it was such a noise, a great noise at first, but it grew higher and and higher, and at last it came to that heighth that it was almost incomprehensible; then Moses spake: And what spake he? The Holy Ghost sets not down what he spake in that place. Look in Heb. 12.21. So terrible was the voice, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: Such a kind of lightning and loud voice this was; the Lord commands such a voice as this, Esay 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. When God shall sound with the voice of the Trumpet of his holy Word, of his Law, and shew thee that thou art a trayterous Rebel, and that there is an Execution gone out against thee, body and goods: when God sounds thus to the deaf ear of a carnal man, then cometh the spirit of bondage of necessity on him, which shews that we have a time of need. The Law must have this operation before thou comest to the Throne of grace. None will flie to the City of Refuge, till the revenger of blood be hard at his heels: Nor any to Christ till he sees his want: Thus the Lord makes us know our need by turning the edge of his Axe towards us. Offenders when they are brought to the bar at Westminster for Treason, have the edge of the Axe turned from them; but when they have received the sentence of condemnation, and are carried back to the Tower, the edge of the Axe is turned towards them. Thus is it here; The Law turns the edge of Gods Axe towards us; and therefore it's said of St. Peters hearers, Acts 2.38. That they were pricked to the heart. The Law puts the point of Gods sword to our very brests as it were, and brings us to see that we stand in great need of heaven. This is the first preparative; when God enlightens our minds to see our dangerous estate; and then there must of necessity follow fear, and desire to be rid of this condition; for the will and affections alwayes follow the temper of the minde: And hence, when a man hath a false perswasion that he is in a good case, that he is safe and well, what works it but pride, presumption, confidence and security? So on the contrary, contrary effects must follow. If a man be in health and jollity, and on a sudden be proclaimed a Traytor, that he must lose his life and goods, is it possible it should be thus, and he not wrought on, nor have any alteration? So when news comes from the Law that thou art a dead man, and everlastingly must perish, the Law then works wrath, that is, it manifests unto us the wrath of God. When it is thus, there follows a shaking and a trembling, and it's impossible but with Moses thou shouldst exceedingly quake and tremble.
2. For all this, there is a Throne of grace erected; God hath not forgotten to be merciful, though thy sins be never so great: This is the next preparative for faith, namely, the discovery and acknowledgement of the Gospel of Christ Jesus; We see in Ezra 10.2. We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land; yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing; we have trespassed; What then? must we be the subjects of Gods wrath? No: Yet notwithstanding though we have committed this great offence, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. What though we have provoked God to indignation, must we be the matter for his wrath to work on? No: There is balme in Gilead, Jer. 8. ult. Is there no balme in Gilead? Is there no Physitian there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? What though then we are sick to death? yet there is an help in time of need. And this knowledge of the people, that there is a Throne of grace, is the first comfort comes to a miserable and sinful soul. A man that hath a deadly disease, though the Physitian do him no good which he hath made use of, yet this he comforts himself in, when he sees a Physician that hath cured the same disease, he sees then there is some hope. Thus it is with a sinful soul. When the welcome news of the Gospel comes, after the Law hath discovered his disease, and says, Be not discouraged, there is a Throne of grace prepared for thee: God hath a seat of justice to deal with Rebels and open Traytors; but if thou art weary of thy estate, if thou wilt submit to God, take Christ for thy King, and cast down all thy weapons, if thou wilt live like a subject, he hath prepared a Throne of grace for thee. Christ is thy Atturney in the Court to plead for thee; he is not as the Papists make him, so stout, and one that takes such state on him, as that a man may not come near him. This is the highest injury that can be offered to Christ, to think that any creature hath more mercy and pity than he hath: It is to rob Christ of the fairest flower in his garden, when we rob him of his mercy and pity. Mark that place in Heb. 4.15. that we may not think him austere, We have not an High Priest that cannot be touch't with our infirmities, with the feeling of our infirmities. Christ is no hard-hearted man; when you were his enemies he loved you, insomuch that he humbled himself; and suffered death, even the death of the Crosse for you. And he hath the self-same bowels in heaven that he had on earth; he wept over Jerusalem, and the self-same weeping heart carried he to heaven with him, the self-same weeping eyes: Believe not then the Papists, that he is so hard-hearted or so stately, and that his mother is more ready to speak for us than he; fie on it. This is to pervert the Gospel, and make Christ no Christ. We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, Heb. 2.17. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, &c. Alas poor soul, saith Christ, what the malice of the Divel is, I know by mine own experience in the flesh; for Christ was tempted in all things according to us, sinne only excepted. I know what the temptations of the world are; but whereas we have three enemies, the Divel, the world, and the flesh, only the two former were his. Christ had the temptations of the world and the Divel, not of the corrupt flesh; for he had no corrupt flesh: A man that hath been himself in terrible Tempests on the Sea, when he sees a storme, out of his own experience he pities those that are in it; when as others are not a jot moved: for he hath seen that consternation of minde, which on every side appeared. That — plurima mortis imago; whereas others having not been there, lay not their miseries to heart. Christ having suffered himself, and being tempted as we were, is sensible of our miseries; and therefore never count it boldnesse to come boldly to him that gives thee this encouragement: Come boldly to the Throne of grace. We must understand that all this is before faith, we must
1. Know that we have a need.
2. That there is a Throne of grace, when God enlightens my conscience, and encourages me to come. And thus having spoken of the preparatives, I come to the work, the main thing it self. Now this is,
2. The Act, Coming; this coming is believing; as the feet which carry a man to the place he would be in; his feet carry him nearer and nearer. If a man cannot be cured but by the Bath, his feet must carry him thither. Now faith is the legs of the soul, the feet that carry us unto Christ; whereas we are afar off, and draw back as all unbelievers; now by believing we draw near. Now as unbelievers draw back, so believers draw forward; and therefore John 1.12. and John 6.35. To come to Christ and to believe in him are the self-same thing. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Coming is there made an act of faith, and the same thing with it: The one is the explication of the other; thy coming to Christ is thy believing in him. When thou hearest of a Throne of grace, and seest the Lord of glory stretching out his golden Scepter, come and touch it, take the benefit of the Kings pardon. If a man know there is such a Throne of grace, he must come unto it; And now begins faith to work.
And that thou mayst understand it the better, know that faith then begins first to work, when thou settest the first step towards the Throne of grace. And this is the houre in which salvation is come unto thy house. None can come to me, saith Christ, except my Father draw him. If thou seest a vertue to come from Christ, and to draw thee as an Adamant, and thou feelest that loadstone working on thee, then begins faith: It makes thee draw near to Christ; whereas before thou wert a stranger: Till then thou art like thy Grandfather Adam, thou runnest away, and thinkest thy self most secure, when thou wast farthest from God; but now thou seest no comfort, unlesse thou draw nigh unto him; now as the Apostle saith, Phil. 2.13. It is he that worketh in us the will and the deed; this must be wrought in us by God.
First, a will, then the deed; and then it is not only I would do such a thing, but I do it: God works not only the will of coming, but the deed of coming; and all his acts are acts of faith, and have a promise; God makes no promise till we be in Christ; till we have faith, we are no heires of the promise; when a man sets his face towards Jerusalem, and begins to set himself to go to Christ, all he doth then hath the promise; not a tear now that he sheds but is pretious, God puts it into his bottle; not a cup of cold water that now he gives but shall have a great reward; this is a blessed thing when every thing we do hath a promise annexed to it, when every step we step hath a promise made to it. Now then the will is the first thing that is wrought in us; this is that which makes the act of faith, that is, I have a will, a resolution to do this: And the Apostle makes it more than the very deed it self, 2 Cor. 8.10. as I may so say, For this is expedient for you, who have begun before not only to do, but to be forward. So we translate it, but look in the Margent, and its rendred, (to be willing) foreign, as the Greek hath it; as if the will were more than the deed it self; for a man to come unwillingly, 'tis nothing worth; the ground-work is the will, which is a greater matter than the deed. Nothing more separates a man from Christ, than to say, I will not have this man to raigne over me; but if thou canst frame thy will that it shall go perpendicularly on the object, and accept Christ on the termes offer'd, that's faith, and that hath the promise. And therefore the Scripture compares it to conjunction with Christ. And as in the Sacrament we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood; the conjunction is between Christ and his Church. And therefore the Scripture compares our conjunction by faith to the mystery of wedlock. What makes a marriage? its consent. Wilt thou have this man to be thy husband? she answers, I will; that expression makes the marriage: The knot is knit by this mutual pledging of troth, all other things are but subsequents of it. So God saith, Wilt thou have my Sonne? Thou shalt have with him all his wealth, though for a time thou must go bare, and fare hard; yet thou shalt have a Kingdome: When a man considers deliberately, here is the losse, I must deny my self and obey him, but I shall have a Kingdome, Gods blessing, and peace of conscience; All things considered, casting the best with the worst, then the resolution is, this is a true saying worthy of all acceptation, &c. I'le take him on any termes, be they never so hard, for I shall be a saver in the end: when we can take Christ as it were with all his faults, this is the will which God requires. There is another comparison in Scripture, John 6.35. its compared to hunger and thirst. Believing was exprest by coming. Believing is exprest by hungring and thirsting. So when I see such a will and desire after Christ; that I hunger and thirst after him, that a hungry man longeth not more for bread, nor the Hart thirsteth more for the water-brooks, than my soul doth for Christ; why then there is a promise made unto us; and a promise is never made unto us till we be in Christ. Matth. 5. Rev. 22. Esay 55. We finde promises in them all; in Mat. 5.6. Bl…ssed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse; for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven, they shall be filled. Consider here what the nature of hunger and thirst is; they shall be filled, which implies they were empty before, but now they shall be filled. Suppose now I am not fill'd with Christ, What am I without him? No, I want him; yet there's a blessing to the hungry and thirsty, and there's no blessing without faith. If we be not heires of the faith, we cannot be heires of the blessing. Dost thou finde in thy self an hungring and thirsting after Christ? Thou art blessed, this faith will save thee. Now faith will say, I am wonderfully pained, faint, and even starved, that I cannot be filled with Christ; yet be content man, thou shalt be filled with him; in the mean while thou hast him, and hast blessednesse, and shalt be blessed. It's said, 1 John 5.13. These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Sonne of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the Name of the Sonne of God. Mark how the Apostle distinguishes these two things; thou believest on the Name of Christ, yet sayst thou, though I believe, I am not sure of my salvation, I do not know it. Why, let not that much trouble thee, that's a consequent of it, and that assurance will follow after; therefore you should not confound it with believing: These things have I written unto you that ye might know, &c. then there is a conclusion to be deduced from the premisses, so that a man may have full hold of Christ, and yet not be fully assured of his salvation. So then here is the will, which is the first thing.
But the Lord works the deed also. And whereas it is said that God takes the will for the deed, the place had need be well understood: when we say God takes the will for the deed, it is not alwayes true, unlesse it be thus understood. When a man hath done to the utmost of his power what he is able, hath endeavoured by all means, then God will take the will for the deed; but if there be ability in me, and I do not as much as I am able, I do not my utmost endeavour, then God will not take it; but now God works the will and the deed; when a man comes to the Throne of grace, and sets forward in his journey towards God, the first thing he doth is to come to the Throne of grace with Christ in his armes, and then having fast hold on Christ, he hastens and delayes not, having hold as Joab on the horns of the Altar. He hastens, he sees its no time to delay, he sees its now a time of need; and Need, as the old proverb is, makes the old wife trot. Is it not need to make haste (when the pursuer of blood follows) to the City of Refuge? who would make delays and demurs, and not run as fast as his legs would carry him? Asson as I apprehend my need, and see the golden Scepter stretched out, then I come with might and main with Christ in my armes, and present him to the Father, and this is the approaching and drawing near in the Text, to the Throne of grace.
But now when I am come thither, what do I say there? What shall I come and say nothing? The prodigal soon resolved to go to his Father, and say, I will up and go, there's the will; and say, there's his speech. The believer is not like to the sonne that said to his father, I will go, but went not; but when his father bids him come, he will come, he will not onelyonly say so, but will draw near, and then he hath a promise, He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast off. But when we come thither, what must we do? why we must take unto our selves words, according to the Prophets expression, Hos. 14.2. Take unto you words, and go unto the Lord, and say, Take away all our iniquities, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips. When he comes to the Throne of grace, the thing that he doth, is, he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding, gasping, dying, buried, and conquering death; and when he presents Christ to him, he opens his case, and confesses his sin to the full, and sayes, Lord, this is my case: As a beggar when he comes to ask an almes of you, he will make a preface, and tell you his extremity; Sir, I am in great want, I have not tasted a bit of bread in so many dayes, and unless you help me by your charity, I am utterly undone. Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar, and liberality in him of whom he begs, it encourages the beggar to be importunate, and he prevails; you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone, accent or language: The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need; but yet, though the beggar be in great misery, if he see a churlish Nabal go by him, he hath no heart to beg, and follows him not, nor begs so hard, because he hath but little hope to attain any thing from him. But I say let both these meet together; first, that the beggar is in great need, then, that he of whom he begs, is very liberal, it makes him beg hard; but now cannot he pray without book? Think not that I speak against praying by the book; you are deceived if you think so; but there must be words taken to us besides, which perhaps a book will not yield us. A beggars need will make him speak, and he will not hide his sores; but if he hath any sore more ugly or worse than another, he will uncover it; good Sir, behold my woful and distressed case, he layes all open to provoke pity. So when thou comest before God in confession, canst thou not finde out words to open thy self to Almighty God, not one word whereby thou mayst unlap thy sores, and beseech him to look on thee with an eye of pity? I must not mince my sins, but amplifie and aggravate them, that God may be moved to pardon me; till we do thus, we cannot expect that God should forgive us. A great ado there is about auricular confession, but its a meer bable; It were better to cry out our sinnes at the high Crosse, than to confesse in a Priests eare. Thou whisperest in the Priests eare; what if he never tell it, or if he do, art thou the better? Come and poure out thy heart and soul before. Almighty God, confesse thy self to him as David did, for that hath a promise made to it, Psal. 51.4. Against thee, thee onelyonly have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mayst be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest. Why so? Why, one main cause why we should confesse sinne, is to justifie God. When a sinner confesses, I am a childe of wrath; and of death, if thou castest me into hell, as justly thou mayst, I have received but my due: when a man does thus (as the Kings Atturney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself) he justifies Almighty God: Thus did David, Against thee, against thee, &c. Now when we have thus aggravated our misery, comes the other part of begging, to cry for mercy with earnestnesse, and here's the power of the Spirit. It's one thing for a man to pray, and another thing for a man to say a prayer. 'Tis the easiest thing in the world to say a prayer, but to pray and cry for mercy as David did, in good earnest, to wrestle with God, to say, Lord, My life lies in it, I will never give thee over, I will not go with a denial; this is termed foreign, this is the work of Gods Spirit. I named you a place in Jude ver. 20. where the Apostle exhorts, but ye beloved, build up your selves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost; there's the prayer of the faithful, to pray in the Holy Ghost. And in the Ephesians we read of an Armour provided for all the parts of a mans body, yet all will not serve the turn, unlesse prayer come in as the chief, Ephes. 6.18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, &c. This is the prayer of faith, that procures forgivenesse of sinnes; we must pray in faith, and in the Spirit; that is the language which God understands. He knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, and knoweth none else but that: Many men are wondrously deceived in that which they call the Spirit of prayer. One thinks it is a faculty to set out ones desires in fair words, shewing earnestnesse, and speaking much in an extemporary prayer. This we think commendable, yet this is not the Spirit of prayer. One that shall never come to heaven, may be more ready in this than the childe of God; for it is a matter of skill and exercise; the Spirit of prayer is another thing. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, Rom. 8.26. What shall we think then, that the Holy Ghost groans or speaks in prayer? No: but it makes us groan, and though we speak not a word, yet it so enlarges our hearts, as that we send up a volley of sighs and groans which fit the Throne of grace. And this is the Spirit of prayer, when with these sighs and groans I beg as it were for my life. This is that ardent affection the Scripture speaks of. A cold prayer will never get forgivenesse of sins; it's the prayer of faith which prevailes. The prayer of the faithful availeth much, if it be foreign, fervent. In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit, were call'd foreign, because that caught them up, and made them do actions not sutable to their nature; Prayer is a fire from heaven, which if thou hast it, will carry all heaven before it; there is nothing in the world so strong as a Christian thus praying: Prayers that are kindled with such a zeal, are compared to Jacobs wrestling with the Angel, Hos. 12.4. whereby, he had power over the Angel. The Prophet expounds what this wrastling was, he wept and made supplication unto him; he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with him. This is the wrestling with God, when thou fillest heaven with thy sighs and sobs, and bedewest thy couch with thy tears as David did; and hast this resolution with Jacob, I will not let thee go except thou blesse me. God loves this kinde of boldnesse in a beggar, that he will not go away without an answer. As the poor Widow in the Parable that would not give over her suit, so that the Judge though he feared not God, nor cared for man, by reason of her importunity granted her desire. Mark the other thing in the Apostle, he bids us pray with the Spirit, and with perseverance; and he that cometh thus, hath a promise made to it: He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee; it's set down fully, Matth. 6.7. Ask and you shall have, seek and you shall finde, knock and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. One would think this were idem per idem, but it is not so. He bids us ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall finde, &c. There is a promise annexed to asking, seeking and knocking, but it is also proved by universal experience: for every one that asketh, &c. It's every mans case; never any man did it yet, that hath lost his labour, in not attaining what he asked. If thou hast it not yet, thou shalt have it in the end; it is so fair a petition to ask, to have thy sinnes pardoned, that God would be friends with thee, and that Christ would make thee love him, and that God would be thy God, that God delights in it. This is the point then; Suppose God answer not presently, yet knock still, seek still; that is perseverance, the thing whereby it is distinguished from temporary asking. The hypocrite will pray in a time of need and adversity, but his prayer is not constant, Job 27.10. Will the hypocrite alwayes call upon God? If they come and seek God, and he will not answer, as Saul did, they will try the Divel. God would not answer Saul, and he presently goes to the Divel. It's not so with Gods children; they pray, and pray, and wait still; they pray with the Spirit, and with perseverance: God deals not alwayes alike with his children, but differently; sometimes he answers presently, sometimes he makes them wait his leisure, Psal. 32.5. I said I would confess my sinne, (sayes David) and my transgressions, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne; so Dan. 9.21. When he set himself to seek God, even while he was speaking and praying, the man Gabriel appeared unto him, and touch't him about the time of the evening Oblation. Before the word was out of his mouth God was at his heart, and presently sends him a dispatch. The like we see in Esay 65.24. Mark what a promise there is; It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. This is a great encouragement; but it may be God will not alwayes do this, and what's the reason? Why, he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withall, and to hear the words of his own Spirit; nothing is more delightful to him, than this, when the Spirit is earnest, and will not give over. I will not let thee go, unlesse thou blesse me. It's said in the Canticles, honey is under the lips of the Church; why so? it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate, than spiritual prayer to God. And therefore God delayes to answer thee, because he would have more of it. If the Musitians come and play at our doors or windows, if we delight not in their Musick, we throw them out money presently that they may be gone; but if the Musick please us, we forbear to give them money, because we would keep them longer, for we like the Musick. So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of his children: and therefore puts them off, and answers them not presently: Now Gods children, let him deny them never so long, yet they will never leave knocking and begging; they will pray, and they will wait still, till they receive an answer. Many will pray to God, as prayer is a duty, but few use it as a means to attain a blessing. Those who come to God in the use of it as a means to attain what they would have, they will pray and not give over; they will expect an Answer, and never give over petitioning till they receive it.