he called for all his children Gen. 49. he called them one by one and prayed for a special blessing to be upon their heads Parents are bound to remember their children and children many times miscarry because parents are no more in doing their duty no more crying to the Lord in the behalf of their children and so back again children are bound to remember their parents And so in the relation of Masters and servants Masters are bound to pray for their servants you know that instance of the Centurion he came to Jesus in the behalf of his servant and was very earnest with Christ that Christ would be pleased to heal his servant this is a duty that is little performed by many Masters they think if they can have their servants to work for them it is all that they have to look after but let such Masters know that God will require an account of servants souls have you instructed them and have you presented them often in your prayers before the Lord the Centurion came for the body of his servant and it is our duty to come often to the Lord for the souls of our servants and so back again it is the duty of servants to pray for their Masters And thus you see the fourth particular That it is our duty to remember all our relations before the Lord. There is one relation more and that is our Spiritual relation which I shall touch before I end that particular such as stand in relation one to another in Church-society they are bound often to remember one anothers conditions before the Lord James 5. 14 15 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another yea in Church-societies it is especially the duty of Pastors and Elders to remember their flock and it is the duty of the people to remember their Elders and to pray often to the Lord in their behalf Faithful Ministers are bound often to pray for their people remember what is said of Paul Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers When ever he came to God he was mindful of the Church I am alwayes mindfull of you without ceasing and indeed the profiting of a people and the stedfastness of a people in the faith and in the truth and in the wayes of God it is the glory and the crown and the joy and rejoycing of a faithful Teacher and therefore surely it is their duty often to remember their people before the Lord and so it is the peoples duty to remember their Pastor and Teacher The Apostle lays it upon them as their duty Ephes 6. 18 19. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel It is your duty saith he to pray for all Saints and for me in particular that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel for many times Satans great design is to overthrow them that the Lord hath set to go before his people Satans great design is to hinder the work of God in their hand to make such to fall and therefore the Lords people had need to pray the more earnestly for even the best of the Teachers and Preachers of the Gospel they are but empty pipes in themselves and can afford no more then the Lord is pleased to drop in from above and therefore there is need that the Lord should be dropping in continually or else they cannot bring forth bread in due season and make provision for the people if the Lord do not fill them from heaven yea the best of Teachers have need of teaching though they know never so much they have need of more knowledge they have need of more strength and therefore it is the duty of the people to remember them before the Lord that the Lords Vrim and Thummim may be with them Thus in all relations it is our duty mutually to remember one another before the Lord. Fifthly it is our duty to remember those that for the present are strangers to Christ You will say what are we to pray for such as have not the knowledge of God yea it is our duty to remember them if the Lord hath been pleased to make us to differ and called us out from the number of those Gentiles who know not God oh we are bound to pity them and to pray for them whose condition is such as never was rained upon as the heath in the desert their condition is sad and we should remember them before the Lord that God would send forth his light and truth to them that they that deny Christ in word in profession and conversation that they may be brought home to the knowledge of the Son of God Psal 67. 1 2. God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all Nations There are many Nations and great Nations that to this day know not God and Christ that sit in darkness and perish for want of vision and truly they who through free-grace do know any thing of God they are bound to pity them that sit in darkness and to pray that the Nations may know the saving truth and the way of the Lord. Sixthly if it be a duty to pray for those that are strangers to Christ then it is a duty to pray for those that are Christs friends for all that know the Lord and love the Lord in sincerity Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints It is our duty to remember all Saints to remember them that are scattered to remember them that are gathered all Saints we should remember them in our prayer before the Lord and especially Jerusalem Sions Assemblies they should be remembred Psal 122. 6 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy wals and prosperity within thy palaces You see Jerusalem Sions Assemblies in a special manner should be remembred by us in our addresses to the Lord. And so Psalm 14. you may see how the Psalmist doth express himself in the behalf of Sion Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion oh that the Lord would hasten the time that he will save his people and Sion be remembred and built up Oh that the time were come And in Psal 51. he doth express that when he had been praying for himself yet he did not forget Sion Psal 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem So that you see that hath been spoken
stroke upon us our affliction is so heavy as we know not how to bear it our selves truly it is wisdom then and a duty to call in help in great afflictions we are to request the prayers of others The Apostle gives this direction that such as were members of Churches that when they were afflicted they should send for the Elders of the Church and that they should pray for them James 5. 14 15. And the Lord he promiseth that he would give out healing in great afflictions we are to call in the help of others members of the Churches they ought to send for the Elders of the Church that in time of affliction they may pray for them Fourthly when we are nigh some great danger liable to danger either in the outward or inward man or to walk in some dangerous wayes or when we are by providence put upon such wayes as we may meet with shares and temptations where there is any danger then it lies upon us to call in the help of others So Esther 4. 16 17. she was in great danger there was a Law that whosoever went into the King and was not called must be put to death and the cause was so that she must go in to speak with the King though it should cost her her life and therefore she sendeth to Mordecai to gather the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me pray for me for it may cost me my life therefore I desire you to fast and pray for me Fifthly when the Lord calls his people to some great service some work that may be for his honour and glory So Esther when she was about some great work fast for me fast and pray and I will speak to the King Sixthly when the Lord doth seem to shut us up that we cannot pray our selves our condition may be so Sometimes through weakness we are not able and sometimes when the Lord withdraws his Spirit we are not able to pray our selves that our prayers are but like Hezekiahs like the chattering of a Crane or Swallow then in such cases it is a duty to send to others and call upon others when we cannot pray our selves Seventhly and lastly when the Lord seems to be angry with any people when the displeasure of the Lord waxes hot and heavy and we do not know how to bear it it is hard then to go to God as to a Father our selves and therefore then we had need call in others to our help When the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel then Moses stept it then he cryed to God for them for they could not look to the Lord as to their Father the wrath of the Lord was hot and at that time it is our wisdom and a duty for poor souls to call in others that they may cry to the Lord in their behalf Matth. 15. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON X. YOU have heard of this womans faith and the first tryal of it Christ tries her faith by being silent and giving no answer unto her request it was a sore temptation that the son of David the merciful King should not open his mouth nor speak one word for the refreshment of a poor distressed creature When she poured out her complaint he answer'd her not a word that is a great temptation You have heard also how the Disciples stept in and besought Christ in her behalf they came and besought him that he would send her away with an answer with an answer of peace certainly that was their request But behold here is a second temptation here is a second trial of this womans faith Christ first tries her by being silent and now he tries her by speaking a hard word as it seems I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel I am not sent Christ intimates that he had nothing to do with this woman it was besides his Commission I cannot do it saith Christ I must walk by rule I must observe my Fathers Commission I must do that work and that work only which I was sent for but now I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel my work is to do good to a certain number of persons to shew mercy to a certain number of persons that are given me of my Father He calls them here sheep Christs sheep I am sent for their sakes and to do good to them though termed sheep Now the Scripture holds them forth to be such as were given him of his Father from Eternity all that are given to Christ are Christs sheep though they may not for the present have Christs mark upon them though Christ does not own them before the world yet he owns them before his Father all that belong to the election of grace they are Christs sheep and Christ saith he was sent to such I am not sent but to the lost sheep they are in a lost condition even that number of persons that are given to Christ they are lost in Adam and they have lost themselves by going on in the wayes of actual transgression they are in a miserable lost condition Christs sheep but Christ was sent to do good to them Christ was sent to save them The Son of man came to seek and to save them which were lost The lost sheep of the house of Israel The house of Israel may here be taken literally for the people of the Jews which are called the house of Israel Christ tells the Disciples and this woman that his Commission was to do good only to them I am not sent to others I am only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel my work is with the Jews I have nothing to do with the Gentiles No my work is to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel Quest But you will say how doth this agree with other Scriptures with those prophesies that concern the Messias our Lord Jesus Christ that when he came he should preach to the Gentiles and that God would give him to be a Covenant to the Gentiles Isaiah 42. 1 2 6. And in divers places there are prophesies that concern the Gentiles that when Christ came God would give him to be a light to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews why then doth Christ say he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Answ Christ spake first of all of his personal Ministry as he preacht himself in person and wrought miracles himself so he was sent unto the Jews his word was to them he was their Apostle their Minister so the Apostle to the Romans speaks Rom. 15. 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promise made unto the Fathers Christ was to preach in his own person to the Jews he was their
useth diligence to hinder you in this work the Divels great designe is to keep you in the dark to keep you in a puzled and perplexed condition to finde some flaw or other in your evidences to cast some blot upon them that you shall not be able to read them doubtless you will put God to it to leave you to be tryed in this at one time or other God for the most part leaves his people to be tempted concerning their Election and therefore you had need give diligence Thirdly Let me say That your comfort doth depend upon making your Election sure All your comfort in this world doth depend upon it the comfort of every condition doth depend upon it the sweetness of every mercy depends upon it Alas if a man had a thousand times more then he hath what is all he hath without the love of God Your comfort depends upon it Although your names be written in heaven yet you cannot have the comfort of it till it be made sure to you though it be sure before God yet you cannot be comforted but you are as if there were no thoughts of love in the heart of God toward you Your comfort depends upon it Fourthly Your Holiness doth depend upon it your usefulness your fruitfulness your serviceableness in your generations doth depend upon your knowledge of the love of God it is that which wil make a Christian useful serviceable when as his Election is made sure when he comes to be established in the knowledge of God's Election Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of minde meekness long suffering Col. 3. 12. Your holiness doth depend upon it and your usefulness in your generation And truly till that be put out of question to a soul til the Lord gives some degrees of satisfaction to a soul concerning his love the soul is wholly taken up alwayes taken up about that which concerns it self O Lord Dost thou love me That 's the great question And when it goes to God in prayer Lord Dost thou love me And O that thou wouldest make out thy love to me The soul is wholly taken up about that and well it may but when God comes to give some satisfaction O then the soul hath a great deal of freedome to minde the things of Christ to put up many a Petition for others and many a request for Christ and his Kingdom and the Interest of Christ then his thoughts they run that way so that if you desire to be useful and serviceable in your generation it doth engage you to look after this to give all diligence to make your Election sure Quest But you will say How shall we do that O there is nothing in the world that I would sooner do then that but I know not how to make my Election sure I Answer It is the work of God it is the work of grace to make it out to you it is the work of free grace to give a soul assurance of that free and everlasting love But be found waiting upon God in this way First Look up to the Lord to clear up unto you the mysterie of the Gospel if you desire to make your Election look up to the Lord to clear up to your souls the great mysterie of Christ that thou mayest know the Lord Jesus as he was the gift of the Father the gift of love the gift of free grace O that the Lord would clear up to thee the great end of his giving that gift of Christ Wherefore was it that God sent his Son out of his bosome Wherefore was it that he gave Christ And wherefore was it that Christ gave himself to die What was the end of the Father's sending Christ and the end of the laying down his life It was to save lost sinners God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. O! Look up to God to clear up this great Gospel mysterie to you the designe of God the Father in sending Christ and the great designe of the Son in laying down his life It is through ignorance of this Mysterie that many a poor soul is kept from establishment and from assurance of God's electing love But secondly Wait upon the Lord to draw thy soul to accept of Christ it is not enough to have a discovery of the mysterie this will not save thee though a man know the designe of God and know the end of it that will not save thee no but wait upon the Lord to draw thy heart to rest upon Jesus Christ as he is held forth in the Gospel see that there is a necessity that God the Father should draw thee No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6. 44. till he be drawn by the Father he cannot come to Christ therefore that man is mistaken that thinks it is an easie matter for him to come to Christ O! Many a man doth mistake faith of their own working for that faith which is of the operation of God When God hath beaten many a soul out of his Brest-works and the soul sees he can no longer defend himself there good works will not do it then he taketh up a resolution in his own strength well I willgo to Christ I will believe in Christ if I cannot have it by obedience I will have it by believing Ah! But he never saw that there was an impossibility for him to believe but he goes to Christ in his own strength and the faith is of his own working and it is such a faith as Christ will not own no when God deals with a soul in a saving way he discovers to it that it is no more able to believe in Christ then it can obey the whole Law and that there is a necessity that he should be drawn of God and in his spirit he breaths after God and saith Lord draw me for if thou dost not draw me I shall never come to Christ see a necessity of being drawn to Christ And when thou art drawn give up thy self to those breathings and workings of the Spirit of God after thou hast seen thy self in a lost condition and no possibility to help thy self either by thy works or by believing why then if the Lord open the word of Reconciliation to thee and is breathing sweetly upon thy heart and moving upon thy spirit while thou hearest the word of grace opened and the tender of Christ urged O then give up thy self to those drawings of the Spirit of Christ and do not hinder those drawings by thy unbelief but give up thy self to the Lord and say Lord I see thy hand onely is able and powerful to draw souls to thy self and I will stand out no longer That 's the second Thirdly Be diligent to make the best improvement of Jesus
unto thee into thy holy Temple When he was in this condition he prayed and he poured out his soul before the Lord. I shall only give you one instance more and that is of Christ himself when as he was in a sore affliction and his affliction accompanied with temptations then he prayed Luke 22. 39 40 41 42. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples also followed him And when he was at the place he said unto them Pray that ye enter not into temptation And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thâ—â— be willing remove this cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done and at vers 44. it is said being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly His affliction doth increase and his temptations do increase and as they encrease so he cries the more earnestly to his Father Afflictions do not make Christ cease to worship no he worships the more and he cryeth the louder and prayeth the more earnestly Thirdly We shall consider the Grounds of the Point Why it is the duty of God's people to worship God in time of affliction and temptation First Because there is no affliction or temptation but it is from the Lord it is his Messenger it is of his sending we have to deal with God in it and it is fit that we should fall down and worship him when God sends affliction Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things It is not spoken of Natural darkness the darkness that is of the Ayre that was not created by God there is no creating cause withdrawing of light causeth darkness but God saith he creates darkness he creates Metaphorical darkness that darkness which he sends as an affliction to his own people I create it there is no darkness but that which is of the Lord 's forming and creating In the Creation of the world God said let there be light but God never said let there be darkness but now when God will afflict any of his people he creates darkness and there is no darkness till God say let there be darkness when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's estate all his comforts shall wither when God says let there be darkness in such a man's family there shall be darkness for he can turn the Sun or Moon or Stars into darkness he can take away the head of the Family the children that are as the Stars of the Family if God speak the word though there be never so many in the family he can turn light into darkness and so when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's spirit O then though it was comfortable before it will be as sad and as dark in the inward man even as it is with the Ayr at midnight darkness is of God's creating and therefore when-ever the Lord brings us into a state of darkness affliction and temptation either outward or inward it is time then to worship the Lord. Secondly We should then worship the Lord in time of affliction and temptation for it is the Lord only that can enable a man to bear temptation or affliction there is need I say that we should apply our selves to the Lord for he only can enable a poor creature to grapple with his affliction and temptation If the Lord help not the proudest helper in the world shall stoop and not be able to bear up a man under the least affliction especially when the affliction is accompanied with temptation and is wounding A wounded spirit who can bear It is only everlasting Armes that can support under such a condition surely therefore it is our duty in affliction and temptation to fall down and worship Thirdly The Lord only can give a sanctified 〈◊〉 of affliction he only can do us good by our manifold temptations affliction it self cannot profit sad experience shews it a man may have stroke after stroke and yet receive no profit no spiritual advantage I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48. 17. God only can teach to profit Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest Job 5. 17. When God's instruction and teaching go along with his correction that man is blessed that affliction shall be blessed Affliction it self cannot do it and therefore there is need that we should apply our selves to God Fourthly God only can remove the affliction and he only can rebuke the distemper and silence the temptation for certainly both affliction and temptation as I said before they are the Lord's messengers they are the Armies of the Lord of Hosts they go and they come at his command he gives out the word and he bids affliction to charge and it chargeth and if he bids it to retreat it shall retreat God only can deliver from affliction and from temptation therefore surely it is our duty to worship in affliction and temptation Fifthly It is the end of all afflictions and temptations to bring the soul nearer to God to drive the soul nigher God We are very prone to content our selves to live at a distance from God before I was afflicted I went astray saith David Psal 119. 67. Now the end of affliction and temptation is to fetch home the stragling sheep to bring God and the spirit nigher together therefore it is fit that we should fall down and worship for therein do we draw nigh to God when the soul falls down and worships God with Internal worship fear him love him trust him and submit to him and when it is pouring out its soul and lifting up the name of God speaking good words of the Almighty surely herein the soul draws nigh to God and so affliction attains its end Sixtly and lastly This is the way to ease and rest in our afflictions we cry out for ease and rest that is the thing we seek after the way to have ease and rest is to fall down and worship for by so doing the soul doth cast its burthen upon the Lord. When it doth thus fall down and worship with the worship of the Spirit fear and love and trust now the soul casteth its burden upon the Lord and his burden being left there it bringeth in unspeakable rest I say when the soul by inward worship hath gone to God and left his burden upon the Lord O! it bringeth in ease to the spirit whatever the affliction or temptation be Well then to Apply this in a word First What cause have we to be ashamed that we have come so far short of this Duty in the time of affliction or temptation We have been afflicted at one time or other who hath been free many of your souls have been exercised with temptations but O! What hath been the carriage of our spirits under them Have we fallen
much upon his own justification what he was not and what he was I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice a week I give tithes of all I possess But the Publican he smote upon his brest saying God be merciful to me a sinner and the Publican he went away justified rather then the Pharisee Though hypocrites look at their services yet a gracious heart dare not look at any thing it hath done Matth. 25. When Christ takes notice what the Saints hath done and sayes Come ye blessed of my Father I was hungry and you gave me meat thirsty and you gave me drink naked and you cloathed me Why Lord say they when saw we thee a hungry thirsty and naked when did we these things to thee What did the Saints do good works ignorantly did good and did not know No that which is done out of ignorance is sinful no they knew what they did and that they did but according to the mind of Christ ah but when done they take no notice of it their right hand shall not know what their left hand doth for they dare not plead their services and their duties upon this account For they know whatever is good is not theirs but Christs whatever in them that is good and whatever good they have done is by the Lords Spirit and therefore they know there is nothing for them to plead by way of merit no the more they are inabled and assisted to do for Christ the more they are ingaged unto Christ Christ is not ingaged to them but they ingaged to Christ And besides whatever they have done in the service of the Lord as theirs it is accompanied with many weaknesses and frailties that if it were not for Christ and his righteousness and Christs presenting them God the Father could not accept the best service that ever was done by the best men And besides the Saints know that when they have done all they can they are unprofitable servants if they could do a thousand times more for God yet they have nothing to plead Christ teacheth us so Luke 17. 10. So likewise ye when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Mark if it were possible for any of Gods people to do all that the Lord requires yet there is nothing to plead you have done but that which was your duty that which was your debt Now the payment of a debt is no ingagement he to whom the debt is paid is not ingaged you have done but your duty And so the best of all the Saints if they could do all that is required they do but pay their debt there is a debt of thankfulness not debt of justice we have done that which is duty which we owe to mercie and free grace Again the Saints cannot plead their sufferings Though a man suffer never so much and suffer never so well and suffer upon a good ground and suffer for the name of Christ yet there is nothing that he can plead by way of merit for there is no man suffers without sin there was merit in Christs sufferings because he suffered and had no sin of his own he was the Lamb of God without spot but now the best of Saints upon earth who do suffer for the name of Christ cannot suffer without sin though it is not punished for sin yet still there is sin in the person and so can be no desert And then beside it is that which the Saints owe to Chris as they owe all duties so they owe all suffering for the name of Christ and if they should suffer a thousand times more then ever any man suffered it is but what they owe and therefore suffering cannot be pleaded no more then services And so you have the first part of the point But of the second part to speak more briefly to that as a soul is taken off of it self so it pleads only mercie flees to free grace comes to naked mercie First For a gracious heart it sees and knows that there is a fulness in mercie to satisfie all its wants all its desires there is enough in mercie to make abundant supply to it as it sees there is that in it self which may make it run from it self so there is that in mercie and free grace which may make it run to it as to a City of refuge There is a fulness in mercie which may answer the soules desires and wants for as you heard before when the Lord doth discover to a man that he is a poor creature destitute and naked why the same spirit doth discover that there is enough in mercie to supply all wants mercie hath made great provision for the poor naked destitute creature and as it discovers to a soul that it is a sinful creature so the same spirit doth discover that there is enough in mercie to take away all sin and pardon all transgressions and mercie and free grace hath set open a fountain an infinite fountain a bottomless fountain of merit in the blood of Christ for the washing away of sin and as the soul sees that it is a poor weak creature so the same spirit doth discover to it that mercie is strong and mercie is able to reach him in every condition and able to lift him up in the lowest condition and as it sees that it is an enemie to God so the same spirit doth discover that mercie can reconcile it shew what is done for the reconciliation of poor creatures mercie hath given Jesus Christ for to slay the enmitie and to reconcile poor lost creatures Thus I say a gracious soul it will flee to mercie it sees that there is a fulness in mercie to answer all its wants Secondly And as it sees a fulness so there is a freeness in the Lords mercie and therefore runs to mercie as this woman did and pleads mercie and to cast her self into the armes of mercie because free see that the Lord is a tender hearted God and that mercie flew freely from him mercie makes free invitations the soul seeing and hearing that it is perswaded to apply it self to mercie Thirdly Such a soul will flee to mercie because it knows that all that God doth for his people in the business of salvation it is for the exaltation of mercie and free grace the great work of the redemption of souls it is only for the exaltation of mercie and free grace it vvas free grace that found out the vvay of redeeming souls and free grace that gave sinners to Christ and free grace that gave Christ for sinners and free grace gives Christ unto sinners and all that God doth in sanctifying and saving his people is upon the account of mercie and free grace and therefore the Lord he invites souls to himself and he makes choice of such as may most of all declare the
misery or not to regard her misery not to take notice of such a poor creature as she was now both these were contrary to what she had heard of Christ and to that she had believed was in Jesus Christ without doubt she had heard out of the Prophet Isaiah that the Lord Jesus Christ when he came should bind up the broken-hearted and preach deliverance to the captives now when she applyes her self to Christ Christ seems not to be that compassionate Saviour certainly she had heard that Sions King was meek and lowly and that he would not break the bruised reed nor quench thâ— smoaking flax but Christ seems to disdain her and take no notice of her nor look after such avile worm as she was nay she had believed that Christ was low and meek as appeareth by that expression of hers in ver 22. Thou Son of David have mercy on me now David was a merciful Prince and was very pitiful and compassionate and very meek and lowly and humble therefore she believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was much more compassionate and she did believe that he would not disdain her though she was a poor Gentile but Christ seems to be quite contrary and answered her not a word this was a sore trial The Doctrine then is this That it is a very sore and great tryal unto the Lords people when the Lord is silent to their prayers and gives no answer to their cries In the opening of the point I shall shew you that God hath dealt thus with his own people and that it hath been a very sore tryal unto And then shall shew you wherefore the Lord is pleased thus to try his people which will make way for the Appplication First God hath dealt thus with his people I shall point you to some places of Scripture David often maketh this complaint Psalm 28. 1. Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit How earnestly doth David beseech the Lord that he would not be silent to his prayer Lord Do not turn away thy ear from my prayer and do not shut thy mouth be not silent If thou dost not speak something to me in answer to my prayer I am not able to hold out but shall be like them that go down to the pit And Psalm 69. 3. he maketh a sore complaint I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God The trial was so great to his spirit that it had an influence upon his Body when David cryed to the Lord he answered not a word his throat was dried and parcht up and his eyes began to fail And so the Prophet Jeremiah Lam. 3. 44. he expresseth it in the name of the Church Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow God seems to hide himself and cover himself with a cloud and did so hide himself as prayer could not find him he gave him not a word And the Prophet Habakkuk he complains of it chap. 1. ver 2. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Nay that it was a sore trial you shall see it in those expressions of the Prophet David spoken of in the person of Christ Psalm 22. 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent It was a sore affliction to Christ himself O my God I cry in the day-time and in the night-season that is I cry continually night and day never silent But thou art continually silent to me this was a sore affliction and burden to Christ himself Now that this is a sore affliction and trial for God to be silent to the prayers of his people it appears First if you consider that relation the Lord stands in to his people and they to him he stands in relation of a Father they his children he stands in relation of an Husband they his Spouse he stands in relation of a friend they his friend Abraham he was the friend of God and so is every believer God a friend to him and he a friend to God now it is a sore trial when one friend shall cry to another or a wife to an Husband or a child to a father and these relations not give one word of Answer if a poor child in great extremity should cry to his father father help me and the father not to give one word this is a sore tryal if a man cry to a stranger and meet not with one word it is no great disappointment but when a child cries to a father or a wife to an Husband or a friend to a friend and they not to speak a word it is a great trial Secondly it will appear to be a great trial because there is nothing in all the world that a gracious soul longs more after then this that the Lord would be giving a return of prayer that there may be a converse betwixt God and the soul to speak to God and to hear God speaking back again to it nothing that a gracious foul more longs after oh it longs to hear a word from God it knows that the return of prayer is the way to make a soul rich towards God and to make it rich in experience in faith in thankfulness in obedience Oh how doth a Merchant-venturer long for the return of his commodity from a far Country truly there is no merchant in the world can long more for the return of his commodity from a far Country then a gracious soul longs for the return of prayer oh saith the soul when wilt thou come unto me Now if it be that which a gracious soul doth more long after then any thing in the world it is a great trial when God doth not give a return of prayer Thirdly A gracious heart when it puts up a prayer to God it looketh for a return for an answer Psalm 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak And so the Prophet Habakkuk after he had prayed I will get me upon the watch-tower and I will watch to see what he will say unto me I will wait to see what God will speak by his spirit or by his providences one way or other God will speak Now to have this expectation disappointed to wait upon the Lord for an answer and the Lord not to speak one word this is a sore trial Fourthly it must needs be a great trial when God gives never a word of answer for a believing soul knows assuredly that if God do not answer none else can hear prayers and give a return to prayer it is Gods name oh thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come God only can hear prayer and God only can give an answer it is God only