2. Another you find complaining, taxing God of unfaithfulness, as if he would break trust, and lay upon you more than you are able to bear, and you deceive yourselves; for, if you cannot bear your present burden, you would bear none, you do not improve Christ's strength: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. iv. 13). Christ doth not help us in such a degree, or one trouble, and no more; but in all.

3. Another we find complain, I am cut off, God will be merciful and gracious no more. He hath forsaken me, and forgotten me' (Psalm lxxvii. 8, 9). God's children have been brought thus low, yet have been raised; as the church: "The Lord hath chastened me sore; but he hath not given me over unto death" (Psalm cxviii. 18). Within a little while, he will show this was but our infirmity; this would stop these idle complaints by which we give vent to our daily impatience.

We have seen David's case; but what doth he do? He goes to God about comfort and relief: "I am afflicted very much quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word." There observe,

1. That he prays, and makes his addresses to God. 2. For what he prays.

DOCTRINE. First, That he prays. Observe, affliction should put us upon prayer and serious address to God. Thus God's people are wont to do: "Lord, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them" (Isa. xxvi. 16). They that have neglected God at other times, will be dealing with him then; and this God expects: "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early" (Hos. v. 15). It will be the first thing they will do, the greatest thing they will take care off, as that which we most care for, most is thought of in the morning. Nay, it is that which God enjoins: "Call upon me in the day of trouble" (Psalm 1. 15). Some might hang off when God's rod is upon their backs, or be discouraged by the bitter sense of a trouble; therefore God doth not only give us leave, but commands us to call upon him. This is the special season, when this duty is performed with life and vigour : Is any among you afflicted? let him pray" (James v. 13). Let him thus give vent to his trouble, it doth mightily ease the heart. An oven stopped up, is the hotter within; the more we keep down grief, and do not unburden ourselves, the more it presseth upon the heart. Wind, imprisoned in the bowels of the earth, makes a terrible shaking there, till it gets vent; so, till our sorrow gets a vent, it rends and tears the heart. The throne of grace was appointed for such a time (Heb. iv. 16): when need comes, then it is a time to improve our interest, to put promises in suit; when God seems to be an enemy to us, when, to appearance, he executes the curse of the old covenant, oh! then we should work through all discouragements, then we should hold God to his second grant and charter, and come to his throne of grace, and keep him there.

For the reasons,—

Ist, God is the party with whom we have to do; whence soever the trouble doth arise, there is his hand and his counsel in it: therefore it is best dealing with him about it, in all afflictions, public or private: "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" (Amos iii. 6.) Let men but awaken their reason and conscience, who is it that is at the upper end of causes? that casts our lot upon such troublesome and dis

tracted times? So in private afflictions, David owned God's hand; Shimei had mocked him; but he looks higher, the Lord had bid him curse. So Job, he doth not say the Chaldean and Sabean hath taken away; but, "The Lord hath taken" (Job. i. 21). Afflictions have a higher cause than men ordinarily look at; they do not come out of the dust, but come from God. See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle: "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause" (Job. v. 8); that is, I would go and deal with him about it: it was Eliphaz's advice to Job, and it is seasonable to us all.

2ndly, It is God only that can help us and relieve us, either by giving support under the trouble, or removing it from us; so saith David: "I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm lvii. 2). A believer looks for all things from God: when all things go well with him, God is his best friend; when all things go ill with him, God is his only friend; he runs to none so often as to God. Now, upon these principles we go to God; but for what end? Let us see what we go to God for.

1. That we may know his mind in all his providences. The affliction hath some errand and message to us, something to deliver us from God. Now, we need to ask of God to know his mind: "Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it" (Mic. vi. 9). We should not only be sensible of the smart, but look to the cause; therefore, if we would know the cause, let us go and expostulate with God about it. As Joab, when Absalom set his corn-field on fire, he sent for him once and twice, but he comes not, until he sets his corn-field on fire, and then he comes and expostulates with him, "Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?" (2 Sam. xiv. 30, 31;) so, when we make bold, and will not come to God, nor take notice of his messages, God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences. Now, let us deal with God about it, 'Wherefore is all this?

2. That we may have strength to bear it. Alas! we can bear or do little of ourselves; for that doing refers to bearing: "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me" (Phil. iv. 13); that is, I can suffer want, hunger, thirst, nakedness, and run through all conditions, "through Christ that strengtheneth me.' Now, you must ask it of God: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (James i. 5). It is wisdom to bear affliction: if he would wisely carry himself under the rod, that he may not discover his folly, he must ask this strength and grace of God.

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3. Wisdom to improve our chastisements, that we may have the benefit and fruit of them: "I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit" (Isa. xlviii. 17); that is, to profit by afflictions, to reap the fruit of them. So, He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction" (Job xxxiii. 16). God, by a powerful work upon the heart, impresseth their duty upon them, that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them.

4. We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm xxxiv. 10). It is God's prerogative to set us free. We break prison, when we attempt to escape merely by our own means; therefore either we shall have no deliverance, or no kindly one. God hath delivered, doth deliver, and we trust will deliver. This must

be sought out of God; God helping together with your prayers (2 Cor. i. 10, 11). Prayer must fetch it out from God, or it is no kindly deliverWell then, in our affliction, we need to be often with God.

ance.

SERMON CXVII.

VERSE 107.-Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.

USE I-To reprove the stupidness and carelessness of them that neglect God in their troubles: "All this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God" (Dan. ix. 13). A very senseless, slight spirit, that, when they are under the blows of God's heavy hand, they will not be much in calling upon God; this is contrary to God's injunction, who expects now with earnestness they will seek him. God reckons upon it: he could not hear from them before, but now they will pray hard, and will make up their former negligence. When God sends a tempest after you, as on Jonah, yet will you keep off from him? It is contrary to the practice of the saints; in their chastisements, troubles, and afflictions, they are much with God, opening their hearts to him. Nay, it is worse than hypocrites; for they will have their pangs of devotion at such a time (Job xxvii. 10, 11). In short, you lose the comfort of your affliction. Seasons of affliction are happy seasons, if they prove praying seasons; when they bring you nearer to God, it is a sign God is not wholly gone, but hath left somewhat behind him, when the heart is drawn into him. This is the blessing of every condition, when it brings God nearer to you, and you are more acquainted with him than before.

USE II. Then it takes off the discouragements of poor, disconsolate ones, who misexpound his providence, when they think afflictions put us from God, rather than call us to him. Oh! no; it is not to drive you from him, but to draw you to him. Do not think God hath no mercy for thee, because he leaves thee to such pressures, wants, and crosses. This is the way to acquaint yourselves with God; yea, though you have been hitherto strangers to him, he hath invited you to call upon him in time of trouble, he is willing to have you upon any terms. A man will say, 'You come to me in your necessities;' God delights to hear from you, and is glad any occasion will bring you into his presence; and therefore be much with God.

Secondly, I observe, when this affliction was sore and pressing, yet then he hath a heart to pray, "I am afflicted very much; quicken, me, O Lord."

DOCTRINE. We must not give over prayer, though our afflictions be never so great and heavy. Why? Because,

1st, Nothing is too hard for God; he hath ways of his own to save and preserve his people, when we are at a loss. This was the glory of Abraham's faith, that he accounted God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead (Heb. xi. 19): difficult cases are fit for God to deal in, to show his Divine power. When means have spent their allowance, then is it time to try what God can do: "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living" (Psalm cxlii. 4, 5). When all things fail, God faileth not.

2ndly, We must still pray. Faith must express something above sense; or else, living by faith, and living by sense, cannot be distinguished. In desperate cases, then is the glory of faith seen: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job xiii. 15). In defiance of all discouragement, we should come and profess our dependence upon God.

USE.-To condemn those that despond, and give over all treaty with God as soon as any difficulty doth arise; whereas, this should sharpen prayer, rather than discourage us. This is man's temper, when troubles are little and small, then to neglect God; when great, then to distrust God. A little headache will not send us to the physician, nor the scratch of a pin to the surgeon: so, if our troubles be little, they do not move us to seek after God, but we are secure and careless; but, when our troubles are smart, sore, and pressing, then we are discouraged, and give over all hopes; so hard a matter is it to bring man to God, to keep an even frame, neither to slight the hand of God nor to faint under it, as we have direction to avoid both extremes (Heb. xii. 5), to cherish a due sense of our troubles, with a regular confidence in God.

That he prays, you have seen. Now what he prays for. He doth not say, Deliver me; but, "Quicken me.

DOCTRINE.-Strength and support under afflictions is a great blessing, to be sought from God, and acknowledged as a favour, as well as deliver

ance.

1. You shall see this is promised as a favour: "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength" (Isa. xl. 31); that is, shall not faint, nor be weary, but mount up as it were with wings as eagles; they shall have a new supply of grace enabling them to bear and hold out till the deliverance cometh. They that wait upon the Lord, do not always see the end of their troubles, but are quickened, comforted, and strengthened in them; they shall renew their strength.

2. This is accepted by the saints with thanksgiving, and valued by them as a special answer of prayer; they value it more than temporal deliverance itself many times ; as Paul prays for the removal of the "thorn in the flesh" thrice, when God only gives him this answer, "My grace is sufficient for thee;" saith Paul, Then I will rejoice in mine infirmities, so I might have strength and support in grievous weaknesses, reproaches, and afflictions, whatever they be' (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10). So, "In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul" (Psalm cxxxviii. 3). That is noted as a special answer of prayer. How did he hear him? "With strength in my soul." Though he did not give him deliverance, he gave him support; so that was acknowledged as a very great mercy.

3. There are many cases wherein we cannot expect temporal deliverance; then we must go only for quickening and support. When by a lingering disease we are drawing down to the chambers of death, and our outward strength is clean spent and gone, then have we support, that is a great mercy when strength and heart fail, "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" (Psalm lxxiii. 26); that is, to have his heart quickened by God in the languishing of a mortal disease. So," Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Cor. iv. 16). There are many troubles that cannot be avoided; and therefore we are then to be earnest with God for spiritual strength.

USE.-Well then, you see upon what occasion we should go for grace,

rather than for temporal deliverance; we should pray from the new nature; not, 'Deliver me;' but, "Quicken me;" and, if the Lord should suspend deliverance, why, that will be our strength in time of trouble: "The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble" (Psalm xxxvii. 30).

But more particularly, let us take notice of this request; "Quicken me," saith he.

DOCTRINE.-Quickening grace must be asked of God.

1. What is quickening.

2. Why asked of God.

First, What is this quickening? Quickening in Scripture is put for two things.

1st, For regeneration, or the first infusion of the life of grace; as, "And you who were dead in trespasses and sins, hath he quickened” (Eph. ii. v.); that is, infused life, or making to live a new life.

2ndly, It is put for the renewed excitations of God's grace, God's breathing upon his own work. God that begins life in our souls, carries on this life, and actuates it. Now, this kind of quickening is twofold, spoken of in this psalm: there is quickening in duties, and quickening in afflictions: quickening in duties, that is opposite to deadness of spirit; quickening in affliction, that is opposite to faintness.

1. Quickening in duties, that is opposite to that deadness of spirit which creeps upon us now and then, and is occasioned either by our negligence or by our carnal liberty, that deadness of spirit that doth hinder the activity of grace.

(1.) By our negligence and slothfulness in the spiritual life, when we do not stir up ourselves: "There is none, &c., that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee" (Isa. lxiv. 7); when men grow careless and neglectful in their souls. An instrument, though never so well in tune, yet if hung up, and laid by, soon grows out of order; so, when our hearts are neglected, when they are not under a constant exercise of grace, a deadness creeps upon us. Wells are the sweeter for draining. Our graces, they are more fresh and lively the more they are kept awork; otherwise, they lose their vitality. A key rusts, that is seldom turned in the lock; and therefore negligence is a cause of this deadness: "Stir up the gift of God which is in thee" (2 Tim. i. 6). We must blow up the ashes. There needs blowing, if we would keep in the fire; we grow dead and lukewarm, and cold in the spiritual life, for want of exercise.

(2.) This deadness is occasioned by carnal liberty: "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way" (Psalm cxix. 37). When we have been too busy about the vanities of the world or pleasures of the flesh, when we have given contentment to the flesh and been intermeddling with worldly cares and delights, it brings a brawn and deadness upon the heart: "Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life," &c. (Luke xxi. 34.) I say, by this, the soul is distempered, and rendered unapt for God. Christians! this is a disease very incident to the saints, this deadness that creeps upon them. We have not such lively stirrings, nor a like influence of grace; we have not those earnest and lively motions we were wont to have in prayer. Now, God he quickeneth us; how? By exciting the operative graces, as faith, love, hope, and fear, when these are kept pregnant and lively, as we read of "lively