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II.

GENESIS xxxii. 26.

And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

WE

Second fermon on the text.

E proceed now to the second thing proposed in the diftribution of the fubject; which was, To fhow you the duty and reasonableness of wrestling and importunity in prayer. Here I am fenfible, that a corrupt and impatient mind may be able to mufter up objections against it. There is fomething worderful and unfearchable in all the works of God, and in none more, as it is reasonable to fuppofe, than in the methods of his grace. In particular, it may appear furprising that he ihould exercise his people with fuch conflicts and trials, that it should be neceffary to overcome him, as it were, by importunity, before we can obtain those bleffings which himself hath commanded us to afk, and which he hath promised to bestow. Why, will it be faid, does a God of mercy, and of infinite fullness, to whom all our wants and weaknesses are perfectly known, wait for our prayers, before he will part with what is fo much needed by us? Why doth he, who knoweth our frame, and remembers that we are duft, unneceffarily throw obstructions in our way, and wrap himself up in darkness, to difcourage our approach?

But how does this furprife increase, when we confider how unequal we are for the conflict, if no ftrength but our own is oppofed to the Almighty! nay, that our firength for refiftance muft come only from himfelf: fo that he wounds, and he heals; he oppreffes, and he fuflains; he difcourages, and he invites. It is by prayer that we muft obtain every blefling from the Father of lights; and one of the greatest and most neceffary of thefe bleflings is the fpirit of prayer itself. My brethren, when either unbelief or profanity moves any fuch difficulties as thefe, I think it my duty to call upon you, in the firft place, to bow yourfelves before the fovereignty of God. There is an unfearchable impenetrable depth in the divine wifdom, whether we look upon the works of nature, or of grace. As Creator of the world, he could, no doubt, in a moment, with one word of his power, have raifed the whole fabric in perfection; yet it pleafed him, in a gradual manner, to finith every part by the addition of another, for the space of fix days. When he gave the firft promife to Adam, or when he renewed it to the father of the faithful, he could, no doubt, have fent the Saviour into the world, to finifh tranfgreffion, and make an end of fin; yet he faw it proper to give only diftant intimations of this blefed period, and to defer the long-expected appearance till the fulness of time, while the nations were fuffered to fit for many ages in darknefs, and in the region and fhadow of death. In the fame manner he often takes a great variety of fteps with his people before they are made partakers of his promifes.

But notwithstanding that fomething muft ftill remain myfterious, and beyond the comprehenfion of a finite creature, in the management of God, who "giveth not "account of any of his matters," we may fee much propriety and beauty in this part of his procedure. And is it not our duty to attend to it? We may fee the reafonablenefs, nay we may perceive the wifdom, of his requiring a holy fervency, wrefiling, and importunity in prayer; for it ferves to engrave upon our hearts, and even to work into our affections, fome of the molt important truths of religion, and fuch as will have the noft powerful and extenfive influence upon our temper and practice. This

will plainly appear from the three following confidera

tions.

1. Fervency of fpirit, and importunity in prayer, is fuitable and neceffary, because of the greatnefs and glory of that God with whom we hold communion, as well as because it ferves to ftrengthen and improve the fense of this upon our minds. The infinite majefty of God, and the unmeafurable diftance at which he is removed from all created weaknefs, is often spoken of in fcripture with admiration of his condefcenfion: Pfal. viii. 3, 4. "When "I confider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon "and the ftars which thou haft ordained; what is man, "that thou art mindful of him? and the fou of man, that "thou vifiteft him?" Under a deep impreffion of the fame great truth, Solomon fays, 2 Chron. vi, 18, “But "will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? "behold, heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot con"tain thee; how much lefs this houfe which I have built?" Is not, then, fome fervor of affection due to the greatness and glory of that God whom we worthip? Our affections fhould always, in their ftrength and exertion, be in proportion to their object, its dignity and worth. Indifference and careleffnefs, in an inferior towards a fuperior, is always counted a mark of difdain. We naturally fappose, that those in great and high flations ought to be approached with reverence, and folicited in the humbleft manner, by their inferiors, who hope to fhare in their bounty; and the more exalted the perfon, the more fubmiffive the pofture, and the more earneft the fupplication. Much more ought this to take place between God and us. On this account it is, probably at least on this amongit others, that indifference and coldnefs in religion is reprefented as peculiarly the object of divine deteftation: Rev. iii. 15, 16. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold "nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot. So then be"caufe thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will "fpue thee out of my mouth."

2. Our own great unworthinefs, who are the objects of divine love, and admitted to this facred intercourfe, fhould powerfully excite us to fervency in pleading. This

is precifely a counterpart to the former confideration, and greatly ftrengthens the conclufion. Even the highest of the fpirits above, most eminent in knowledge and sanctity, who ftand neareft to the throne of God, we are told, cover their faces with their wings, as loft in respect and wonder, when they look to him who dwells in inacceffible light. How much more "man, who is a worm, and the fon of "man, who is a worm, whofe foundation is in the duft, "who dwells in houfes of clay, and is crufhed before the "moth!" Accordingly, in fome of the examples we have of the most importunate pleading and wrestling in prayer, this is the very difficulty which feems to fland in the way, and requires the greateft efforts of holy boldnefs to overcome; as in the account we have of Abraham's interceffion for devoted Sodom, Gen. xviii. 27. “And Abraham anfwered and faid, Behold now, I have taken upon me to fpeak unto the Lord, which am but duft and ashes." And again, in the 32d verfe," And he said, Oh let not the Lord "be angry, and I will fpeak yet but this once: Peradven"ture ten fhall be found there. And he faid, I will not deftroy it for ten's fake."

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But, my brethren, I beseech you remember, it is not our frail nature, and limited powers only, that point out our unworthiness; but our guilt and impurity, fo oppofite and fo odious to the divine nature. This, I have fhown you in the preceding difcourfe, is one of the greatest hinderances of our access to God in prayer. And may we not fay, How fuitable, how neceffary is it, that, in order to keep us fiill deeply humble, God fhould fometimes cover himself with a cloud, and exercife the finner with ftrong crying and tears, before he will vouchfafe the intimations of his love? This reafon will be felt, and that the most fenfibly by the best and most dutiful of his children, as their fanctification continues imperfect fo long as they are here below. How fhould a fenfe of guilt and misery at once increase our felf-abafement, and add to the earnestnefs of our defires! There cannot be a jufter defcription, both of our flate and duty, where mifery and weakness confpire in fhowing the neceffity and difficulty of wrestling with God, than the apoftle hath given us, Rom. viii.

26. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for "we know not what we fhould pray for as we ought: but "the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with groanings "which cannot be uttered."

3. The duty and reasonableness of wrestling and importunity in prayer, appears from the ineftimable value of the mercies to be obtained. Should there not be a proportionable ftrength of defire to the worth of the bleffings in profpect? Now, who can compute the value of the divine favor, and all its happy effects? and therefore who can compute the guilt of indifference, and the neceflity of fervor in afking it? The bleffings of falvation in general are in their nature and fource unfpeakable, and in their duration without end.--On the one hand, deliverance from everlasting mifery, from the wrath of an almighty and incenfed God. True it is, that those who are but yet in the way must be very unable to form juft conceptions of this. But we may in general conclude, from the glory of creating power, which is in fo many inftances displayed before our eyes, how fearful a thing it must be to be the monuments of the vengeance of fuch a God. He who is mighty to make and fave, is alfo mighty to deftroy. This is particularly felt by the finner, when humbled by conviction; and in every inward conflict there is a repetition of the fame diftrefs, as it arifes from the fame caufe.

On the other hand, what must be the value of everlafting happiness in the prefence and the enjoyment of God! How bleffed, beyond expreffion, muft the believer be when the fulness of the divine benignity, of which we have now access to tafte only fome smaller and more distant ftreams, shall be the portion of the foul! What fupplications fhould we not make, when we are affured, that importunity may obtain so rich a treasure! And let me add, how valuable prefent fellowship and communion with God, which is the earneft and foretafte of complete deliverance from the one, and the eternal unchangeable poffeffion of the other! Say now, my brethren, is it not just and reafonable, that these bleffings fhould be defired with ardor, and fought with importunity? What fervent language have we from the fcripture-faints upon this fubject! Pfal. VOL. I. 3 N

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