PART I. SERMON V. 65 admonitionfor anaccusation ; and while they imagine themselves in the case of Job, they resent highly every real or suspected injury : in short, they make a great part of their own sorrows themselves, and then they cry out and complain ; and among their dismal complainings, they often, without reason, assume the words of Jobas their own, and say, my stroke is heavier than mygroaning. In somepersons this is the temper of their natures, and in others a mere distemper of the body ; but both ought to watch against it, and resist it, because it appears so much like sinfulimpatience and fretfulness, that it cannot be indulged with- out sin. There are others, whose real afflictions are dreadful indeed, anduncommon, who seem to tire all their friends withtheir com- plaints too ; but, it may be, if we knew all their variety of sorrows, and could take an intimate viewof every outward and inward wound, we should acknowledge their stroke was heavier than their groaning ; and especially when God is in such a mea- sureabsent from them too, that they are at a loss, as Jobwas, how they should come at }rim or converse with the heavenly Fa- ther : then their souls break out into vehement. desires, O that J knew where 1 mightfindhim! A child of God who is wont to maintain a constant and hum- ble correspondence with heaven, does often receive such sensible influences of instruction and comfort from the throne of grace, that he is led on sweetly in the path of daily duty, by the guiding providences of God, and by the secret directions of his Holy Spirit. Ile finds divine pleasure in his morning addresses to the mercy-seat, and returns to the throne in the evening with joy in his heart, and praise upon his tongue. He has something to do . with the great God, in a way of humble devotion, in all his im- portant concerns ; but if God retire and withdraw from him, he feels and bemoans the divine absence, and his heart meditates griefand complaints ; and when at the same time he is pressed with other burdens too, he breathes after God with a sacred im- patience, and longs toknow where he may find him : then says the soul, " 0 if I could but come near to the seat of God, in my ad- dresses to him, Iwouldorder mycause before him, andfillmy mouth with arguments." This brings me to the doctrine, which shall be thesubject of my discourse. Observation. When a christian gets near the seat of God in prayer, he tells him all his sorrows, and pleads with him for relief. Indiscoursing on this doctrine I shall consider four things.- - I. Howmay we know when a soul gets near to God in prayer; or what is to get near the seat of God. II. What are the parti- VoL.
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