Chap. S. An Expofttion ùpot the Book of O B. Vert: G. fò dead afüeep, that though you hollow in his çar you cannot a- . wake him, thunder cannot fir him. Sometimes God departs fi> little, that the leaft voice calleth him again, he comes at the firf word ; at another time he is gone fo far, that (as to a man in a deep fleep) you mull cry and cry again,call and call again, cry al loud before he hears.And we may(in a fafe- fenfe)apply that to t he true God,which Elijah did to that falfe god Báal;when his Prieffs were calling tohim frommorning to night, Elijah mocking, bids themcry, aloud,it may be (faith heihe fleepeth: We may fay (with reverence) thus when any pray to God, and h e cloth not hear, pray aloud ; not in regardofthe voice and outward found bur pray with louderdeliires ofheart, with more fervency and zeal of fpirit, Peradventure God fleepeth ; peradventure he is in a deep fleep at this time, and he will not fuddenly be awaked, there- fore cry aloud. When God feemed to depart far from the Church ofthf Jews, with how much fervency do they cry after him (Ifá.5 t. 9.) Awake, awake,put onfirengtb,.0 armof the Lord, awake, as in the ancient &c. They double and treble it upon him,and cry with an out-firetched voice,Art not thou he that bath cut Rahab, andwounded the Dragon 1 What a clamour,what a ho- ly fir was here,to awaken God ? God fümfelf fòmetimes kerns (as it were) willing to take his reft, as when he laid to Mofe,, Let Me alone ; he.Ipake like a man that is in bed,or very fleepy, Do not trouble me, let me alone; as he in the Gofpel (Luk, t when he was awakened in the night to come andgive bread unto his neighbours, Do not trouble me ( faith he) the doors arefbut,and Iam in bedwith mychildren,I cannot rife andgive thee,let me alone. Thus in fome fink the Lord expreffes himfelf to his people,I ám now in bed, do not trouble me, Let me' alone. What mutt we do in this cafe ? We muff knock harder at the door, as he in the Go- fpel did,For whom,though his neighbour mouldnot rifeand give him becaufe he was hisfriend, yetbecaufe ofhis importunity he rifès and gives him as'many loaves asbe needed.We muff be the more imnpor- tunate'to awake God, by how much he feems more unwilling to hearus; our modefty(in this cafe)pleafes him not: we mull call and call again : He will take it well at our-hands, ifwe do fo. We mutt give our felves no reff,and let him take none ; fo the Prophet refolves (Ifa. 62. z.) For Jerufalemsfake,Iwill tame no re,!l,I wilt never givetrve'r praying; and at the fixth verfe, Ibavefét n,nicL -- men upon''thyWálls, O jerúfalem, which(hall nei-er boldtl'eirpeacr G ,r ..
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