88 Chap:g An êxpoJition upon the Book of J 0 B. Verf 7. mercies which we have flayed long for, and have coil us much, Rieke longeft by us, and turne togreateft profit, whether we refpe& the honour ofGod, or thegoodofour owne foules. Sixthly, God lets them cry long without an anfwer, for the exercife of fome (pedali graces : TheLord loves to fee grace at worke, and force grrces have no long time toworke ; for though all graces are eternall in their nature, } et in their tire theyare not. And futh are all fuffering graces. When we enjoy all ( as in glory ) we can fuffer nothing. Nowwhen God lets his people cry out of wrong all their dayes ( which are not many dayes ) 'cis becaufe he would have that fort ofgraces kept in exercife, (as well as other graces, ) the grace of faith, of meekneffe, of felf- deniall, and ofpatience, all which ( with Tome others) belong to paílïve obedience : that thefe (I fay ) may be kept in breath, he lfts theSaints cryout of wrong, and doth not heare them. Seaventhly, God fometimes doth not mindehis when they cry, that they may hereby take occafion to remember how oft he bath cryed, and they have not minded hm : dothnot the Lord cry out to his people ofduty and they do not heare him ? Doth he not complaineof this neglect, nor onely asadifhonour, but as a griefunto him. (Tfal.81.11. ) O tkat ?xi people had hearkened to me, and that Ifrael zrculdhave beard mi voice. No marvaile then, ifGod let his people cry out ofmiíe- ry, anddoth not heare them. The Lord (huts his care, that we might confider howwe have Phut our ears ;yea he (huts his Bare, that he may open ours. We are moved to heare and anfwer the call and commandofGod, when we finde that he Both riot heare nor anfwer our call and cry. IftheLord fhouldal" ayes be fwift to heare us, how flow (hould we be in hearing him, and while we have all our defires, forget moll ofour duties ? In heaven we (hall have all our delires fulfilled and ye: not fayle in any duty but while there is corruption in the heart, there will be (loath in the hand, and when weare waxen fat by the fpeedy fiicceffe of all our petitions, we are more apt to kicke with the heele againft God, then toworke with the hand for him. Laftly, God heares alwayes, though he doth not alwati'cs anfwer in our time, or in our way ; yea it is a hearing, and an
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