Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

88 Chap. 30. An Expoftion upon the Book! of J o s. Verf.20..1 Firft N.2t to be heard inadayoftrouble andofielion, is moro treublefome to agracious heart then all hisafftitlions. W(ten jobhad fayd, He bathcalf rite into themire, and l am, become like duff anda!bes, then he adds in the laft place as the complement of all his fufferings, Icry unto thee, and thou hearrff, me not ; As if this were worfe then all the reef, worfe then his loares, worfe then the faire, duff ; and afhes. When any poore foule, like the poore woman fpoken of ( Math. 15. 22. ) ¡halt cry toChrift; ThouIona; David have mercy on mee ; and he . (as the Evangelilt faith, v.2.3. M that womars cafe) anfwer him not a word ; how loth this ftrike him to the very heart,and under what a temptation is Inch a poore foule thinke you ? yea, how many temptions fall upon his fpirit thinke you in filch a cafe ?? is he not,ready to fay in his heart ; Is that true which Ihave fo of. tenbeard, that God is the Godhearing prayer ? Is. that true which is,told au inhis wordfora truth, that be is rich untoall that call upon bins ? how can this be, when after fo many.cryes and calls he an/wers me not a word ? He loathfayd that wee /hallnot feeke biasz,, in vaine, andyet I canget nothing from him when 'Peke him. In fach a ffreffe nature will quickly refolve,feeing he will not befound ef me, nor an fuser me; Iwill not feeke to nor call upon hint anymere; come what will come Iwill come no more at him, who is liberall f his promifes, but .fa'yles in his performances ; This is a fore temp. tation, fuch a temptation as a formaliff -cannot beare up againft. Only the foule ofa found believer, hopes for an anfwer when he Meares none ; and will not forfake, nor turne away from prayer, though he fee no returne ofit, yea though God-ieemes to turne away his prayer. Though to appearance God fhould fhrinke from his promife, yethe will not fhrinke from his duty.; indeed God fhrinkes not atall fromhis promife, heaven andearth/hall pajeaway, but not a tittleofhis word¡bail paffe. I grant thereare many prayers that God heareth not at all, ( `Pro. I. 28.) Then (ball theycall upon me,but Iwillnot anfwer, they /hallfeekeme early, but(ball not finde mee. Andwe knew ( as .. the blinde man fayd, john g. 3r. ) that god heareth notinners, but ifany man bea worfb ipper. of God, and dodo bù will,, bim he buret,. IfI regard inigaity'in my heart, ( laidDavid, Pfa1. 66. ; . ,) the Lard will. soot heare mee. While a Saint aâs like a wicked

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