62 eff `Reflraint ofExhorbitant ¶Pafion, or, Divi(ìon. k; David, car. page during !pis child, Gck- fiefs, Meaning. the words. i r,S, g, ljtom.Is.r7ì bavid, raft a jcligious Fait. o pavid,Tears roeeeded not tomana[utal, twtfroma fpiritual pain- ciple. Gen. 3a Io saa Ifa. ;s;. .' ' The reafon pfDavid,car. triage. carriage, and thewech himfelf more chearful, contrary co their expeâacion ; they put the queftion to him, What (hould be thereafonof this? The words I have read to ye, are an Anfwer to that Qieftion. He tellech them the reafon, both of his Falling, and Weeping in the time of the Sicknefs of the Child, and of his calling for Meat, and forbearing to weepnow at the death of the Child. The reafon ofhis former carriage,he giveth in the zz.verfe ; While the Child was yet alive;fa/ledand wept;for Ilaid, who &nowetb,wbether the Lordmaybegraeioue to me, that the Childmay live ? The reafon of the alteration of his carriage, :why he expreR himfelf in another manner, upon the Death of the Child, he giveth in the z3. verfe. Bat now, heir Dead, wherefore Mould I Fafl? I (hall return to bin, he AaU not return to me. In the former part (che reafonof his fad and mournful carriage, duringthe time of he ficknefs of the Child, Then ( faith he ) I did tat. Ye have firft the declaration of his A6tion, and Behaviour, and Carriage at that time ; while the Childwasyet alive,Ifa4ed and wept. And the reafon of this A6tion and Carriage,For l faid,Wboeantell whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the Child may live ? 1 [hall be brief infpeaking of this part only. Firf for his Carriage, I filled and wept. Thefe are but external aótions t Fa, tins, of is felf, is not a worfhip of God, but as it helpeth and furtherech another end-, as is helpech a man in Prayer, as it furthereth the work of Humiliation, and de. clareth.that ; For neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we eat not, arewe the merle, as the Apoftle freaks ; Andthe ICingdome ofBed conf,flethnot in Ofeat and Drink, There is a Fall inforeed by netein:y, that which either is by ficknefs or want, and is :fleetly civil ,and outward ï without any refpedt to God. And there is a FaR too , ;which bath a pretence of refoe6t to G od, which is not acceptable; as that of die Pharifees, that rifled in the external aPtion. There is a Faft that is Rcligio.x, and accepted of God, and that is that which is both a teftimony of the inward Humiliationof the foul, aaalfpa help and furtherance of it; Such a Fan was this that David (peaks of here. A `Fart that did arife from a fenfe of his unworthi= nets of the Creature, and did exprefs the forrow of his heart for fin; A fart which he did fee upon only for this end, that he might be more free, and more fit for Prayer. And fo likewife for the Mourning, and Weeping, he freaks of. It was not filch a wee ing as arifeth meerly from the temper of the body, as inTome that are more t for tears, are; fuchas the tearsoFE as co his Father He lift up hie voice aed p Î s wept, haft thofs, notave.bleffng more? Blefs me, even me Alfa, oh myFather. But obey were tears that did arife from a Ho:y affe&tion, from a gracious Difpoficion of eart, from invùardcontrition aridforrow; like the tears that Peter flied, when he went out and ;pert bitterly. They were tears that difcovered the inward vehemency of his fpirit in Prayers Like-thofetearsof facobrwhen' hewreftled with the Angel, the Prophet Hofea telleth how hewreftled,He proyedandwept. Such tears were there ; as did exprefs the Fervency of his fpirit in Prayer, the earneltnefsof his delire, in putting up this'Rennet+ hehad now to God : Like thole of Hezekiah s e have heard thyPrayers, andfeen thyTears,faithGod : Such tears as God puttethinto his Bottle : Such tears as he takes fpecial notice of. There are no tears chat areè`hed for fin, out of an inward forrow of heart, that are flied in Prayer, to exprefs a Holy delire, that proceed from an inward inflamed afièftion and fervency of Spirit, but they are very precious with God: As far ( I fay ) as they declare the inward truth of the heart, and the inward fenfe of our wants, and the weight of the Petition we put up to God. Such were theft tears here : Ifafiedand wept. I will not Rand up- on this. The reafon -of this action, why he fatted and wept. I did it for this end, For ( faith he) raid, who knoweth. whether the Lord will begracious tome, that the Child
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=