57o ¿ via/fer C9reenhams Readings will know the meaning ofhis ovine fpirit crying invs. The meaningofthe man of God in ef- fed is, I poureout myprayer, in theabundance ofmy griefe,and from a full heart; we fee when. a manwanreth athing,though hecannotentreatehis friend to obtaineit ofhim, yet hemayfree_ m lymourneand lamenthis ellate. Let vsthen, when wecannot pray, not ceafeto mourne and to make a noyfe, as"Ezechias, whocbatteredlikeaCra neorSwallow:whereinhe.fheweih,thathe was foprefi'ed witis foreow,that hecould donothing but ugh andgroar. Whenwe grow there- " fore in languifhinggriefes, rhisis not thething,which pleafeth the Lord,but it noun(heth fu ll io " vs miflrull. VVee may fee inthe word ofGod,thevnperfit fpeechesofGods children, and dea- refl Saints, vttcringin their griefetheir patheticall affe6lions. For what was the remedie inthis confitfion, butcuco topowreoutfreely before the Lord& their griefes, and inopening them to their friends,yea,andwhen they could doneitherof both, yet wouldtheyreueale their forrowes to thetreesof the field. confefonof Hisoffrmg we fee were hisgriefes. TheLord is God, and notan Idol!, beewillhearethce, flaue. when thou cryeflvino him. It maybe thouart ofhamedtoconfeffe thy faults beforeman, thou needeft notbeafhamed toconfelFethyfine before God. Manmay call thee in the teeth with thine infirmities,the Lord will neuer vpbraidthee. Manwill not keepcountell,neither can glue thee counfel: the Lordwill both keepe,andgiuetheecounfell.Man may prefcribefome meanes of deliuerance : but the Lordwill bosh tellthee the meanesofthy deliuerance, andwill deliver thee.So theProphet in hisowneexample Pfal.q. z. 3.offerethhisgriefecoto the Lord inwares, forwhenone wanewent oueranother , and his reafonand his foule had made a tumultwithin him felfe,yethefaid,rrhy artthose call domnemy foule,andvnguietwithersmee ?weiteonGad, n Letvs then confider ofthe promife made Rom. 8..z6. thefpirit helped, our infirmities:former know notwhat topray aswe ought,but the f irisitfelfe makçthrequeflfor vswithfight,Whicbcan not deexprejfed. Let vs thenthough weknownor how to pray in heedomeof ioy , pray in free. Freedome of donneof forrow. Let vs begin to offerin forrow,and in time wefhall offer in ioy.For Pfa43o.y. ioy ane" t/magfsweepingmay abideateuening,vetivy commeth in themorning, and Pfal. t z6.5.thaughwe domeo row. fbaHforewrearayyetiaeJhellreapeinioy. Verfro9. My is continually inminehand: yetdoe !notforget Law. Verf. t t o.Themicke,d hasselaid afnarefor me: but Ifwaruednotfrom thypreçepts. BYthis phrafe is went that lacwas at the poyntof death, asit maybe feene byother placesofthefcriptures: as when the Ephramites wereangrie with íphtah,becaufe be wenttowarre without theni,heaniwered, Ipitmy life inmyhand,&e. The Witch likewife which fpaketo Sanl, vfeth thefame fpeech, andIheuepsermyTonle inmy hande,&yc. And ¡oh faith,why fhouldI rentmyfiefh wishmy teeth,orcarriemyfoulethus inmy hand,&c.Where hemeaneth that hewasat deaths dore. Myfoule faintetls, mineeyes fade, I witherlikea bottle,and fuchfpeechesdeclare his miferie. This great danger wherein the is, he vfethasa third reafon, tomoue the Lord to beam his prayer :for by this meanes it cametopaffe that his prayer wasmore earneft. Thegreat- nésofinsgreefeheamplifiethin the, ro9 .and too.verfes. And in thisextremismofgriefe, we (hall feed=he hadgood caufetopray earneflly, if -we do confider the reafons which.flefhand bloodwouldput intohisminde.Forfirfk when he fate that he was in filch llreights,thathe couldnot feemeanesor wayes to bedeliuered, thenhis reafon would perfwade Iran to lease thelight of the word, asa thing thatinthis cafenhewed no light, and tovfepolitic for to helpehimfelfe. Thisis agreat temptation, and if Godhadnot affifted him, hemight hauefallen hereby. Forwe fee thatSani, when the Lord ganehim no anfwere, by TTrim and Mammies, nor otherordinarie meanes; he thought good inpolicie toaske counfell ofaWitch ; whichhebeforetrine hadpunifhed with death. Thus would corrupted iudgement haue caned him, tovlè policieand vnlaw- full meanes,and to honeforfaken thelanterne ofthe word,ifthe Lord had notllayedhim: andtherefore thiswas one caufe to nonehimmofeearneftlyto pray. Secondly,iflie looked to hisaffe6kions,hefhould finde themas corrupt: forthey would Lane carted him toreuenge,whcnhe faw hitnfelfetobevnreafonably andvnconfcronably desk
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