The Christian in Complete Armor by William Grinnell. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18, chapter 17, with all perseverance. These words contain the first branch in the apostles direction for prayer, which I shall dispatch briefly in four heads. Section one, for the importancy of the phrase. Here is perseverance, ye, all perseverance required in prayer. First, the Greek word here used comes from kaptos, K-A-P-T-O-C, the same with K-O-A, T-O-C, a letter only transposed to melt the sound, signifies strength or victory, and hence it compound the Greek word is to prosecute any business with an unwary consistency till all difficulties be conquered and the thing at last be accomplished. It is used for the diligency and labor of dogs that follow the chase till at last they get the game pursued. It is applied also to Lakwits with great labor, run after their masters and are at their hand in a journey. In scripture it is frequently applied to the duty of prayer as Acts 6-4, Colossians 4-2, Romans 12-12, and signifies that invincible pattern, courage, and consistency which a Christian is to show in upholding the duty of prayer, but are praying always in the beginning of this verse, and this praying with perseverance the same. question. Or, if they are not the same, where lies the difference? It cannot be thought the apostle giving direction for prayer would let them in fear one with another, and in so short a space repeat the same over again in other words. The rest are all distinct, so we will take these. Calvin makes this to be the difference by praying always, saith he. He exhorts us to pray in prosperity as well in adversity, and that then to meet the practice of this duty because not driven to it by such outward, pressing necessities, but by praying with perseverance, he admonishes us that we be not weary of the work, but continue instant and constant in its performance. though we have not presently what we pray for. By praying always, we are exhorted to the daily constant exercise of the duty of prayer, not to neglect the seasons for prayer as they return upon us. By praying with perseverance, we are pressed to bear up against discouragements as to any particular request we make at the throne of grace, and not to give over, though we have not a speedy answer to it. so that the former is opposed to a neglect of duty in its stated seasons, and the latter to a fainting in our spirits as to any particular suit we put up. We may keep our constant course of prayer, and yet not persevere in prayer, for this or that mercy which God withholds some time for the exercise of our grace. Secondly, I must show what is meant by all-perseverance. First, by all-perseverance is meant such a perseverance as holds out to the end till God doth give the thing we pray for or takes away the subject of our prayer, as He did in David's case for his sick child by his death. It is possible a soul may persevere, yet at last faint, when it sees the time for answering still protracted. God still stays, and there is no news of his coming, after many a dispatch sent to heaven upon that occasion. Oh, it is hard to hold up our hands with Moses to the going down of the sun. Christ complains how rare and scarce such a faith is to be found, when he begs long before he throws in the mercy prayed for. Nevertheless, the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth. Luke chapter 18 verse 8. Shall he find so much faith as to keep his people at prayer in expectation of his coming to their relief? Secondly, by all perseverance is meant the perseverance of the whole man in prayer. We must not only persevere to hold up the outward performance of the duty of prayer, but persevere to exert the inward powers of our souls and their graces in the duty. The duty may be kept up, and the heart down in performing it. The faith, zeal, and other graces of the soul may be gone or act but feebly, like an army that hath not yet quitted the field, but whose powder and shot are all spent. There they stand and put a good face on it, but can do little or nothing to offend the enemy or defend themselves. Thus many in afflictions pray still. They have not yet given over the duty and run out to the field, but alas, their faith fails, and there is little vigor in the performance. Here is some kind of performance, but not this all-perseverance which, above all, requires the perseverance of grace in its acting at the duty. So we translate the word, Romans 12.12. What is here with perseverance is their continuing instant in prayer. Some are instant, but at last not. If they find that mercy comes, they draw hard. But if their chariot of prayer be set, and after a pull or two that mercy comes not, their faith jades, and they give over. Others are constant but not instant. They continue to pray, but pray themselves cold. They grow lifeless in the work, as if they look for nothing to come of it. We must join both together and expect benefit from neither. Section 2 I proceed to show why we must pray with all perseverance. First, it is strictly commanded. 1 Thessalonians 5.17 pray without ceasing, that is, without fainting. So our Savior, Luke 18.1, speak a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and to faint not. Mark not only, that they might, but ought. It is indeed a high privilege to us and with a great condescension in the high God to give us leave thus to lie at his door and to suffer our prayers to be ever sounding in his ears. We should not like to have beggars knocking day and night at our doors, but so infinitely good is God that he not only allows us this boldness, but commands it that the fear of a sin might move us if the loss of privilege will not. Secondly, this perseverance in prayer is highly commended. Indeed, perseverance crowns every grace and commands every duty. It is not our faith and hope, but to hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope, firm to the end, and that God looks at, Hebrews 3, 6, not the seeming zeal and swiftness of our motion in the ways of God at our first start, but the consistency of a well-breathed soul in holding on his course till the race be finished, that Christ commands. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. John 8.31 So in prayer, it is not the short spirits of an inconstant zeal, but begins to pray, as they say the French do to fight, like thunder and lightning, but if the first charge carries it not, then they are cowed in their spirits. No, it is not the soft metal, whose edge is thus easily turned, that God likes in prayer, but is zeal-tempered and hardened, so that resolution that it cuts through all delays and difficulties that God highly commends. It got Jacob the name of a prince, so nobly he behaved in this duty, holding it out till break of day with God, and then would not let him go till he had blessed him. Thirdly, it is that which God intends by His delays and seeming denials. Why deals He thus with His people? Surely it is to put their graces to the trial, whether He will quit the siege for a few repulses or fall on with more courage. He holds His peace to make them cry the louder, steps aside to make them more eagerly seek after Him. Now, two things God aims at, especially by His people's perseverance in prayer. First, his own glory. What fairer occasion can Christians have in his whole life to honor God than by holding fast his integrity and keeping his allegiancy to him firm when he seems to be neglected, yea, forsaken of him? Certainly God would never have put Job to so much trouble, nor have made him pray and stay so long for the gracious issues of his perseverance, but to glorify himself in the faith and patience of his servant. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. James 5.11, truly we could not have heard so much of his patience if we had not heard so much of his troubles. But God put an end sooner to them. He might have, if we had not heard so much of his troubles, had God put an end sooner to them, he might have had more ease but not God, more honor. This was it that God was pleased with and counted himself highly honored by, that Satan with all his willies could not make Job give over praying, much less curse God. No, not when God broke him with his temptations and seemed not to regard him or his prayers. It pleases us most when our prayers are in heaven and back again quickly, but it glorifies God most when He lays an embargo, as I may say, upon our prayers so that no answer comes from heaven to us And yet we will send more after them, as Jacob did Benjamin after his other son, when the poor soul will not be taken off the duty by any intervening discouragements, but presses harder upon God from his seeming denials. This is indeed to give glory to God. Blessed is he that hath not seen, and yet thus believes. Secondly, God, by His people's persevering long in prayer, before He gives in His gracious answer, intends them no small advantage. First, He usually pays them interest for their forbearance. The longer they pray, the more redundancy the mercy is when it comes. Such a mercy that comes as an answer to persevering prayers is compared to the husbandman's gains at harvest which abundantly recompense his whole year's patience. In due season we shall reap if we faint not. Galatians 6.9 The breast is filling for a child. while the mother is sleeping. God sometimes seems to sleep and forget His poor children that cry to Him, but He is preparing their fuller for them. Secondly, such mercies as are God, with long and great difficulties, with sweet manifestations of divine love, O woman, great is thy faith, Matthew 15, 28. This poor woman had not her requests so soon granted as some others, but she lost nothing by it, for with the recovery of her child, which was all her errand, she carries away with her a high testimony from Christ's own mouth to the truth and eminence of her grace. Thirdly, such mercies as are the issues of persevering prayers are received usually with more joy and thankfulness than others, partly because the Christian's desires are more intense and so he tastes more sweetness in the mercy, also because such mercies give disappointments to the Christian's many fears. When God tarries, we are prone to question whether He will come or no. Will the Lord cast off forever, and will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean, gone forever? Doth His promise fail forevermore? Luke 77 verse 7 and 8. See how many sad thoughts gather about this good man's heart, which, though they did not overflow his chariot of prayer, yet clogged his wheels and made him drive with a heavy heart. Now, for a mercy to break out of so dark a cloud, must needs bring such a glory with it as to ravish the soul with joy and enlarge it into thankfulness. Those judgments the spirit centers most which come after long peace and prosperity when they think the danger is over and the bitterness of death is even past, as in Haman's case. who was sent to the gallows after he had vaunted how he was invited to the Queen's banquet. This strange turn made it a double death to him, so mercies that surprise The saint, after he hath prayed long and can hear no tidings that they are on their way, oh how it affects his heart with joy and gratitude. The church had prayed without ceasing for Peter in prison, but still he remained there even to the very time when Herod would have brought him forth, probably to his execution. Now when he came himself to bring them the joyful news that their prayers were heard, while they were instant at the word, It is said they were astonished, Acts 12, 16. Fourthly, such mercies are usually more wholly used and improved. For God holds His people long at prayer for a mercy, many times for this very end, to prepare and season their hearts, that, when they have it, they may know the better how to employ it for His glory and their own good. Hannah prayed long for a son, but none was given. This made her add a vow to her prayer. If thou wilt indeed look to the afflictions of thy handmaid, and wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, that I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life. 1 Samuel 1.11 Happy was it for this good woman. She had not her desires sooner. If she had received him at first, perhaps she'd never given him back to God again. The Lord sometimes forbears to give a mercy to us, only to make us more earnest in glorifying Him when we have it. The last advantage that comes to the Christian by perseverance in prayer is when the mercy is at last denied. And it is this which will enable and dispose him to bear the denial more meekly and wholly than another. He that is impatient and cannot wait on God for mercy will not easily submit to Him in a denial, whereas he that keeps up a spirit of prayer for it, when God comes to take away the subject of his prayer, will accuse us now he sees that God hath faithfully declared His will in the thing. Job lets not a day pass without prayer for his children, and how does the man behave himself when they are slain? Does he fret and fume? Does he curse God for making them a sacrifice for whom he had offered so many sacrifices? No, he meekly submits to his holy will. He opens not his mouth against Him, but in praise to Him. So David, when his child was dead, for whom, while living, he ceased not passionately to pray, to show how well satisfied he was with divine providence, he washes his cheeks, puts off his mourning, and goes to the house of God to worship. 2 Samuel 12.20 Prayer is a great heart easer. It breathes out those distempered passions which being bound up in others break out when God at any time crosses them in their will. Section 3 Having shown why we are to persevere in prayer, I come now to press the duty home. Christ bestowed a parable on his disciples to this very end to show that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Surely, then, it deserves an exhortation. Now, to enforce it, take five particulars. First, the prevalency of perseverance in prayer. This is emphatically expressed by the question of our Savior in his parable upon this subject. Luke, chapter 18, verse 7. Shall not God avenge His own elect that cried night and day unto Him, though He bear long with them? As if He had said, Can you think that God will send away those who are so near and dear to Him, and His own elect, with a denial, and that, when He hath made full proof of their faith and patiency, in waiting long upon Him for an answer? I tell you, saith Christ, that He will avenge them speedily. Verse 8 Men seek to please their constant customers. So will God those that are constantly trading with Him at the throne of grace. They that wait upon the Lord shall not be ashamed. David is careful for our encouragement to let us know how well he succeeded after his long waiting at God's door. Psalms 40 verse 1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. In the Hebrew, in waiting I waited, that is, I stayed waiting long, and at last he came. But David was a favorite. Many others expect to succeed as well as he did. See verse 3. Many shall see it in fear and shall trust in God. Answer of prayers is a constant privilege. It is not a monopoly given to one or two, but a charter granted to the whole corporation of saints to the end of the world. Psalms 102 verse 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer. Now mark what follows. This shall be written for the generation to come. Verse 18. Secondly, thy persevering in prayer will help to evidence thy state to be gracious. The hypocrite is often exposed here. Will he always call upon God? Job 27 verse 10. An unsound heart will be meddling with this duty now and then, but grows weary of the work at last, especially if he be made to wait long for the answer. Saul prays to God, and because he hears not from Him, goes at last to seek the devil. Observe what effect God's frowns and seeming denials produce in thy heart, and thou mayest know. the temper of thy spirit thereby? Do they wear off thy edge for prayer, or sharpen it? Do they make thee fall off and send thee away from God, with clamors in thy mouth and discontent in thy heart, resolved to beg no more there? Or do they make thee fall on with more courage, and enkindle thy affections to God and this duty more artigently? Truly if thou find'st the latter, thou may'st conclude, if this instant consistency in prayer be for spiritual blessings, that divine virtue hath gone from Christ into thy soul. O woman, great is thy faith! Thirdly, consider the great folly of fainting in prayer. Perhaps thou art in a deserted condition. Thou pray'st for comfort? But none comes, for victory over such a temptation without, or corruption within, thou art foiled in both. Therefore thou first faintest in the duty, and then givest it over what egregious folly. Because mercy comes not in haste to thee, therefore thou wilt run from it. which thou dost in ceasing to pray. When the fisherman misses his draught, he doth not give over his trade, but mendeth his net. O cease not to pray, but mend thy praying, double thy diligency, and all shall be well at last. Whatever the mercy is thou wast to have, must it not come from God's hands? Now will God give the mercy to thee who rejecteth his counsel for obtaining of it? Is not prayer with all perseverance the way he directs all his people to take? God, for a reason best known to himself, stays some while before he comes to his tempted, distressed servants with their deliverance, but leaves others when any of them ail anything. So the word in James 5.13 in the Greek signifies. that they should pray, apply themselves to the use of this duty, yea, continue the spiritual constant use of it till he comes, and withal assures us that he will come soon enough to save us. Now what folly is it to cast off this means to strictly prescribed. Surely, though there were nothing else, this is enough to turn God back when on His way of mercy to do us good. Fourthly, consider it as sinful as it is foolish to give over this duty. Thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. Job 15.4 It is a high crime for one trusted with a castle to deliver it cowardly into his enemy's hands, especially if he hath wherewithal to defend it. Hath not God provided sufficiently to enable the Christian to maintain his duty against all the armies of men and devils' afflictions and temptations that can oppose it? Princes are most careful to impose and supply frontier castles above others for defense, because they are most assaulted. Prayer is a duty that is as much opposed by Satan as any, and hath many other difficulties that render it no easy matter for the Christian to be instant and constant at it. God hath considered this and accordingly hath provided some cure. He gives his spirit to help the Christian because of his many infirmities. What and how to pray who, if he be used kindly, will not wanting to assist him in the work. And while the Spirit is ready to pray in him, Christ is as ready in heaven to pray for him, who also sends the precious promises of the gospel to assure the soul that relief is coming. be the affliction or temptation ever so great that besets it. Now, to faint in the work and by giving over the duty to open the gates of his soul for Satan to enter and triumph over God with his insulting blasphemies, what gracious soul that doth not tremble at the thought! We cannot cast off prayer but we cast some dishonorable reflection upon God. For every real defect in the creature proceeds from an imaginary defect which he supposes to be in God. Now the causes from which This fainting and prayer proceed are all evil and bitter. Alas, as it is foolish and evil, so it is of dangerous consequence to ourselves to faint and to cease to pray. First, it is the ready way to bring some stinging affliction upon us. Art thou a servant of God and flyest from his face? Expect a storm to bring thee back to thy work. Art thou a child and prayest the triune Do not expect that thy Heavenly Father will send thee to school with a rod at thy back. Secondly, cease to pray, and thou wilt begin to sin. Prayer is not only a means to prevail for mercy, but also to prevent sin. Pray that ye enter not into temptation. The thief comes when the candles are out. Christ could not keep his disciples awake at their devotions, and how soon were they put to their roots when the tempter came. When the courier in discontent gives over his attendancy at court, he is more easily persuaded into disloyal practices. Discontent softens the heart to receive sinful impressions from the tempter. Thou castest off fear and restrained prayer before God. Job 15.4 Eliphaz's doctrine was true, though his application was false. Sins of commission are the usual punishments that God inflicts on persons for sins of omission. He that leaves a duty may fear to be allowed to commit a crime. He that turns his ear from the truth takes the ready course to be given over to believe fables. 2Timothy 4.4 He that casts off prayer, it is a wonder if you find him not, ere long, cast into some foul sin. Section 4. The last thing is a word of counsel for the Christian's help and direction in this work of perseverance and prayer. Now this will lay before you the several causes of a person's falling off from this duty or fainting in it, which are divers. First, sometimes the cause in the want of a lasting principle to keep us constantly to the duty. That sometimes which sets the creature to prayer is not pure obedience to the command, but a desire to obtain some particular mercy, which, if obtained, the fish being caught, the net is laid aside, or if he prays long and hath it not, he grows weary of the work and lets it fall. Be sure, therefore, to pray in obedience. Bind the duty upon thy conscience, and thou wilt not easily shake it off. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. 1 Samuel 12.23 He had little encouragement from them he prayed for to continue at the work, but his obedience to God held him to it. This is a strong fence indeed to guard the heart. We cannot break through this hedge without feeling the thorns in our side. A gracious soul dreads nothing more than guilt. Tell him it is a sin to cease praying and you say enough. What though God answers not my prayer, his silence to my prayer must not deter me from praying. Prayer is still a duty. God is not bound to answer presently when we pray, but we are bound to pray though he does not answer. All this is come upon us, saith the church, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Psalms 44 verse 17 Remember Christ thou art a covenant servant, and one thing thou art as such bound to do, is to pray to thy God without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 17 This will defend thee against any motion which the tempter suggests to the contrary. The beggar knocks at the rich man's door, and if he be not served, away he goes. But the servant, though he be hungry, does not run away, because he hath not his dinner so soon as he desires. Secondly, sometimes not perseverance in prayer comes from pride. This evil is of the Lord. What should I wait for the Lord any longer? 2Kings 6.33 What a haunty spirit was here! Pride likes not to wait, but to be waited on. Here in the Gospel was a shame to beg, much more to stand long at the door upon a begging Aaron. Now though this be a disease which a saint is more free from than other men, yet there are dregs enough still within him to disturb his spirit. if he be not daily emptying them out. It will not, therefore, be amiss to leave a few sole, humbling considerations which you may be often taking, especially when you feel any remains of the sin about you, and your hearts begin to grow discontented because God makes you stay so long for any mercy prayed for. First, consider what it is to pray. It is to beg for alms, not to demand a debt. Now does it become you, in so poor a condition to be so quick and short with your God. If you can live without being beholden to God, why then do you come at all to His door? If you cannot, why then do you not wait more patiently for His pleasure? Should He wrong thee if He beat thee from His door? Why, then, art thou no more thankful for his leave to wait there, though thou be not presently served? Secondly, consider who he is thou prayest to. Is he not the great and glorious majesty of heaven and earth? And is not this a part of the obedience he expects at the hands of his poor creatures? How long did Mordecai sit at the king's gate before he had what he waited for. Is it not time enough for the servant to be set at dinner after he hath waited at his master's table? Were it not unsufferable in the servant to complain that his master sat too long, and require too much waiting at his hands? Is this the language of our hearts when we are dissatisfied at staying God's time for a mercy? Is He not a righteous holy God? Surely He doth thee no wrong to make thee pray long for a mercy thou deservest not when He comes. Is he not wiser than thee to know how to time his mercies? Shall the earth be forsaken for thee, and shall the rock be removed out of its place? Job 18.4 Will thou have God overthrow the course of his providence to gratify thy impatient spirit? Surely this is to charge God foolishly with some error in His judgment. In a word, is He not a faithful God, though He comes not so soon to thy reliefs as thou wouldst have Him? Where did He give thee leave to date His promises and set the day of payment? He hath promised to answer his children's prayers, but he hath concealed the time for the performance of his promise on purpose to keep them in a waiting posture, and therefore he breaks not his promise when he detains a mercy, but thou forgettest thy duty not to wait. God is not unfaithful, but thou art faithless and unbelieving. Thirdly, have not as good as thyself prayed as long as thou hast before they have received an answer, and yet they have not thus behaved themselves. Look into the generation of seekers, and thou wilt find that God hath exercised their patience as well as thine. Hast thou stood at God's door longer than many of their brethren? Remember Job, David, and Heman, how many troubles came over their heads. Dismissal afflictions did they endure before the day broke and the Divine Providence cleared up. Shall God raise a causeway for thee to walk by thyself dry-shod? while these and thousands besides have taken many a weary step through the deep sloths of afflictions. Therefore they came to a fairer way." When God led Israel about and made it a journey of forty years from Egypt to Canaan, It had been great presumption for any one among them to have desired God to lead him a shorter way thither than all his brethren. David desired no more at God's hands than to fare as his fellow saints. Be merciful unto me as thou usedst to do unto those that love thy name. Psalms 119 verse 132 Does not Christ himself wait in that long, even in heaven itself, for an answer to his prayers? He hath been already above a thousand years there at prayer for his church and against his enemies, and hath not as yet received the full of his desires, but still is expecting till the one be saved and the other made his footstool. Who art thou that thou shouldst have so high an opinion of thyself as to expect God should make all stay and trade for time whilst thou alone for ready money? Fourthly, consider whether thou didst never make God wait on thee before his suit could be heard, though he begged not for his benefit but his own. Did God wait in Thy carnal state upon Thee, that He might at last be gracious to Thee, and thinkest Thou much of waiting now on Him? Thirdly, not persevering in prayer proceeds often from unbelief. The creature prays and God is silent. Now, thinks Satan, is my time come to do this person a mischief, and therefore he labors to persuade the creature that there is no mercy to be expected from God. If, saith the tempter, God had meant to come, he would have been here before. Therefore give over and take some other course. Thus he dealt with our Savior. No enemy appeared in the field for forty days, and then he approaches. This is His way with the saints also. He lets them alone until He thinks they are softened into a compliancy by long withstanding upon duty. Then He comes to parley with them and takes them off from waiting upon God by starting many fears and doubts in their thoughts concerning His power, mercy, and truth, so that the Christian is put to a stand and knows not whether he should pray or not, or if he does, yet his heart is not with it. He prays faintly, with a kind of despair, as the poor widow that made her last handful of meal with no other thoughts than of dying when she had eaten it. Unbelief is a soul-infibring sin. It is to prayer as the moth is to the cloth. It wastes the soul's strength so that it cannot look up to God with any hope. that they made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened. Nehemiah 6, 9. Resist therefore Satan. Be steadfast in the faith. Never let thy heart suffer the power, mercy, or truth of God to be called into question. Thou hast good question whether he can cease to be God. These attributes of the divine nature are to thy faith like the stone to Moses, which Aaron and her put for him to sit upon. They will sustain thy spirit, that thou shalt not faint or grow weary at the work, though God makes thee wait till the going down of the sun. All this waiting posture highly pleases God, and never puts the soul to shame. Mary that stayed by the scepter, though she missed her Lord there, got at last the happy sight of Him. Let us but seek Christ in faith, and He will at last be with us, though we do not presently see Him. Fourthly, some persevere not in prayer because they have their eye upon some other than God, from whom they expect help, it is no wonder such give over praying. Whilst the carnal heart prays for deliverance, he hath other projects in his head, how to disengage himself out of the briars in which he is caught. On these he lays more stress than on God. Therefore at last he leaves praying, to betake himself to them. Whereas another that looks for all from God and sees no way to help himself but by calling in God to his aid will say, as Peter to Christ, Lord, whither shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. I know not another door to knock at but Thine. I will therefore never leave Thee. We know not what to do, said good Jehoshaphat, but our eyes are upon Thee. It proceeds from a want of inward compliancy which the creature should have in God and in communion with Him. Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God? Job 27 verse 10 We will not always call upon Him, because He never did cordially delight in Him. We easily let go what we take, no great content to enjoy. The sincere soul is tied to God by the heart's strings. His communion is founded in love, and love is stronger than death. Many waters cannot quench it. A stranger may have an errand that brings him to a man's house, but that time his acquaintance ceases, but a friend comes to sit with him, and the delight he takes in his company will not suffer him to discontinue his acquaintance long. If, therefore, thy affections be but once placed upon God as thy chief good, thou wilt always be anxious to visit him in prayer. The hypocrite uses prayer, as we use psyche, but because he loves the taste of it. The sincere soul uses it as food. It is sweet to his palate. David, from the inward satisfaction he found in the presence of God, cries out. Psalm 73, verse 28. It is good for me to draw near to God. Never shall such a soul part with it. No, he will say, as the fig tree in Jotham's parable. Shall I forsake my sweetness and the good fruit that I have found in communion with my God, I will never do it.