A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

And until any one that is sensible of the guilt of sin, will come off from all reserves to deal immediately with God, it is in vain for him to expect relief.

And untill any one that is sensible of the guilt of sin, will come off from all reserves to deal immediately with God, it is in vain for him to expect relief.

¹Secondly, Herein it is intense, earnest, and urgent, which was the second thing observed. It is no time now to be slothful. The souls All, its greatest concernments are at the stake. Dull, cold, formal, customary Applications to God will not serve the turn. Ordinary actings of saith, love, fervency; usual seasons, opportunities, duties, answer not this condition. To do no more ⟨p. 35⟩than ordinary now, is to do nothing at all. He that puts forth no more strength and activity for his deliverance when he is in depths, ready to perish, than he doth, or hath need to do, when he is at liberty in plain and smooth paths, is scarcely like to escape. Some (in such conditions) are careless and negligent; they think in an ordinary course, to wear off their distempers; and that although at present they are sensible of their danger; they shall yet have peace at last; in which frame there is much contempt of God. Some despond and languish away under their pressures. Spiritual sloth influenceth both these sorts of persons. Let us see the frame under consideration exemplified in another. We have an instance in the Spouse, Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3. She had lost the presence of Christ; and so was in the very state and condition before described, v. 1. It was night with her, a time of darkness and disconsolation; and she seeks for her Beloved: By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth. Christ was absent from her, and she was left unto depths and darkness upon that account. Wherefore she seeks for him; but as the most are apt to do in the like state and condition. She mends not her pace, goes not out of, or beyond her course of ordinary duties; nor the frame she was usually in at other times. But what is the issue? saith she, I found him not. This is not a way to recover a sense of lost Love; nor to get out of her entanglements. And this puts her on another course; she begins to think that if things continue in this estate, she shall be undone; I go on indeed with the performance of duties still, but I have not the presence of my Beloved; I meet not with Christ in them. My darkness and trouble abides still; if I take not some other course, I shall be lost. Well saith she, I will rise now, v. 2. I will shake off all that ease and sloth, and customariness, that cleave to me. Some more lively, vigorous course must be fixed on.