incomparable good The Prophet Habakkuk Hab. 3.17 18 under all creature-disappointments resolveth he shall be able to furnish himself with joy and comfort enough in the Lord the God of his Salvation To express in any proportion the numberless and invaluable Consolations that are in God for such a state and use as this is not to be undertaken take in lieu thereof these Considerations 1. God is alway present with his even when they most seem to be deserted of him Joseph through envy was sold into Egypt but God was with him Acts 7.9 God was with David in his walk through the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 God was with the three children in the fiery furnace Dan. 3.25 And in his presence is fulness of joy Psal 16.11 His presence is Salvation Psal 42.5 margent 2. God still hears his people even when and while they pray according to his Will though he do not presently answer Isai 65.24 Ier. 31.18 and in hearing he takes exact notice of them and their requests Act. 7.34 Iob 23.10 and he is dearly affected tenderly moved with their condition and cry Iudg. 10.16 Ier. 31.20 and he constantly bears in mind them and their prayers A Book of remembrance is written for them that fear the Lord and that think upon his Name Mal. 3.16 They are graven upon the palms of his hands and their walls are continually before him Isai 49.16 The words of their supplication are nigh unto the Lord their God day and night 1 King 8.59 And he still owns his people highly esteems tenderly cares for them as his Jewels Mal. 3. 17. This is his mind and disposition towards them even under desertion 3. His people have the pledg of his Word and Promise to stay upon and move him with Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me Psal 119.49 50. Gods word of promise is in many respects better unto his people then his present providential workings for this is common to the wicked as well as them and it is temporary and variable but his Word is eternal and invariable and the peculiar tenure of his children 4. There is no such strait or difficulty to the people of God but he hath still a way out for them though they see not the portal or passage That speech of the Apostle is excellent to this purpose We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 2 Cor. 4.8 9. In In every one of those clauses they cast one of their eyes downward upon themselves and there see their strait and another upward to God and there see their outlet They are as to their own sense environed with troubles as at their wits end as quite overthrown they know not which way to turn them for escape but looking up to God their nonplus is at an end they know he hath still a postern to open for them and set them free 5. The people of God have their former experiences of God to revive and be an earnest unto their faith Psal 22.9 10. 71.5 6. 77.5 6. 143.6 Lam. 3.56 57 58. 6. God doth and will support strengthen stablish and settle them that trust and wait on him Psal 138.3 He giveth them songs in the night His light riseth in their obscurity He satisfies their Soul in drought Iob 35.10 Psal 42.8 Isai 58.10 11. 7. Lastly The people of God that are so indeed have an assurance from God that his present and partial desertion of them is not neither ever shall be total or perpetual The true measure of Gods forâ—aking thâ—m is given us Isai 54.8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment The desertion is not total it is but in a little wrath Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Psal 37.24 Hence is it that at the same time and in the same condition the people of God to wit during the seventy years captivity in Babylon are said to be cast off and forsaken of God Ezek. 11.16 Ierem. 7.29 12.7 23.33 39. 2 King 23.27 and not to be forsaken of God Ezra 9.9 Ier. 51.5 because though they were indeed forsaken in regard of the presence and special blessings of God they before enjoyed at Ierusalem yet they had still the acknowledgment the favor the protection the care the purposes of God for special good upon them for which read Ier. 24.5 6 7. Ezek. 11.16 17 18 19 20. Neither is the desertion such as it is perpetual or endless it is but for a moment The Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Lam. 3.31 32. In regard of perpetual forsaking â—t is said The Lord will not cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Psal 94.14 The Lord forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever Psal 37.28 And of the same people of God whom in part he had forsaken he himself saith Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken Thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken Isai 62.4 12. Psal 80.3 7 19. Turn us again O God vers 7. O God of Hosts vers 19. O Lord God of Hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 2 Thes 3.5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ Amen FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for Luke Fawn at the Parrot in Pauls-Churchyard In Folio 1. A French-English Dictionary by Mr Randle Cotgrave with the Supplement of Mr James Howel 2. Ovid Metamorpâ—â—sis Eâ—â—lished Mythologiz'd and represented in figurâ—s by Mr G. Sandys 3. The Worâ—s oâ— Mr Williâ—m â—erkins the first Volume 4. Dr Fulk upon the Rhemists Testament 5. The Works of John Boys Doctor in Divinity containing an Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels used in our English-Liturgie 6. A Dictionary in Spanish and English together with a Spanish Grammar by Iohn Minshew 7. The Laws and Customs of a Common-wealth by Iohn Bodin 8. Englands Recovery being the History of the Actions of the Army under the Conduct of Sir Thomas Fairfax by Ioshua Sprig In Quarto 9. An Exposition with Practical Observations upon the first fourteen Chapters of the Book of Iob by Ioseph Caryll 10. A Practical Commentary or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of Iames by Thomas Manton 11. Of Wisdom 3 Books written in French by Peter Charron and translated into English by Sampson Leonard 12. Christs victory over the Dragon or Satans dowfall in an Exposition of the 12 Chapters of the Revelation by Dr Thomas Taylor 13. The way of life in four several Treatises 1. The pouring out of the Spirit 2. Sins deadly wound 3. The
please him to enable me to speak both of him the thing that is right and to men to his servants that which may be sound and satisfying The Question propounded affordeth matter for four Queries or it offereth four things to be distinctly considered and resolved 1. Whether there be any Example of this vis Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his Promises and his seeming by his Providences to answer the prayers which are contrary thereunto 2. How or in what sence God may be said so to do 3. What may be the Reason of his so doing 4. What Vse should be made of it CHAP. II. THe first Query answered viz. Whether Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his Promises and seeming by his Providences to answer the prayers which are contrary thereunto can be parallel'd with any Example SECT I. The Question affirmed and divided into Parts THis first Query is to be answered Affirmatively It is a thing that may be Exemplified there is no new thing in it Yea we are not without many Presidents of it going before us In producing the Examples required I will divide the matter to be patterned into its two Parts and shew the Examples 1. Of Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his Promises 2. Of his seeming by his Providences to answer the prayers which are contrary thereunto SECT II. Examples of Gods Hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers FIrst Of the former viz. Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his Promises there is great store of notable Examples of this I will set them down in this order 1. The Acknowledgments or Complaints of this in the mouths of the people of God 2. The Declarations of God himself to this purpose 3. Historical Observations of the thing I. First Of this the Saints or people of God have made their Acknowledgment or Complaint in Scripture And this is observable 1. Either of the prayers of particular persons 2. Or of the prayers of the Community or multitude of Gods people that is of the Church First For Personal Prayers Single persons have found themselves in this condition And this may be noted touching their prayers 1. For others 2. For themselves 3. For Gods own Cause 1. Let us hear their Testimonies in relation to their prayers for others Holy David telleth us He clothed himself with sackcloth Psa 35 13 and humbled his Soul with fasting for his Enemies and Persecutors Saul and his party and his prayer returned into his own bosom that is it proved ineffectual as for them He also solemnly fasted and besought God for his sick child but it availed not on the seventh day the child dyed Moses prayed earnestly for them of Israel who had set up and worshiped the golden Calf Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book Exod. 32.32 33 34 35. which thou hast written But what answer had he to this pathetick prayer And the Lord said unto Moses Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book therefore now go lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee behold mine Angel shall go before thee Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them And the Lord plagued the people because they made the Calf which Aaron made The Prophet Isaiah professeth his uncessantness in prayer for Zions and Jerusalems glorious Restauration For Zions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest Isai 62.1 6 7. 63.11 15. 64.7 until the Righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth And he enjoyneth the same instancy in prayer to all other praying persons Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Yet in the two following Chapters he in his own and their persons expostulateth and bemoaneth the Lords withdrawing and withholding himself from them and his people notwithstanding their prayers Where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherd of his flock where is he that put his holy Spirit within him where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained And this his hiding himself is set out to be so dismal and long that they were even grown weary of prayer And there is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities The Prophet Jeremiah prayeth most tenderly for Judah and Zion Jer. 14.19 21. 15.1 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah hath thy Soul lothed Zion Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing for us We looked for peace but there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble Do not abhor us for thy Names sake do not disgrace the throne of thy glory remember break not thy Covenant with us c. And what is the Lords return unto this Then said the Lord unto me Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people cast them out of my sight and let them go forth King Josiah upon his hearing read the words of the Book of the Law and understanding by it the great wrath of the Lord which was kindled against him and his people 2 K ng 23.25 26. he besought the Lord with extraordinary humiliation zeal and diligence His heart was tender he humbled himself before the Lord he rent his clothes and wept before God he sent to enquire of the Lord for himself and all Judah by the Prophetess Hâ—ld ah e assembled the people published the Book of the Law made and imposed on the people a Covenant before the Lord to yield obedience to it He rooted up Idolatry and Sorcery He restored the Temple and true Worship of God He was in all these a peerless King Like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him But all this would not appease Gods anger nor avert his Judgments unto desolation from Judah Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah c. The Prophet Habakkuk gives us to understand how speedless he was in prayer beginning his Prophesie with this complaint unto God Hab. 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save And going yet a second time unto God by prayer in expectation and hope of a better answer I will
Ezek. 14.14 16 18 20. Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own Souls by their righteousness So we hear this proceeding of God owned by himself by way of Threatening Secondly He hath spoken it by way of Prophecy or Prediction Our blessed Saviour in his Exhortation to his Disciples to uncessantness in prayer by the example of the windows importunity with the unjust Judg in the reddition of that Parable he foretells Luk. 18.1 7 8. that God will indeed avenge his own Elect which cry day and night to him but withall he will bear long with them that is he will long sit still and forbear to appear and vindicate his people notwithstanding the cry of their prayers and the provoking of their Oppressors And in the next words he describes how long to wit so long as that it will be a question whether the Son of man when he cometh shall find faith on the Earth That is as I understand when Christ our Saviour shall come either personally and visibly to the last Judgment or virtually and by his divine working in this life to the rescue of his Church and ruine of their Enemies according to the several Promises and Predictions in Scripture the faith of his people not in the absolute being or nature of it but in regard of that particular use of act of it in beleeving that God will seasonably avenge them and confident staying for it shall even be worn out through pining delay and brought almost to a fail In the Prophecy of the Revelation at the opening of the fifth seal by the Lamb our blessed Redeemer there appeared under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God Rev. 6.9 10 and for the Testimony which they held and they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord c. white Robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fufilled These Souls under the Altar are unanimously interpreted to be the Persecuted and Martyred Christians in the Ten primitive Persecutions and more especially according to Mr Mede those under Dioclesians Immâ—nity We see they cry for Avengement and complain of a long putting off How long and nevertheless their answer is that notwithstanding all the delay that hath been they must rest contented and stay yet some time longer Learned Mr Mede conceiveth the time of their yet further deferring to be till the sounding of the Trumpets and their fellow-servants and brethren which in the Interim were to be killed as they to be those who after were slain under Licinius Julianus and the Arrians Rev. 8.2 3 c. Those seven Trumpets he also reckoneth to be so many alarums to the fatal ruines of the Roman Empire God taking punishment by those ruins for the blood of the said Martyrs shed by the Roman Emperors And the Angels adding much incense to the prayers of al Saints upon the golden altar before the Throne and the ascending before God of the smoak of the incense out of the Angels hand with the prayers of the Saints which immediately antecedeth the Trumpets to be a renewing of the memoral of those prayers of the afore-martyred Saints under the the fifth Seal upon which as an answer of that remembrance and of those prayers so long before put up the seven Angels prepare to sound their Trumpets Now betwixt the beginning of the last of the Ten Persecutions and the beginning of the seven Trumpets there was more then the age of a man Mr Mede begineth the fifth Seal at the year of Christ 268. and the Trumpets at 395. it was thus long to wit 127 years ere those prayers of the afflicted Martyrs began to be answered and moreover the time of the continuance of the first six of those Trumpets in which their answer is made up he accounts to be 1260 years more after that Another Prophecy in the same Book we may add to this purpose it is that of the two Witnesses the Text saith They shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed with sackcloth Rev. 11.3 5 and if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoured their Enemies By those two Witnesses our Divines understand those few Preachers Professors and Maintainers of the Truth of Christ which shall be found during the Gentiles treading under foot the holy City that is the prophane and idolatrous peoples trampling upon the face of the visible Church Those one thousand two hundred and three-score days they compute to intend so many years That sackcloth they take to emblematize their mourning complaining condition And that fire issuing out of their mouths they expound to be their prayers for divine ayd and rescue like as Elijah called for fire to come down from Heaven 2 Kings 1 10. to consume the Captains and their fifties These persons although such precious ones so raised up and impowred by Christ yet we see they are put to walk mournfully and pray continuedly for so great a term of years ere their prayers speed and their state be changed Yea notwithstanding all their patience and constancy in that sad and expecting condition they are at length to be overcome and slain and kept unburied and insulted over by the Beast and his accomplices before they come to receive the issue of their prophecying and praying Rev. 11.7 8 9 10. by their re-advancement This last part of their sorrowful cup seems to be not only a suspense of their long continued prayers but even a breaking off of them and of all hope of their enjoying the benefit of them unless they must expect it in another world But yet the next words will resolve us that both their former walking in sackcloth and their slaying at last is to be no more then a suspense or deferring for a time for within three days and a half they are raised up again to life to their feet yea to Heaven in a Cloud in sight of their Enemies that is they attain to an happy end of their labours and sufferings and to an accomplishment of their prayers This last passage the slaying of the Witnesses is conceived by many to be yet behind or in fulfilling unto others it seems to be acted and past It is beyond me peremptorily to determine either way only whereas it appears unlikely to be yet to come when as sundry Nations sometimâ—s following and serving the Beast have cast him off bidden defiance to him and set up the Reformed Religion I will here insert Mr Medes gloss upon it very appositely meeting with that scruple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they shall be about to finish their testimony for so it is to be translated not when they have finished the Beast which ascendeth out of the bottomless
to haste away and pass over Jordan by night 2 Sam. 19.9 never staying till they came to Mahanaim Mahanaim saith Mr. Buntings Itinerarium was a City in the Tribe of Gad 44. miles from Jerusalem near the River Iabok which River was within the Confines of the Ammonites as will appear by Gen. 32 2 22 with Numb 21.24 Deut. 2 37. 3.16 Josh 12.2 the very border of the Kingdom so that as the very Text tells us he fled out of the Land Thus for a time Providence goes along with Absalom and seems to accomplish his and put back godly and innocent Davids prayers And this it appears was taken notice of even by Absalom and his party for David in his Psalm composed upon his flight from Absalom saith Many are they that rise up against me many there be which say of my Soul There is no help for him in God * Psal 3.1 2. But one Example more shall I bring for this and it is a note-worthy one Job the Monument of Afflictions accompanied with integrety maketh this one strain of his adverse condition I am as one mocked of his neighbor who calleth upon God and he answereth him Job 12.4 That Job called upon God and found no answer is expressed by himself in several other passages of this Book which I cited before Here then he meaneth by him who calleth upon God and he heareth him another to wit his neighbor by whom he saith he is mocked Job 19 7. 30.29 19.3 Whether by his neighbor he intendeth any of those his friends who were now in eager dispute with him maintaining a contrary part to him and of whom he complains elsewhere that they had reproached him ten times or another it is not very manifest but the former is very probable Who calleth upon God that is the mocker who was one that made a profession of the true Religion with him who was so bold that he durst pray to God to confirm his works and to prosper him in his wicked courses And he answereth him God answers him really by making the mocker to prosper in his evil way His meaning is that he had Heaven Earth against him and his deriding friends were heard of God when he could not be heard Divines Annotat. in Loc. And Mr Caryl in loc Yet we may take for certain that betwixt Job and him whosoever he was there was some kind of odds or variance that they both called upon God and that in their so doing Job was the just upright man and the other was in the wrong Yet see Job seemeth to himself to be repelled in his prayer and his scornful Antagonist to be heard of God How he was heard Job explaineth in the next Verse but one The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly They were heard it appears in temporal issues and advantages But in stead of my own I will present you with Mr Caryls Paraphrase on those words The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper Robbers are of two sorts There are open Robbers that care not who sees such are warlike Robbers who bring Power to do what they cannot do by Justice such were those warlike Bands and at them Job aims in this Argument of Chaldeans and Sabeans who spoiled Jobs Estate and Cattel By Robbers here we may understand these boisterous sons of Mars men of blood and violence who make their Will their Law and think they may do whatsoever they have power to do Secondly There are secret Robbers Deceit and Fraud commit Robbery as well as Power and Force Some rob while they pretend to seek for right some are rob'd others are murthered by the Law the Law is a shadow to many lawless actions Others rob securely while they seem only to sell Ephraim said Surely I am become rich I have found me out Substance in all my labour they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin Hos 12.8 q. d. I am sure none can charge me with any open wrong or Robbery it appears plainly that I have done no such thing for that were sin that is punishment would follow such iniquity whereas I thrive and prosper Both or either of these Robbers may be understood here They who provoke God are secure To provoke God is sinning with a high hand q. d. I do not speak of those who sin lightly who trade in small sins or sin after the rate and course of ordinary men but they who sin provokingly and boldly they who send defiance to Heaven by sining even those live securely here on Earth Are secure The Hebrew is abstract and plural securities confidences are to them They sin against God every way and they have security every way they sin against God as much as they can and they have as much prosperity as they will all kind of security is their portion who commit all kind of impiety Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly What the worst of men have is of Gods giving he puts it into their hand Satan puts wickedness into their hearts but it is God who puts power into their hands God puts the persons and estates of others into their hands Abundantly Our Translators add that to shew the bounty of God even to many of them who most designedly disobey him Such have not only as much as they need but as much as they desire God brings Quails into their hands as well as Manna In cujus manus venire facit Deus sc omnia animi sui vota Merc. Into whose hands God maketh to come to wit all their wishes There is another reading Who put God into their hand The Jewish Doctors are much for this They may be said to carry God in their hand because they act as if God were in their power and dispose not they in his The Tyrians chained Hercules to a post that he might not depart their Country This is to bring a God in the hand grosly and openly They do it closely and covertly who are unwilling to be guided by his hand They who would bring God down to their wills make Laws for God They who make a Law for God act as if they had made God Thus hath Mr Caryl opened these words for me and we see of what a large extent the answer of an evil mans prayer in opposition to a godly mans may be Thus have I produced Examples of sufficient variety and what pertinency mine observation and leasure would afford to the thing propounded in both the branches of it viz 1. Of Gods hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded on his Promises 2. Of his seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are Contrary thereunto SECT IV. The Conclusion of the Chapter shewing the Vse may be made of the Examples fore-alledged IF it be asked To what purpose may the collecting of this multitude of Examples serve I answer Besides the Resolution of the Query to which
they are brought they may serve for the like end whereunto the History of Job is conceived to have been intended Origen Sixt. Senens Bibliothe lib. 1. p. 9. l. 8 p. 649. and with him the Jewish Rabbins and others conjecture that the Book of Job was first writ in Syriac by Job himself or by his friends and after translated into Hebrew by Moses at what time the Israelites were under the servitude of Pharaoh in Egypt and that for this intent that by the reading thereof they might receive Consolation learn Patience and gather Hope in that their hard bondage by the consideration of Jobs sufferings his pious and patient behavior under them and the redoubled happiness which their end brought forth So in like manner whatsoever burden any of the servants of God may be under now from any suspense they may apprehend lying upon prayers either their own or others either for themselves or their relations these Examples may be of some such use and may raise up their hearts somewhat in representing to them that the same affliction hath been accomplished in their Brethren that have been in the world 1 Pet. 5 9. I will conclude mine Answer to the first Query with another General Observation on the said History of Job It is concerning the state of the Controversie therein debated The great difference between Job and his three friends in it is this Job maintaineth That the Lord may Job 9.22 6.29 23.11 12. 27.5 6. and sometimes doth temporarily afflict destroy desert or defer to hear a righteous man and prosper or grant the desires of the wicked man They on the opposite part contend That God doth at no time leave or cast down the pure and upright Job 9.24 10.3 12.6 27.7 8. 8.20 4.7 8.5 6 11.13 4.8 20.20 21.27 28. 22.15 nor any ways second or favor the ungodly And particularly in reference to prayer one of them viz. Bildad affirms in terminis That if Job would seek presently unto God and if he were pure and upright surely now at that instant the Almighty would awake for him and make the habitation of his Righteousness prosperous And again he asserts Behold God will not cast away a perfect man neither will he help the evil doer Which last sentence taken in the utmost extent so as to exclude all manner of casting away the one and helping the other will no more stand then the former of the Lords instant awakening for and prospering of Iob if pure and praying But why do I interpose to determine in this Controversie The Lord himself doth umpire the difference in the end of the Book and he decides it on Iobs side he tells Eliphaz Job 42.3 4 5 6. Thou and thy two friends have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Iob hath This I suppose is necessarily to be taken as the Lords coming in and arbitrating the main Controversie betwixt them Iob indeed had used some unbeseeming and reprovable speeches of and to God as the Lord before convinceth him and he acknowledgeth but in the main of the question and debate to wit concerning the divine administration in relation to the estates and prayers of the righteous and the wicked Iob was in the right and his three friends besides it Iob indeed had this unhappiness heaped upon his other miseries that both his Person and his Argument were severely censured by his Opponents His Person as a wicked Hypocrite Chap 4.6 7. 22.5 c. His Argument Rebellionem haberi quaerimoniam meam Tremel as Rebellion Chap 23.2 whilest those his Censurers sat high in their own opinion both for wisdom Chap. 15.9 10. Integrity Chap. 22.18 and worldly weal Chap. 22.20 Yet in conclusion Iob and his Tenet are absolved his Friends and their Cause are disallowed by God I cannot pass from this without additionally observing the immediate Consequents of this Arbitration As by this sentence pronounced Iob is vindicated and his three friends rectified so are they both reconciled and they are reconciled in Sacrifice and Prayer Iobs friends provide the Sacrifice and Iob makes the Prayer and these being performed Iob is heard and accepted of God both for himself and his friends and being so he is raised up again to a prosperous estate and that double in proportion to his former havings O if this might be the happy period of the most unhappy divisions of these days about Prayer and Providence As that it may be so is to be the joynt wish prayer and labour of all so there is no necessary reason to despair that it shall be only if they that sustain Jobs condition would hold out to act Jobs approved part in particular that his resolution Chap. 27.3 4 5 6. All the while my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils my lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me My Righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live CHAP. III. The second Query handled viz. How or in what sence God may be said to hide himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promises and seem by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary thereunto WE have granted and attested by many witnesses that the Lord doth sometimes and in some sort hide himself from his peoples prayers some ways grounded upon his promises and seemeth by his Providences to answer the prayers that are contrary to them But it will be very necessary that the case may not seem and be apprehended worse then it is that needless and causless perplexities about it may be prevented and that we may understand aright those passages both of Scripture and divine Providence which concerning it have been set before us or may occur that we rake out the true sence of that supposal and concession by a due explication and limitation of it For that purpose I shall proceed 1. In the unfolding of the terms or clauses therein 2. In collecting the explication of them into some Corollaries or summary Propositions The first and chief work will be the unfolding of the terms In the doing of it need will be that I insist severally on these clauses 1. Of the people of God 2. Of the groundedness of prayers upon the divine promise 3. Of Gods answering and of his hiding himself from prayers SECT I. Of the People of God ALl Nations and persons in the world are in one acception Gods people in as much as he is their Creator and supreme Lord they his Creatures and Subjects The Earth is the Lords Psa 24.1 and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein He himself saith Behold all Souls are mine Ezek. 18.4 Job 41.11 and again Whatsoever is
is offered or if for all collectively then only for those benefits to them which God hath declared to be common to all For that some persons are excepted out of our prayers for spirituals is manifest by that of the Apostle There is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it that is 1 Joh. 5.16 not for the life eternal of him that sinneth that sin 2. In particular there are also precepts to pray for others in special according to several states and relations Ecclesiastical and Civil publique and private The people of God are to pray for the Church of God Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Psa 122.6 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Eph. 6.18 and supplication for all Saints And for the Ministry Brethren pray for us 2 Thes 3.1 that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified In like manner the Ministers for the people We will give our selves continually to prayer Acts 6.4 and to the Ministry of the Word Moreover as for me 1 Sam. 12 23 God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Jam. 5.14 16 and let them pray over him And Brethren for Brethren Pray one for another that ye may be healed If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shal ask and he shal give him life for them that sin not unto death Prayer also must be for others that stand in civil relation to us as for the Country we belong unto Lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left 2 Kin. 19.4 Ezek. 22.30 I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it And seek you the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carryed away Captives Jer. 29.7 and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace And for Magistrates For Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honest 1 Tim. 2.2 And for our kindred according to the flesh Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Rom 10.1 And for our children and posterity Let thy work appear unto thy servants Psal â—0 16 and thy glory unto their Children Yea and for our Enemies But I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them which curse you Mat. 5.44 Ro. 12.14 and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Bless them which persecute you Bless and curse not We see how far and how particularly the Precept warrants and binds to prayer for all sorts of men Secondly There is something also in Scripture for prayer against persons Which I mention as well for Explication and Caution as for Prescript or Incitation 1. Some are found to pray against themselves And this hath been done diversly in respect of the principle whence 1. Sometimes out of an extraordinary and super-eminent pitch of zeal and charity As Moses David and Paul 1. Moses Exo. 32.32 Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book which thou hast written David Let thine hand I pray thee O Lord 1 Chro. 21.17 be on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should be plagued And Paul Rom. 9.3 For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh Exempla quae nos admirari praestat quam imitari Scult deprecat c. 15. p. 54 Of these Instances I suppose I may say they are either scarce imitable or scarce attainable Observe also they are conditional or comparative rather this then that rather then the desire to which they are annexed should be frustrate Moreover for the first it is not easie to understand distinctly what Moses meant by that Book or by bloting out and besides Moses was in an extraordinary relation and function he was a typical Mediator For the second David doth but pass an equal censure upon himself that he that had committed the Sin might bear the punishment and that only rather then others that were innocent in it that were a publique community and the people of God And for the third Pauls is not a prayer but a profession what he could wish were it a prayable thing like that profession of his before King Agrippa Act. 26.29 Festus and the rest I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds But this Sea this flame of Love as Chrysostom calls it breaking forth of the Apostle Paul expresseth it self indefinitely as to the matter of separation and may therefore be understood of separation not from the love of Christ but from his Enjoyment not everlastingly but for a time only 2. Sometimes holy men have prayed against themselves Job 6.8 Jon. 4.3 9. Num. 11.15 â— Kin. 19.4 but it hath been out of rashness and impatience as Job Jonah Moses Elijah I refer to the places quoted for their words and occasion of them I need not doubt to say they are left on record for our use indeed but not to practise but to avoyd Secondly There are prayers against others and of this sort there are found many Presidents and some Commands which I shall distinguish into several sorts and shortly point out the sence and use which according to judicious Interpreters may be made of them The Prayers against others are 1. Either by way of complaint of the wickedness or wrong done against them by whom they are put up So Elias is said to make intercession to God against Israel Rom. 11.2 Acts 4.29 Isa 37.14 So do the Apostles and Church of God complain in prayer of the threats of the high Priest and his Councel against them So doth Hezekiah make his plaint unto God of the blasphemy of Sennacherib against God and his rage against himself And the Book of Psalms aboundeth with such like prayers Now concerning this kind of prayer there is no doubt or difficulty but it may and should upon occasion be used by us 2. Or they are by way of imprecation that is wishing and desiring the Lord to manifest himself and lift up his hand against them in opposition to whom they are made And of this sort of prayers we must yet further note some difference 1. Some are only against mens counsels or practises Thus when Ahitophel conspired with Absalom 2 Sam. 15.31 David prayed O Lord I pray thee turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness Such Imprecations are
10.4.31 Psa 18.6 they come up for a memorial before God David saith His cry came before God even unto his ears The Priests the Levites when they arose and blessed the people at Zedekiahs Passover the Text saith 2 Chro. 30 27 Their voyce was heard and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place even unto Heaven And when it is thus the Scripture saith of God in relation to prayers His ears are open to their cry He harkens and hears Psa 34.15 Mal. 3 16 Psal 86.1 10.17 66.16 102.17 Prov. 15.8 Cant. 2.14 Psa 145.18 Lam. 3.57 Job 33.26 Isai 30.19 Jer. 31.20 Mal. 3.16 Jer. 29.14 Ezra 8.23 Gen. 19.21 Cant. 2.14 He bows down his ear and hears He causeth his ear to hear He attendeth to the voyce of prayer He regardeth and despiseth not their prayer The prayer is his delight the voyce is sweet And it saith of God in relation to the Petitioner He is nigh He draweth neer to them that call upon him He is favorable He is very gracious to them at the voyce of their cry He doth earnestly remember them still His bowels are troubled for them A book of remembrance is written before God for them He is found of them He is entreated of them He accepteth their face their countenance is comely In such terms as these the Scripture travelleth to deliver and explain to us the respâ—ct and welcome which God gives to his childrens prayers And this is the first part of prayers succeâ—s or taking with God it 's heard or received The second is Gods answer or making return to prayer The Lord appears to prayers by answering them and this is the appearance whereof we are more sensible this is that we find in the Prophet Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry Isai 58.9 and he shall say Here am I. David tells us That when in his distress he called upon the Lord Psal 18 6 and cryed unto his God he heard his voyce out of his Temple and his cry came before him even unto his ears that was the first effect of prayer of which before It then follows He bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet and he rode upon a Cherub and did fly yea he did fly upon the wings of the wind the Lord also thundered in the Heavens c. yea he sent out his arrows c. that 's the latter effect the return and answer the Lord did visibly and mercifully appear for his help and rescue as is there figuratively and largely set forth There were indeed times when God did return answers to his people audibly or sensibly by appearances or voyces as he did by vision to Abraham and others by voyce or visible token to Moses and the High-Priest in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and from above the Mercy-seat and by Dreams by Vrim by Prophets from time to time to his people Israel and sometimes by Angels to some of them But these returns some of them were peculiar to those times others were then extraordinary and now much more extraordinary and neither then were much less now are to be looked for There is another way of return which is more common and constant and that is by his workings of this David makes relation I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined to me and heard my cry He brought me up also to an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and establish'd my goings This his raising out of the pit and seating upon a firm standing is the active answer of God to Davids prayer Now this return of prayer is divers ways made and the several sorts of it must be well noted I shall distinguish them thus There is a threefold answer of prayer or return is made thereto three ways 1. By way of obsignation 2. By way of performance 3. By way of commutation These three ways God answereth the prayers of his servants when they are faithfully put up and grounded as before was shewed that is some one at least of thâ—se three ways The first way is obsignatory this is an answer by way of testimony or assurance of acceptance and audiâ—â—ce of the prayer that hath been offered up to God or by way of Earnest or pledg of future accomplishment God is pleased many times before he perform the request of his servants to give them immediately or upon their seeking to him a pledg that they are heard and shall have an issue of their desires This he doth usually when the performance is to be at some distance of time and the Petitioner must bear some delay for it then he vouchsafes often to give as it were a Bill of assurance under his hand in the interim for it But what is it that God doth give in pledg why something still that is both valuable and suitable Some fire as it were comes down from Heaven upon the Altar and consumes their sacrifice Psa 20.3 in testimony of acceptance This obsignatory answer may be by divers effects or ways 1. By an inward taste or testification from God of his good-will and love to the Suppliant Elihu saith He shall pray unto God and he will be favorable unto him Job 33.26 and he shall see his face with joy When Jacob had prayed and wrestled all night and had got the victory and blessing yielded him He called the name of the place Peniel that is the face of God Gen. 32.30 for I have seen said he God face to face The request that he had been conflicting about was to be delivered from the hand of Esau his Brother he had it granted and in assurance he should find it fulfilled the day following in the reconciled face and embracements of his Brother he hath immediately the sight of Gods face and the light of his countenance shewed him and this made him go on with boldness of heart though with a halting thigh from Peniel to meet his Brother The Prophet Daniel when he had fasted and made his supplications unto God Dan. 9.13 10.11 8.26 10 1 14 7.28 8.27 had several times an Angel appearing to him and telling him He was greatly beloved to wit of God the visions shewed him were for many days and the time appointed was long and some of them were sad and unpleasing unto him But in the interim and for a cordial he had this message sent him from God that he was a man in high favor with God 2. By a removal of that sorrow dejection fear or anxiety of spirit that before might possess and fill him that prayed Hannah having poured forth her prayer and tears and uttered her vow before the Lord in Shiloh and received that good presage from Eli the Priest of her Petition 1 Sam. 1 18 it 's said She went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad she thenceforth had a light heart her