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
without scruple 2. Others are bent against the persons of men and these are also differenced into 1. Such as are not for mens destruction but correction only by some temporal evil or affliction which is desired to befall them for this end that they may be brought to understand humble themselves repent of their iniquity and turn to God As is that of the Psalmist Psal 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name O Lord. So Elihu is conceived to pray concerning Job My desire is that Job may be tryed or O my Father Job 34 36. let Job be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men that is as Diodate paraphraseth it Do not O God withdraw thy visitations from Job until thou hast brought him to the duty of a child and to the only means of obtaining pardon which is humility and confession Neither is the lawfulness of Imprecations like to these stuck at by Divines 2. Such as are against mens persons for their subversion and these are of a threefold nature or Consideration 1. Some are against men as they are Gods Enemies a Psa 68.1 69 2.109.6 Rom. 11.9 Judg. 5.31 2. Some are against men as they are the Churches Enemies b Psa 79.6 137.7 Lam. 3.64 Neb. 4 4 3. And some are against men as they are their own Enemies that pray c Ps 55.15 59.13 71 13 Jer. 15.15 17 18 18.21 20.12 2 Kin. 1.10 2.24 2 Tim. 4.14 Now these three kinds of Malediction are those that are called into question and that two ways 1. Whether they were Justifiable in them that used them in sacred writ 2. Whether they be imitable lawfully in by us against the like Enemies First For the former Question The Justifiableness of them in them that used them in holy Writ is generally assented unto and thus cleared 1. Many of those Execrations may be taken to be uttered by a Spirit of Prophecy and so to be rather Prophetical Predictions and Denunciations of divine Judgments certainly foreseen to come upon the parties then meer wishings and desirings of evil to them proceeding originally from the wills of them that pray d Verba praedicantium non vota imprecantium * August contra Faustum idem de Serm. Dom. li. 1. Optativo modo usi sunt pro Indicativo 2. Others of them if they came not from a divining Spirit yet they might come from a discerning Spirit peculiarly given to them whereby they might be able to discover those against whom they so prayed to be implacable and desperate Enemies of God his Church and Truth 3. The Utterers of those prayers being Penmen of holy Writ or otherwise extraordinary persons may well be deemed to have been moved with a pure zeal of God and his Cause and clear of those base incentives of private passion malice and impatience more incident to others And whereas those prayers may seem to oppugn the Rules of charity and prayer for our Enemies it may be said Those Rules are to bind where there is no special Warrant for exception and charity to men must be subordinate and secondary to our love and zeal towards God 2. But if any vitiosity may be supposed in any of those Instances as some incline to admit in those votes of the Prophet Jeremiah e H. Bullinger in Jer. 15. â—5 And Scultet de prec c. 16. p. 76. such doubtless are to be born with in them and passed over by us without following them therein Secondly For the latter Question about them viz. their Lawfulness for us to practise This may not simply be granted but we are to distinguish of the manner of conceiving such prayers which may be 1. Either generally or indefinitely as when one prayeth against the Enemies of God and Christ whomsoever they be not pitching upon any particular persons and without eyeing or judging these or those to be such but leaving it to God to find them out and deal with them accordingly Of this nature is that of Deborah and Barak So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord Judg. 5.31 And that of the Apostle not only pronounced by him but imposed upon others to concur in If any man love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Anathema Maran atha Such like Imprecations keeping within the general denunciation both with tongue and eye are not inconvenient for Christians now 2. Or particularly conceived that is personally applyed and fixed on this or that man or people and these Maledictions are to be held unwarrantable for us ordinarily we having no special or infallible gift of prophecy or discerning whereby we may be enabled to see into mens spiritual estate or to foresee what is absolutely the portion of their cup from the Almighty or to dictate unto us such prayers we falling short also of that clearness of zeal and immixture of Love to God which in some in times past hath been We having no such special call or assistance as others have had our safest and clearest way is to take notice of that rebuke of our Saviour unto James and John Luk. 9.55 Mat. 5.44 Ro. 12.14 19. 1 Pet. 3.9 1 Pet. 2.23 Lu. 23.34 Acts 7.60 when they would have called for fire down from Heaven upon certain Samaritans And to walk by those Rules which on the other hand are given us in the Gospel of Loving doing good to blessing praying for our Enemies Cursers and Persecutors and of refraining cursing self-avenging and wrong-retaliating And for which we have the practise of our blessed Saviour and of his servants set before us in Scripture We have thus an Extract of the Rules of Scripture concerning the Subject of prayer both as it respecteth things and persons There is yet another branch of this preceptive ground of prayer to be viewed viz. that which prescribeth the way in which prayer must be performed and put up to God This hath included in it two things 1. The means or assistance by which we must pray 2. The manner how Briefly of both First The means or assistance by which we must pray this is twofold 1. It must be in Christ 2. It must be in the Spirit We are to make use of both these by way of Intercession or Advocateship Christ maketh Intercession for us in Heaven a Ro. 8.34 at the right hand of God The Spirit maketh Intercession within us in the heart b Ro. 8.26 Christ is our Advocate with the Father c 1 Joh. 2.2 The Spirit is our Advocate abiding with and in us d Jo. 14 16 The Spirit is called another Advocate in relation to Christ who is also our Advocate The Spirit is another because different from him both in person and in the nature of his Advocateship Christ is our Advocate in Heaven by way of Expiation of our sins Attonement Reconciliation and Representation of our persons and of our prayers before God The Spirit is our
Advocate here on Earth by way of Instruction and Excitation of us to pray and animating or enlivening our requests within us We labor of a double incapacity to go to God in prayer 1. Of guilt and unworthiness as being enemies and transgressors against God 2. Of ineptitude or infirmity both in point of understanding and will as being both ignorant and liveless to ask any thing of God Wherefore we have need of and have given us a double Advocate First Of Propitiation in Heaven the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly Of Interpellation or Efficiency with and in us this is the proper work of the Holy Ghost And therefore we are said to have access unto the Father through Christ and by the Spirit The Rule then in this place to be followed is We must pray 1. In Christ Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name Ask and you shall receive that your Joy may be full At that day ye shall ask in my Name Io. 16 24.26 Rom. 3.25 Psal 80.1 Exod. 30.6 Christ is our Propitiatory or Mercy-seat As in the time of the Law the Lord afforded his presence over the Mercy-seat and thence gave Answers to the Enquiries of the high Priest and people of Israel so are we now without such visible and local types brought near unto God and vouchsafed audience through Jesus Christ 2. We must pray in the Spirit Praying in the Holy Ghost Iudâ— 20. Eph. 6.18 Tim. 5. â—6 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit The Apostle James saith The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Prayer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effectual Dr Downham doctr of pâ—ayer cap. 6. p. 27. when it hath the inward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or working when it is actuated and effectuated by the Spirit of God in generating this inward efficacy in our prayers which we are not able to give them saith a most judicious Author Our prayer must not be the work of our lip or voyce nor of our brain wit memory nor of our will and carnal desire only it must not be a meer humane work or but from a common acquired gift of prayer serving only to put our case into a form of words and method but it must be the work of the Spirit upon the heart it must be made of impressions and expressions that are inward and proceed of the Spirit of God impressions of softness tenderness and mourning Zech. 12. â—0 Rom. 8.27 expressions of groanings that cannot be uttered We see this part of the way in which prayer must be offered up viz. the Means by which Secondly The Manner There are certain particular Qualifications and Affections that must accompany prayer Those are these following or the main of them 1. Understanding a 1 Cor. 14 15 2. Faith b Mat. 21.22 Iam. 1 6. Rom 10.4 3. Repentance c Ps 66 18 Lam. 3 40 41 4 Sincerity d Heb. 10.22 Psa 145.8 Ro. 12 12 5. Fervencye. 6. Charity f Mark 11 25 1 Tim. 2.8 7. And lastly Perseverance g Luk 18.1 Eph. 6 18. I leave the Reader for brevities sake to search the places quoted in the Margin I have thus given a brief description of the ground of Precept layd down for prayer in the Word of God I am now to come to the ground of Promise and to do the like by it I shall for our survey of this propose unto observation two things 1. The several kinds of promise upon which prayer is to ground it self 2. The right sence and acception in which those promises are made and to be taken by us in building our prayers upon them and consequently of the grounding of prayers upon the promises First The several kinds of promises for the bottoming of prayer The Promises of God upon which prayer may fix and hold are of two sorts 1. Irrespective or such as are made of doing good without any express mention of or relation to prayer 2. Relative or such as are made to prayer as of hearing or of giving this or that blessing upon prayer The former promiseth the matter or thing prayed for the latter promiseth it unto prayer So that the former I may term the material the latter the formal ground of prayer First For the irrespective promises I need not may not be particular upon them they are so huge a multitude they make a principal part of Scripture and for their nature they are great and precious of a vast and various comprehension they are extended to all things times persons states and uses they are by themselves a subject large enough for a whole Treatise and so they are put forth by a learned and worthy Author with much diligence * Mr Leigh Treat of Divine Promises now a 3d time imprinted Only I shall note one distinction of them 1. They are either such as concern all are made and propounded and so in some sort appertain to all or any whomsoever so they come duly qualified to them such are the main bulk and current of Scripture-promises 2. There are that belong to some special persons only who are usually by name spoken to or of in them such was that promise made to David of a lasting family and succession in the Kingdom over Israel 2 Sam. 7.16 Isai 38.5 and that promise made to Hezekiah of recovery from sickness and of an addition of fifteen years unto his life and of defence of himself and the City Jerusalem from the King of Assyria and as a sign of the same of the return back of the shadow upon the Sun-dyal of Ahaz ten degrees and that promise made to the captive Jews of a return home from Babylon after seventy years accomplished in captivity Secondly For the relative promises or those that are made expresly to prayer they are as the former 1. Either peculiar to some persons as God promised Abraham upon his prayer to spare Sodom Gen. 18.26 20.7 according to the conditions by him inserted touching the number of the righteous to be there found and he promised Abimelech King of Gerar life upon Abrahams praying for him 1 Kin. 17 1. Jam. 5.17 And he promised Elijah that there should not be dew nor rain for some years but according to his Word which was his prayer 2. Or universal and layd down for all and these are the promises now of use to us for the grounding of our prayers upon them and therefore we are to take these into our more special consideration They are all general in regard of object or extent to persons but in regard of their subject or the matter promised 1. Some are more generally propounded as when the Lord promiseth to hear Isai 58.9 Psâ—l 144.18 19 50 15 86.5 Rom. 10 12 13 to answer to save to be plenteous in mercy to be nigh to be rich over them that call upon them or that they that ask shall receive and the like These are promises
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
into captivity though she have not the prospect of them or of the accomplishment of her prayers for them though it be to her sense as the Prophet in the Lamentations on her behalf expresseth it Lam. 2.7 8 The Lord hath given up into the hand of the Enemy the walls of her palaces The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the Daughter of Zion He made the rampart and the wall to lament they languished together Yet her walls are continually before him they decay not in his memory he constantly minds the upholding or rebuilding of them When her walls are in her view as low as the ground yea sunk into and buryed in it even then they reach up to Heaven in regard of Gods watchful eye and care for their instauration and a little after the Lord puts this matter of difference betwixt him and her viz. her accounting her self deserted by him unto proof and evidence Isai 50 1. Thus saith the Lord where is the bill of your mothers divorcement whom I have put away or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you q. d. Thou O Zion are full of mistrust jealousies and exclamations of my forsaking thee but where is thy proof for this hast thou any bill of divorce or sale under my hand to shew canst thou produce any legal testimony that I have either through change of mind or affection on my part repudiated thee or for my poverty and engagements to others sold thee There hath been no mutation or defect on my side either of matrimonial fidelity or of sufficiency of estate and if there hath been a distance or withdrawing for some time or in respect of some enjoyments if any temporal or partial separation the tenor of the act if it be brought out wil shew that it 's your deed not mine it 's you that have given the cause and made the breach Behold for your iniquities have you sold your selves and for your transgressions is your mother put away Again What if the faithful servants of God in seeking of him have not their prayers instantly returned This deferring must not go for a final refusal or frustration The Lords suspense of his peoples prayers complained of in Scripture by them they themselves in a calm and deliberate temper have not so understood but have interpreted it otherwise as in that complaint of the Church in the Lamentations cited among the examples above given When I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud Lam. 3 8 44 31 32 that our prayer should not pass through She in the same Chapter cleareth her meaning from apprehending or intending an utter rejection For the Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies The Church here as she is sensible of a present putting off of her prayer so she is no less secure against a perpetual casting off and she makes sure of a commiserative return to come The Penman of Psal 102. which is the sad mans Psalm purposely compiled for a mourning moaning wailing condition for the servant or Church of God that is in deepest afflictions and in their most sorrowful prayers he representeth the Church in a solitary and pining state complaining of Gods absence By reason of the voyce of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin I am like a Pelican of the wilderness I am like an Owl of the desart I watch and am as a Sparrow alone upon the house top and yet she doth not for this tiresom stay give her prayers as forlorn and lost but fixeth upon this Thou shalt arise Vers 5 6 7 13 17 and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favor her yea the set time is come or cometh and again He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer This Psalm is supposed to have been composed by the Prophet Daniel Junius Ford in hunc Psal or some such person neer the end of the Judean Churches Captivity seventy years at Babylon during all which time they had sowed in tears they had setly and solemnly fasted and mourned in certain months in the year besides the personal humiliations of some of them as of Daniel mentioned in Scripture and in this their desolate condition and praying posture they were held in delay and expectation for so many years Zion was still a heap of stones and lay in the dust and they continued praying over her stones and pitying her dust * Quia voluerunt bene servi tui lapidibus ejus pulveris ejus miserti sunt Ar. Mont. and in those their prayers they for present remained solitary and destitute of divine help and recovery yet they remain resolved Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion the time to favor is coming he will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer 3. When and so far as God doth hide himself from his faithful peoples prayers it is not only righteous in him and consistent with his promises either their prayers not holding correspondence with his promises and so he is free or his proceedings exactly corresponding thereunto though it be not discerned and so he is faithful but it is in mercy to them either in withholding from them their desires when bad for them or in reserving them either till they be reduced to their rule if they be irregular that they may have them in a promissory way or till they be ripened to that exercise and growth of grace wherein they may be most acceptable and profitable to them To this purpose weigh seriously that of the Apostle And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.18 to them who are the called according to his purpose He layeth this down as a known and generally received principle They that are the people of God indeed that peculiarly love him and are beloved by him all things work together for good to them He had spoken immediately before of Believers prayers and the Spirits helping their infirmities and making intercession for them according to God and here he enlargeth his speech and riseth from the particular to the universal not only doth the Spirit help but all things work together for the good of Believers in special as the coherence seems to imply their prayers that come from the Spirit how ever at present they succeed whether the effect of them be stayed or instantly emergent evident or inevident or however transformed yet they work for good to them and which is much to be noted he saith they work together for good they are not single causes to produce an effect of or by themselves solitarily but they work together that is together with other things and amongst or above other things that must work with them is the divine disposal the Saints prayers and Gods hand of
Carpenter applieth to his timber first his ruder tools and then his Rule and Chisel So in this Subject his unexpert handling may excusably and not without some service make a begining and step to a more exquisite treaty of this Subject This is his Apology For the manner of handling the Subject he hath labored to be plain not only in stile but in things spoken by dealing home and laying aside all partial and servile respect of persons and particularly in the discovery of some of the Reasons of the Case he hath to open And this he hath done not without need and special warrant When it was with Judah as now it is with England there was in them an approaching unto seeking of God dayly but without the expected success Isai 58.1 so that they came with that question Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledg The Lord sent his Prophet to them with this special charge Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sin If any prejudice or peril come thereby he hath cast it up and commended it unto the care of him unto whom belong the issues from all dangers He hath in his intention dedicated it to the use of every praying Christian that pleaseth to look it over but more peculiarly to those of his proper charge the Parishioners of Eccleston Parish and to those of his acquaintance in the County wherein he liveth and of any other place that call upon the Name of the Lord And for that Reason having an eye to so many at once he hath omitted the particular Dedication of it Christian Reader for no other respect but for the Subjects sake it prayeth if thou wilt read thy serious and religious perusal and let it have withall thy prayers for a blessing upon it and therein also remember him who is Thy Servant for Jesus sake EDWARD GEE Eccleston May 27. 1653. The Titles of the several Chapters and Sections expressing summarily the Contents of them CHAP. I. AN Introductory Discourse Pag. 1. Sect. I. The Faithfuls Crosses are their way to Blessings Ibid. Sect. II. The Persecutions that befall the Faithful make many and notable Heart-discoveries Pag. 4. Sect. III. The Faithfuls Persecutions cause Heart-discoveries in themselves Pag. 9. Sect. IV. Some Reasons wherefore the Persecutions of the Faithful produce in them Heart-discoveries Pag. 14. Sect. V. The Subject and Occasion of this Treatise Pag. 41. CHAP. II. The first Query handled 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 Examples Pag. 46 Sect. I. The Question affirmed and divided into Parts Ibid. Sect. II. Examples of Gods hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers Pag. 47 Sect. III. Examples of the Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary to his Peoples Pag. 78 Sect. IV. The Conclusion of this Chapter shewing the good Vse that may be made of the Examples fore-alledged Pag. 95 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 Pag. 99 Sect. I. Of the People of God Pag. 100 Sect. II. Of the groundedness of Prayers upon divine Promises Pag. 103 Sect. III. Of Gods answering and of his hiding himself from Prayers Pag. 142 Sect. IV. The Answer to the Query summarily recollected and formed Pag. 187 CHAP. IV. The third Query discussed viz. What may be the Reason of Gods hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promises and of his seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary thereunto Pag. 203 Sect. I. The difficulty of resolving this Question and whence it is Ibid. Sect. II. Some Rules about the manner how this Question is to be taken in hand Pag. 219 Sect. III. A Consideration of the means of receiving Resolution in this Question Pag. 238 Sect. IV. The Question divided into its parts and the Causes of Gods hiding from Prayers distinguished of Pag. 253 Sect. V. Of the first sort of Causes of Gods hiding from prayers Pag. 261 Sect. VI. Of the latter sort of Causes of Gods hiding from Prayers Pag. 287 Sect. VII The Application of both sorts of Causes unto the present Case Pag. 342 Sect. VIII What may be the Reasons of the Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary to those of his People Pag. 431 CHAP. V. The fourth and last Query considered viz. What use should be made of this proceeding of God to wit his hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promises and seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary thereunto Pag. 439 Sect. I. Certain Errors to be shunned in case of the Lords hiding from his Peoples Prayers and answering the contrary Prayers unto them Pag. 440 Sect. II. The Graces or Duties to be exercised in the Case above-mentioned Pag. 457 Sect. III. The way to Help or Remedy in this Case of the Lords hiding from his Peoples Prayers Pag. 483 CHAP. I. An Introductory Discourse SECT I. The Faithful's Crosses are their way to Blessings WHen old Simeon at the presentation of the Child Jesus by his Parents to the Lord in the Temple had done blessing God for that he had according to the Revelation formerly received now before his death seen with his eyes the Lords Christ the Evangelist telleth us he blessed the Parents of the Child also and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Luk. 2.34 35. and for a sign which shall be spoken against yea a sword shall pierce through thy own Soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed We must take these words of his to Mary either to be adjoyned to the blessing he had pronounced upon them or to be the very form of blessing wherewith he blessed them If the former they give us to understand what a Commixture or connexion of Crosses there is with the greatest Blessings the servants of God can receive in this life They were happy Parents to have such a Child and yet that Child must in some respects be a Benoni a son of extream sorrow to them or one of them by the very unhappy use and usage he should meet with in the world If the latter which is to me more probable it may seem at first sight to be a strange kind of Blessing which consists for the most part of exceeding sad events to befall both Son and Mother yea and many others Behold this Child is set for the fall of many in Israel and for a Sign that shall be spoken against yea a
hast thou forsaken me Ps 22.1 2â— why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent And so also Job I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up Job 30.20 and thou regardest me not SECT V. The Subject and Occasion of this Treatise THus at length I am come home to my intended Subject this last Consideration hath brought me to it viz. The succeslessness of Prayer and the contrary proceeding of divine Providence to it This is the very condition of many a godly Soul yea of some whole Christian Nations and Churches at this day This is one of the commonest weightiest and difficultest Cases of Conscience that is on foot in and about these times This is one thing that lies as a heavy burden upon the minds of very many of the servants of God And it comes upon them both by their own sense and observation and the exprobation of their opposites In regard of the former they are like Rebecca who going with child of prayer powerful Jacob she suffered a strugling within her 'twixt him and Esau a rough and profane person in so much that she said Gen. 25.22 If it be so why am I thus And she went to enquire of the Lord. In respect of the latter they are like Hannah whom her adversary Penninah provoked sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and this she did year by year 1 Sam. 1.6 7. when she went up or from her going up to the house of the Lord That is at what time she sought God in a special manner in his house at Shiloh that she might have children Peninnah upbraided her more then at other times and that with the fruitlessness both of her womb in bearing children and of her prayer in obtaining her petition So it is now with many of Jacobs seed or the generation of them that seek the face of God by reason of the disappointment of their prayers they both with Rebecca suffer an inward conflict from their own doubâ—â— and fears and with Hannah they bear from without the reproaches of their Antagonists Let this case be put as it really is with all its considerable Circumstances and Ingredients and it will be found a very remarkable and important Case 1. The observation of many hath been That a more then ordinary spirit of prayer hath been poured out upon Christians of late and that out of it a great multitude of prayers have been poured forth in relation to the publique Concernments 2. That there hath been a general Consent and Concurrence not only of Christians in these Nations but of all the Protestant or Reformed Churches under Heaven in prayer for the same Concernments 3. That the effect of their prayers that have gone before us and are now with God hath broke forth and begun to be reaped by us of this age 4. We of these Nations besides dayly and personal prayers have set to it in solemn seeking unto God with Fasting Humiliation and Confession of sins publique and private on stated days and occasionally and have continued in this course now divers years 5. We have added to such our prayers publique Vows Oaths and Covenants for the things prayed for and heaped them one upon another 6. The subject matter of our prayers have been 1. Such things as we are not only commanded to pray for but to give a principal place to in our prayers to wit Religion Reformation Propagation of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ Deliverance from publique Enemies and Intestine Conspirators and the Upholding of our Fundamental Government against all Innovaders with the safety and conduct of our supreme Magistracy and Councels 2. Such benefits as the promises of God in his Word are understood to lay up and reserve for his Church in these or the near following times 7. There hath been the use of other lawful means with strong endeavors and hazards therein for the accomplishing of the things prayed for and very hopeful beginnings and first fruits thereof erewhile attained yea and a door set open to and a near view of and approach to yea even almost an embracement of the main of our desires 8. There hath been no doubt a sincere aym and an upright frame of heart in many throughout all these things 9. Lastly To all these Considerations we may add the Promises of God made in Scripture to them that call upon him with the usual efficacy and experienced prevalency of prayer with God Now if we compare these particulars about the putting up and prosecution of our prayers with the success on the other side that hath followed the present unaccomplishment of those prayers and the events that have ensued directly cross and thwart thereunto it will appear a case of serious moment very needful and worthy to be remarked and discussed in order to manies resolution and satisfaction I have here taken in hand to say something to it not that I dare promise or hope to sound the full depth or traverse the utmost extent of it but to put it into the Remembrance of others more able and to set the Enquiry before them and a little to begin and break the way into it for them And this I really do that I may confess what may help to make me more excusable in this Undertaking upon special instance There hath been put into my hand a Case or Query of this import by a Brother very eminent in his place in the name of himself and many others desiring answer thereto which desire hath since been often renewed The Query was this both for matter and words Seeing God doth hide himself from his peoples prayers grounded we humbly hope upon his Promises and seemeth by his Providences to answer the prayers which are contrary thereunto I desire to know whether there be any Example of it what may be the Reason of it and what Vse should be made of it When I had read it I thought it was no hard thing to say that which might suffice to clear it and therefore stuck not to receive it but after when I had considered better not only of the thing but of the quality of the persons from whom it came and how difficult it is to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary and to utter fit acceptable and right words to one much more to many under affliction and that it is one thing to inform the Judgment another thing to heal or comfort a troubled spirit I begun to repent of my forwardness and wisht that I could tell how fairly to lay aside the Enterprise But the usefulness of the Question my respect to the Proposer and over-hasty Entertaining of it now have engaged me to carry on the Treaty of it as the Lord shall help me And oh that it would
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
sleepest thou O Lord Arise cast us not off for ever Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression And yet what Cause did they suffer in Thâ—y immediately before represent that to him Yea for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter And in another Psalm they bespeak him in this sort Arise O God Psa 74.22 plead thine own Cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee dayly Yet then it appears by that which goes before they accounted themselves cast off and lying under the smoking anger of God and they complain We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there among us any that knoweth how long These Examples may suffice for the first Head to wit the Complaints of the Saints touching the Lords hiding from their personal prayers Secondly It hath so fared with the joynt and publique Prayers of the Community of Saints or Church of God as they have made their Complaint This was the case of the Church at the time of the penning of the 80 Psalm O Lord God of Hosts Psal 80.4 how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people It is not here intimated that the Lord was angry with the prayer of his people as if it were peccant in the nature of it for which he should be displeased with it but he was angry against their prayer that is his anger proceeded still on though their prayer was for his pacification their prayer was for the calling back of his Judgments his anger carried them still on so that this went on in opposition to that The particular time and occasion of the compiling of this Psalm is not manifested by its title of tenor but their Conjecture is probable that assign it to the rending of the ten Tribes from the house of David and Kingdom of Judah and the setting up of Jeroboam upon which the Invasion of Judah by Shishak King of Egypt shortly followed For it hath often come to pass and it may here be seasonably observed by us that when those whom God hath joyned together in one Religion and under one Government do break asunder and erect opposite Thrones over them respectively which â—ide soever hath the better yea or the right of it the common Enemy presently comes in and gets his greatest advantage by it It is noted of the people of Judah yea witnessed of them by God himself that they prayed much Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways Isai 58.3 They take delight in approaching to God and how succeeded their prayers The next words will inform us Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul and thou takest no knowledg The Prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations representing the Church of Judah under her Babylonian Calamities Lam. 3.8 sets forth her plaints for want of audience in prayer Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer They not only prayed but cryed yea even shouted that is called upon God with greatest vehemency yet their prayer found no entrance And again in the same Chapter Verse 44. Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass through And surely this cloud lay long over their prayers as will appear if we compare with this those places of Zechariah Zech. 7.3 5 8 19. where their set times of fasting and humbling themselves are found to have been for seventy years together In the Prophet Malachi's days when the people were grown very corrupt and Religion was much collapsed yet they had so much Religion left as to fast and pray and this they did so long without success that at length they grew stout and â—ullen against God concluding a course of devotion to be bootless They said It is vain to serve God Mal. 3 14. and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts We have thus seen the Complaints and Acknowledgments of the people of God in the matter to be Exemplified and that in sufficient variety of Instances II. In the next place let us observe what the Lord himself declares touching his hiding or with-holding himself from his praying people and we shall receive it from his mouth by way 1. Of Threatening 2. Of Prophecy or Prediction 3. Of Narration First He utters it by way of Threatening or Denunciation as a special Judgment or effect of his wrath against his people and that concerning 1. Their own prayers 2. The prayers of others for them 1. He threatens he will hide himself from them praying for themselves Upon the Apostacy of the Israelites unto Idolatry in the times of the Judges when the Lord had for that cause sold them into their Enemies hands the Text saith The children of Israel cryed unto the Lord saying We have sinned against thee Judg. 10.10 c. both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim And the Lord said unto the children of Israel Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites c. The Zidonians also and the Amalekiles and the Maonites did oppress you and ye cryed to me and I delivered you out of their hand Yet ye have forsaken me and served other gods wherefore I will deliver you no more The same bar upon the gate of entrance of prayer the Lord puts in the time of his Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel against the prayers of his people of Israel and Judah In Isaiah he saith And when ye spread forth your hands Isai 1.15 I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear In Jeremiah he declares Though they shall cry unto me Jer. 11.11 14. I will not harken unto them for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble When they fast Cap. 14.12 I will not hear their cry and when they offer burnt-offering and an oblation I will not accept them In Ezekiel he forestalls them thus Ezek. 8.18 Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voyce yet I will not hear them 2. Yea but perhaps though the sinfulness of their persons made their prayers cast back yet the prayers of others who were righteous persons and had been usually prevalent with God might avail for them nay neither must they be heard for them Jer. 7.16 Therefore pray not thou saith the Lord to his Prophet Jeremiah for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not hear thee And when he did make bold to speak a few words for them his answer is Cha. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people And by the Prophet Ezekiel the Lord pronounceth it four times over at once
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
pit shall make War with them and shall overcome them and kill them Mr. Medes Comment part 2. pag. 3. Engl. That is when now part of the holy City or inhabitants of the Christian world repenting of their idolatries and abominations and clensing the temple of God within themselves the witnesses rejoycing should begin to put off their sackcloth and to be freed from their dayly mourning notwithstanding they should not yet be wholly freed that Roman seven-headed Beast of the last time of which Chap. 13. chafing that the preaching of those Mourners had so far prevailed shall make war against them overcome and kill them The first of which concerning the mourning of the Witnesses already begun to determine hath been continually performed from the beginning of the Reformed Church until this present The other concerning war and slaughter I conjectture is yet to come Thirdly The Lords hiding from his peoples prayers himself declareth by way of Narration as of a thing done This he doth by his Prophet Zechariah Zech. 7.13 Therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts And he mindeth the Israelites that so he had done by them speaking thus by Moses And they returned and wept before the Lord Deut. 1.45 but the Lord would not harken to your voyce nor give ear unto you I have thus layd forth the Examples of Gods hiding from his praying people comprised under those two first general Heads to wit the Saints own Acknowledgments and the Declarations of GOD Himself III. The third followeth that is to be Observations out of Story And for this I think I may safely affirm two things 1. There was never any publique Calamity or Judgment came upon any people professing the knowledg of the true God and his true Worship since the beginning of the world to this day but there hath been always some of or about them or both who have been earnest and faithful Petitioners unto Almighty God for the preventing of the said Calamity from coming and for the removal of it as soon as come and notwithstanding that Judgments have come and have continued for their time to wit that time which had been fore-allotted and sometimes foretold 2. There hath scarce ever been any great work of Mercy which God hath brought forth towards or for his people but as his servants have had some preapprehension of it by means of his promise and upon that intimation have a good while prayed and waited for it so ere it hath come about they have been at a stagger concerning it and their prayers for it and it hath seemed to them for a time as if the Lord had forgotten his Word hid himself from and disappointed them Therefore many particular Instances I need not take forth Exod. 2.23 24. 3.7 Israel being under servitude in Egypt it is said they sighed by reason of the bondage and cryed and their cry came up unto God by reason of their boâ—dage and God heard their groaning And so the Lord telleth Moses out of the bush I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters for I know their sorrows Here is Israel praying yea even crying sighing groaning in Egypt and yet notwithstanding after this when Moses and Aaron were sent of God to deliver them and had reported their message from God to them and to Pharaoh they were in worse case then before their burdens were encreased and their Officers beaten whereupon they cry out of Moses and Aaron as being become their Tormentors in stead of being their Deliverers And Moses complaineth unto God Exod 5.6 19 20 21 22 23. Wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people Why is it that thou hast sent me For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy Name he hath done evil to this people neither hast thou delivered thy people at all And the Israelites became so hopeless of their own prayers and Moses his enterprise taking any effect that when Moses was sent unto them from God with a second Message Exod. 6.6 to 12. assuring them of the Lords hearing their groans remembering his Covenant resolving to bring them out and to seat them in the promised Land and to approve himself their God and to own them as his people they heeded him not the Text saith They harkened not to Moses for anguish of spirit Cap. 14.12 and for cruel bondage Yea they said Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians When the Israelites received that terrible overthrow by the Philistins wherein the Priests of the Lord were slain and the Ark was taken it is said The word of Samuel came to all Israel 1 Sam. 4.1 Tho. Coleman's Sermon before the House Septem 12 1644. pag. 5. 1 Sam. 7.2 or as one translares the word of Samuel was for all Israel His dayly words and prayers saith that Interpreter were for his people and for their good and particularly for a comfortable success in this expedition yet Samuels prayer could not prevent that disaster no nor recover it of twenty years after The holy and zealous Prophet Jeremiah as he was faithful to deliver the Word of the Lord to the Kings and people of Judah concerning their Desolation and Captivity at hand under Babylon so he was instant with God in prayer to have made up that gap and intercepted those evils Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them Jer. 18.20 and to turn away thy wrath from them Yet as he could not prevail with Judah to repent of their sins so upon their impenitency he might not prevail with God to recall his denounced Judgments When these destructions were accomplished upon Judah there was a certain and plain promise for their Recovery at the end of seventy years and there was much praying in that space both by the people of God generally as may appear by the Book of the Lâ—mentations and by the 79 the 102 the 126 and the 137 Psalms and by the Prophets Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel and other eminent servants of God in particular And yet when the foreset time of Deliverance was at hand or comeâ— what was become of all their expectations and prayers in their apprehension The Prophet Isaiah will shew us But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Isai 49.14 And Ezekiels Vision of the dead and dry bones will inform us Eze. 37.11 Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel behold they say Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are cut off from our parts The Prophet Daniel did inure himself unto prayer and fasting in relation not only to the present affairs of the people of God but to those of future times The return of those his extraordinary Humiliations and seekings unto God was
it pleased God to frustrate the Christians prayers and to give the Victory and that Western Empire to a usurping Tyrant The Monks of Bangor in Flintshire were famous in their times and still are among Historians for their piety and devotion as also for their austerity of life and industry in manual labour being no way like unto the pack of degenerate and vicious Monks of latter ages When the Britains about Anno Christi 609. were gathered together at Chester to defend themselves by Arms against Ethelfrid King of the Northumbrian Saxons a Pagan they procured those godly Monks to assemble thither and assist them with their prayers against that fierce Enemy three days they continued in fasting and prayer King Ethelfrid Mr Fox Acts vol. 1. p. 153 154. Usser Brit. Eccl. Anti. c. 6. p. 133. Index Chronol apudeund An. 602 603 613. Cambd. Brit. Engl. p. 603. Speed B. 7. c. 9. s 7. p. 241 c. 18. s â—1 p. 292. understanding of their there assembling demanded what they did there and being informed that they prayed for the Christian Britains against him and his Army Then saith he although they bear no Arms yet they fight against us with their prayers and preaching Brockmail the British General and his Christians were vanquished Whereupon Ethelfrid having chased them commanded his men to fall upon those Monks that had fasted and prayed against him and he slew of them there to the number of twelve hundred I the rather take notice of this event of praying Christians falling before invading persecuting Infidels for the occasions sake upon which it is observed to have fallen out which was as remarkable as the disaster it self and suitable for the observation of us as things go now Thus they say it was Augustine he that was sent over by Gregory the first to plant or rather restore and reform Christian Religion here in Britain had a little before this accident called together seven of the British Bishops and some say the Bishops of Scotland also in a Synod for a Consultation and Concurrence in propagating the Christian Faith and Religion and extirpating Heathenish Idolatry At their meeting these British and Scots Bishops could not agree with Augustine and his Associates Some say their discord was about a matter of Complement at their first meeting others that it was concerning some Rites about Baptizing and keeping of Easter But a Breach there was and shortly upon it ensued both this destruction of the Christian Britains and Monks at Chester and an overthrow also of the Scots by the same Ethelfrid under Ean their King at Degsafton wherein they say there were killed the same number of 1200 of the Scots Clergy and both these defeats were they say foretold by Augustine to come by reason of their disagreement and interruption thereby of advancing their common work of reforming and propagating Religion I need not apply or compare this president to the Jars of these days either in the Causes or Consequences felt or feared I will descend to latter times It is well known with what asseduity and fervency of prayer as well as other labours the restoring of the Gospel and Reformation of Religion was enterprized and carried on by Luther Melanctâ—â—â— and the rest of the Protestant Professors in Germany This work being by the mighty and good hand of God advanced to a fair progress at length it came to the Tryal and hazard of War When it had been for about thirty years carried on in the hands of Luther Oecolampadius Capito and others by prayer preaching disputation and such like spiritual and peaceable means The Emperor Charls the fifth with Pope Paul the third raise a great Army of Spaniards Italians Germans and other Nations Thuan. l. 1. Brightman in Apoc. 11 and under the conduct of the said Emperor they come upon the Protestants arming themselves for their necessary defence in Saxony The issue is the Protestants under the leading of Jo Frederick Elector of Saxony are defeated and so great and continuing was the Overthrow that Mr Brightman takes it and the suppression of the freedom of the Protestants which followed together with the Decree of the Council of Trent about the same time concerning the sole Authority of the Vulgar Latin Translation of the Scriptures to be the overcoming and killing of the Witnesses by the Beast From An. 1547. Apr. 24. the day of that Battel to the middle of Anno 1550. Melch. Adam in vit Luth. p. 162 Revel 11. and their lying dead and unburied in the street for three days and a half for the strages of that disaster lasted as he computes for three years and a half and upon it the Pope and Papists made mighty triumph At Wittenberge where Luther was buried but the year before the Emperors Soldiers insulted over his grave and had well nigh digged up his Corps and burned it but that the Emperor himself restrained thâ—â— To this Instance might be added many like unto it of the black days that have gone over the faithful in these late ages in regard of their heavy sufferings and desertions and their outrageous Adversary riding and raigning over them by Wars Massacres Inquisitions and secular Judicatories This hath been their lot in all Countries wheresoever the light of the Gospel hath broke out to the dispelling of Popery at some time or other since the Reformation began And when thus it hath been the cry of the Faithfuls prayers and of their blood hath gone up to Heaven together whilest the Lord for a time hath shewed as if he regarded neither and their prayers as well as their blood hath seemed as water spilt upon the ground But particulars of this sort as they may be better remembered so they are too many to be descended unto I will only mention one more it shall be of our own time and state even within the compass of these our troubles In the year 1644. upon the ill successes of the Parliaments Army in the West the two Houses kept a publique Fast for that occasion One of the godly Ministers that performed the duty of that day observed to them Mr T. Coleman's Sermon before the House Septem 10 1644. pag. 3 5. That their Western disaster was the day after the last publique Fast kept in the Kingdom and in that City and place and not many days after a peculiar Fast for the welfare of that Army in six Churches And taking Psal 65. v. 5. for his Text he gathered and handled this Proposition from it viz. Terrible things may be the Consequent of the duty and day of Prayer God may answer our private and publique Intercedings with Terrible things The other in like manner reminded them That the dissipation of that brave gallant hopeful Army Mr Mathew Newcoâ—en Serâ— on Josh 7.10 11. p. 7. 24. was of an Army that was sent out with solemn Fasting and Prayer and since they came to be in the straits wherein they unhappily
miscarried were solemnly again sought for of God by Fasting and Prayer and yet this Army lost and lost in a week of Fasting and Prayer And in the prosecution of his Subject enquiring after the Cause of this Disaster he saith I will tell you what we may not think it to be we may not must not think that the ground and cause of the War is unjust and sinful because of this disaster no more then Joshua's here Josh 7. or the Benjamites he meant Israel against the Benjamites Judg. 20. No though God should frown yet further upon us and break us with breach upon breach This was sound and acceptable Doctrine then and if any man upon the Change of Successes now speak contradictorily who then assented to it he is with the Apostles Heretick to be rejected and he sinneth Tit. 3.10.11 being condemned of himself So much of the former part of the matter to be presidented viz. The Lords hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promises In the insisting of it I have thought it superfluous to point out the Promises upon which the prayers in each Example respectively may be grounded there being many general Promises in Scripture easie to be called to mind for instance Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble c. upon which every one of those mentioned prayers may have ground And whereas some few of the Examples produced are of the prayers of such as the Scripture brandeth for hypocrisie and other gross sins let the Reader consider that these notions of Gods people and of the grounding of prayers upon the promises of God are sometimes of a stricter sometimes of a larger acception as well shall see hereafter and a community of people unto which both those terms and the question in hand have some relation is of a mixt nature and contains a better and a worser sort and therefore it was suitable that some Examples of each sort should be remembered SECT III. Examples of the Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary to his Peoples I Proceed to the latter part viz. The Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary thereunto In this I will be shorter Two things are in this 1. That sometimes there are prayers against prayers or that men in evil ways and in those designs which are opposite to the prayers of Gods people do pray and call upon God for his ayd and blessing 2. That in their so doing the Lord seemeth by his providences sometimes to answer such prayers 1. Men in bad ways and designs contrary to the prayers of the people of God do pray and invocate the Name of God for his ayd and blessing Balaam sacrificed Numb 23. and went to enquire of God when he so earnestly and often endevored to curse Israel 2 Sam. 15.7.8.11 12 Absalom went to Hebron to pay his Vow unto the Lord and to serve him and there he offered sacrifices when he was going in hand with his Conspiracy against King David his Father Foord in Psal 3 2â— and it is conceived that thereby he seduced those two hundred men that went out of Jerusalem in their simplicity and knew not any thing of the Treason David in his song of praise for all the Lords deliverances of him from all his Enemies saith of them that they cryed even unto the Lord. The degenerate and corrupt Psâ— 18.41 but prevalent party in Judah that hated and cast out those that trembled at Gods Word and that for his Names sake said Isai 66.5 Let the Lord be glorified that is they professed to seek and pray for the advancement of the way will and honor of God The malicious and persecuting Pharisees of our Saviours time fasted and prayed often Luk. 5 35. Mat. 9.14 The unbelieving Jews that opposed Christianity instantly served God day and night and they were devout men that persecuted Paul and Barnabas from Antioch I read of the Jews of these latter times Acts 26.7 Buxtorf Synag c. 3 apud Ellis on Obad. 20 Cambd. Britan. of Irel. p. 144 Pulchra laverna da mihi fallare da justum sanctumque videri noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem Juven Illa sibi intrâ—rsum sub lingua immurmurat O si ebullit patrui praclarum funuâ— O si sub castro crepet argenti mihi seria dextro Hercule pupullumve uti nam quem proximus baeres impello expungam Pers saty 2. that they expect and dayly pray for the subversion of the Christian Empire as that which must antecede the coming of their yet expected Messiah The Law and Light of Nature hath taught all Nations the most Heathen as to acknowledg a God so to pray to him and to implore his assistance in all their needs and important undertakings and they whose Consci nces are so licentious as to give them way to act wicked and unjust designs yet they are withall so religious as to oblige them to crave divine help and benediction thereupon Cambden in his Britannia observes of the wilde Irish When they go to rob they pour out their prayers to God that they may meet with a booty and they suppose that a cheat or booty is sent unto them from God as his gift neither are they perswaded that either violence or rapine or man-slaughter displeaseth God for in no wise would he present unto them the opportuniy if it were a sin nay a sin it were if they did not lay hold upon the said opportunity In all the warlike enterprizes that have been nothing hath been more generally observable then this that both sides have made their addresses and supplications to the God whom they respectively acknowledged for â—afety and victory Who knoweth not that in the Wars of Christendom the Protestants and the Papists the just Defendants and the unjust Invaders the lawful Powers and the lawless Rebels each have from time to time had recourse to God by prayer in and for their Martial Adventures The blackest Treasons that ever have been brooded have been accompanyed with the solemn devotions of the Conspirators so was the Powder-plot and at the beginning of the stirs and breaches betwixt the late King and his Parliament there was a discovery made and oft mentioned of an appointment of the Romish Priests and Papists the first movers without doubt of those stirs by Fast-days and Prayer to recommend their Intentions to divine help and questionless as their devotion and activity hath gone along in all these late Revolutions so whatsoever hath fallen out to the advantge of their cause and to the crossing of the sincere Protestants intentions and endevors as divers things have they apprehend and as much hug themselves at it as the supposed return of their prayers as others do more openly in relation to theirs And I may add as such men in such ways are wont to pray so when they speed they return thanksgivings unto
God Those oppressing Tyrants that made a prey of the people of God in or after Zechâ—â—iah the Prophets time they were endued with this kind of cruel Religion as appears by their character thus given Whose possessors slay them Zech. 11.5 and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord for I am rich When those horrible villanies of that most bloody Massacre in France on Saint Bartholomews day were acted See Mr Fox vol. 3 pag. 1024 and continuation pa. 60. the Authors and Abettors thereof the Guisians the King and the Parliament of Paris appointed general Processions to be made throughout the City of Paris by way of thanksgiving unto God with Bonefires singing and ringing And at Rome solemn Masses were sung with Te Deum and Procession yea in honor of that Butchery a Jubilee was commanded by the Pope with great indulgence such may be the mistaken devotion of blood-guilty persecutors 2. The second thing is As men in evil ways and in opposition to the lawful desires and prayers of the people of God do pray so the Lord doth seem sometimes by his providences to answer them David in the apprehension hereof entreats thus against his Enemies Grant not Psa 140 8 Psal 73 7 O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves In vain should the holy King pray thus for the preventing of the desires of his Enemies against him if the accomplishment of such mens bad petitions were a thing that never came to pass Sometimes then the Lord grants the desires of the wicked Yea elsewhere the Psalmist observes of such persons that they have more then their hearts desire Let us single out of many a few remarkable examples The Prophet Jeremiah notes and complains of the wicked and very treacherous dealers to wit those his Kinsmen and Brethren the men of Anathoth that sought his life That their way prospered they were all happy Thou hast planted them saith he further unto God yea Jer. 12.1 2 they have taken root they grow yea they bring forth fruit thou art neer in their mouth but far from their reins See how their impious piety and flourishing prosperity went along together You may note here these four things 1. These men in their unrighteous and perfidious ways they were praying men thou art neer in their mouth 2. They were successful in so doing their way prospereth they are happy that deal very treacherously 3. Who made them so to be even the Lord Thou hast planted them c. 4. How many degrees of success and answer of their prayers they attain to 1. Thou hast planted them 2. Yea they have taken root 3. They grow 4. Yea they bring forth fruit In sum they have a pleasant Spring and a long Summ r even to the full and ripe Harvest Let this example among others be taken notice of by us in these stumbling times Though these degenerate Brethren of the Prophet take unjust and perfidious courses yet they pray and though they pray in such courses yet they prosper Divine providence speeds them and speeds them to a high rise with a long tract of successes In the mean time how fares it on the other hand with the Prophet himself their Antagonist why to this expostulation about them he subjoyneth his prayer for himself and against them in the next words following But thou O Lord knowest me thou hast seen me c. and the Answer which he receives to this is in effect thus That in stead of those footmen with which he was now matched and was wearyed he must look to be charged with horsemen and in stead of that Land of peace wherein then he expected good but found wearying the swelling of Jordan was coming in upon him that is he was yet to wait and arm for a continuance yea a further accumulation of adversities Here then we have a dishonest and false-dealing party praying and prospering and an upright-hearted faithful and zealous Prophet praying and persecuted yea and pursued still with growing indignities and pressures Those stout-speaking Jews in the Prophet Malachi who had so long fasted and prayed fruitlâ—sly that they conclude it a vain and profitless thing to serve God Mal. 3.13 14 15. and walk mournfully before the Lord of Hoasts although we may by no means admit of their conclusion yet in their narration of the state of the wicked and godless whom they grudged at there is no reason why we may not credit them In it they tell us They that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered What was this their tempt ng of God To tempt God is to make an unwarranted experiment of God or to ask his assistance or manifestation of himself otherwise then he hath allowed us to require it The Israelites in the Wilderness are said to tempt God and to that their tempting him our margent and other Bibles and Commentaries refer us upon this place when they desired of God that provision or conduct which he had not warranted them to ask as in that their discontented petitioning for flesh to eat of which the Psalmist saith They tempted God in their heart Psâ— 78.18 by asking meat for their lust and when at Massah they quarrelled at Moses for lack of water to drink the Text saith Exod. 17.7 They tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst us or not When men presume without Commission from God to expect and move him to discover his Power Presence Providence Justice approving Will or other perfection of his this is to tempt God Suitably these persons in this place of the Prophet tempted God in some one or other of these particulars They implored his appearance to them unallowedly it 's probable they might entreat his assistance to some unlawful undertaking for their tempting God is joyned to their working wickedness or happily they would refer the Justice of a cause in Controversie to divine decision by the event of an encounter as some do in duels Vide Amâ—s medulâ—a l. 2. c. 12. S. 20. and others in more general engagements of war which way soever they did it we see they that tempted God that is unwarrantably invocated him to manifest himself they are delivered God answereth their desires in the thing even as Israel asking flesh the Lord sent them Quails and when they tempted him at Massah he gave them water Thus sped these tempters of God whilest we find in the same place they that kept his Ordinances and walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoasts were unanswered and no present profit appeared of their seeking God That so it was with such may appear not only by what these murmurers take occasion to utter vers 14. but by what the Lord himself declareth touching those that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name Mal. 3.16 17 18. and 4â— 1 2. in the subsequent Verses viz. That
they are put into a book of remembrance and a day is to come of differencing betwixt them and others by consuming Judgments upon the proud and the wicked and the Sun of righteousness arising with healing and satisfying mercies unto the fearers of his Name To this example I will further observe That the practice of Sorcery and Enchantment in which in a sort men do call upon God and the Vulgar think they only go to him and that religiously it is one of the grossest ways of tempting God that is yet this sometimes takes place and attaineth its expected end and that even in opposition to the prayers of the people of God There is a time indeed when there is no Enchantment against Jacob nor Divination against Israel Numb 23 23 but thus it always is not When Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon was upon his expedition against several Syrian Countries in the which he destroyed Jerusalem and carryed Judah away captive for seventy years he fell to his Enchantment the Text saith Ezek. 21.21 22 Jer. 14.19 cap. 18.20 Ezek. 9.8 Jer. 36.6 9 The King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to use Divination he made his arrows bright he consulted with Images he looked in the Liver at his right hand was the Divination for Jerusalem c. There were at this time those faithful ones in Judah who did earnestly pray for that people of God to have saved them from the Babylonian So did the Prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel and doubtlâ—ss many others yea there is no question but the people universally sought unto God in that strait and in this case they of Judah thought that as Nebuchadnezzars course was impious so his successes would be unprosperous And it shall be unto them as a false Divination in their sight Ezek. 21.23 to them that have sworn Oaths but he shall call to remembrance their iniquity that they may be taken Yet nevertheless the event was Nebuchadnezzar carryed the enterprise and Judah fell miserably into his hand I above noted 〈◊〉 devoutness of the persecuting Pharisees and unbelieving Jews we may here reflect upon their success as they were devout towards God so were they bitter adversaries to Christ his Disciples and Doctrine they reckoned their persecutions of them among their services done to God Under this their enmity On the one side Christ Joh. 16.2 and his Apostles and other Disciples as the History of the Gospel and the Acts fully manifest prayed much and in prayer commended their cause to God On the other side those Pharisees and Jews prayed often and no question as their counsels and other proceedings so their prayers were bent against Christ Psal 109.17 18 20.28 and Christians These two parties thus oppositely praying it is well known how thâ— success went Indeed in spiritual efficacy and progress our Saviour and his Disciples had the better the Gospel spred and the Church of Christ encreased but in outward and earthly power and prevalency which is the matter now stumbled at it went quite contrary Christ himself even immediately after he had shut up his ardent and reiterated prayer poured out with sweat and blood in the Garden Luk. 22.44 to the 48. John 18.3 and whilest he was exhorting his Disciples to arm themselves with prayer was apprehended and led away to his passion by the band of men and officers sent from the chief Priests and Pharisees and when they had crucified him they insult over him his prayers and confidence in God as being in their own eyes masters of theiâ—â—espiteful desires Matth. 27.41 c. Psa 69.10 22.1 2. while he himself and his prayers in his own present apprehension are relinquished of God After his Ascension his Disciples are persecuted by the Pharisees and being layd hold on inhibited and threatned by them they unanimously set to prayer their prayers indeed are followed with a fulness of the Spirit Acts 4 24 5.18.33 40 and heavenly courage against all opposition but they escape not the molestations of their persecutors these yet return and grow upon them At their next appearing in publique they are taken put in prison and designed to slaughter Acts 7.58 8.1 3.9.1 26.10 11 Gal. 1.13 Acts 12.1 c. and hardly come off with scourging Shortly after one of their company is stoned to death then followed a general persecution by prison Synagogue-censures dispersion and death which stayed not at Jerusalem but pursued them thence to strange Cities A while after Herods hand the Jews instigating him riseth up to the vexing of certain of the Church and Martyrdom of James and almost of Peter his designation to death went on very far even during the incessant prayers of the Church unto God for him he was brought out of prison by the Angel but that very night before he should have been brought forth by Herod to his death but though he survived yet persecution stayed not The Jewish rage against Christianity still proceeded and as the Church of Christ grew so their persecutions multiplyed and were more intense witness the Envy Conspiracies Tumults Expulsions Stonings Imprisonings Beatings Accusations unto Authority Scourgings Capital Tryals and Judgments which the blindly zealous and religious Jews procured against Paul Barnabas Silas and others mentioned in the Acts besides the rest of the Persecutions and Martyrdoms they brought upon them other Christians related in Ecclesiastical Story In sum He that shall look over those Evangelical Records and view the outward conditions and successes of these two opposite parties viz. Christ and his followers on the one side and the unbelieving Jews on the other he cannot but acknowledg that Providence seemed to answer the desires and prayers of the then greatest adversaries to Christianity and to overlook the prayers of his people I mean for a time and as to temporal Interest In the Insurrection of Absalom against David we find them both having recourse to God As David prayed and penned one Psalm of prayer on that occasion Psal 3.2 2 Sam. 15.12 so Absalom as was even now observed offered Sacrifices at Hebron when he was carrying on his Conspiracy and mark what followed how strong did Absalom grow how far did he go on and prevail immediately it 's said the Conspiracy was strong the people encreased continually with Absalom And David cries out Lord how are they encreased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me All this while David flies before him in a sad posture leaving the City and the Ark of the Covenant of God and the Priests behind him to the Enemy he flyeth his Friends bewailing his Foes cursing his chief Counseller conspiring and advising against him his Rebel-Son seizing on the City his House and Wives all the people all Israel choosing and following Absalom David not only gives ground a little but he and they that were with him lest they should be swallowed up by the Enemy are fain
under the whole Heaven is mine But some people are his in peculiar above others and in a more neer and special relation belong unto him in as much as he fixeth a more peculiar property in them and settleth a more special dominion over them and placeth a more intimate presence among them Moses saith unto Israel The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the Earth Deut. 7.6 10.14 15 Behold the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy God the Earth also with all that therein is only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them and he chose their seed after them even you above all people as it is this day It must be noted further of these his peculiar people 1. Some are in this relation by external vocation union communion and profession only that is they are appropriated to God by outward acts of Ordinances and Worship and enjoy external ministerial and temporary priviledges and benefits The description of these in Scripture is They are Gods people and Saints that have made a Covenant with him by sacrifice Psa 50.5 2 Chro. 7.14 Neh. 1.10 they are his people which are called by his Name or upon whom his Name is called These are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand viz. from Egypt They are they to whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory Rom. 9.4 and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises that is they have those things as to the outward signs tokens expressions and actions of them 2. Some have over and above this stile and relation a neerer appertainency unto God to wit by inward and effectual grace calling union and communion He that is of this number is called an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile a Jew inwardly Joh. 1.47 Rom. 2.29 that hath the Circumcision of the heart and in the spirit of such the Lord speaketh Surely they are my people children that will not lye Isai 63.8 so he was their Saviour These are such as God hath peculiarly loved freely chosen dearly purchased efficaciously called absolutely covenanted with and singularly qualified and sanctified for this relation and the benefits and glory that ensue upon it The Scripture is industrious in distinguishing betwixt the people of God in the former and in the latter way and shewing the difference which there is between them in sharing of the priviledges of Gods people They that are his in the former way only are set out under this character They are Jews outwardly they are born after the flesh they are the sons of the Bond-woman Rom 2.28 Gal. 4.29 30 Isai 48.1 they are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah which swear by the Name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel Matt. 7.22 but not in truth nor in righteousness They will say unto Christ Lord Luk. 13.26 Lord have we not prophecyed in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works we have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets These because they are meer nominals and remain without the spiritual part of this relation without those graces vertues and effectual workings that are in Saints indeed and without the truth power and life of Sanctification therefore they are in the upshot disclaimed Hos 1 9. Ro. 9.6 7 1 28 1 Joh. 2.19 Mat. 7.23 and declared to be not the people of God not Israel though of Israel not children though the seed of Abraham not Jews not of us and Christ will profess unto them I never knew ye depart from me ye workers of iniquity But they that are Gods people in the latter more peculiar and intimate respect they are noted out thus They are the little flock to whom it is their fathers good pleasure to give the Kingdom Luk. 12 32 Mat. 20.16 the few that are chosen of the many that be called his people which he fore-knew Ro. 11.2 5 9.7 8 23 27.4.12 the remnant according to the Election of Grace the children of the Promise Abrahams seed by Isaac the vessels of mercy the remnant that shall be saved not of the Circumcision only but walkers in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham Gal. 4.29 3â— sons of the free-woman born after the Spirit As there is betwixt these two sorts viz. the people of God by external vocation only and they that are his by internal transformation also much difference in other respects so there is particularly in respect of success in prayer and though the Lord may in some sort hide himself from them both when they pray yet not from them both alike the difference will be shewn after SECT II. Of the groundedness of Prayers upon Divine Promises COncerning the groundedness of Prayers upon Divine Promises we are well to observe divers things First That prayer unto God hath in Scripture a twofold ground There is 1. A ground of precept 2. A ground of promise There is a ground of Precept by which prayer is authorized and made necessary and a ground of promise by which it is supported and encouraged The precept is the ground of Conscience for the undertaking of it the promise is the ground of confidence and assurance for the success of it The precept shews the subject for what and the manner how to pray the promise gives us the inducement why we should pray Both these grounds we have delivered together in divers places as in that of the Psalmist Psa 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Call upon me in the day of trouble there 's the ground of precept I will deliver thee there 's the ground of promise And in that of the Apostle James If any of you lack wisdom Jam 1.5 let him ask it of God that 's the ground of precept and it shall be given him that 's the ground of promise And in that of our Saviour Matt. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you there 's a treble precept Ask seek knock and a treble promise It shall be given you Ye shall find It shall be opened unto you I will not deny but in some kind the promise may be accounted a ground of warrant or precept for prayer yea in some cases it is the only warrant that is where the thing prayed for is a peculiar blessing out of the common road 2 Sam. 7.16.25 27 as was that promise of God to David of a sure House and Kingdom upon which he built his prayer And that made to the Prophet Elijah 1 Kin. 17.1 Jam. 5.17 that there should
not be dew nor rain for some years but according to his word whereupon he grounded his prayer mentioned in the Epistle of James But the more proper universal and adequate ground of warrant for prayer is that of precept Some things happily may be found promised that are not to be prayed for as the promise of retribution of our wrongs Rom. 12.19 and that of the not perishing of one hair of a Christian Luk. 21.18 and there are divers things which have been lawfully and are to be prayed for concerning which there is no special promise Such is Abrahams prayer for Sodom Gen. 18. Moses prayer for Israel Exod. 32. Pauls prayer for the Salvation of the Jewish Nation of his age Rom. 10.1 Prayer for our Enemies Matt. 5.44 Prayer for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 And the general promise of hearing besides that it doth not constantly intend the giving of the thing as will after be shewed it must be resolved into that proviso that the prayer be for a thing warrantable to be asked The ground of warrant therefore must be distinct from the promise and in cases ordinary is to be primarily and originally fetched from the rule or precept for prayer It being a matter of much weight and use to know how to ground prayers aright and to understand what prayers are grounded as they should be and what are not it will be requisite that we take a distinct view of both these groundworks of prayer that is both that of precept or rule and that of promise of the one to guide our Conscience in making of the other to erect our confidence in believing and expecting our prayers First Of the ground of precept this besides that it warrants prayer and makes it necessary gives us moreover direction about it in two respects 1. What may and ought to be the subject of our prayer 2. How or in what manner it must be put up to God I shall here take notice of it only in these two respects First The subject of prayer is regulated by Scripture-precept and that 1. Either in the matter or thing for which 2. Or in the person or parties for or concerning whom prayer is to be made In point of matter or things for which we are to pray the Scripture gives us precepts 1. Sometimes generally or indefinitely as in that of our Saviour Ask and it shall be given you Mat. 7.7 11 seek and ye shal find knock and it shall be opened unto you which indefinite Command is interpreted by the following words to be not simply universal ask any thing whatsoever but circumspectly universal viz. within the predicament of good Your Father which is in Heaven shall give good things to them that ask And the Apostle delivers us such another general warrant for the matter Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Phil. 4.6 5 8 The Apostles eye doubtless in this universal precept is only upon lawful serious ordinarily possible and good things those namely about which the Moderation forespoken of of Christians is to be exercised for whatsoever is otherwise is wholy to be refrained and those things which presently after he defines by the characters of true honest just pure lovely of good report vertuous praise-worthy those are the things to be thought of yet with Moderation not with anxious diffident carefulness and with a pious recommendation of them in prayer unto God 2. Yet the precept leaves us not so in the general but descends to particulars It instructs us in a multitude of yea in all particulars to be prayed for it requires us to deprecate such and such evils and to supplicate and implore this and that good thing It points us out to Temporals Spirituals and Eternals to things of body things of mind and things of external property and respect I might gather up and bring in precepts for every of these in particular as they lie scattered in their several places of Scripture But with this I need not charge my self or my Reader there is a form of prayer excellâ—nt and perfect both for matter and order taught and commanded by our blessed Saviour which distributeth under six Petitions or heads the whole substance of prayer and under those heads are comprehended all things good and religiously to be desired there is in that prayer summa petendorum a compleat platform or groundwork of prayer for the matter So that look what is reducible to it may and must be asked of God and whatsoever thing is not comprizable under some of the branches of it is not allowed a place in our prayers Concerning it our Saviour hath spoken plainly After this manner therefore pray ye c. Secondly for the personal subject of prayer or the persons concerning whom we must make request to God we have in the Word of God Rules 1. For praying for persons 2. For praying against persons First The persons to be prayed for are of two sorts 1. Divine as our Saviour enjoyns us in his platform to pray in the three leading Petitions for Gods own immediate concernments The hallowing of his Name the Coming of his Kingdom and the performance of his will And as he instructs us by his Word so doth he teach us by his example to pray whilest he himself prays Father glorifie thy Name Joh. 12.28 and we are directed to this also by the practice of the Apostle Paul praying That the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in the Thessalonians 2 Thes 1.12 In this kind of prayer the divine Majesty is both the object and subject of our supplication and it is peculiar to him so to be 2. The other sort of persons to be prayed for are humane and they are 1. Our selves 2. Others 1. For our selves we have many Commands to pray Is any among you afflicted Jam. 5.14 let him pray He must not only send for the Elders to pray over him in his sickness as it followeth but he must pray for himself And again Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say Hos 14.2 Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously 2. We are also to be Petitioners for others and the extent of our prayers for others is prefixed 1. Universally unto all men I exhort therefore that first of all supplications 1 Tim. 2.1 prayers intercâ—ssions and giving of thanks be made for all men For all men that is not for all collectively if we intend our prayer to be for their Salvation for God hath declared his counsel and purpose to be against that and Christ our Saviour in praying for those that shall be saved and for all them in order to their Salvation hath contradistinguished them from the world I pray for them Joh. 17.9 I pray not for the world But either distributively for any of whatsoever sort or degree for one as well as another as occasion
of good success to prayer without descending to any express or determinate way or manner of their speeding or the return to be made 2. Other promises run more particularly and precisely upon the doing or giving of the thing prayed for As that Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name Joh. 14.13 14.15.7 that will I do And that If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it So in divers particular promises as unto prayer for wisdom Jam. 1.5 the promise is It shall be given to him that asks it and for a Brother that hath sinned 2 Joh. 5.16 He shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death For the holy Spirit Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him It may be observed by the way that these promises that run particularly upon the doing or giving of the thing are at least for the most part promises of spiritual things and this difference of promises to prayer that some are for hearing and return others for a grant or performance of the thing may be of use to us in the sequel Secondly It follows that we come to enquire into the sence and manner wherein the promises both the irrespective and the relative are made and to be taken by us in bottoming our prayers upon them and so we come home to the point of the groundedness of prayers upon the promises For this we must heedfully observe in every promise two things 1. The thing promised as this or that benefit or an audience or accomplishment of prayer 2. The condition circumspection or qualification of the promise for God never promiseth that be men what ever they will or can be they shall have such blessings neither is his Word out that whosoever puts up a prayer or howsoever it is put up or whatsoever it be for he will hear and do it but there are certain bounds limits or proviso's inserted in his promises by which he confineth them and unto which we must keep in our dependance upon them These limits or proviso's as far as I observe are reducible to six heads 1. Concerning the person praying 2. The manner of the prayer 3. The matter 4. The order 5. The circumstances of time means and the like 6. The end 1. For the person praying the promise is to the prayer of a righteous man a Jam. 5.16 1 Pet. 3.12 Pro. 10.24 15.29 of a godly man b Ps 32.6 of him that feareth God c Ps 145.19 of an humble man d Isa 66.2 of one that is in Christ e Joh. 15.7 and one that keepeth the Commandments of God f Joh. 3.22 These are to be the qualifications of the person praying and he that is not such a one is an unpromised person if he cometh to God in prayer he comes without the promise 2. For the manner of prayer The promise is to the prayer 1. That is made in the mediation of Christ a Joh. 16.23 24 2. In the help of the Spirit b Ro. 8.27 3. In Faith c Mat. 21.22 4. In Truth d Psal 145 18 and Sincerity 5. In Fervency e Jam. 5.16 6. In Love and Charity f Mark 11 25 7. With Humility g Ps 10.17 8. With constancy h Luk. 18 1 7 These must be the accomplishments of the prayer besides those foregoing of the person And let it here be noted that the person may be furnished with those conditions above required in him and yet his prayer may be without these The man may be a righteous and a godly man one that feareth God humble obedient and that which inferreth all these one in Christ and yet his prayers may be not in the mediation of Christ or not in the help of the Spirit or not in Faith Truth c. For that the prayer may be so qualified there is required an actual recourse to Christ operation of the Spirit exercise of Faith Sincerity Zeal Love Humility and Constancy Now that which the person hath in the root principle or habit may lie unacted may not reach or be put forth into the action of prayer but the promise requireth them both to wit both that the Suppliant and the Prayer be qualified each with those their proper characters 3. Concerning the matter There is for this a double limitation 1. The promise is to what we pray for Joh. 5.14 so it be according to the Will of God This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Will here I conceive to intend not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Will of Purpose or Decree for that is to us in most things unrevealed but his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Will of warrant or his revealed Will to be done by us his Will of precept or approbation made known to us in his Word for a Rule to us To pray for anything according to his Will then is to pray for that which is lawful and allowed us by his Word to be prayed for All the promises of God are arguments and encouragements to the obedience of his Will and therefore certainly none of them may be understood to hold out or promise any benefit to irregular desires 2. The promise is to what is prayed for that is a good thing Your Father which is in Heaven shall give good things to them that ask him Mat. 7.11 Good here is to be taken not in genere moris for good or appropriated in Gods Word or good according to the precept for that was the meaning of the last restriction before but good in genere utilis that is profitable or beneficial and that not only so good simply or in it self but good complexedly or in its circumstances that is good for the party pro hic nunc as the case is now with him and good comparatively that is better then the want of it or another thing put in the room of it or into the ballances with it Indeed the subject of all Gods promises is some good thing as is the object of all rational desires but good here is understood to be a note of restriction to confine the matter of other indefinite and irrespective promises of good things to a complexed circumstantiated and comparative goodness as to the exercise and expectation of prayer Some things indeed are absolutely good that is invariably both in their own nature or kind and in whatsoever individual circumstances of person time or the like you can clothe them and this is because they are absolutely and universally necessary so are all spiritual blessings in respect of essence or Being and therefore to them this limitation reacheth not but other things are of a variable goodness and necessariness to us such are temporal things and some spiritual gifts in regard of us or of this or that degree of them These are all good in themselves but any of them may be inexpedient if not
hurtful to us in this or that case considered This deficiency or mutability of goodness in point of profitableness of some things which are the subject of some promises and may be made the matter of our prayers is the reason that this proviso is put in they are promised they may be taken into our prayers so far as they are good for us Many of the benefits stored up in the Treasury of Scripture-promises are like the multitude of excellent Simples or Drugs layd up in an Apothecaries shop whereof all are good in their kind and place but they are of several and some of contrary natures so that some of them are good for one mans use some for another some fit for one season and need some for another very few are for all turns and times and therefore men do not come for and buy them promiscuously but with the skilful Physicians advice and recipe In like sort are the benefits of the promises good in the abstract and kind of them but not all so catholically or unalterably good and therefore not commended or tendered to us without respect and caution and this is the stamp they must have to make them currant to our prayers and confidence if they be good for us This exception is the same with that usual distinction of Divines upon the promises * See Mr Leigh's Treat of Pro B. 1. ch 4. pa. 52 54. Sulâ—eâ— de prec c. 25 Downhams Doct. of Prayer c. 6. p. 26 c. 30. p. 174. c. 33. p. 192 viz. That spiritual things as they are absolutely necessary are promised absolutely and consequently are so to be prayed for there is but one thing necessary by our Saviours assignment to wit Maries choyce that better part one thing above others which David will seek after all the days of his life but temporal things and in like sort this or that degree of grace and some gifts of the Spirit are not absolutely necessary nor promised absolutely but with condition of suitableness and subserviency to our good in the promoting of Gods glory and with reservation of room for the castigations of God our Father Psa 89.30 Heb. 12.10 and the Cross of Christ our Saviour in as much as these also may be sometimes convenient for us and better to us then the blessings they deprive us of Temporals I say are not absolutely promised and therefore we sometimes find the promises of them made with an it may be or Who knoweth if he will * Zeph. 2.3 Joel 2.14 Dan. 4.27 Amos 5.15 Jonah 3.9 An excellent pattern for us in this particular is that prayer of Agur Pro. 301 7 8 Two things have I required of thee deny them not before I dye Remove far from me vanity and lyes Give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food convenient for me These two things which he would make his constant requests they are distinguished according to those two sorts of good things to wit Spiritual and Temporal The first Remove far from me vanity and lyes this is for spiritual good that his Soul may be delivered from sin both past and future by pardoning and preventing grace * See Divines Annotations Cleaver Trapp in loc The second is for his temporal estate wherein it is mainly observable as to the point in hand that he prayeth not for any certain or particular good things or proportion of them but first privatively that he may have neither Poverty nor Riches that his outward condition may not be cumbered either with want or superfluity The rule of our desires and endevors saith an excellent Divine in the getting and enjoying of these outward things Mr Mede Diatrib part 4. p. 153. ought to be our spiritual welfare and the bettering of us to God-ward This was Agurs rule he desires such a measure of outward means as might neither through fulness make him forget God nor through want tempt him to sin both against him and his Neighbor And secondly positively Feed me with food convenient from me food convenient for me is out of the Hebrew rendered my allowance or my part God our Father is here resembled to a housholder who cuts out to each child his portion of meat rayment and goods or to the Dam that fetcheth in meat to her young Birds and gives it them every day duly in measure This portion in Agur is the same with that dayly bread in our Saviours prayer the bread of the day for the day noting that each day hath its proper indigence and not all after the same manner or measure * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is â—ufficâ—ent bread oppâ—â—â—d to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superfluous or superabounding bread Mr. Mee Diatrib paâ—t 4. p. 139. But observe Agur he doth not speak precisely how much food he sets down no stint or rate but desires a mediocrity competency or sufficiency whatsoever that may be He doubtless considered that a conveniency is of a variable nature in regard of proportion sometimes one thing or measure may be fit sometimes another as the Summer requires one sort and rate of dyet and apparel the winter another So doth the difference of times and persons alter in the dimension of temporal uses As were the Israelites gathering of Manna some gathered more some less but when they came to mete with an Omer He that gathered much had nothing over Exo. 16.18 and he that gathered little had no lack they gathered every man according to his eating So in all earthly things the quantity of them requisite is not the same for all persons nor for the same person at all times * A competency is twofold either in regard of Nature which sufficeth to support a man in his natural life and health 2. In regard of a mans condition which is sufficient to support and maintain him in that condition order degree and calling wherein God hath placed him Both these degrees of sufficiency are meant in the prayer of our Saviour and in that of Agur Feed me with food convenient for me Namely for Agur for perhaps that may no be sufficient for Agurs condition which might suffice another If Agur be a Master of a family then that is his compeâ—ency which is convenient to maintain his wife children and houshold If Agur be a publique person a Prince or a Ruler of the people then that is Agurs â—â—fficiency which will conveniently maintain him in that condition Mr Mede Diatrib part 4. page 140. and therefore we are to pray for particulars of them with condition of and reduction to this Standard of Conveniency 4. Concerning the Order to be in prayer that is the Order of our petitions in relation to one another The Promise is to have our requests so that we give spiritual things the precedency and put worldly things to come behind in our prayers So it is ordered by our Saviour But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his
be upright to that end David enjoyning us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem adds this promise they shall prosper that love thee The words may intend the prosperity or success of prayer and then the promise is thus limited they shall prosper in their prayer or speed in it that love Jerusalem and loving pray for her or pray for her out of love to her that is for her good But the honor of God and our spiritual good in him is the universal end of all our prayers and this end may be layd down in that promise Ye shall find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart And in that Jer. 29.13 2 Chrâ— 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you Where seeking God may well import that God is to be not only the object of our invocation him whom we pray unto but the end him whom our drift is to glorifie and find to our Souls enjoyment in praying to him And those promises assure us to find him but upon this proviso that we seek him to that end From this end do those prayers decline of which the Apostle Jam. 4.3 Ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts And those in Hosea Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corn and wine And those in Zechariah Zech. 7.5 When ye fasted and mourned did ye at all fast unto me even to me As also those in Isaiah Ye fast for strife and debate Isai 58.4 and to smite with the fist of wickedness and to make your voyce to be heard on high And being they swerved thus in regard of the end they were out of the compass of the promise and so failed of prevalency And thus I have endeavored to open the sence wherein the Promises are made and to be taken by us in our making use of them in prayer We must learn to take along their genuine meaning and force circumscribed with these qualifications touching the person praying the manner matter order and end of petitioning and the Circumstances where the promise is not particular in them of time means and manner of performance True it is these points are not all exprest or literally provided in every promise yet they being somewhere exprest are always to be understood and to be supylyed out of their parallel places As for example there is a promise Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 This may seem very large and lax But the very next Verse supplyeth it with one main limitation How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Faith must be an ingredient in their invocation who may have a title to that promise and other proviso's must be borrowed from other places for the due bounding of it in every qualification The result of what hath been spoken concerning the grounding of prayer I will now sum up in these few Propositions 1. The promises made unto prayer as of hearing or giving upon it are not extensible beyond the Rule or Precept for prayer that is we are not by vertue of the promise to beleeve or expect to be heard and answered in any request but such as we have a warrant for in the Word 2. A prayer may be said to be grounded on the promises of God two manner of ways 1. With respect to the matter only in the kind and nature of it as when the thing prayed for is in the promise 2. With respect both to the matter and to the conditions of the promise and to every one of them either prescribing such and such qualifications to be in the person and in the prayer and in this both in regard of manner matter order and end of the supplication or reserving a latitute in the time means and manner of performance That a prayer then be compleatly grounded on the promises it is required not only that the thing prayed for be the subject of a promise but that there be in reality all these conditions 3. Whereas we have above distinguished of the promises unto prayer that some are in more general terms as to hear answer help upon prayer put up others are more particular as of doing giving this or that thing in special We are to note thereupon a threefold Rule 1. That promises unto prayer are more determinate touching spiritual things simply necessary for us then touching other things in these the promise usually is in general of audience and answer in those it is often of doing or giving the particular thing 2. General promises of hearing are to be interpreted according to the variety of ways wherein God may be said to hear or answer of which by and by and must not be restrained to one way of hearing or answering 3. Promises must be differenced according to their subject matter some being of invariably good and absolutely necessary things others are of things of a mutable or indifferent nature these must be taken conditionally if they be good in the case wherein they are sought and because we our selves know not when or how far they may be good or necessary for us or others in whose behalf we ask them that our prayer may be conform to the promise we are particular cases concerning such things to pray with submission and reverence to the infinite wisdom and most gracious disposition of God desiring the thing only if it shall be good in his eyes and leaving the determination of that condition to him so that such promises and petitions must be resolved into that general modification It is the Note of the Divines in the late English Annotations on the Bible upon that prayer of Moses unto God I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 19. and the Lords answer to it I will make all my goodness pass before thee Moses say they makes his demand of Gods glory and he answereth him by the mention of his goodness whereby he promiseth that so much as is good and profitable for him to know he will reveal unto him And surely if we have Gods goodness shewed and communicated to us though we have not our wish or our eye satisfied or the particular given us which our prayer may be for yet it is as fully conform to the promise so sufficient and best for us 4. I will add one Proposition here concerning prayers for others and the promises made unto them I conceive the conditions required of him that prayeth as faith in Christ and the rest especially what ever is necessary to a persons being acceptable unto God must also be in the person prayed for else no ground of assurance to speed for him The Rule of Precept indeed binds to pray for others however and he that prayeth as he ought hath assurance to be heard some way other and
sometimes God doth hear his servants for others not so qualified but assurance that his prayer shall be heard to the good of the other person he hath none that I know of unless the other be so qualified For instance The promise in the Apostle James his Epistle is The prayer of Faith shall save the sick Jam. 5.15 and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him This must be as I apprehend understood as well of the sick's Faith who is to call for the Elders of the Church to pray over him as of the Elders Faith Forgiveness of sins is not promis'd nor given that I know but upon the Faith of the person forgiven We cannot think to have others receive corporal or spiritual good by our prayers upon easier terms then we our selves can or that we may be prevailed for by others praying repenting believing without our own I observe when the man sick of the Palsie was brought to Christ by his friends When Jesus saw their Faith Mark 2.3 Luk. 5.18 he said to the sick of the Palsie Son thy sins be forgiven thee Their Faith that is the sick mans and his friends for he was born of four and they that brought him to Christ uncovered the roof of his house and let him down through the Tiling before Christ all their Faiths both the parties and theirs that thus moved for him concurred Again our Saviour directing his seventy Disciples at his emission of them into whatsoever house they enter to say Peace be to this house he tells them withall If the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again their prayer could be only effectual to true Believers Psa 35.13 David praying and fasting for his wicked and persecuting Enemies his prayer returned into his own bosom Exo. 32.27 33. 4 Josh 7.6 c. Moses at one time and Josuah with the Elders at another praying turned away Gods wrath from Israel but it was when Israel repented humbled themselves and reformed the offence Otherwise I think the case is plain particular men though they must pray yet they cannot confidently look to remove Gods Judgments from a Nation unless the Nation repent and amend * See Jer. 15. â— Ezek. 14 13 c. So that when we would obtain the deliverance or prosperity of a people the ready way is to pray for and endevor their repentance True it is we are not able to discern infallibly these qualifications in another person or people and therefore we cannot attain an infallible certainty of prevailing for them but it sufficeth to the making of our prayer that we have a precept to pray for them that we have any hope or possibility of the thing that the parties in our eye have not sinned the sin unto death Joel 2 14 Amos 5.15 Jonah 4.9 that we have Joels Who knoweth if he will return Amos his It may be and Jonah's Who can tell and that however it be it will be to our own good God will accept of and reward the Petitioner They shall prosper Psa 112â— 75 1â— that pray for and love Jerusalem Their prayer that pray for others shall return not to the ground but into their own bosom And it must suffice that in relation to others we have a conditional assurance if they have the requisites and conditions in them suitable to the promises they shall have the benefit of those our prayers that are grounded on them Our prayers for others proceeding upon these terms it will behove us to look more at our duty then any infallible certainty of the particular issue to them to be more pressing in our desires then peremptory in our resolves and if we resolve on any things it may be this That if we seek God aright we shall not seek him in vain Let the Reader observe in this Proposition the case being not much handled by any that I meet with I give my Judgment and Grounds for it under submission SECT III. Of Gods answering and of his hiding himself from Prayers THe third clause in the Query to be unfolded now follows viz. Gods answering of or hiding from Prayers For the helping of the unclean in this particular I shall propound and insist on two things 1. The variety of the ways or behavior of God towards the prayers of men 2. The diversity of the grounds or impulsives whereupon he walketh in â—hat diversity of ways The unfolding of these two will I hope serve much for the clearing of this subject First Of the diversity of the ways or behavior of God towards the prayers of men The supposition that the carriage or way of God towards mens prayers is various I need not labor to prove it will be confest The matter to be stood on is What that Variety is It hath two parts in the general very obvious to apprehension to wit 1. His inclining appearing to prayer 2. His declining hiding from prayer But besides there is a great diversity under each of these God doth many ways appear to and many ways hide from prayers his appearing is of divers sorts his hiding is of several kinds I will begin with the former Gods appearing to prayer and therein consider the several ways of his inclining or appearing to prayers or to persons praying These are to be comprehended under two heads The first is in hearing or receiving the prayer The second is in making a return or giving answer to prayer Both these the Psalmist exemplifies to us together I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears And again This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him Psa 34.4 6 and saved him out of all his troubles There is first hearing and secondly delivering first hearing the prayer or cry then delivering or saving the person First God inclines or appears to prayer when he receives or hears it when he gives it admission or audience this is at the putting up or presenting of the prayer Whiles they are yet speaking I will hear It 's said unto Daniel Isai 65.24 From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand Dan. 10.12 and to cast thy self before thy God thy words were heard This act of reception of prayer though in some sort it be more largely extended as will after be shewed is propâ—rly taken an act of special grace and paternal favor which God appropriateth and exerciseth to those persons and prayers that are good in his sight and well-pleasing to him The Word of God setteth forth the Lords entertainment and acceptance of prayers with great variety of expressions and those very savory and sweet as if it studyed to point it out as an act of very great worth and a thing very notable and affective when it is thus the Scripture saith of prayers They come and ascend up before God Neh. 8.4 Acts
fretting her unchearful look her meatless meals were now layd aside There is a promise to them that seek God That he will make them joyful in his house of prayer Isai 56.7 30.19 as he will bestow those blessings upon them which they crave so he will for earnest make them joyful before they go out of his house And in the same Prophet Thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry David praying and being in a very heavy taking having his Soul cast down within him and deep calling unto deep at the noise of Gods water-spouts and all his waves and his billows going over him that is he being as it were overwhelmed in a Sea of sorrows evils flowing upon him like waves one at the heels of another had this reviving giving him Psa 42.4 7 9 Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me and my prayer unto the God of my life The Lord will command his loving kindness that is he will dispatch it forth to him instantly as a winged Messenger and Harbinger of a good issue of his prayers and afflicting griefs And whil'st he is praying the song of God shall come into and recreate him his own prayer and Gods song shall joyn company together and both at once associate him The Souls under the Altar that cry how long O Lord c. they are put to stay some time for their vindication Apoc. 6.11 Eccles 9.7 8 but in the mean space it 's said White robes were given unto every one of them Those white robes might betoken a chearful habit of spirit a good measure of alacrity put into them during their sufferings yet to be prolonged in assurance of their answer and release in due time to come 3. By a continuation of the Spirit of prayer or an exercise of it When the hands are still supported in their lifting up to God or raised and stretched out higher towards him when the motions vigor and vehemency of prayer are renewed or redoubled in the hearts of Gods servants it is a token from God that it shall not be in vain but to some purpose and effect that they call upon him Hos 12.3 4 When Jacobs strength in wrestling with the Angel was so great and did hold out until day break and he was so set that he would not let the Angel go until he had blessed him this was a strong argument of his power and prevalency with God and that he should prevail with men also with his Brother Esau and all his Troop The pouring upon the House of David Zec. 12.10 and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications is put in the Prophet as a fore-running presage and introduction to many great mercies to them The Apostle brings in this as a clear earnest to Believers of deliverance from sins and sufferings and of receiving the glory and redemption of the body expected and groaned after That the Spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us in prayer with groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 As it is a special favor and a good sign to a people that God gives to his Prophets the opening of the mouth in declaring his Word Eze. 29.21 so it is also that he bestows upon them a mouth opened wide and a voyce loud and lifted up in prayer Open thy mouth wide saith God to his Israel and I will fill it Psa 81.10 4. By an erected confidence and it may be a clear foresight and evidence that the Petition is dispatched in Heaven and shall assuredly be accomplished in time on Earth This pledg God doth sometimes vouchsafe his faithful ones upon their seeking of him and before he work to the effecting of their prayers as it is in the Psalmist Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Psa 19.17 thou wilt prepare their heart or as the Margin thou wilt establish their heart that is When they have poured out their desires unto thee thou wilt give them a seal of success by setting impressions of confidence and evidence of it upon their hearts This we often find in David in one part of his Psalm he is praying weeping complaining expostulating and deprecating the dejections and desertions of his Soul for lack of audience and by and by before any thing be done about the affairs or particulars of his prayer he is lifted up and composed in full assurance of having his requests yea triumphs in them as already embraced Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Psa 6.8 9 13.5 6 â— 20.6 42.11 142.7 for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy Salvation I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed he will hear him from his holy Heaven with the saving strength of his right hand Why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The righteous shal compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Cornelius the Centurian in one of his Fast-days and whil'st he was praying had a vision of assurance in which an Angel told him Cornelius Act. 10.30 Luk. 1.13 Philem. 22 thy prayer is heard and the like had Zacharias the Priest in the Temple at the time of prayer The Apostle Paul also being in prison at Rome conceived such a confidence of his being given up to the Christians at Coloss by way of enlargement upon their prayers that he sends out of his prison to Philemon at Coloss to prepare him a lodging with them there This may be sufficient for the illustration of the first way of the Lords answering prayer to wit by way of Obsignation or Assurance wherein we have noted four instances or acts I come to the second kind of answer which is by way of performance this is when the thing entreated for in prayer is accomplished This is the most sensible and most noted way of prayers return from Heaven to the Petitioner David describes it in that his benedictory Psalm Psa 20.1 4 21.2 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble c. Grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfil all thy counsel and in the next Psalm to that Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not withholden the request of his lips It will not be unnecessary to observe the several methods of this answer of performance 1. Sometimes it is instantaneous or dispatched all at once it is finished in one compleat act as when Samuel cryed unto the Lord for Israel at what time the Philistins Army stood ready to give the on-set upon them it is said The Lord heard or in the
Margin answered him 1 Sam. 7.9 10 and as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistins drew neer to battel against Israel but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistins and discomfitted them and they were smitten before Israel 2. Somtimes it is successive or effected by degrees when the servants of the Lord in their straits and needs call upon him he often helps them gradatim or by successive steps Two steps more frequently he makes in this work 1. He sends strength and support under and during the affliction or want of the benefit desired 2. And then after he gives them deliverance from it he loosens the bands of their distress and they escape out of it both these we have distinctly noted in divers Scriptures as in that of the Psalm He shall call upon me and I will answer him and mark the degree of the answer which follows I will be with him in trouble there 's the one I will deliver him and honor him there 's the other And again In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthened me with strength in my Soul there 's the first present support in his exigence which is further amplified after Though I walk in the midst of trouble Psa 138.3 7 thou wilt revive me and then follows in the next words recovery out Thou shalt stretch out thine hands against the wrath of mine Enemies and thy right hand shall save me This double step of relief from God to his people upon their prayer is notably set forth in the Prophet Malachi When the state of things was grown so forlorn Mal. 3.14 c. as that the ordinary sort of Fasters and Prayers concluded it a vain thing to sâ—â—ve God and a profitless course to keep his Ordinances and to walk mournfully before him yet there were some left that truly feared the Lord that spake often one to another in mutual corroborations unto piety and that thought upon the Name of God in diligent and constant calling upon it and observe the issue these have a twofold day set for them and in them have those 2 degrees of help from God successively 1. There is a day when God makes up his Jewels or as Drusius interprets a day when he makes Judgment or proceeds in Judgment and in that day they saith the Lord of Hoasts shall be my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him that 's the first day and first step of succor The Lord will own them for his in the evil day he will take care of them as of his choycest and preciousest goods and he will moderate their share of troubles and support them therein so that as it is in the next words there shall be a palpable difference put and discerned betwixt them and the wicked in their sufferings 2. There is another day cometh after a day that shall burn as an oven and in this latter day is that other step of the help of those fearers and seekers of God that is their deliverance and full satisfaction For in that day the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hoasts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this saith the Lord of Hoasts I will further note that the latter of these two degrees of Gods return to prayer viz. Deliverance out of trouble or fruition of the thing asked may have its several degrees also As 1. When God raiseth up the means and secondary causes which he will use and sets himself to work by them 2. When he doth carry on and consummate deliverance with them This order he pursued in bringing Israel out of Egypt upon the hearing of their cries and groans he first appears to Moses in Midian and gives him a Call Commission and Instructions to go into Egypt and fetch them out I have heard saith he to them out of the burning Bush their groaning Acts 7.34 and am come down to deliver them and now come I will send thee into Egypt And then Moses and Aaron being joyned together in Egypt and after many goings in there unto Pharaoh for dismission of them and many additions of oppressions upon the Israelites and many miraculous plagues upon Pharaoh his People and Land they are led or posted out of Egypt in one night And in the recovery of the same people long after from their captivity and ruines under the Babylonian the Lord proposeth in his promise several degrees as in the Prophet Hosea And it shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord Hos 2.21 22 21 I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth And the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel and I will sow her unto me in the Earth and I will have mercy on her c. Such a series of causes and operations the Providence of God doth often go through in delivering his people This is spoken figuratively in the Prophet not as if the Heavens and the rest of the inferior Creatures here had a voyce or did pray and we must not understand it as spoken of the order of Gods receiving but of his performing prayers In order of receiving prayer God immediately and only hears Jezreel his people but in order of answer and execution he first hears or answers the Heavens that is puts efficacy and influence into them and then by them into the Earth and by the Earth into its fruits and so comes home to Jezreel and then also Jezreel must be sown in the Earth that is must be cast into the ground and lie under the clods of affliction and be in appearance as dead for a time and then spring up and be restored The smoke of incense which came with the prayers of the Saints Rev. 8.4 and ascended up before God out of the Angels hand by it and them were procured the seven following Trumpets Now these Trumpets the issue and execution of those prayers sounded successively one after another and did accomplish those prayers by so many degrees and the term of their succession and continuance ere all be finished is supposed to be for many years yea divers ages Thus of the second way of prayers receiving its answer and the several steps of it The third and last is that of Commutation The Lord doth sometimes hear and answer the prayer when he doth not give the very thing prayed for There is an answer by way of exchange to wit when God gives in lieu of that which is asked another thing which is as good or better for
the party God grants Petitions either formally or by way of equivalency he returns unto him that prayeth either that which he prayeth in kind or the same in weight and value though not in kind Our Saviour teaching us how to pray withall informs how we may expect to be heard Pray to thy Father which is in secret Matt. 6.6 and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly He doth not say thy Father shall precisely do the very thing requested but he shall reward thee he shall give thee a full return and retribution of thy prayer one way or other he shall reward thee openly or evidently though not identically He shall answer thy Petitions if not by way of punctual execution yet by way of compensation of them if not by way of literal concession yet by way of counterballancing And when it is thus the prayer is truly and sufficiently answered although it be somwhat varyed yet we cannot say it is denyed God in so doing doth not frustrate our requests but rectifie our choyce Samuel being at Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesses sons to be King 1 Sam. 16.6 when they were come before him he look'd upon Eliab as the man he look'd upon him for his countenance and the height of his stature but God put him by and the rest that followd until David the yongest of the eight came him he appointed to be anointed So it is with us when we pray we sometimes fix our eyes and fasten our affections and wishes upon one particular when God sees another fitter and puts that in the room and when it is thus the countenance face or individual form of our Petition as in Samuels case is altered but not the benefit We have one of the same stock and kind though not the same thing * As old Iacob layd not his hands of blessing as Ioseph would have guided them but layd the right hand upon the younger son whom Ioseph did set at his left So often doth God take off his hand of blessing from the thing we prayed for and lays and discovers it in another more for our good And as God giving Isaac the power and priviledg to bless a son though Isaac he intended it for Esau yet God unbeknown to him transmitted it to Iacob yet so as the blessing was not lost Thus it is in our prayers for blessings both upon our selves and others Mr Goodwins Return of Prayers cap. 9. s 4 We may note divers ways of Gods making this Commutation particularly three 1. In regard of Person 2. In regard of Matter 3. In regard of Means 1. In regard of Person David fasts and prays Psa 25.13 and humbles his Soul for his persecutors and his prayer is returned into his own bosom He intended it for them it is converted to his own benefit 2 Sam. 12 15 David again beseecheth God for his first child by Bathsheba when the Lord had struck it with sickness nevertheless that child dyes but the Lord gives him in stead thereof another child a son a Solomon one whom the Lord loved and chose to sit on his Throne after him So it pleaseth God in mercy to transfer the prayers of his servants from one to another from others to themselves If Noah Daniel Ezek. 14.14 and Job cannot deliver the Land when it hath trespassed grievously neither son nor daughter in it yet they themselves shall be delivered Luk. 10.5 6 If the Disciples benediction of peace rest not upon the house into which they enter it shall turn to them again The Lord heard Josiah praying for Judah and Jerusalem 2 King 22 19 but not to the deliverance of them from Judgments but to his own taking away from the evils to come 2. The change may be in regard of Matter As 1. When carnal things are begged God sometimes makes his return in spiritual things when earthly and temporal blessings are asked he turns them in heavenly and eternal mercies The Disciples after Christs Resurrection asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel Act. 1.6 7 they meant it of the civil Freedom Property and Dominion of their Nation in Canaan Christ our Saviour refuses to answer them positively to that telling them It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power but in stead of their satisfaction in that demand he gives them a promise of the Holy Ghost and of assistance enlargement and success in their function But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth The two sons of Zebedee come to Christ desiring him to grant them to sit the one at his right hand Mark 10.35 the other on his left in his glory Our Saviour declines the grant of that request but in the place of it he promiseth them that they should drink of his cup and be baptized with his Baptism Now certainly the grace ability and honor so to do was far more desirable and acceptable in a true estimate then all that earthly glory of Christ which those brethren fancyed and affected and supposed was to come presently Moses when God had sentenced him never to go into the promised Land of Canaan besought God with great importunacy for the reversion of that sentence and for a passage over into that Land the Lord would not hear him but said Let it suffice thee Deut. 3.23 speak no more to me of this matter But what was it wherewith he would have him sufficed it was this He should go up to the top of Pisgah and thence take a view of all the quarters of that Land and so dye where he was Now by this means Moses was considered well enough in his Petition though it were not given him to his wish for he was eased of his heavy and often bemoaned charge over that people and removed from the tiresom Wars of Canaan then beginning into rest and peace in a better Canaan that is the heavenly A worthy Divine observes That oftentimes the very denyal of the particular breaks a mans heart and brings him neerer to God and puts him upon searching into his ways and estate Mr Goodwins Return of prayer ch 9. s 3. and in his prayers to see what should be amiss therein which alone is a great mercy and better then the thing seeing by the loss of that one thing he learns to pray better and so to obtain a hundred better things afterward Secondly In requests for spirituals sometimes one benefit is asked and another of that nature is substituted for it which is equivalent to it The Apostle Paul molested with the thorn in his flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 the messenger of Satan buffeting him went to God in prayer and besought him thrice
over that it might depart from him In stead of that removal begged the answer is My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Here the Apostle obtained the spiritual help he asked in substance the same but not in the very same way or special kind he had given him not the removal of the temptation but the supplement of divine grace to countermand it not the taking off of the Enemy or the dart that struck him but the armor to fence and wave it off the Souls life Thirdly Sometimes in deprecations and prayers for deliverance from trouble Phil. 1.29 in stead thereof it is given to the servants of God to suffer that is they are enabled to suffer with confidence patience joy stedfastness profit in wisdom and holiness i. e. with confidence Jeremiah or the Church of Judah in the Lamentations Lam. 3.55 c. saith I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low dungeon thou hast heard my voyce But how Thou drewest neer in the day that I called upon thee thou saidst Fear not He or they would have been raised up out of their dungeon but the Lord heard them another way he dispelled their fears of drowning or pining in it he ministred unto them a supply of confidence he raised them out of the dungeon of dread and terrors In like manner our blessed Saviour in his Passion and Agony He offered up prayers and supplications Heb. 5.7 with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared The subject of his prayers as appears in the Gospel was That he might be saved from that hour That that cup if it were possible might pass from him Exauditis precibus liberatus a metu Beza i. e. confirmatus fuit ut omnem pavorem mortis deposuerit Idem The Apostle saith He was heard in that he feared or as Beza readeth His prayers being heard he was delivered out of fear when the bitter cup of his agony desertion and death drew nigh his Soul was troubled he began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy His Soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death Under these horrors he conditionally if it might so be and with submission to his Fathers will desired to avoyd those sufferings He was heard in that he feared not by his Fathers removing then or preventing of the sufferings but by a vanquishment of those terrors by a greatness of strength and might bestowed on him to wade through and tread that dreadful winepress 2. With Patience Job was jealous of his sons that in their circular feasting they might sin Job 1.5.20 and curse God in their hearts for the expiation whereof he every day sent and sanctified them and in the morning offered burnt-offerings according to their number Notwithstanding this his care and devotion the ruine of his children would not be prevented yet although he could not scape it he had a plentiful measure of patience and acquiescence under the hand of God in it ministred unto him When he receives the tydings of it and all his other losses together He fell down upon the ground and worshipped he blessed the Name of the Lord and he refrained all charging of God foolishly 3. With Joy David would fain have beged of God his childs life 2 Sam. 12 and recovery from sickness he could not do that but dye it must but upon its death when his servants judged by his taking on at its sickness that upon the sudden hearing of his death he would have mischieved himself * How wil he then hurt himself marg he contrarily could bear it with an admirable temper not only with moderation of grief but with alacrity and the exercise of piety 4. With Stedfastness The Apostle willeth us Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication Phil. 4.6 7 with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the consequent upon this which he promiseth for certain is And the peace of God which passed all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus q. d. If ye do not obtain your desires in particular at all or not instantly yet the peace of God Praesidio erit Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be a garison in your hearts to fortifie and keep them and it shall keep both your hearts and minds your minds from vexing cares and your hearts from piercing sorrows or fears 5. With Profit both in wisdom and holiness The Lord assures his praying people this gracious issue of their cries Though he give them the bread of adversity Isai 19.20 c. and the water of affliction yet shall not their Teachers be removed into a corner any more but their eyes shall see their Teachers and their ears shall hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk ye in it when they turn to the right hand and when they turn to the left They shall defile also the covering of their graven Images of silver c. The sum is they shall enjoy the publique Ministry and Ordinances and the guidance of the holy Spirit and be rid of the monuments of Idolatry and be brought to Reformation Daniels prayer brought not himself out of Babylon presently neither prevented they his peoples calamities under the several subsequent Monarchies but this he gained of them He had many a heavenly and important vision and message by Angels The like is promised to Jeremiahs prayers Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty or hidden things which thou knewest not And the primitive Christians that underwent such firy and bloody persecutions though their prayers could not avert them yet they obtained the loosing of the seven seals Rev. 5.8 and the opening and reading of the written Book which was shewed John in the hand of him that sat on the Throne by the Lamb which containeth in it many weighty Visions and Prophecies concerning the Christian Church from thence unto the Worlds end Thus God heareth prayers in way of exchange of the matter prayed for divers ways and in so doing he mostly gives better things then those he waveth and so makes his Petitioners not only speeders by his answer but gainers by his exchange 3. The Commutation may be in regard of Means When we have a mercy assured us by promise we may and must use means for the atchieving of it and in the use of the means we are to pray with submission for a blessing upon it unto the attaining of the thing promised by it Now when we have thus prayed God may see cause to vary the means that is lay aside that which we select employ and bring before him in our prayers and take up other and by this means of his own choyce and exchange accomplisheth his promise and our expectation and prayer in regard of the mercy aymed
at This Commutation as it is ordinary so it may well pass with us so far as Gods agency and answer to prayer is concerned in it in as much as the means inserted in our prayer in order to its end and though we be tyed to the use of that means which is lawful and present yet neither is God himself nor the end to be attained so tyed If it please God to put by the means which he hath given us to use and our hearts and desires are therefore upon and to intermit other and effect the end promised and prayed for thereby we have our expectation and our prayer also in equivalency I would not be misunderstood I know there is now adays a question raised Whether or how far a means most righteously employed by God but sinful as unto its own interposition and acting may be owned and concurred with But there is no question to be made as I think but that the event produced by such a means if it were lawfully desired and prayed for though expected and sought by other means may be acknowledged and acquiesced in as from God and in return of prayer Though we may not use or joyn issue with unlawful agents and actions yet we may receive and enjoy a benefit by the providence of God accomplished by them When the Prophet Jeremiah was loosed out of prison by Nebuzaradan the Captain of the guard to the King of Babylon he might well take it as the fulfilling of Gods promise and answer to his prayer whether that Captain or his master had any right over the place he was then in Jer. 40.1 c. 15. 11 15 or Jeremiah could own them as Proprietors thereof or no. Believers may well embrace Christ crucified as the accomplishment of Gods promises and the desire of all Nations for their Salvation although the warrantableness of those mens actions and power to do it that did it and confederation with them might be denyed with abhorrence But enough of this caution by and by Prayer is and hath been answered by an exchange of the means Abraham having the great Promises and Covenant of God made unto him and to his seed he prayed for Ishmael then born of Hagar the bond-woman Gen. 17.17 That as it seems he might be the child and heir of the promise The Lord though he heard him in part for Ishmael too would not yield to that but would have a son yet unborn and of Sarah to be the seed of promise Moses would fain have been the man to have gone and conducted Israel over Jordan into Canaan and prayed for it Deut. 1.37 38 but the Lord otherwise and better disposed of him and appointed Joshua his servant to that office David had fully purposed 1 Chro. 28 2 c. and devoted his endevors to build a house for the Name of God the Lord accepts of the intent of his heart but will not let it go on but transfers the honor of that work from him to his son Solomon We have thus the third way of Gods answering prayers viz. by Commutation and Equivalency The sum and issue whereof is although God do alter from the letter of the prayer either in respect of the person matter or means eyed by the Petitioner yet he observes a proportion and equality to if he do not transcend the thing prayed for in making his return and in altering thus He who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think considereth Eph. 3.20 and procureth the good of them that pray Exardit saepe ad profectum non ad votum Aqui. in Joh 9. Permittas ipsis expendere numibus quid conveniat nobis rebusque sit utile nostris Juvenal Saty. 10. Joh. 12.27 28 Mat. 26.33 and he fulfilleth the substance drift and scope of their prayers to wit the advancement of his own glory the Churches good and their own comfort and profit and if these be any ways brought about by their prayers they must needs acknowledg themselves answered Christ our Saviour when in his extreamest distresses he prayeth to his Father to save him from that hour and to let that cup pass from him he doth immediatly and with the same breath pray Father glorifie thy Name and nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt and thy Will be done By these latter Petitions he doth not cross or contradict himself in the former but reduplicates illustrates and gives his words a due signification and latitude and as his practice so was his doctrine of prayer and it deserves to be observed when he would teach his Disciples to pray by a copy or pattern he delivers them a platform wherein are comprehended all things requestable not in special terms but reductively under short and general heads and in the very mold or structure of that prayer informs us thus much That as in framing our prayers we are to reduce and square all our Petitions to those heads though we vary in particulars as occasion requires so we must expect God to do in the answer and we must observe and reckon our answer rather by those heads then our own occasional and expatiated requestings The several ways whereby God appeareth unto his peoples prayers have been thus far set forth It now follows on the other hand to speak of his declining or hiding from prayers and the various ways thereof These being answerable to those of his appearing to prayer there will be the less need of much labor to discover or dilate upon them 1. This hiding may be in respect of audience or reception of prayer when the Lord refuseth to receive or rejecteth and repulseth the prayer when he gives it no entrance to him nor countenance He saith to the people of Judah When ye spread forth your hands Isai 1 15 Jer. 14.12 Lam. 3.56 Psa 27.8 9.66.10 I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear when they fast I will not hear their cry and when they offer burnt-offerings and an oblation I will not accept them This is that which the Church deprecates or desires God that it may not be to her Hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry So doth David Thy face Lord will I seek Hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger And elsewhere he giveth God thanks that it was not so with him Blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me 2. There is a hiding from prayer in regard of answer or return when the effect or fruit of prayer is not received from God when it is as sometimes it was with the Prophets of Baal 1 King 18 29 They cryed aloud but there was neither voyce nor any to answer nor any that regarded So the Lord saith it shall be with obstinate sinners Then they shall call upon me Prov. 1.28 Psa 18.41 but I will not answer they shall seek
me early but they shall not find me And so it was with Davids adversaries They cryed but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but he answered them not And this obstruction of prayer may be 1. In respect of Obsignation when there is no evidence to the Soul of audience As 1. When there is no sign of favor Blessed be God saith David that hath not turned away my prayer Psa 66.21 nor his mercy from me It was a token to him that his prayer was not turned away from God because Gods mercy was not turned away from him Of the Hypocrite it 's said Job 27.9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him will he delight himself in the Almighty It is an argument God hears not him because he finds no delight in God 2. When there is no animating no drop of comfort to the spirit In the day of my trouble the Psalmist complains I sought the Lord Psal 77.2 my Soul refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed 3. When there is a declining or drooping in the spirit of prayer Job 27.10 Will the Hypocrite always call upon God saith Job It was so in the Prophets time even with Gods people Isai 64.7 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 And it was so in part with David sometimes I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed Psa 69.3 mine eyes fail while I wait for my God 4. When there is no discovery of Gods intent or resolution concerning our prayers This was the Churches case as she expresseth it We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet Psa 74.9 neither is there any among us that knoweth how long 2. In respect of performance so the people of Judah were frustrate Behold the voyce of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far Country Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not saved Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physician there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered 3. In respect of exchange or any consideration in lieu of the thing So they say in the Prophet It is in vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoasts No advantage no return comes by prayer and fasting any way God may be said to hide himself from prayer all these ways But I must further add a distinction or two that I may not leave this matter too indifferent and promiscuous First We may observe that Gods hiding from prayer is 1. Sometimes real and so in deed 2. Sometimes only in appearance or in the apprehension of men 1. It is sometimes real as in all those places of Scripture where the Lord threatens or owns it so to be and often gives the reason from mens provocation why it is so As for instance in that of the Prophet Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save Isa 59.1 2 neither is his ear heavy that it cannot save but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Here the hiding and distance from prayer is real on Gods part 2. It is at other times but in appearance only and in humane apprehension God hears sometimes yea and answers when he seemeth not so to do or when men do think and believe that he doth not and in this case the defect is in mans sense and perception Now God is accounted not to hear his servants prayers when indeed he doth 1. Either in the judgment of others Thus David relateth often the conclusion which his Enemies or the spectators of his condition made of him that he was rejected and disowned of God as in the rebellion of Absalom whiles David was in his flight and prayer there were divers that stood looking on and censuring him as an abject from God There be many which say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Psal 3.2 42 3. c. 71.11 And in his Exile through Sauls persecution when he was panting and craving after Gods presence in his house his adversaries upbraided him saying Where is now thy God and this filled him with tears continually and pierced him like a sword And in another Psalm penned as is thought during Absaloms insurrection his Enemies speak again him and consult saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him but this is not so strange that others in their malignant judgments so apprehend it 2. Or in the sense or conceit of them that pray Even the people of God themselves when they pray and God hears them they may deem themselves unheard unanswered they may take themselves to be denyed of God when he graciously receives their prayer Sometimes God harkens to and answereth them but they hear not him they are deaf to their answer We are ordinarily better acquainted with our own prayers then with Gods performances and are more sensible in asking then in receiving or discerning our success As sometimes Gods promises or predictions are fulfilled yea and we are actors in the fulfilling of them but we see it not thus was it with the Jews in relation to Christs death Acts 3.17 18.13.27 Joh. 12.14 yea it was so with the Disciples themselves in some circumstances concerning Christ so are our prayers grounded on the promises How often do we find David in the same Psalm one while complaining Lord how long Psa 6.3 10.1 13.1 22.1 43.2 how long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long wilt thou hide me for ever Why standest thou afar off why hidest thou thy face in times of trouble why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not c. Why dost thou cast me off why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy and using the like expostulations and by and by ere he breaketh off his speech he correcteth himself he seeth and is satisfied that the Lord hath heard him Psa 6.8 10.17 13.6 22.24 43.5 and declareth The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord hath delt bountifully with me Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cryed unto him he heard Why art thou cast down O my Soul c. I shall yet
praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Here was no want of hearing but want of perceiving the entertainment and success of prayer We are so dull that God must not only give us our prayers but give us eyes to discern them he must not only hear our prayers but give us ears to hear his answer to them We are so insensible and inconsiderate as not to own yea and to charge God with want of advertency when all is well and to our desires if we had eyes and hearts to see and understand David therefore makes this ingenuous recollection and acknowledgment of his imperfection once for all as touching this case For I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voyce of my supplications when I cryed unto thee Psa 31.22 I said in my haste here he clears and wipes off the many dark and erroneous conceits and speeches he had in his troubled moods used of God in relation to his prayer and states the point aright betwixt God and him confessing Gods audience even at the instant when he had cryed and complained for want of audience and acknowledging his own blind precipitancy in apprehending and uttering the contrary There are two occasions whereupon the people of God are apt thus to misconceive the issue of their prayers 1. The continuance or increase of their afflictions upon them or the delay of their expectations and desires They judg of their audience and acceptance with God by the present course of their providence and will needs gather his ear is not open to them his face is not towards them if his hand do not instantly help them if his arm be not made bare for them and in their sight if his candle do not shine upon their head Thus did Job and his speech of it is notable If I had called and he had answered me Job 9.16 17 yet would I not believe that he had harkened to my voyce and why For he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplyeth my words without cause or as Tremel without remedy others interpret without rendering a cause Job could not believe Gods hearing him because he found it not in his present outward estate but felt what he thought spoke the contrary to wit a storm and tempest of adversities renewed strokes and incisions of the lancing knife of Gods spiritual Chyrurgery Mr Caryls Notes upon this place are God may be doing us good when the signs he gives us may speak evil he hears and answers us praying to him when we think to hear him thundering terribly against us Afflictions continued is no evidence that prayer is not heard yet usually it is very inevident to an afflicted person that his prayer is heard prayer may be heard and answered when greatest afflictions are upon us even while we are praying the Lord may be thundering he may be breaking us when we are beseeching him So he The Church in the Lamentations saith unto God Lam. 3.42 43 Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through and she apprehended so upon this ground Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slain thou hast not pityed Because God hath covered them with anger against their sins therefore they collected he had covered himself with a cloud against their prayers Because he had persecuted them therefore their prayers pierced not to him 2. Again sometimes it is because of the amplitude or greatness of the success of their prayers and the extraordinariness of Gods workings for them When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream Psa 126.1 3 the Lord hath done great things for us Their deliverance was so great that they were surprized and amazed with it it overcame their conceit and belief When Peter was ready to be brought out to his death Acts 12. and the Church had prayed instantly and without intermission for him the Lord by an Angel brought him out of prison and he presently came to the house where the Saints were assembled together and praying for him but when he knocked at the door and the Damsel knowing his voyce ran in and told them he was there delivered up to their prayers it was incredible to them they said of the maid Thou art mad they said of his appearance It is his Angel when their eyes saw him They were astonished Great returns cannot easily or quickly find entrance and credit in our minds they are like the great draught of fishes which the Disciples caught upon the command of our Saviour to cast forth the net when they had taken it the net brake and their ship began to sink with it so are our hearts on such an occasion they cannot well at first receive they cannot land with or hold with the larger incomes of prayer This is the first distinction necessary to be observed there is also another to be added Secondly We must again distinguish when the Lord doth indeed and really hide himself from prayer This may be 1. Either by way of absolute and flat denyal of the prayer 2. Or only in way of delay or deferring for a time This difference should be well heeded every real hiding of God from prayer is not negative is not a rejection and casting of it back as denyed and every denyal is not final and resolute God doth often defer what he intends to grant nay what he hath already granted in Heaven yea sometimes he hath in a sort expresly denyed the Petition when it hath indeed been but in effect a delaying and the repulse hath been in order to a concession When the woman of Canaan cryed so vehemently upon our Savior in behalf of her daughter vexed with a Devil Mat. 15 22 and he gave her a treble put off the end proved it was no peremptory denyal but only a delay for the tryal and manifestation of her great faith When the Israelites under their sore distress by the Philistins and others cryed unto the Lord with confession of their sin in forsaking him and serving Baalim and the Lord answered them that for those their sins relapsed into after many former deliverances in the like case he would now deliver them no more Let them go and cry unto the gods whom they had chosen Judg. 16.10 c. and let them deliver them in the time of their tribulation This was not a simple abjection or a concluding denyal but a sharp and minatory rebuke to work them to a more serious humiliation and reformation and to make way so for a better answer to their prayer which afterwards they had It hath been alway ordinary with God to suspend the answer of those prayers which he doth presently hear and assent to and to put a distance of time betwixt the grant and the execution of them and that for many good reasons which may come to be discovered in
of the Sea-bestormed Psa 107. yea out of this universal commiserativeness God is said to hear the cry of brute beasts as of the young Lions of the young Ravens nay to hear inanimate Creatures as the Heavens the Earth the Corn Wine and Oyl Thus it comes to pass that many times very wicked men have their desires and prayers in temporals granted them The Lord took notice of Ahabs humbling himself upon Elijahs reproof and denunciations and because of it he said 1 King 21 29 He would not bring the evil upon his house in his days Wicked Jehoahaz delivered of God into the hands of the Syrian Kings 2 King 13 4 5 He besought the Lord and the Lord harkened unto him and the Lord gave Israel a Saviour so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians Israel in the Psalmist when they under his Judgments sought God and returned and enquired early after God though it was but in flattery and hypocrisie Psa 78.34 Yet he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not 2. God appeareth to prayer out of that favor which is special and more peculiar he heareth the faithful seekers of him his own children from a neerer impulsive out of a dearer respect and consideration which he beareth towards their persons out of a federal and fatherly love and he embraceth their prayers not only out of a general but out of a special benevolence nor meerly with benevolence but with complacency and acceptation their prayers are as sweet as incense to him To the dwellers in Zion the Prophet saith Isai 30.19 He will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry These are the different grounds of Gods hearing prayer Secondly For Gods hiding from prayer he doth it also upon the like different grounds 1. It is some yea most times out of wrath and that is either 1. Judicial or a wrath of loathing and hatred a full pure unallayed anger such he bears to carnal wicked men and to their prayers Zech. 7.12 13 as it is in the Prophet Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hoasts therefore it came to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hoasts 2. Or Paternal and Conjugal the wrath of a Father or Husband a wrath tempered with and in time overcome and swallowed up of love intimate and peculiar love a wrath joyned to bowels of mercy such is that in the Prophet Isai 57.17 18 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth c. I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts to him and to his mourners Such a wrath as is again exprest by the Lord in the same Prophet In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment Isai 59.8 but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Mark well the great difference of this wrath from that which is against others it is the present wrath of a provoked Husband against an offending Wife by which she is widowed cast off and so barren and desolate in her prayers for a time for so are the words before The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth when thou wast refused saith thy God Again it is a little wrath and but for a moment and a small moment The sum is it is a moderated anger mixed with a dear relation and band of affection to them and it is a short and quickly cooled and forgotten wrath 2. This hiding from prayer is sometimes out of mercy yea it may be in special favor and the favor in withholding may be greater then it would have been to have granted the thing prayed for It may seem otherwise but the very truth is God doth sometimes deny his peoples prayers in indulgence and mercy to them they not seldom are set upon that which would be hurtful for them and ask the things which would be very bad for them to have in this case the want of their desires is better then the grant and God consulteth their good sheweth them favor in withholding their wishes from them Rachel was excessively bent to have children Give me children saith she or else I dye Well at length she had her longing but what came of it she dyed of child-bearing her second child was her Benoni the son of her sorrow so named by her self he was her bane and death As God giveth sometimes in anger so he withdraweth and denyeth sometimes in good-will and love As the natural father will give none but good gifts to his children he will not give his son a stone a Serpent a Scorpion for Bread for a Fish for an Egg So neither will our heavenly Father If the natural father will not exchange good petitions into bad gifts much more will our heavenly Father suspend bad Petitions or exchange them into good gifts * Deus quaedam negat propitius quae concedit iratus August Fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae misericorditer auditur misericorditer non auditur Quid enim infirmo sit utile magis novit medicus quam aegrotus August apud Aquin 22. qu. 83. art 15. Quid enim ratione timemus aut cupimus Quid tam dextro pede concipis ut te conatus non paeniteat voâ—â—que peracti evertere domos totas optantibus ipsis dii faciles nocitura toga nocitura petuntur militia Juvenal Saty. 10. Mr Goodwin Return of Prayer Chap. 9. Sect. 3. A worthy Author saith Oftentimes some great cross is prevented by the denyal of a thing which we were urgent for if we had had many of our desires we had been undone So it was a mercy to David that his child was taken away for whose life he was yet so earnest who would have been but a living monument of his shame SECT IV. The Answer to the Query summarily recollected and formed I Have finished the main tractation of the Query propounded in the Explication of the several terms or clauses and have shewed the difference to be noted among them that are stiled the people of God how Prayers are to be grounded both upon Precepts and Promises and the divers ways in which and grounds upon which God doth appear to or hide himself from Prayers I shall now only gather up all into a few Corollaries or summary Propositions fitted by way of Answer to the Query The Question was How or in what sense 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 I answer 1. They that are the people of God by name outward call profession communion and form of godliness God may hide himself from their
Prayers and that really totally finally and in highest disfavor to them but it cannot be said that he hides himself from any prayer of theirs grounded upon his promises for the truth is their prayers are never so grounded The matter of their prayers may be indeed the matter of the promises but the quality of their prayers is never correspondent to the conditions of the Promises The Promises of grace are offered propounded and conditionally made to all the externally called all that pass under the pastoral Rod of the Ordinances of Christ * The Covenant is actually made with Believers only but it is offered to all Mr Leigh Treat of Promises B. 1. chap. 5. Romans 9.3 Acts 2.39 Romans 3.2 Therefore it is said To them appertain or theirs are the Covenants and the Promises The Promise is to them and to their children that is to them they are commited as another place hath it they are delivered to them to make use of and improve to themselves but for want of faith they do not receive them to any benefit no nor to any sound property for lack of faith in them the promises to them are as Christ was to the Jews Joh. 1.11 He came to his own and his own received him not And as in particular to them of Nazareth Mark 6.5 He could there do no mighty works because of their unbelief So the promises to them are suspended in their efficacy they are no ground to them Faith is that which uniteth cementeth and incorporateth the person to the promises as the structure is coupled to the foundation and so they become profitable Heb. 4.2 The Scripture saith The Word of the Gospel preached did not profit them being not mixed or incorporated by faith in them that heard The faithless hypocrite doth not agglatinate immix or immerse his heart by faith in or to the promises only they that are sincerely internally and in the truth and life of grace the people of God do so close with them 2 Cor. 7.1 Hence it is said of them that they have the promises that is as usufructuaries in actual tenure and fruition Rom. 9.8 Heb. 6.17 11.9 13 Eph. 3.6 2.20 They are the children of the Promise they are the heirs of Promise they see are perswaded of and embrace the Promises they are partakers of the Promise in Christ they are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets which is the promises 2. For the inwardly called the grace-obtaining and effectually renewed people of God God may hide himself from some prayers of theirs in some sort but then observe either it is not wholly really and perpetually but for a time only or in shew and appearance only or in respect of some one way of appearance only or else it is from such of their prayers as are not regularly grounded on the promises it is when there is some disproportion betwixt their prayers and the divine promises Such prayers may come from them and it ought to be remembered that it is not enough to the certain success of their prayers that they be agreeable in some or in many points to the promises but there is to be a suitableness in all particulars though not in full degree yet in truth and substance and from their prayers that are so compleatly grounded I dare be bold to say God doth never hide himself or leave them really finally and every way answerless They may suffer some intermission in their issue or interposition in the evidence of their hearing they may receive the answer which they did not eye or directly expect but an utter desertion they do not fall under For this look into that one firm and gracious promise of God purposely fitted to his people in such a case as this is Zech. 10 6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph and I will bring them again to place them for I have mercy upon them and they shal be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and will hear them When ever then the people of God pray and cannot discern Gods appearing to their prayers let them not peremptorily conclude against themselves until they have first narrowly considered the congruity or disagreement of their prayers with the promises and if in that there be no substantial defect they may resolve the hiding of God which they apprehend from their prayers to be but either imaginary not real or dilatory not simply negative That which the Apostle answereth unto that Query concerning Gods rejection of his people in respect of grace in general I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it That may I answer unto this Query concerning Gods rejection of his people from this grace in particular of audience in prayer God hath not doth not cast away his people which he foreknew nor their prayers Israel the Titular people of God hath not obtained that which they seek for by prayer but the Election the chosen people of God the internally called and spiritually adopted people of God do certainly obtain their prayers What though they for lack of a discerning eye think they are not heard this must not carry the conclusion nor ought to be the rule of their judgment The Lord himself doth very strongly and sweetly confute and take away this inference in that affectionate delivery of himself to his people in the Prophet Isaiah But Zion said Isai 49 14 15 16 the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me The Lord did not say that he had forsaken Zion but Zion said so the Lord did not so but Zion spake so Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me but the Lord denyeth it yea averreth the contrary and attesteth it to wit his mindfulness of and faithfulness to her by the most pregnant instances affirming his remembrance of her to be more tender and tenacious then is that of a mother to her child her sucking child her son not her foster-son but the son of her womb if possibly she may forget yet God doth not will not forget and the reason of this more dear and durable regard in him then in her is a woman may forget because her child may sometimes be out of her hands out of her sight but Zion is not so to him he hath her graven upon the palms of his hands and her walls the whole dimension and circuit of her state is continually before him Though she be sometime removed far from her own wals and gates present
providence co-operate together and in this co-working each hath its proper part as it were the one is to petition the other is to perform and consequently the one is to propose the other to dispose the one to crave the other to carve the one to importune the other to opportune or to contrive the way method and season of effectuating as may be for the best As in shooting the hand and the eye act together the one to draw the Bow and enforce the Arrow the other to direct both to the work Or as in sailing the Pilot and the Rowers or Halers work together the one to make the ship go the other to make it steer its right course so do Providence and Prayer close and concur together in working for the good of praying Saints The breath of our Prayers must fill the Sails but the divine disposal must tend the Card and Compass 4. In judging of Gods appearing to or hiding from their prayers the faithful seekers of God are not to rest in their own sense or eye-sight nor in the present face of Gods providence or ways these may yield them for a time no answer no testimony of audience they are like the vision in Habakkuk not always speaking but having a peculiar time to speak At the end it shall speak and not lye Hab. 2.3 yea these may yield them occasion of discouragement or doubt when indeed the Lord hath a respect to their prayers is mindful of a return and an answer may be in drawing or dispatching out to them And further they are to look over all the ways of hearing whether by Testification Performance or Commutation lest their answer may be with them and they not aware of it not find it out * Vid. Calv. Instit l. 3 c. 20 S. 52 5. As divine providence may at present stand at a distance from or proceed oppositely to prayer even whilest prayer may be heard and answered or in answering so it may run parallel or go along with it it may act agreeably and answerably to prayer it may produce what prayer hath asked and yet nevertheless the prayer may be unanswered all this may be and not in answer to prayer Therefore as God may be apprehended to hide himself from his peoples prayers when indeed he doth not but sets open the door of mercy and his hearing ear to them and sets awork his hand of providence in the best manner for them so he may be conceived to answer the prayers that are contrary to them when indeed it is nothing so As God sometimes hears the prayer when he doth not give the thing so he sometimes gives the thing when he doth not hear the prayer This seeming Paradox I will endevor to make clear by instances and illustration The Danites messengers whom they sent to spy out the Land of Laish for them as they went turned into the house of Micha and in the Idolatrous way of his Religion that is Judg. 18. by the Ephod and Teraphim and carved Image and molten Image which he had made and by the young Levite which he had consecrated and kept as his Priest for that Idolatry enquired of God as they called it concerning the success of their expedition and the said Priest returned them this answer Go in peace before the Lord is your way wherein ye go and according to his answer it succeeded with them they discovered and immediately conducted the six hundred Danites who for their better speed robbed Micah and took along with them those his good presaging Idols and Priest unto a large and good Land which was that they sought after and lacked and they most easily and prosperously conquered the Inhabitants and possessed the Land and enjoyed it long though they there set up Micahs graven Image and superstitious Priesthood all the time the house of God was in Shiloh Here Providence speeds and suits with the ends and enterprizes of those devotions which certainly could not be but very displeasing unto God and therefore could not be followed with any such success for the prayers sake In like manner Saul when as Samuel came not to Gilgal within his time he took in hand to offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings either in his own person or by another contrary to the Commandment of God 1 Sam. 13 9 12 that as he pleaded to Samuel his Soldiers might not desert him and the Philistins might not set upon him before he had made supplication unto the Lord. Well notwithstanding this his sacrilegious or otherwise presumptuous Error in thus seeking to God contrary to his Will and way prescribed yet he goes out presently to his War against the Philistins and though he had a very small Army but six hundred men and neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of them yet he prospered and got the victory The Text saith The Lord saved Israel that day Ver. 15 22 ch 14 20 23 and there was a very great discomfiture of the Philistins Thus it went happily according as Saul had prayed yet questionless this was not properly in answer to his prayer for the answer to that Samuel had given him before and it was quite of another nature viz. a sharp rebuke for his transgression and foolishness therein 〈◊〉 4 and a declaration of the Lords purpose upon it to translate the Kingdom from him and dispose of it to another Prayer is properly answered 1. When the thing prayed for is not only done but is done in accâ—ptation and reward of prayer or for the prayers sake and it s well pleasing and prevalency with God 2. When it is done by vertue of the Promise 3. When it is done in special mercy to the person praying But a wicked mans prayer cannot come within these rules or any of them the prayer of such a one cannot be pleasing or acceptable or of any force with God Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his ears from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination the prayer of such a one hath no promise belonging to it Psa 50.16 Vnto the wicked God saith what hast thou to do that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth unto such a one the Lord beareth no fatherly affection Psa 34 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil And as an evil mans prayer cannot properly receive answer from God so neither can an evil prayer whatsoever the person be Psa 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Observe it though it were holy David or the choycest of Gods servants that should pray yet if he pray amiss if he regard iniquity in his heart he cannot have hearing And again Who is of the generation of them that seek God that seek his face and shall receive the blessing from the Lord Psa 24.4 and righteousness from the God of his Salvation why he who hath not lift up his Soul
informed him concerning the counsel of God delivering to him that revelation of the seventy weeks And it deserves to be well taken notice of Isai 54.8 9 11 Jer. 33.34 Heb 8.11 12 that in the New Covenant the benefit of being taught of God and of the abounding of the knowledg of God is joyned with the removal of Gods wrath and the forgiveness of sins and iniquities Let it be our first care then to seek and obtain reconciliation with God and expiation of sins 2. Let us go unto God by Prayer and make this a special petition unto him that he would disclose his mind and give us wisdom in this particular Doth the Lord hide himself from our prayers set we our selves to prayer so much the more closely It is recorded of our blessed Saviour Luk. 22.41 44. that when he was in the garden and at prayer being in an agony he prayed more earnestly And let us for this in particular seek unto God to know the reason of his hiding of himself that reason I mean which it behoveth us to know and he would have us seek after David in his exile and want of God Psal 42.9 saith I will say unto God My Rock why hast thou forgotten me why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy Thus Elihu adviseth Job Job 34.31 32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me And this Job himself had done when he said unto God Chap. 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me And again where he faith How many are mine iniquities and sins Chap. 13.23 24 Make me to know my transgression and sin Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Let that be our course in this doubt which was the course of Daniel and the three children for the finding out of Nebuchadnezzars dream namely Dan. 2.18 19 to desire mercies of the God of Heaven concerning this secret This way succeeded with them for then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision And we may hope the like success though not by the same means may be unto us Solomon tells us Prov. 28 5 Evil men understand not judgment but they that seek the Lord understand all things This is the way directed unto by the Apostle James and unto it he gives us a promise Jam. 1 5. If any of you lack wisdâ—â— let him ask of God and it shall be given him The Prophet Daniel confesseth the neglect of this as both the sin and the prejudice of his people then in captivity in this regard All this evil is come upon us Dan. 9 13. yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy Truth To understand Gods Truth here I conceive intendeth the practical and particular understanding of the congruity of Gods dealings then in Judgment with them with his Word in the threatenings pronounced by Moses and the Prophets and the applicative knowledg or acknowledgment of the verification of those denunciations upon them together with an attributing of their desolations to these evil ways of theirs against which the Prophets had before declared them And the reason why they had not understood this truth of God was they had not made their prayer unto God that they might turn from their iniquities and understand this truth Where by the way you may note the necessity of that which I insisted on before in the Rules given to wit turning from our iniquities to the end we may know Gods truth manifested in his dealings with us The people of the Jews had made their prayer after their manner both before and during the seventy years captivity but they had not made their prayer with a returning from their iniquities and therefore they had not attained to understand the aforesaid truth in this behalf But to conclude this particular if God do hide himself from our prayers we are to pray to him that the reason of it may not be hidden from us and that if it seemeth good unto him for a time to make a stop of our other prayers yet he would not deny us in this but herein discover his intention to us that so we may both the more contentedly stay and make the better use of his delaying or denying of us in the other 3. Attend diligently to the written Word We have before shewed the Scripture to be now the only ordinary means of understanding the reason of these ways of God towards us and that the common or main difficulty that is obvious to us on the part of this means is whereas God revealeth to men in his Word variety of Reasons for this according to the variety of Cases how to know or pitch upon that which in special concerns us and our condition and that in order to the clearing our selves of this difficulty we are to get into terms of peace and reconciliation with God we are particularly to pray for special information herein of God Now unto these we must thirdly add a close and cordial inspection into the Word Conscience must here awaken come in and diligently do its office and that is not only to open and acquaint us with the whole rule or dictate of Scripture but to make use application or deduction from it to our selves and this consists mainly if not only in taking a distinct and right view of our case or in bringing in a true and full account evidence or judgment of the matter of fact This matter of fact hath two parts 1. Gods dealing with us 2. Our own ways towards him 1. A strict and narrow insight into a serious consideration of Gods dealing with us must be had Come behold the works of the Lord Psal 46.8 what desolations he hath made in the Earth Every Providence of God especially his more notable acts hath a reason written upon it Eze. 14.23 could mans eye read it And the due eying of the ways of God is a great means to bring to light that reason The contemplation of Gods proceedings is hereunto apt in two respects 1. By vertue of that similitude or proportion which often there is especially in crosses betwixt Gods dealings with men and their dealings afore with him And this is particularly to be found in Gods walking towards us in relation to prayer As Solomon hath it in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.39 Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest Take one instance of this proportion of Gods ways to mens as to the matter of prayer O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble Why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the Land Jer. 14 8 9 10 and as a wayfaring man that turneth
aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Thus saith the Lord unto this people Thus have they loved to wander they have not refrained their feet therefore the Lord doth not accept them c. Here the people of Judah are by the Prophet Jeremiah personated in a complaint of Gods withdrawing from them and the Lord maketh his reply unto them by way of reddition of a reason wherefore he did it Thus have they loved to wander q. d. They complain of me that notwithstanding the relation they are in unto me of my people I am as a stranger or a night-lodger as a wearied man or as a strong man whose power is overmatched in that I do not hear and save them they may see if they will why it is and what 's the matter I am so strange and helpless to them what it is that makes me dislodg and be gone from among them and while I stay to be as a man altogether unconcerned in their condition Thus have they loved to wander Right as I carry to them so have they to me they have estranged themselves and run away from me after their Idols so that they may say like sin like punishment 2. By vertue of that sense and awakening efficacy which the works of God of this sort more especially are apt to introduce upon the Conscience As in the Prophet Zechary it is said of the Jews upon their captivity Zech. 1.6 And they returned and said Like as the Lord of Hoasts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us This observation which they make upon the ways of God towards them is even wrung out from them by their present sense and smart under Gods Judgments and their Consciences are induced to this acknowledgment by the transparency of the hand of God upon them In this respect the Judgments of God are as the light that goeth forth Hos 6.5 or the morning light of force to awaken and rouze up those men that lie asleep in their beds of sensless security 2. The other branch of the matter of fact is our own ways towards God Let us search and try our ways saith the afflicted Church of Judah Lam. 3.40 upon this very occasion of the Lords covering himself with a cloud that their prayers could not pass through Hag. 1 5 7 Consider your ways Consider your ways The Lord saith it twice over to his ill-succeeding people And the same again is reiteratedly required in that of Zephaniah Gather your selves together yea gather together or as others read Winnow sift or search your selves and again winnow c. your selves And indeed this we have need to do very faithfully and fully If we will not take a true and through account of our own ways there is no congruity that we should expect to find out a reason of Gods ways If we will let our own courses go unsearched it is but suitable that the proceedings of God should remain hidden to us When any evil of affliction is upon us as God always brings it so there is still a reason for it on our part there is a cause ever extant in us there is always something in us that calleth for it either something that needeth it or something that procureth it and if we seem desirous to know the cause of an evil we lie under and will not search and soundly search where it is we deserve not to find it SECT IV. The Question divided into its parts and the Causes of Gods hiding from Prayers distinguished WE have hitherto been detained at the threshold of this question but it hath been somewhat necessarily by taking a view of the impediments arising in the way the manner how to address unto and the means by which to gain satisfaction in it it is now time to enter upon it The Question hath two parts 1. What may be the reason of Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his Promises 2. What may be the reason of his seeming by his providences to answer the prayers which are contrary unto them although the former be the main and that being resolved will be in effect the resolution of the latter I begin with the first to wit What may be the reason of Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his promises The intent of this Query as I take it is not meerly to ask in the general what at any time or in any case may be the reason of the said effect but particularly what may be the reason now and as the case stands with us yet it will be first very requisite and a good part of our work to deal with the question in its general state that is to survey the whole series or predicament of causes of this effect which the Scripture gives us and then we may proceed to the hypothesis or the case as it is present and proper to us It will be requisite I say and make much towards the clearing of the Query to look into and sum up all the reasons so far as we can collect them which the Word discovers to us of the Lords hiding from the prayers of his people grounded upon his promises and in so doing to take in this general account those notions of Gods people and of Prayers groundedness upon the Promises in the larger sence namely to include all those persons who are the people of God by outward profession and calling and all the prayers of such which may be said to be grounded on the Promises in regard of the matter prayed for though they be deficient in the qualifications necessary For 1. Though the case upon which our eye is intent be but one yet the reasons that have influence into it may be many 2. Among the many reasons in Scripture for the over clouding of prayer some in this particular case may belong to some persons more directly and peculiarly and other to others it may avail therefore to have all represented 3. If we come short in the unfolding of the present case set before us as infallibly and perfectly to open it I must be far from promising yet to have gone thus far will be an advantage for when we have a collection of what reasons are possible to come within our case layd before us then each mens conscience may set it self on work and we have the enquiry with the rule to go by put into our hand as in a Systems or Anatome 4. Though there be much difference betwixt Gods hiding from the prayers of the faithful seekers of him and his hiding from those of the hypocrite in respect of manner or degree yet there may be and is too often a co-incidency in respect of causes The reasons or causes which the Scripture rendereth for the Lords hiding from his peoples prayers may be reduced to two heads They are
Lord but the Lord would not harken to their voyce nor give ear unto them Here the denyal of their suit and the irrevocability of the sentence of their wandering so long in the wilderness was plainly for their sin And yet we read elsewhere in the story the same was ordered so for their good also The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart c. and he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger c. that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live And a little after Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents Deut. 8.2 3 15 16 c. that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end These many excellent benefits were the end for that peoples attainment whereof they were put to travel and stay so long a time out of Canaan and in the desart The proposal of so happy an end by God and the committance of such great offences by the people concurred together in the denyal of their request above spoken of And the like may be said of Moses in regard of the denyal of his request to go over Jordan and into Canaan it was his benefit being that in lieu thereof he dying attained to a better life and Canaan and yet his sin also was in it as the cause of that refusal h Deut. 3.26.32.52 Numb 20 12 Psa 106.33 We see then by these instances those very persons whom the Lord hideth himself from it may be both to correct their sin and to consult their good he may do it to them both for the punishment of their offences and for the procurement of their profit SECT V. Of the first sort of Causes of Gods hiding from prayers HAving made this observation of both the sorts of Causes layd together I now proceed to speak of them severally 1. Of the former namely the Reasons arising from man or the meritorious Causes on mans part Concerning this head of Reasons I shall endeavor to shew four things 1. That sin is a cause of Gods hiding from his peoples prayers 2. Whose sins 3. What special sins for kind 4. Certain circumstances in sin that help forward this effect 1. That sin is a cause of this deportment of the Lord towards his praying people I shall not need to say much to this it is a thing so evident It is plainly declared by God It is freely acknowledged by the people of God themselves 1. It is expresly declared by God Isai 59.12 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Jer. 33 5. For all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this City Because they trespassed against me Ezek 39.23 24. therefore I hid my face from them According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them and hid my face from them And predictâ—vely Mic. 3.4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord but he will not hear them he will even hide his face from them at that time as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings 2. The consciences of the people of God have given testimony to this against themselves So the Church of Iudah under her Babylonian pressures Lam. 3.42 43 We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through Isai 64 7 For thou hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our iniquities David elegantly expresseth this where he saith Psal 65 3. Verba iniquitatum prevaluerunt mihi Foord Ar. Mon. pelican Musc Iniquities prevail against me or as our margent with other Interpreters read the words of iniquities prevail against me He had in the verse next before used this compellation to God O thou that hearest prayer and with relation unto that stile he is conceived to intend this speech The words of iniquities prevail against me We see iniquities speak they have a voyce yea a cry As our prayers speak and cry for us so if iniquity have dominion over us it will speak yea clamour and clamouring prevail against us As God is a hearer of prayer so he is a hearer of the cry of sin As he receives the suits which our prayers present for us so also he admits the bills which our sins put in against us As he hath an ear of mercy open to the one so hath he an ear of justice and holiness open to the other And it is but equal that as the presentment of our wants or wrongs by prayer so the accusation of our sins which are injuries done unto God should have access to him yea and that God himself should first be vindicated and the sin expiated and removed and we our selves set right in the Court of Heaven upon our repentance ere our prayers for us should have a hearing and return from God 2. The next thing is Whose sin it is that may cause God to hide himself from his servants prayers I answer 1. It is very ordinarily their own sin that do pray I will give no other instances for this then those even now given out of Isaiah Ieremiah the Lamentations Ezekiel and Micah look but over them again and you will read in every of them that as sin was the motive of Gods hiding from those prayers so the sin was theirs whose were the prayers 2. It is oftentimes the sin of others As 1. Theirs for whom the prayer is put up to God As in the intercessions of the servants of God for others they may pray for others out of duty to Gods Command and pious affection to them and their prayer may be regular and it may be acceptable to God and yet the Lord may hide himself from it in regard of granting the benefit to the persons prayed for and the reason may be the sins of those persons 1 Sam. 15.11 Samuel cryed unto the Lord all night for Saul but Sauls disobedience in his expedition against the Amalekites suffered not Samuel to prevail for him Ezek. 9.8 9 Ezekiel prayed for Ierusalem when the six men the Executioners of Gods wrath were sent out into it with their destroying weapons in their hands but the full measure of the Lands and Cities sins would not admit of a rescue though it was Ezekiel that prayed Israels Golden Calf stood up and made such a breach for Gods anger against them Exod 32.31 c. that though Moses his chosen stood before him in it yea and turned away his wrath as to the destroying of them yet he could not obtain for them a total remission of punishment The Lord answered him Nevertheless
in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them And the Lord plagued the people because they had made the Calf c. Many a dear Saint of God and many a holy prayer of such hath been non-suited in Heaven by the over-poysing sins of them for whom they have interceded 2. Or the sin may be theirs who are in near relation to the persons prayed for We may find that sometimes the wickedness of bad friends or alies hath made more against men then the prayers of their godly friends could make for them Josiah and Jeremiah both very choyce ones the one for a Prince the other for a Prophet they both prayed for Judah about one time but the sins of Manasseh the grandfather of Josiah and the King of Judah were too strong for them both they are mentioned as the prevailing reason against both their prayers * 2 Kings 22.15 16 17 with 23 25 26 Jer. 14.19 15.1 2 3 4. 3. The third thing propounded to consideration is What sins in special do provoke God to hide himself from his peoples prayers The Scripture brands a multitude of sins by name and special note with this effect Let us view the particulars And for that end I will put them into three ranks 1. Sins against Piety or duty to God 2. Sins against the second Table 3. Sins in or about Prayer it self 1. Sins against Piety Unto this rank belong these sins following 1. Idolatry or the setting up and giving divine Worship unto those that are no Gods For this peruse that story in Judg. 10. In short it is thus The Lords anger waxed hot against Israel and he sold them into the hands of the Philistins and of the Ammonites The Israelites under their oppressions and distresses by them cry unto the Lord with confession of their sin The Lord answers them That seeing after and notwithstanding many former deliverances from the like evils they had now forsaken him and served other gods therefore he will deliver them no more let them go and cry unto and be delivered by the gods which they have chosen This was the dolorous repulse which in a day of tribulation they received for their sins of Idolatry For this sin it was that God declared he would neither hear his people of Judah praying for themselves Jer. 11.10 c. nor his Prophet Jeremiah praying for them See also for this Ezek. 20.31 2. Covenant-breaking with God As in that example I last mentioned of Judahs and Jeremiahs prayers They were rejected for this as one cause The house of Judah have broken my Covenant which I made with their fathers therefore c. And though they shall cry unto me I will not harken unto them c. Therefore pray not thou for this people neither lift up a cry or prayer for them c. 3. Abuse of Religion to carnal ends This was the sin of the Prophets of Judah and for it they are sentenced with this Judgment They make my people to err Mic. 3.5 6 7 they bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that puteth not into their mouths they even prepare war against him Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that you shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over you Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God 4. Contempt neglect waxing weary of slothfulness in or falling off from the service of God Mal. 3.14 The people in the Prophet Malachi complain by way of taxing God It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoasts And wherefore do they thus charge God what was the cause of this obstruction of their prayers If they had looked well about them they might have found it in themselves and in those very services which they complained to be disregarded in as the Prophet before in the first second and third Chapters had made it manifest against them They were grown to despise Gods Name to pollute and account contemptible his Table to offer the blind the lame and the sick for sacrifice to profane the Name of God to esteem his service a weariness and to snuff at it the Levites were departed out of the way they had caused many to stumble at the Law they had corrupted the Covenant of Levi Iudah had profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved from the days of their fathers they were gone astray from Gods Ordinances and had not kept them they had robbed God namely in tythes and offerings No marvel their devotions proved so vain and unprofitable to themselves when they were so vile and curtalled as they were done unto God they had no worse then they brought When the Spouse in Solomons Song gave her self to sluggishness Cant. 5.3 6. and would not arise from her bed when she was called up by her Beloved this moved him to withdraw from her door and to absent himself from her when after she would have entertained him and missing sought him The set time for God to favor Sion in regarding the prayer of the destitute Psal 102. and in hearing the groaning of the prisoner is when his servants take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof that is as I understand when the sight and face of Gods house and service is amiable to them and the very dust the humblest and meanest part of it is delightsom 5. Loathing of refusing to harken and disobedience to the Word of God Solomon saith He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law Prov. 28 9 Chap. 1.24 28 29 30. even his prayer shall be an abomination And Because I have called and ye re-refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded c. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me c. See the verifying of this in Zech. 7.11 12 13. What congruity is there that men should look to be heard of God when they will not harken to him Upon these terms is audience promised by our Saviour to his servants Joh. 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you 6. Carnal security or putting confidence in a temporal portion as in wealth successes or advancements This sin was Davids cloud In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord Psa 30.6 7 by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 2. The next rank of sins is of those against the second Table In it as causes of this effect are 1. Blood-guiltiness When you spread
forth your hands Isai 1 15 I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood See also for this Isai 59.2 3. Isai 58 3 6. 2. Oppression injustice and violence Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou hearest not c. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke They have filled the Land with violence c. Ezek. 8.17 18 therefore though they cry in mine ears with a loud voyce yet I will not hear them You may read also Isai 59.2 4 7. And for Magistratical and Martial Injustice take that of Micah Hear I pray you O Heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the House of Israel Mic. 3.1 c. Is it not for you to know Judgment who hate the good and love the evil who pluck off their skin from off them and their flesh from off their bones who also eat the flesh of my people and stay their skin from off them and they break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron Then shall they cry unto the Lord but he will not hear them he will even hide his face from them at that time Let men of this quality and crime look to it As they have their time to act their mischiefs and cruelties and may proceed from one degree of violence to another until they have even made meat of their inferiors so God hath his time of deserting them and of refusing to hear their cry 3. Unmercifulness Prov. 21.13 or uncharitableness to the poor and afflicted Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard The people of Judah making complaint of God to himself Isai 58.3 6 7 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not c. The Lord discovers to them the causes to wit the defaults of their Fasts Is not this the fast that I have chosen c. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Cornelius the Centurion Act. 10.2 4 31 as he prayed to God alway so he gave much alms to the people and we may take notice as alms and prayers and that in answerable proportion praying alway and much alms were joyned together in his practice so they were by God in his acceptance of him So the Angel told him Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God On the contrary if we forget to shew mercy to men together with our prayer to God we may look that God may forget and withhold his mercy from our prayers 4. Covetousness This was one of Judahs sins and of the bolts that kept out their prayers from God Isa 1.57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth c. A greedy desire to and over-fast holding of earthly things as it hinders our desires and affections from ascending upwards to Heaven so it stops on prayers from coming downwards from thence in answer to us Matt. 6 23 Dr Hammond prac Catec This is that evil eye which in our Saviours sentence makes the whole body full of darkness and that great darkness and the darkness in that place means a privation of the sight of those treasures and benefits that are layd up in and come down from Heaven 5. Pride Elihu in Job tells us There they cry but none giveth answer Job 35.12 13 because of the pride of evil men Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it Pride is vanity or a lye by it we either foolishly assume to our selves what we have not or impiously ascribe to our selves what we have and deny our dependance on or beholdingness to God And it is but suitable that if we take to our selves that excellency which we have not we should go without that which we would obtain and if we deny God the glory of what we have received and with it be lifted up in our selves he may well cut us short of what we ask and would receive of him Agur entreated God not to give him riches last being full Pro. 30.8 9 he should deny God A proud man is too full in himself to be fit to receive any thing at the hands of God and it is far better even for us that God should deny us in some of our prayers then that we should deny him in his benefits David saith The Lord respecteth the lowly Psa 138.6 but the proud be knoweth afar off and Peter 1 Pet. 5.5 that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble The Apostle Paul was in danger of being exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations and therefore when for the prevention thereof there was given to him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him and for that thing he besought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12 7 c. that it might depart from him He was not instantly heard as to the removal of that evil the same end in all probability that brought it to wit the cure of pride continued it upon him and prevented his prayers from that way taking effect lest the plaister being taken off the sore might gather and swell again 3. The third rank of sins are those that may be in or about prayer it self these are many The most remarkable may be these 1. Praying without a sight and discovery of the sins that lie against us The Lord saith I will go and return unto my place till they acknowledg their offence and seek my face With seeking of the face of God there must go along a finding out and owning of our sin and in particular our offence that is the special sin we are most guilty in and most stands up against us before God We are all readier to see our wants then our sins like Malefactors before a Judg apter to petition for a release then to confess our faults Ioshua and the Elders of Israel lay upon their faces and prayed before God upon their discomfiture as Ai but they were not aware of Israels sin in the accursed thing the Lord therefore bids them get themselves up 1 Kin. 8.38 and go hunt out that Solomons request was that God would hear what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all his people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart Sin is the plague of the heart this plague must be known that prayer may be heard and every man must know the proper plague or sin of his own
heart this is a pestilence that too often walketh in darkness as to mens taking notice of it 2. Unhumbledness of heart There is to be in all especially in our solemn and extraordinary prayers an humbled Spirit in regard of needs judgments and sins So the Lords promise upon Solomons prayer runs 2 Chro. 7 14 If my people which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray c. and so it was before to Moses If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity c. The want of this affectedness of heart was one cause that though the people of Iudah sought God dayly and fasted and afflicted their Souls by bodily interdiction yet the wrath of God would not be averted They bowed down the head as a bulrush Isa 58.3 5 and spred sackcloth and ashes under them but they still found pleasure in sin 3. Hypocrisie word or lip-devotion without the power of piety to wit the true love and fear of God and seeking after him in the heart Of the Hypocrite Iob saith Job 27.9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him Solomons prayer which seems to be the square both according to which we should pray and God will accept and hear was 2 Chro. 6 30 and render unto every man according unto all his ways whose heart thou knowest The thing intimated hereby as I conceive is this Men that pray shall have a return from God not meerly according to their present form of prayer but according to the universal course of their lives If their prayer be for its composure good and their ways be good too they may expect from God a good answer but though that be good if they be peccant in these they can look for no good answer and the reason here may be for that God looketh at and for the heart and the integrity of it and there is not any such true character or picture of a mans heart as is the general course and frame of his ways it and these do exactly answer each other as do the signet and the impression 4. The proposing of indirect by and unworthy ends in prayer The Apostle saith Ye ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Jam. 4.3 It is intolerable that holy and godly desires for the matter of them should travel to and traffique with Heaven to serve and bring in provisions for sensual or vile lusts The Lord taxeth it upon Israel that they cryed not unto him when they howled upon their beds Hos 7.14 they assembled themselves for corn and wine their end was not God it seems but their own belly It was an hainous crime for any man of Israel to make a perfume like to that which was holy Exo. 30.37 38 and compounded for the incense of the Sanctuary or to turn it to a civil and private use as for himself to smell to this was to be punished with cutting off from his people Accordingly it must needs be very displeasing unto God for a man to convert the sacred incense of prayer from its own proper and religious end to any carnal or sinful purpose or design 5. A contentious quarrelous or malicious heart in prayer Our blessed Saviour thus instructs us for prayer And when you stand praying Mark 11.25 forgive if you have ought against any that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses but if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses A Rule to be well taken notice of at all times especially in these warring and jarring times wherein there is not only party against party in more divisions then can be mustered up but even prayer against prayer and if withall there should be strife and rancor within and so heart against heart as alass how hard is it to be avoyded who can hope it is any better among many This default would be enough it self alone both to keep back their prayers from them and to bind on their sins upon them As two persons cannot walk together except they be agreed so neither can their prayers ascend up to Heaven together except they be agreed the one at least and if both be from a strife-enflamed Censer what ever the matter be both must needs be shut out The Apostle wills That men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 or without wrath and disceptation and so both terms may exclude debate in devotion When Israel went to war in their Land against the enemy that oppressed them the Priests were to blow an alarm against the enemy with both the Trumpets of the Sanctuary Num. 10 9 and then they should be remembred before the Lord their God and be saved from their Enemies But what might be expected if they should sound Trumpet against Trumpet and Priest against Priest 6. Infidelity or weakness of Faith or trust in God The Apostle James requires us to ask in Faith nothing wavering for let not that man that wavereth think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Jam 1.6 7 Mr Medes Diatr part 2. p. 297 This wavering saith one is when we reel from God to rest upon second means It is a hard matter to use friends wisdom or strength and not to relie upon them and it is as hard to go to God in prayer and sincerely and stedfastly to trust in him It is wont to be said we must use the means but trust in God but the usual practise is to invert that and to use prayer use God but trust in the means Our Saviour saith that God will avenge his own Elect which cry day and night to him though he bear long with them Lu. 18 7 8 he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth How is this Can it be long and yet speedy We must take it in divers respects or in relation to divers persons It is long in the account and sense of them that pray but it is speedy to the wicked that are the subjects of that avenging It is long because God waits for strength of faith as well as assiduity of cries in his Elect it is speedy because God is quicker in coming on in his work then they are in their advance of faith Though he bear long yet he comes sooner then their faith is ready for when he cometh he shall scarce find faith in the Earth 7. A continuance of sin in heart and life If I regard iniquity in my heart Psa 66.18 the Lord will not hear me saith David And the Lord tells Israel Lev. 26 27 31 If ye will not for all this harken unto me but walk contrary unto me I will bring your Sanctuaries unto desolation and I will not smell the savor of your sweet
odors Their sweet odors were an emblem of prayer and the time of their Incense-offering was their time of prayer * Psa 141 2 Luk. 1.10 so that it is as much as if he had said I will not accept your prayers This the Prophet Daniel renders as the reason of the accomplishing of the seventy years captivity and of the Lords hiding so long in that particular from his people and their prayers All this evil is come upon us Dan. 9.13 yet made we not our prayers before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities The people before and all along during the captivity did pray as I have before noted but they did not so pray as withall to turn from their iniquities and therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil saith he in the next words or as some render Therefore hath the Lord been diligent Rolloc in loc and persevering in that evil which he hath brought upon us that is therefore he hath gone on in judgment against us and would not be entreated We may note it in all experience a course of prayer and a course of sin cannot stand together I mean they cannot both stand in force together but either prayer will beat down sin or sin will keep down and enervate prayer neither do they ordinarily stand together for any time in regard of practice but either prayer will break off the course of sin or sin will break off the custom of prayer What the Apostle saith of the Spirit and the flesh that they mutually lust against one another Gal. 5.17 the same may be said of prayer and sin they combate and conflict each against other and that until the one be brought down We have thus seen what sins in special are causes of Gods hiding from prayers and we have had them distinguished in three ranks namely sins against piety sins against the second Table and sins in or about prayer and under each of these have been mustered up divers particulars The fourth thing propounded to consideration was certain circumstances in sin which help forward this effect and move God the rather to it These are 1. Incorrigibleness in sin or a going on in sin notwithstanding and in contradiction unto special means applyed for reformation as when the Word of the Lord is sent out and published unto a person or people for a direct conviction and rebuke of the sin or sins committed and lived in and for the calling of men to repentance of and recovery from them or when the Judgments of God have come and lien upon men personally domestically or nationally in any kind as a witness against and correction for the sin or any other means hath been used and yet nevertheless men persist and obstinately persevere in their evil ways This was Israels and Judahs aggravation of their sin and it added weight to and furthered the Lords hiding from their prayers But they refused to harken Zech. 7.11 12 13. and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord of Hoasts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hoasts Therefore it came to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hoasts When the Lord declared to Israel Hos 5.15 by the Prophet Hosea that he would go and return to his place that is that he would withdraw his presence and audience to a great distance from them this was one thing which brought it on They have done so and so Verse 2. though I have been a rebuker of them all And the same is alledged against that people in the Prophet Isaiah as concurring to this effect I hid me Isai 57.17 and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart or as the late Annotations because he went on frowardly Divines Annot. 2 Edit c. And so their froward and obstinate running on in their sin was not the consequent but the antecedent and reason why God was wroth and being angry hid himself from them 2. Presumption or an adventuring to do an act or run a course against the express and particular prohibition or warning of God by his Messengers against the doing thereof As when Israel in the wilderness would needs go up to fight with the Amorites Moses relating it to them afterward saith And the Lord said unto me Say unto them Go not up neither fight Deut. 1 42 c. for I am not among you lest ye be smitten before your enemies So I spake unto you and ye would not hear but rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord and went presumptuously up into the hill c. and ye returned and wept before the Lord but the Lord would not harken to your voyce nor give ear unto you 3. Scandalous sinning David when the Lord had struck the child that Vriahs wife bare unto him with sickness besought God for the child and fasted and lay all night upon the Earth but nevertheless the child dyed and the special reason why the Lord was so inexorable to him in this particular Nathan the Prophet had before given him Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born unto thee shall surely dye * David was not heard because it stood not with the rule of divine justice that so scandalous a sin which made the enemies of God to blaspheme should not have an exemplary punishment Mr Mede Diatrib part 2 pag. 298. Those sins of the people of God which do open the mouths of the professed Adversaries of Religion to reproach the Name of God are more then ordinarily obstructive of prayer It is time for God upon the remittance of such by them to manifest his special dis-favour in such an effect that so he may vindicate that Name of his which his people call upon from the aspersion of their sin As God upon this ground refused to hear David so did he for the like cause deny the petition of another as eminent for nearness to and favor with him as he to wit Moses He besought the Lord very pathetically for leave to go into and see the Land of Canaan but the Lord would not harken unto him in it but he must dye beyond Jordan and what was the reason the Lord tells it Aaron and him Because ye beleeved me not Numb 20.12 27.14 to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel By his sin at the waters of strife a scandal was given unto the people reflecting upon God himself and therefore when mention is afterward made of this sin and the sentence of God upon it as it is often noted in the sacred
honores Et nimias poscebat opes numerosa parabat Excelsae Turris tabulata unde altior esset Casus impulsae praeceps immune ruinae Iuvenal Satyr 10. or chuse the good We are bent to ask a stone in stead of bread a serpent in stead of a fish for an egg a scorpion And certainly if our heavenly Father were as ready to give as we are to ask some things if he did not consult our safety and profit more then we do our selves and manifest his goodness some while in withholding as well as other-while in giving we might perish or be very near undoing by our Petitions The Apostle saith We know not what we should pray for as we ought * Rom. 8.26 The saying holds true not only of the manner as we ought but of the matter what and it holdeth universality of all matters we are unskilled what to ask in all desirable things whatsoever unless the Spirit help us and as an advocate in the Court form our requests and pleas in and for us Spirituals we cannot see at all to desire them and temporals we cannot see so as to distinguish of them or discern what is convenient for us and what is not One of the wholesomest Petitions that ever was put up to God in relation to worldly Affairs is that of our Saviour praying to his Father for his Disciples that he would keep them from the evil of the world Joh. 17.15 It is more necessary for us to be preserved from the evil of the world then to be gratified with the benefits of it in any kind whatsoever and we being subject to mistake in our wishes about them if we have a part in Christs prayer we must needs be denyed in some of our own prayers concerning them if God according to it deliver us from the evil of the world he must needs deliver us from some of our suits about it 2. To promote their good The Lords denyal of a thing prayed for may be not only to put by a hurt that would come to his people by it but to procure to them a benefit it may be not only for their security but for their advantage not only cautional but gainful to them It often cometh to pass that the keeping back of a temporal benefit turneth to the spiritual good of them that sought it they miss an outward comfort and meet with an inward and so are great gainers by the repulse of their desires If men learn by a disappointment of their Petition about some earthly concernment to amend what is amiss in their Souls lives or prayers if they be drawn nearer to God and more alienated from the things of this life it proves well for them that they sped not in the particular asked they are no losers by such a miscarrying It is with the servants of God in this respect as with Vines let the branches of a Vine lance and sprout forth while they will and they will spread much but bear little the way to have them fruitful is to prune them So give a godly man all his requests and he will be like an unlopped Vine but slender and slow in spiritual growth and fruit the way to make him fertile and flourishing in grace is to cut him short of some of his desires I have mentioned before the Lords denyal of his people Israel at Kadesh Deut. 2.45 when they would have had the sentence of the forty years wandering in the wilderness reversed and an instant admission into Canaan granted Now Moses after those years were expired and they were come again to the borders of Canaan to enter into it looking back upon that many years travel observes a multiplicity of good effects for which they had been kept and led about by God so long in that wilderdess to wit to humble them and to prove them to know what was in their heart whether they would keep Gods Commandments or no and to make them know Deut. 8.2.3 15 16. See also Deut. 29.5 6 that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord and that he might prove them to do them good at their latter end Those servants of God that are much and diligent in prayer do and ought to petition dayly for a multitude of things both in relation to themselves and others and in this variety of matters prayed for although there be a fair consistibility in the asking of them yet there may be an inconsistency in the enjoying of them there may be a simulty of desire there cannot be a simulty of fruition for though there be no intrinsecal contrariety yet there may be an accidental opposition amongst them In this case therefore where we cannot have all our requests fulfilled if the Lord chuse out and prefer those that are the more beneficial and needful if he put back smaller matters that he may make way for greater if he set aside meaner Petitions that he may reserve place for weightier the accounts of our prayers being cast up together we shall sustain no prejudice but on the other hand reap much advantage by denyal in some particulars 2. The other way of the Lords hiding from his peoples prayers is in deferring or delaying them for a time This way being more frequent with God towords his faithfullest servants then the other of that denyal I shall be something more large and particular in noting out the several ends of it They may be either 1. In relation to the persons praying 2. Or respecting others 1. The ends in respect of the parties praying as we learn them out of Scripture may be these 1. In reference to their prayers to better them therein to stir them up and set them on to pray with both more frequency and more fervency to excite them to a further measure both of assiduity and ardency in prayer God will have us not only to ask when the matter is of moment but to ask again and again to pray and that with much instancy and vehemency this may be the meaning of our Saviours trebling of the precept Ask seek Matt. 7.7 knock importing both a multiplication of the act and an heightening in the activity and intention of the mind therein Seeking implyeth more earnestness and intensness then asking and knocking more importunacy then seeking David saith Evening morning and at noon Psa 55.17 will I pray and cry aloud and the Lord shall hear my voyce To bring his suit to a hearing he resolves on it as requisite not only that he pray but that he make an advance in praying and that both in number and measure that in regard of the one he reiterate in regard of the other he re-inforce his prayers 1. He will reiterate their number Evening and morning and at noon 2. He will re-inforce their measure I will pray and cry aloud Both these are contained in those terms of continuing instant and
of perseverance i Acts 1.14.2.42.6.4.12.5 Rom. 22.12 Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 so often by the Holy Ghost annexed to prayer Interpreters observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haec duo involuit vehementem quandam animi intentionem quasi pugnum dum versatur in actu orandi assiduam frequentationem orationis Epis Davenant in Colos 4.2 Vide Cr. Sacra in voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to persevere with strength or force or to hold on with importunity Some apprehend in these terms a Metaphor taken from hunting-dogs that pursue the game with a full cry and with all the might in them and give not over till they have gotten it and though they be sometimes at a loss yet they retrive or cast about till they get again the sight or scent of their prey and so prosecute it unto seizure l Mr Leigh his Crit. Sacr. and Mr Trap on Cant. 5.6 1. There must be a continuance in respect of time and frequency of acts The Lord foretelling the recovery of his people from their Babylonian ruines and captivity or that deliverance of the same people yet to come from the Roman desolations and dispersions he saith They shall come with weeping Jer. 31.19 and with supplication will I lead them And again in another place The children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping Jer. 50.4 they shall go and seek the Lord their God In both these places the peoples advance and progress towards their Country and former state is to be accompanyed and carryed on with a constant tract or course of prayer they must travel to home in a posture and march of prayer that they may arrive there they must be always advancing in it as well as in their way and in this course of prayer the Lord doth lead or train them on by slow and successive paces with supplications will I lead them Here methinks God is resembled unto a Father that hires his young child to go with some alluring reward in his hand so as whilest the child comes on towards him he goes backward still until he hath drawn his little one on as far as he thinks fit and then he delivers him the reward Thus the Lord by delays tilleth on his people to trace out their full course of prayer ere he give them a return and whilest they are thus prosecuting the mercies they desire going and weeping they go and seek the Lord that is all along as they go they weep and pray their journey and their prayers are pursued with equal steps their acts of weeping and praying they reiterate as often as they do their paces or the stages of their journey Again Prayer is compared to a Husbandmans sowing Psa 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy He that will sow that he may have a harvest and an answerable crop he must not think that to go into the field and there cast down his seed all at once on a heap will serve for a seeding but he must be content as it is in the next words to bear his precious seed or as the words are interpreted to bear draw-seed * See Divines Annot in loc Edit 1. that is seed drawn forth out of the basket by handfuls he must carry his seed over all the field and every land or butt step by step scattering it orderly and by little and little as he goeth Suitably thereto must prayers be sown as it were with a diligent hand and a successive pouring forth in number and weight unto a due proportion Again Prayer is likened unto a womans going with child as in that of the Revelation Rev. 12.1 There appeared a woman clothed with the Sun c. and she being with child cryed travelling in birth and pained to be delivered This is understood of the Churches laboring in prayer to obtain of God a Christian Emperor which might cease their persecutions and establish the Christian Religion Now in Nature a woman that brings forth a child doth not only conceive it but ripen it certain moneths in her womb and when she hath gone her full time she must undergo sharp labour and bitter birth-pains ere she embrace her child In like manner that our prayers may bring forth the man-child begged there must be not only a first conception but a dayly forming and an increasing of them and a prosecuting them to the full time and a sustaining the burden and sorrows of their maturation and bringing forth Again The prayers of the Saints are represented by golden viols full of odours Rev. 5.8 They must not only be for their quality odours or incense that is pure fragrant and delightsom unto God but for the quantity they must be viols full as we read elsewhere of a bottle for the tears of Gods servants so here we have viols for their prayers and they must be content to stay for the return of their prayers and to renew them until they have filled up these viols with them when these are full then the Lamb openeth the seven seals then doth God manifest himself in his Providences answerable to them Mr Trap on Gen. 25.21 I will but add this Prayer is resembled to those arrows which Elisha lying sick on his death-bed ordered King Joash to take and with them to smite upon the ground As the blows given with them so the use of prayer must be often reiterated that the mercy may be throughly obtained we must repeat and renew it and that often enough if we do it not to the full count we may impe our selves in the benefit sought of God 2. In prayer we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we must not only continue our prayers and multiply them in number but reinforce them we must renew and intend our instancy and vigor in them For this purpose prayer is called an agony strife or combate The Apostle Paul desires the Romans to strive together with him in their prayers to God for him Ro. 15.30 Now they that undertook those exercises in the Grecian games to which the phrase alludeth it did not suffice them to hold out the time and keep up the action but they were to put to their utmost strength and follow it with might and main that they might overcome and get the Crown So the Lord would have us to do in prayer This is the meaning of that Parable of one friends coming to another at midnight to borrow of him three leaves Luk. 11.5 c. which motion the friend requested at first excusing himself from as having his doors shut and being in bed with his children and indisposed then to rise but being further pressed with importunity he cannot but grant it The reddition hereof is the near relation and dear affection which a servant of God standeth in with
into a suitable frame for it he not only causeth his ear to hear but prepareth their heart as in that of the Psalmist the which some understand as well of preparing their heart to receive the thing prayed for as to pray for it †Mr Goodwin Return of Prayer c. 7. sec 3. We are put to pray saith Peter Martyr not that we may alter God which were in vain for us to to essay seeing he is immutable but rather that we our selves may be altered for by prayers we are made capable of the blessings of God * P. Martyr loc com clas 3 c. 12. s 3. Tanto quippe illud quod valde magnum est sumemus capacius quanto fidelius credimus speramus firmius desideramus ardentius Augustin ep 121 ad probam apud Down ham Tract of Prayer cap. 4 p. 15 What a number of indispositions and and how great were found in Daniel to receive the answer of his prayers when the Angel came unto him with it He relateth Dan. 10. that upon the first vision or voyce of the Angel there remained no strength in him his comeliness was turned in him into corruption and he was in a deep sleep upon his face and his face towards the ground vers 8 9. Then after that he stood indeed but trembling vers 11. Neither was that all for after this it 's said he became dumb vers 15. And these his distempers were not removed in one instant but by successive degrees First an hand touched him which set him upon his knees and upon the palms of his hands vers 10. Next of all he is animated by the Angel against his trembling vers 12 13 14. After that his lips are touched and his mouth opened vers 16. And last of all he is strengthened vers 18. And after all these corroborations when he was thus brought into a capacity the Angel delivers unto him his message as the return of his prayers There is in him a notable emblem of the slowness and ineptitude which is in us to entertain what by our prayers we would obtain and of our progressive or gradual coming on to a power of reception One while we are too feeble to brook the glory of God which is to break forth in the mercy another while we are too drowzy and sensless to hear or apprehend his answer to us or we are so fearful and wavering that we cannot take fast hold on the benefit if reached out to us or we are so dumb that we know not how to express due thanks unto God for the desired blessing were it bestowed on us and we are long ere we can get over all these incapacities So that what the Apostle saith unto the Corinthians by way of reason for his not feeding them with meat that is with more deep and spiritual doctrine the same may be rendered to us as the reason of our not sooner embracing the effect of our prayer 1 Cor. 3.2 Hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet are you able It is well worth our observing unto this purpose what a number of interposals and of what weight and difficulty they are which come between the pouring upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication Zech. 12. and their reaping the fruit thereof in the Lords harkening to their prayers Chap. 13. in the close whereof it is said They shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Those two promises do directly eye and answer one another but mark the several and great things that are interlined betwixt that and this as the necessary steps and preparatives to bring on the former to arrive at the latter that is that the spirit of prayer and supplications may attain its issue and success in a full and gracious audience and performance The preparatives are these 1. There must be a great a bitter a solemn and an universal mourning of those in whom the spirit of prayer is poured forth Chap. 12. v. 10. c. a mourning like that of a tender Parent for his first-born or only son and like that of a desolate Nation for a most pious and hopeful Prince such a one as was Josiah 2. There is to be unto them a revelation and application of the free full and everlasting Expiatory of the Blood of Christ cap. 13. v. 1. The Lord having poured out the Spirit of supplication upon them and they by it pouring out their Souls as well in bitter mourning for their woundings and crucifyings of Christ as in earnest petitions for their reconciliation the purifying fountain of Christs blood must be poured out upon their consciences unto remission of sins 3. There must be an abolition of Idols and false worship and an extirpation of uncalled and lying Prophets and of corrupt Teachers and Doctrines out of the Land Chap. 13. v. 2. c. And let us note by the way that the abolition of these must be not only by the hand of God I will cut off c. but by men even by the prosecution of the parents and nearest friends of the counterfeit Prophet and that such must be expelled not only out of the house of God by Church-censures but out of the Land or civil Liberty and Society by corporal penalties and that lying Prophets not only in regard of matter but in respect of mission to wit that make themselves Prophets when they have no lawful call unto it must be thus delt with read vers 2 3 4 5 6. 4. There must be a very sharp and searching persecution stirred up against the people of God and his true Prophets or Pastors which shall prove to the major part of them as a sword to disperse and destroy them and to the residue as a refiners furnace to try purifie and prepare them Chap. 13. v. 7 8 9. These four things will the Lord have wrought in his people after that he hath poured out the spirit of supplications upon them and before they receive the effect of their prayers made thereby These are the necessary Harbingers of or predispositions to that issue There must be a deep humiliation for sins a gracious expiation of sins an effectual extermination of all false ways of Religion and a through tryal and purgation of them that adhere to the true and when these things are compassed then cometh in the return of prayer They shall call on my Name and I will hear them c. And agreeable hereunto is there a passage in the Prophet Zephaniah chap. 3. the Lord in that place puts his people to a stay Therefore wait upon me saith the Lord until the day that I rise up to the prey vers 8. But to what end or effect must they stay or wait Even to their exceeding great comfort and rejoycing in the Lords manifestation of himself in the midst
of them with all the saving satisfying and gladding fruâ—ts of his presence as v. 14. to the end of the Chapter But wherefore or what is the matter that they must wait and tarry for this happiness why there are certain dispositions and alterations to be wrought in them to whom that command is given and those blessings are promised and those changes must be first produced in them ere they can enter into the harvest of those comforts they must wait therefore until they be accomplished with them The qualifications are those that lie in that Text betwixt vers 8 and 14. Let us take the particulars out because they are very material They or the principal of them are these four 1. Purity in them that call upon the Name of the Lord I will turn to the people a pure language vers 9. where language is not put as the sole and entire subject of purity but figuratively as for the whole conversation in as much as real sanctity in the tongue is one main yea and ordinarily the highest and last attained point in purity Jam. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man 2. A general union in Religion That they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent vers 9. There must be neither neutral Atheism nor unbrotherly separation or diversity in divine service 3. Sole confidence in God and as a means thereof stripping off all their former outward glory prosperity and wealth I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoyce in thy pride and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain I will also leave in thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord vers 11 12. 4. Fidelity and truth in deed and word The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lyes neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth vers 13. These gracious dispositions the Lord will have introduced or renewed in his people calling upon his Name as suitable to fore-run and usher in the benefits promised in the residue of that Chapter Let these four things in Zephaniah and the other four noted out of Zechariah be well considered as the pre-requisites which the Lord designeth to find or frame in his praying people and which he annexeth to the promise of audience especially in things of grand importance as necessary antecedents to the execution thereof I might amplifie and parallel these by other places of Scripture but the clear and close delivery of them in these two places shall suffice Let our mediation upon them be this Until we be thus disposed and fashioned in some convenient measure we are not fit to have the great and excellent things which we prosecute by prayer and all the delay of our prayers which we sorrowfully lie under is but needful as the space of time which is allotted for the acquiring of those dispositions and how long soever the delays seem to be it is our slow coming on in these graces which extends the length thereof unto what it is 3. Another end may be the exercise and tryal of the people of God that pray As the Lord by deferring their prayers for some time may intend the producing or bettering those graces which are deficient in them and thereby the fitting of them for the receipt of their answer so he may aym at the exercise and probation of such graces as are already seated in them for the which exercise and probation the withholding of their prayers may be a fit opportunity and means There are some virtues or fruits of the Spirit the chief use and experiment whereof appears in desertions and over-cloudings As the principal service of Tapers is to give us light when the place we are in is covered with darkness or as the worth and soveraign vertue of some precious cordials is shewn in a swoon or trance so is the truth and excellency of some graces best attested by the absence for a time of those enjoyments and comforts which are sought and waited for Such a case discovers what mettal the vertues we profess are made of and what indeed they can do By this means is faith patience love and sincerity set a work and proved in us to the purpose Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 14.12 And again Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus that is here they come to action proof and manifestation in their faith patience and sincerity of obedience namely where and while Gods witnesses prophecy in sackcloth his Saints are captived and killed under the tyranny of the cruel beast The Apostle Pauls faith and courage were then evidenced when in the tempest at Sea neither Sun nor Star in many days appeared Act. 27.10 and all hope of being saved was taken away Jonahs confidence in God was then put to it and tryed when being shut up in a double grave viz. the belly of the Whale and the bowels of the Sea he nevertheless said unto God I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple Jonah 2.4 Jobs trust in God was then raised to the height of action and manifestation when in his deserted state he resolved Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Hab. 2.3 4 The just then lives by his faith indeed when the vision of the fulfilling of his prayers and the divine promises tarryeth The patience of the Prophet Isaiah and of the faithful personated by him appeareth where he saith I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob Isa 8.17 and I will look for him It was a full proof of Jobs sincerity when Satan could not move him from his integrity neither by all the miseries which he brought upon him from without nor by all the mists and temptations which he cast upon his spirit So were the people of God tryed Psa 44 17 c. when the Lord had sore broken them in the place of Dragons and covered them with the shadow of death When the Lord as to their sense was asleep cast them off and hid his face forgetting their affliction and their oppression and yet then they did not forget him neither deal falsly in his Covenant their heart did not turn barck neither did their steps decline from his way The love and compassion of the servants of God is seen when Sion sitteth watching solitary and desolate Psa 102.14 c. 137.1 c. and they then take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof and when they sit down by the rivers of Babylon and weep at the remembrance of Sion and protest not to forget Jerusalem but to remember her before their chief joy Such graces as these the Saints of God have given them not
coming and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ that 's the great Audit-day the great and full harvest the solemnest and compleat year of release and Jubilee Some promises and prayers are wholly referred for their accomplishment or answer to that day and others have not their perfect and ultimate accomplishment until then that 's the full period and utmost mark of the Saints faith a 1 Pet. 1.9 the complement or winding up of their hope b Vers 13 the last point of their paience c Jam. 5.7 the close of the whole book of God and in especial of the Revelation wherein are recorded the great promises and comforts of the Church their clouds of prayer and strong cries their exquisite and lasting tryals in faith and patience their reigns and rages of their many Rev. 22.20 mighty and cruel Enemies the close I say of all this is Even so come Lord Iesus Solomon likewise shutteth up his Ecclesiastes with this Eccles 12.13 14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil This is the conclusion of the whole that is of all the discourse in the book and therefore of what he had said before of the oppressions which he had considered under the Sun that there were the tears of such as were oppressed Chap. 4.1 and they had no comforter and that on the side of the oppressors there was power but they had no comforter and of that vanity Chap. 8.14 that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked again there be wicked men to whom it hapneth according to the work of the righteous And that as to the present and visible state of persons all things come alike to all to him that sacrificeth Cha. 9.1 2 and to him that sacrificeth not The conclusion drift and use of all is to fear God and keep his Commandments and for a spur thereunto and a corrective and encouragement against all the vexation of spirit that ariseth from the above recounted evils we must fix our minds on this God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing August de Civ Dei lib. 20 c 3 St Austin readeth this last clause with every secret thing somewhat otherwise then our Translations to wit of every despised man paraphrasing it thus God will bring every work that is every act of man in this life unto judgment yea the works of every despised man of every contemptible person that seemeth not to be noted at all God seeth him and despiseth him not neither overpasseth him in judgment And thus much of the first sort of ends which the Lord may have in suspending for a time the return of his peoples prayers to wit such as concern themselves that pray The other sort viz. those that respect others I am now come unto The ends of such delay reflecting upon others briefly may be these 1. To raise and make up the number full of those who in the purpose and promise of God are to be partners or joynt-possessors of the mercies prayed for The Apostle saith of that cloud of Beleevers before the first coming of Christ who witness unto us the necessity and efficacy of faith They received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect These received not the promise that is they attained not the thing promised or the fulfilling of the promâ—se of the Messiahs coming in the flesh with the immediate glorious consequences thereof and the reason is God had provided that better thing to wit the Evangelical estate so called for its precellency above theirs of the first Covenant for us that is for the Beleevers of the Church under the Gospel who had been prevented of this prerogative over them if they by the coming of Christ in their days had enjoyed in their life time the Gospel perfection No doubt but those men of faith under the Law as they beleeved the Incarnation of Christ to come so they prayed for it * Mat. 13.17 but their prayers were put off that the Christians of Pauls time and of the following ages might not by the anti-dating of Christs manifestation in the flesh be forestalled by their predecessors of that priviledg which was peculiarly intended for them The general calling of the Jews which was the earnest prayer of Saint Paul Rom. 10 1 11.12 15 and ought to be the continual vote of the Gentile Church and which will be as great a wonder as the resurrection of a man of a Nation from the dead and which shall be the riches of the world and of the Gentiles is deferred until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Vers 25. It hath been so long and is yet deferred for that end that all the Gentile Nations and persons whom the Lord hath foretold or purposed that he will call may be gathered into the Church God will have as it were the Theater of the Gentile Churches full for their beholding and enjoying that admirable and abundant mercy of the Jews conversion We sometimes are put to pray and our posterity are intended to enter into the harvest of our prayers not we or it may be they that are yet unborn or though in being yet uncapable are to have a share in the blessings prayed for as well as we and for them therefore the return of our prayers is stayed 2. To compleat the account of the sufferers and sufferings of the people of God The Souls under the Altar that cry with a loud voyce Rev. 6.9 10 11. saying How long O Lord c. it is 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 fulfilled The Apostle Paul in all his persecutions desired and had the prayers of the Churches of Christ for his constant enduring and deliverance * Rom. 15.30 31. 2 Cor. 1.11 Phil. 1.19 1 Thes 3.6 Philom 22 Heb. 13.18 yet his troubles were many great and sometimes long and the reason he himself gives Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church The sufferings of the Apostle are here called the afflictions of Câ—rist both in regard of the mystical union which is betwixt Christ and every Beleever as between the head and the members and in regard of that sympathy or sense of the sufferings of the faithful wherewith Christ is touched and he termeth his present bonds a filling up of the remainders of the afflictions of Christ denoting to us that God hath apportionated unto every member of Christ a
certain measure of afflictions to undergo and pass through with the stint of time for the continuance thereof and from these no supplications or intercessions unto God can redeem or recover him until they be made up and finished 3. To give others an example of patience and confidence in God under the like delays David waited long for the Lord Psal 40.1 2 3. and then he inclined unto him and heard his cry and brought him up out of the horrible pit c. and the effect of this his patient staying Gods leasure and the issue of it is Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. Long and great endurings become famous and draw the eyes of men much upon them and the consequent of mens observing them is by the operation of Gods grace that they fear and trust in the Lord They fear with a reverential fear of Gods mighty hand a with a Providential fear so as to prepare for the like tryal and lay up trust in God against it come Job likewise inferreth this as the effect of all his miseries and the delay of his prayers under them Job 17.8 9 Vpright men shall be astonied at this and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite the righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Chap. 15.16 17 20. He had somewhat before in this his present reply to Eliphaz mentioned his prayers and tears My face is foul with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death not for any injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears unto God Jobs sorrows we see were abundant and continuing and his prayers exact and holy See Divines Annot in loc 2 Edit yet at present he was insulted on as one deserted of God notwithstanding in these his extremities he gathered this comfort unto himself that other godly men will make a better use of his afflictions then his friends had done and although at first they might be taken with admiration to see such a man as he in that condition yet upon recollected thoughts they will decline censuring yea clear and joyn with him against his enemies and by his example will reinforce their stediness and renew their strength courage to entertain and bear the like encounters 4. Lastly The more to dismay deject and confound the enemies and reproachers of his people in the issue The Church of Judah in the Prophet Micah when after her low fall and long waiting and sitting in darkness and bearing the indignation of the Lord he at last pleadeth her cause and executeth Judgment for her bringing her forth to light and letting her behold his Righteousness she telleth us Mic. 7.10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God Hannah staying and praying and weeping long for a child and during her barrenness being much provoked and fretted by her adversary Peninnah when at length she obtained her son Samuel she saith in her song My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies 1 Sam. 2.1 3. because I rej yce in thy Salvation Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come out of your mouth When the wall of Jerusalem was at last by the diligent prayers labours and watchings of Nehemiah and the people of Judah finished it is said Neh 6.26 All their enemies when they heard thereof and all the Heathen that were about when they saw it they were much cast down in their own eyes for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God When the Beast hath overcome and killed the two Witnesses who by prophecy and prayer oppugn his Kingdom and maintain the truth of Christ there will be great insulting They that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another But anon when after the three days and an half they are raised again and called up into Heaven in the sight of their enemies great fear shall fall upon those their beholders Look how much pleasure and joy they took in their dead and prostrate condition so much terror and confusion will possess them at their recovery and ascention into Heaven It was the thing which Peter observed as soon as he was come to hâ—mself upon his deliverance out of prison then when the purposes of his Persecutors against him and the prayers of the Church of God for him were come even to the last cast of tryal which should prevail that the Lord had sent his Angel and delivered him out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Iews Herods hand had now even almost gone through with the execution of Peter the Jews were mightily pleased with his proceedings and the eve of his designed deaths-day being come they were high in expectation to have their cruel eyes and malicious hearts satisfied with the spectacle of his slaughter wherefore his rescue thus long deferred and now atchieved did the more abate and cross the insolency of his enemies These are the Ends which I find in Scripture respecting others for which the Lord may hide himself from his peoples prayers by way of delay and having done with them I have finished the whole series or order of Causes of the Lords hiding himself from prayers both the procuring Causes given by man and the ends or final Causes proposed by God and under this latter head both the ends of Gods denying and the ends of his deferring his servants prayers and of the latter sort both the ends which concern the persons praying and those which reflect upon others And having made up this enumeration I have returned answer to that Query What may be the reason of Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers grounded upon his promises in its general state or as it may extend to any time case or people SECT VII The Application of both sorts of Causes unto the present Case I Am now to speak to the Hypothesis or the Case in particular as it is ours What may be the reason of the Lords hiding himself now from his people of these Nations in respect of their prayers Of this I must say something but it shall be but by way of hint for I neither need to speak of this all that I could nor can I speak all that there is in it The former I need not the resolution of this query being someway contained in what hath been already said in answer to the query in general the latter I cannot by reason of the large bredth of the Subject it extending it self to so wide a circuit of ground to so great a multitude of persons and to so vast a mixture and variety of ways and transactions and those so secret or intricate that neither mine nor any other one mans experience or
and for so long hid his face and turned a deaf ear to his peoples prayers and cries why it is for the whole mass and multitude and high encrease of our iniquities it is for all our sins even in all our borders These put all together prove more in number heavier in weight and louder in cry then our prayers When the state of Iudah was grown extreamly and incorrigibly corrupt and the ruining judgments of God were in pouring forth irrevocably upon them that is some years after Ieconiahs captivity and a little before the last of Zedekiah certain of the Elders of Israel came to the Prophet Ezekiel to enquire of the Lord by him the Lord wills him to give them this answer Ezek. 20.1 c. As I live saith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you and further in stead of the Prophets supplicating to him for them he directs him to apply himself to them by way of charge and conviction of them of those their and their forefathers sins that had made him so inexorable towards them Wilt thou plead for them son of man wilt thou plead for them cause them to know the abominations of their fathers And again Wilt thou plead for Chap. 22.2 wilt thou plead for the bloody City yea thou shalt shew her all her abominations cha 23.36 And once again Wilt thou plead for Aholah and Aholibah yea declare unto them their abominations As face answereth face so doth methinks Englands present condition answer that of the Jewish Church and that in respect both of sins and divine wrath The time of calamity the time that iniquity hath an end seemeth to be now upon us we are as it were betwixt Jeconiahs and Zedekiahs captivities betwixt over-passed and new-arising and imminent mischiefs and ruines and these Scriptures seem to make the very same return to our former and present seekings unto God as it doth directly and immediately to them We plead with God for England but there are other pleaders before him against her to wit her abominations We plead by way of intercession for her these plead by way of accusation and out-cry against her We plead for her help and deliverance these plead for her punishment and destruction The plea of these is more equal more moving and powerful then that of ours especially when as both are ours when we that pray are the authors of those abominations The cry of sins is then more especially prevalent against prayers when not only sins are great and many but they are theirs that pray I call them ours that pray as being so either by the committing or by contracting the guilt of them either by the acting or by the accessariness of them Two ways I find sin becomes National or imputed universally to all 1. When the most or the generality of a people perpetrate it as in many of those charges upon Israel and Judah in the Prophets before the captivity 2. When one or a few commit a sin and the rest joyned in the same community or body politique and it may be in one common oath or covenant binding out from that sin let it pass neglecting their duty either for the preventing or expiating of it as in the case of Achan and in divers of the reproofs in the Prophets and particularly in one of the places even now cited * Ezek. 22 The sins of many special parties in Jerusalem as of Princes Priests Prophets Children against their Parents and the particular sins commited in her are called Jerusalems abominations Here then is the matter we have put up prayers or entered our pleas before God for England but our suit is not heard or brought to issue and that which causeth the demur is our abominations come in and lye yea cry against us This perhaps is acknowledged in the general but what are the particulars of our sins and who will for their own particulars own and take to these abominations and say this or that have I done For the latter I will only say this Whosoever he be that will not take to his own sin now it riseth up in judgment against the Land and the joynt supplications made for the same he is worse then Achan and if he will not own his sin be sure his sin will own Numb 32 23 or find him out For the former what are the sins of England in particular that now interrupt the prayers that have gone and are dayly going up for her I answer What sin is there found in all the Bible to be obstructive of National Prayer that is not rife and ripe in England Here is abominable Idolatry Covenant-breaking with or in the matters of God abuse of Religion to carnal ends sloth and declining in Gods service loathing and rejection of the Word of God and carnal confidence Again for sins against the second Table here is blood-guiltiness injustice unmercifulness covetousness and pride in their height Again for sins cleaving unto prayers we pray but sin is choked and lies hid the heard is unhumbled devotion is formal and counterfeit indirect ayms are set up contentions and breaches of charity are reserved and carryed on faith faileth or shrinks up and sin is unreformed Lastly for the modal aggravations the sins of England are heightened by grievous incorrigibility presumption scandalousness repetition after prayer and apostacy after beginnings of repentance To pursue all these severally and as they deserve with all the other sins of the Nation that are mighty to pull down continue and increase the judgments of God and to hinder prayers would amount to a volume or roll as large as that in Zechariah of many cubits in length and bredth and to charge them fully home would require a reprover as sharp fluent and undaunted as the Prophet Jeremiah who was a man of strife Jer. 15.10 Eze. 3.8 9 20.46 21.2 and a man of contention to the whole Earth or one like Ezekiel whose face and forehead the Lord strengthened against the faces and foreheads of his people and made it as an adamant harder then flint and who could drop or pour down reproofs and menaces or one like the Apostles of Christ who in their contestations against the unbeleeving Jews are said to have filled Jerusalem with their doctrine Acts 5.28 I will but point at some of them Here is Idolatry indeed it is not yet as in the Heathen or as in some Christian Nations or as it hath been in the former ages generally practised authorized but it hath a being and which is a shame yea a horrible thing to say or hear after so long ejection of it and enjoyment of the clear light and true worship and so strong tyes and oaths upon us against it a reviving of late among us There are those whose eyes begin to be after their fathers Idols There are that begin to enquire saying How did the Nation of old serve their gods or why may not we or they that
sins that are before the face of God and set in the light of his countenance as a vail of separation shutting out our prayers from him we put behind our backs or with Achan hide in the bottom of our Tent and some of them are justified and entitled to divine approbation and patronage Evil is called good and darkness light Isai 5.20 and bitter sweet We pray yet the heart is unhumbled All the weight of sins the woes of wrath and judgment the want of our desires and prayers break not the heart After the threefold captivity of Judah by the Babylonian Jer. 44.10 the Lord complains of those that were left They are not humbled even to this day After the treble Civil War which this Land within these few years hath been enflamed with it is in like manner with us We are not humbled even to this day nay we are more unhumbled and hardened at this day then at the first We pray but our devotion is formal and remiss We have prayed and fasted as we think long but how so long indeed that we appear tired out with it The longer we have continued the fainter and colder we have been about it until at last we have given it over in regard of constancy in publique and that pretendingly upon this very ground of weariness and formality as if that were a just reason to desist which is our sin and as if discontinuance were not as great a sin or greater and as much or more impedimental of prayer as remissness and formality and as if constancy and assiduity in prayer were the cause per se and justly chargeable with that slackness or the regular way to cure the ill habit and bad consequents of Customariness in a necessary duty were disuse Job 17.10 Job saith Will the Hypocrite always call upon God We say constancy in fasting and prayer is the breeder of Hypocrisie and unconstancy the remedy We pray but it may be feared we seek our selves in it and not God our ends are carnal and not spiritual James 4 3 Hos 7.14 we ask for our lusts not for our Souls we assemble for corn and wine not for the glory and service of God If our ayms in prayer may be judged by our other endevors we minde not the Kingdom of God or the advancement of Religion in the first or in any place for what do we act for them Our own wills our own interests our own quarrels are the attractive of our eyes We look at our own things and it is well if not with Jezebel in her Fast at Naboths Vineyard We pray but is it in mutual charity and forgiveness or in contention and strife We pray in relation one to another but is it for or against one another If irremission of quarrels and wrongs do lock up the gates of Heaven against prayers who can wonder that the prayers of England stand without doors Here are contentions numberless endless irreligious unpolitique irrational bloody fundamental and ruining and without all doubt as the subjects of these contentions are the subject of mens prayers so the affections that stir up and carry on those quarrels do move and act in their prayers There is scarce any union or agreement among us in any thing positive that which is betwixt any party seems rather to consist in a joynt-differing from and opposing others which is the union of Hell then in a conjunction or concuâ—rence in any positive truth or practice and though some mens judgments and ends do meet in some things yet the variance that is betwixt them in other things or the quarrel they are together engaged in against a third party deprives them of or disturbeth that sweet union and complacency which they should have in their concurrent practice and fruition of that wherein they agree Well it is Isai 58.4 if men do not now fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness For my part I will here deal plainly I admire that the subject of publique Fasts should constantly be matter of civil interest and such things as they that do most attend fasting and prayer do mainly differ in and that the not publishing of those Fasts should be matter of snare and penalty to Ministers and they that will not come publickly to hear the Word to worship or call upon God either on those or the Lords own days should be left free And is it now come to this That whereas ere-while coercive proceedings might be only in civil matters and in things of conscience as they speak or of Religion there might be no compulsion now what man commands in point of Religion the indicting or proclaiming of a Fast to be kept on such a day may be under a pain but what God himself commands to wit the actions themselves of fasting prayer preaching and hearing must be arbitrary * If it be said the publication of a fast is no act of Religion but a civil action only introductory thereto it is of the same nature with that of a mans travelling from his home unto the publique Assembly and his placing himself and continuing there during the publique worship these actions are but introductory to performances why may not then these be commanded under a pain as well as that or both be left free We pray but we reform not The gap lies down the hedg lies open betwixt divine wrath and us while we continue irreformed Prayers and tears alone will never make up that breach It is to trust in lying words for men to enter in at the gates of the Lords house Jer. 7.2 c. there to worship sacrifice fast and pray and to say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord without through amendment of their ways and doings It is to make God a Patron of Thieves Murderers Adulterers Perjurers and Idolaters and his House a den of such Reformation beginneth at the House of God so hath it been proceeded in by all the eminent and exemplary Reformers that ever have been Our Saviour Christ whose coming and publishing the Gospel was the time of Reformation the first thing we find enterprised by him at his first entrance into Jerusalem Heb. 9.10 Joh. 2.14 c. was his driving out of the Temple with a scourge the Profaners of it and purging his Fathers house Let persons in Authority suffer in the house of God emptiness separation disorder error and profanation and it shall be bootless for them to set upon life-reformation in so proceeding as they are preposterous in the undertaking so they will prove unprosperous in the effecting of a Reformation The Lord saith to Israel Hos 4.13 14 because they went a whoring from their God by Irreligion and Idolatry Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom and your spouses shall commit adultery I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery * I
before inumerated Let us therefore repeat them over 1. In relation to them that pray to encrease their assiduity and ardency in prayer To fit them for the mercy prayed for To exercise and try their faith patience love sincerity of sanctification and obedience To manifest himself to them the more fully either in or after the delay To make the benefit prayed for the more precious and welcome and useful when it comes To remove the impediments of their receiving or enjoying the mercy sought for And to raise up their thoughts their faith hope love and longing to the second appearing of Christ 2. In relation unto others To make up and bring in the number of those for whom the mercy is purposed To compleat the account of the Churches sufferers and sufferings To give others an example of patient and confident waiting upon God and for the greater dismay and confusion of the adversary 2. All these Ends especially those which concern the persons praying as they are good and desirable in themselves and very convenient to be attained ere their prayers come to issue so as many of them as we now upon a diligent view can discern or apprehend to be unaccomplished we may well conjecture the Lord intendeth to accomplish them before he perform his peoples prayers and that the Lords staying and gradual working for the bringing forth of these ends is the reason of his present deferring of those prayers Now who of the people of God among us can otherwise judg of themselves or their brethren but that many of or all of those said ends which respect them and much of every one of them remains unattained and therefore they may resolve there is very good reason for all this delay The Lord hath a great work yet to finish out in and upon his people before he work out their prayers for them To conclude therefore this part of mine Answer to the particular Case and Query Consider on one hand the ripeness and fulness of Englands sins and on the other hand the immaturity or unripeness of those gracious ends which the Lord setteth up to be effected in and by the delay of his peoples prayers and we have before us abundant matter of Reason for that dilatory hiding of God from his people Again consider if any one of those sins before recited may according to Scripture threat or example suffice to hinder the answer of prayer much more may many or all of them concurring together and that with so many circumstances and degrees of aggravation be forcible to that hinderance Now to the second Proposition 2. That plurality of Reasons which there may be now for this hiding of God from prayers we cannot reasonably think ascribeable wholly to every one or to any one person or party but we may attribute them to the whole community distributively or dispersedly so as that some of them more properly belong to one some to another and all to the whole by way of distribution These meritorious and final causes of this effect and the variety of particulars under each of them are not to be sought in or applyed to every person but some of them respect obtain and take place in this person some in that This proceeding of God concerneth and looketh at us all in common and general yet as it is with some difference of disposition in God as was above shewed * Chap. 3 Sect. 3. so it is with some difference in respect of grounds or reasons in or from men and with some difference also in regard of ends for or towards men all men do not contribute to it by way of provocation in the same kinds acts or measures of sins God hath not his ends towards all men alike or the same for nature or degree I have before distinguished of a double notion of the people of God some are such in regard of name and outward call and priviledg only some are such in regard of spiritual appropriation and communion also It must be granted this carriage of God may be partly grounded on some sins of those or some of them who are the people of God in the strictest sence and it may be partly for some merciful ends towards them or some of them who are at present Gods people but in the larger acception Yet it is most likely those that are the people of God in the common notion only have the largest share in the meritorious causes and those who are his people in the most peculiar notion have the largest portion in the final causes Now for any further resolution by way of application to persons or parties I only say As it is God alone who knoweth particularly who are his by either of these degrees of relation so he alone knoweth to allot to every single person his proper part and portion of either of those two sorts of causes And it is every mans duty first to reflect upon himself and consider how much he shareth in either of them and then to take notice of them in relation to the whole community I come to the third Proposition 3. Although many most or all the aforesaid causes may have influence into this case of ours yet some of them may be conceived more predominant and more notable in producing the effect then the rest and therefore more necessary for us to take notice of and lay to heart As among those three and four that is seven a compleat and full number of Transgressions of Judah Israel and others spoken of as the causes of the irrevocability of their respective judgments Amos chap. 2. 3. there is still one or two nominated as the chief or head of the rest so there is usually in such a case as ours some one or a few sins that do more appear and prevail then others in procuring this evil Judah had one sin viz. Idolatry that was written with a pen of Iron Jer. 17.1 and with the point of a Diamond and graven upon the table of their heart and upon the horns of their Altar Hos 5.5 7.10 Ephraim had one sin viz. Pride that did testifie to his face There is ordinarily to be seen upon a sinful Nation some sin or other Isai 3.9 that the shew of their countenance doth witness or hold forth that doth occur at the first blush as a mark or brand upon the forehead and is their proper and predominant National sin What sin or sins there be in us of this Land that bear this priority of place and influence it behoves us to observe I shall therefore here plainly speak my apprehension and for that end shortly first give the characters by which as I conceive they may be known and then say which I think they are 1. Those sins I suppose are of this prececedency and predominancy above others 1. Which are more general either in the whole community or in them that give themselves to prayer 2. That are the common root or mother
our friend we must look that God should be strange to us If the world be in all the request with us we shall be but in little request with God Jacob was a Prince with God when he was but weak in the world If we seek an earthly Princedom as our promotion and stay we must be no Israels none of Gods favorites The Apostle James Jam. 4.3 4 8 at large teacheth us this Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you but withall cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded I will proceed no further in the prosecution of the predominant Sins of England in the production of this sad effect of prayer-obstruction And having done with it I am come to the close of those three Propositions which I layd down for the resolution of this grand Case of Prayer as it is ours and so I have finished as far as I now intend the resolution it self I apprehend my self in this Section to have run the hazard of falling under censure diversly as of attempting too highly of redundancy of amplification of deficiency in discovery of boldness and plainness of reprehension of mistake or error in judging but my design hath been to avoyd what is justly culpable in any of these respects and for what is not severely blameable rather to cast my self upon the candor of my Reader with submission to his judicious correction then not to endeavor seeing I have undertaken it what I may the satisfaction of the anxious Christian and the awakening of the drouzy in a point so material SECT VIII What may be the Reason of the Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary to those of his People HAving gone through this enquiry What may be the Reason of the Lords hiding himself from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promises I have in a manner answered the whole Query propounded in the beginning of this Chapter Only whereas it was divided into two parts * See Sect. 4. and the latter which is What may be the Reason of the Lords seeming by his Providences to answer the Prayers which are contrary to those of his People I have directly and distinctly said nothing unto I shall therefore here remember it but in one word The resolution of the former I take to be the main both in point of necessity and in the intent of the Proposer and it is moreover in effect the answering of this latter for the prayers in the former from which the Lord hides himself and the prayers in the latter which seem to be answered by him are supposed to be contrary to each other so that the suspense of the one is the succeeding of the other and the Reasons which move God to hide himself from the one and to answer the other are the same especially in relation to the people of God In a word therefore the Reasons for which the Lord seemeth by his Providences to answer the prayers which are contrary to his peoples may be twofold 1. In relation to them that pray those contrary prayers It is in wrath to them and in judgment against them This it must needs be for the prayers of the people of God are presupposed to be at least for matter good and agreeable to the Will of God the prayers then that are contrary to them must needs be for their matter sinful as repugnant to the revealed Will of God or rule of Prayer and what is so sinful success therein must needs be in wrath and judgment For a man to prosper in his evil way to bring his wicked devices to pass though he joyn prayer therewith it cannot but be his sin yea his conjunction of that holy performance of prayer with his unlawful enterprize much addeth to his sin * As the Scribes Pharisees devouring Widows houses for a pretence making long prayer made their condemnation the greater Mat. 23.14 and that which is the proper fruit or product of sin must needs be judgment and punishment It is one of the stiles which is given to the judgments of God upon men for their sins they are called the fruit of their own way and the fruit of their own thoughts When God therefore performeth or speedeth such prayers it is in his displeasure to them and for their hurt It had been better for them not to have had their desires †Bernard calls this misericordia omni indignatione crudelior It may be a judgment to them two ways 1. In being an occasion or means of increasing their sin this is a heavy judgment Men by prospering in their evil designs especially when they as they think obtain them by prayer when they are the sequel and they take it the issue of their devotions they take occasion thereby of delusion infatuation hardening and furtherance in Sin Prov. 1.31 Jer. 6 19 Their Table is their snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompence Rom. 11.9 What Table is this May it not be the Table on which they spred their prayers before God or may it not be applyed to that Councel Table of the chief Priests Scribes and Elders of the Jews at which they consulted to take Jesus by subtilty and kill him which plot Mat. 26.4 because they prosperously atchieved even beyond their hopes doing it by the help of Judas in the Feast of the Passover in the most open and ignominious manner which they doubted they could not do they therefore concluded their action good Mat. 27.63 43 and that Christ justly suffered as an Impostor They tyed the proof of his Innocency and of his being the Christ upon the event of their prosecution of him and therefore they said when Christ was upon the Cross He trusted in God Mark 15.32 let him deliver him now if he will have him or as Beza if he be grateful or pleasing to him and Let Christ the King of Israel come down from the Cross that we may see and believe Prevalency in evil undertakings carryed on with prayer putteth on and emboldeneth to many sins For example 1. It lifts men up in pride Hâ—nce that of David Grant not O Lord Psa 140.8 the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves 2. It makes men the more violent and fierce in their enmity and persecution of the people of God Sennacherib made this one ground of his rage and insolent threats against Hezekiah and his people Am I now come up without the Lord against this Land to destroy it Isai 36.10 The Lord said unto me Go up against this Land and destroy it 3. Upon it they justifie themselves and wax more
confident of the goodness of their way Ephraim saith I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labors they shall find none iniquity that were sin Hos 12.8 As some deceive themselves in thinking they pray wâ—ll or aright for matter therefore they shall speed so others delude themselves in arguing they speed well therefore they do pray well Cambden hath observed of the Wilde Irish as was once before said that when they go to rob they pour out their prayers to God Cambdens Britannia of Ireland page 144 that they may meet with a booty and they suppose a cheat or booty is sent unto them from God as his gift neither are they perswaded that either violence or rapine or man-slaughter displeaseth God for in no wise would he present unto them the opportunity if it were a sin nay a sin it were if they did not lay hold on the said opportunity 4. They take occasion thereby to go on the more securely and presumptuously in their sinful course The Jews in Egypt peremptorily determine to go on in their Idolatry in direct contradiction to the Prophets forewarning them from it in the Name of the Lord and they take their boldness from hence Because when they were at home and burned Incense there to the Queen of Heaven Jer. 44.16 17 they had plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil Job Job 12.6 observes also They that provoke God are secure into whose hands God bringeth abundantly 2. As their success in prayer proves their temptation to sin so it becomes their precipice to cast them head-long upon their ruine Those wicked men in Jeremiah Jer. 12.1 2 3 who have God neer in their mouth but far from their reins and in that posture go on prosperously in their way their happiness is but their preparation or fat pasture to fit them for the day of slaughter Solomon saith The prosperity of fools shall destroy them Prov. 1.32 This was made memorably good in Israel who in the wilderness tempting God by asking meat for their lusts Numb 11 33 Psa 78.18 c. when God gave them their own desires by sending them quails and they did eat and were filled with them while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God fell upon them in a very great plague 2. There are Reasons of it in relation to the people of God whose prayers are supposed thereby to be crossed 1. It may be for their sins It is not the vertue or value of those prayers but the vileness of the sins of Gods people which makes way for or lifts up those prayers to Heaven They are the same sins on the part of Gods people which stop their prayers and promote the prayers of their opposites Their Transgressions do at the same time bring them down very low Deut. 28.43 44 and lift up the stranger that is among them very high above them they make them the tail and these the head They move God to cast off and abhor and be wroth with them Psa 89.38 42 and to set up the right hand of their adversaries 2. It may be to accomplâ—sh those ends which the Lord aimeth at also in his hiding from their prayers Their not speeding in their own and their beholding the success of the contrary prayers may work together for the ripening of the same ends Emulation at their corrivals may be a notable spur together with their own disappointment to forward them in the attainment of those ayms 3. One end it may be more especially for in relation to them to wit for their probation or tryal The Prophet saith looking upon the wicked mans happiness in his hypocritical devotion Thou Jer. 12.3 O Lord hast tryed mine heart towards thee Possibly he might mean that very spectacle was his tryal What Moses forewarneth the people of God of in reference to false Prophecy may be methinks fitly applyed to false Devotion If a Prophet or a Dreamer give thee a sign or a wonder when he saith Let us go after other gods c. and the sign or the wonder come to pass Thou shalt not harken to that Prophet or Dreamer Deut. 13.1 c. for the Lord your God proveth you to know whâ—ther you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul In like manner in our case If any do for a pretence or the promotion of a bad purpose call upon God and the prayer come to pass we must take it to be a tryal from God whether our love and loyalty be sound or no And indeed it is a notable and strong tryal when the cloke of Piety and the course of Divine Providence in prospering the Tabernacles of Robbers do Job 12 6 like the hot Sun upon Jonahs head cast their bright beams upon our faces The servants of God who are cordially godly are apt to be taken with a form of godliness in others and being given both to prayer and to the eying of Providence they are much afflicted with the cross or happy success of the one and proceeding of the other Where therefore they observe a course of Prayer and an instance or sâ—ries of Providence going together and the cause or way on which they attend to be contradictory in their view both to the rule of Scripture and their own prayers grounded thereon there they are very hard put to to keep stedfast whilest on the one hand they are bottomed upon the sure Word of holy Writ on the other they are encountred with the goodly rays of the most just and wise disposal of God and the serious devotions of men But this is no greater a tryal then is that in the case of Prophecy above cited and therefore as Moses saith upon it Thou shalt not harken to the words of that Prophet or that Dreamer of Dreams Verse 2 so must we resolve in this and the ground we must stand upon and stick unto is that which Moses there delivers them by way of Antidote against that temptation Ye shal walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his CoÌ„mandments Verse 4 and obey his voyce Where the voyce of God in his Word and Commandments is given as the rule to guide and the weight to preponderate or sway the judgment in a question wherein the Providence of God in the coming to pass of a sign or wonder in favor of a way cross to that of Gods commandment is produced I know this is a tryal which may move the servants of God but it must not remove them It doth happily shake them when as they have not only the doubts and despondencies of their own delay or disappointment in prayer to conflict with but the upbraidings and insultings of their successful opposites and their own vexations and murmurings thereby stirred up to wrestle with and vanquish but though it shake it must not cast them down They
14. acknowledgeth though in going forward backward to the right hand and to the left he could not meet with God yet he knoweth the way that I take for he performeth the thing that is appointed for me and many such things are with him In the time when God standeth afar off and hideth himself the wicked man saith in his heart God hath forgotten he hide-eth his face he will never see it he will not require it But the servants of God are not of that opinion in the next words they say Psal 10.1 11 13 14. Thou hast seen it for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand c. In the heaviest oppressions of the poor and he violentest perverting of judgment in a Province Eccles 5.8 Solomon minds us He that is higher then the highest regardeth Beware therefore lest in dark times when the Lord will come to search Jerusalem with candles we be not found setled on our lees and saying The Lord will not do good Zeph. 1.12 neither will he do evil Beware lest with those profane Jews we weary the Lord with our words in saying Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgment Mal. 2.17 4. In point of truth and fidelity The people of God in Babylon and under an overclouding of their prayers there call to mind and raise up themselves with this Lam. 3.23 Great is thy Faithfulness David complaining in Psal 119. now his Soul fainted for Gods Salvation his eyes failed for his Word doth nevertheless keep close to this I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me Psa 119.75 Thus are the people of God in a state of dereliction to maintain in themselves clear thoughts of God his Justice Goodness Providential Care and Fidelity Though there did not appear any reason for the Lords dealing so with their prayers which yet we have before seen there doth abundantly yet we are to rest satisfiâ—d upon those principles that God is invariably holy gracious all observing and true Many of his ways are deep and unsearchable but not one of them hath the least taint of the contrary to any of those Attributes Though we should be left in doubt how the Lord takes what he will do upon our prayers though we should see the Lord shining upon the counsels of the wicked and an horror of great darkness Gen. 15.12 like that of Abrahams falling upon us yet we must take notice of the burning lamp Verse 17. as well as of the smoking furnace as in that appearance of God to Abraham we must acknowledg the brightness and lightsomness of Gods ways in the midst of our darksom furnace of affliction 2. Take heed of making this case an occasion of slighting or disaccounting prayer although it fare thus with the people of God when they have prayed yet think never the worse of prayer for it let us not hence fall into a mean esteem or disregard of prayer The Psalmist after he had taken a survey of the present flourishing of the ungodly and suffering of the children of God doth in the conclusion of the Psalm Psa 73.28 notwithstanding resolve But it is good for me to draw near to God those cross Providences in relation to those two sorts of persons could not shake his good opinion of prayer Job Job 9.22 having asserted against hâ—s three friends that God dealeth in some Providences after a like manner with good and bad Eliphaz will needs argue from thence that he restrained prayer before God that he discouraged men from praying unto God Though we assent to Jobs Job 15.4 assertion or should experience it yet we must not admit of Eliphaz his inference from it far be it that we should say So it is therefore let us no longer make any reckoning of prayer either to practise it or hope for good by it This is a carnal and wretched deduction If there be a medicinal receipt that is known to be of a soveraign vertue a man will not contemn or cast it away because it may miss a cure once in a thousand times usage or because it healeth not in the first application Mâ—n do not therefore neglect or lay aside sowing or Sea-voyages because there is ordinarily a long delay and sometimes there is a disappointment in the harvest or return of Merchandise expected thereby for though husbandmen wait for their crop or adventure yet at last they usually receive them and if a seeding or voyage miscarry that 's not one of many So neither should prayer be neglected or disused for the like events upon it And yet prayer cannot justly be equalled with those affairs in point of swerving The Seedsman using the best skill and industry imaginable his labour and hopes may miscarry The Adventurer employing the greatest providence and art in his voyage all may be lost But a servant of God putting up his prayer according to the Will of God that is conformably to the revealed Rule his prayer doth certainly speed some way or other at the last Again Honest men do not in their thoughts condemn or in their practise give over the use of the Law or Trading because Knaves sometimes by those means obtain as much or more by unrighteousness therein then the justest persons So neither ought we to take it either as a disparagement of or a discouragement from prayer that men or ways that are wicked succeed sometimes well in a course of prayer Two sorts of persons are in the Book of Iob noted to vilifie prayer the rich and wealthy worldling Iob 21.15 22.17 and the false hypocrite Iob 27.9 10. And wherefore do they so The former doth it because he hath happily attained his desires without he therefore now thinketh he needeth not to it The latter doth it because he hath taken it up for a time but he findeth not present help by it in his need Both these are as irrational in their reasoning as they are profane in their conclusion and practise Let it be far from us to be swayed by either of their principles Let neither the prosperous issue of evil desires make prayer seem frivolous to us nor the present frustration of our expectation by it cause us to conclude it bootless 3. Conâ—lude not of the justâ—fiableness or sinfulness of the divine approval or disapproval of a way or cause by the good or bad success of it or of the prayers that attend it Say not the course of these men is pleasing to God because the event thereof is pleasing to the men thâ—mselues Say not their cause God disalloweth because he disappeareth to it It is great folly to condemn a way for its swerving in success which if it had stood would have gone for good with us and while it went on it stood clear in our censures It is a
good Wait on the Lord and keep his way It was the superstitious folly of Balaam that he so often shifted the places and courses of his enchantments when he would so fain have prevailed to curse Israel but it will worse become an Israelite to change from one Religion party or interest to another as the wind blows It was the desperate course and finishing sin of Saul 1 Sam. 28.6 that when the Lord answered him not he sought unto one that had a familiar spirit King Ahaz is branded with this that in the time of his distress he did trespass yet more against the Lord. Many now adays forget this to be an aggravation of a sin and rather count it a dispensable or justifiable act to transgress a Rule in case of a stress or strait What was it that Ahaz did in that kind It followeth in the Text For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus which smote him and he said Because the gods of the Kings of Assyria help them 2 Chro. 28 22 23. therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me Take we heed of this of allowing in opinion or feignedly fawning upon a way when it hath gotten above us and for that cause Take we heed that principles or doctrines of Religion or Civil concernment be not beaten out of us and beaten into us by the sword Minicius Faelix reports of some of the Romans that they set up for gods or goddesses Pavor Pavorem Hostilius Pallorem Câ—luit mox a nescio quo Febris dedicata Haec alumna urbis istius superstitio morbi malae valotudines Mon. Fel. p 81 Mr Weems Vol. 2. on 2d Com. p. 112 Prov. 3 31 and Pallor Fear and Paleness others made Febris a Feaver their goddess Mr Weems tells that the Schythians worshipped a Sword They that suffer themselves to be carryed too and fro in their judgments and practices as the strength of any party gets up they are almost come to the Religion of the Heathens It is but a poor Religion for men to fall on worshipping that still that afflicts them Solomon cautions us against this when he wills us to choose none of the ways of the Oppressor that is Let not thy choyce of thy way be swayed by force and â—ppressiâ—n Job and his friend Eliphaz though they could not agree about the point of divine Providence in juâ—ging thereby of persons yet thâ—y both concurred in this that the prosperous or adverse Providence of God in what way soever it mâ—ets a man is not to bend his judgment or practice contrary to the Rule of well-doing for that I take to be the clear meaning of that sentence used by each of them in their opposite disputes Job 21.16.22.18 The counsel of the wicked is far from me Let that speech of God himself unto his people of the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes which was uttered in times full of variation and innovation both in point of Religion and Civil Policy be our direction it is in Amos 5. v. 4 5. For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live But seek not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal and pass not to Beersheba for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity and Bethel shall come to nought 5. Be not distracted with overmuch care about the event of prayer The Apostle prescribeth prayer as a remedy against such carefulness Prayer being directed to us on purpose to expel sollicitous thoughts must not then be the object of them Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication Phil. 4.6 c. let your requests be made known unto God Prayer is to drive out care when we have thereby duly recommended our occasions to the grace of God our cares are then to cease as being cast upon God to bear and manage them for us We must not then do by our prayers as Saul doubted his father would do by him and the servant when they were sent to seek his Asses 1 Sam. 9.5 Leave caring for the things prayed for and take thought for the prayers which are sent out to seek them but leave them both to God making use of that repose which the Apostle immediately annexeth to the aforesaid Rule Phil. 4.7 And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus 6. Do not envy or repine at the accomplishment of the desires of others though they be evil Abstain from all murmuring and fretting at the matter This the Holy Ghost hath many times over in Scripture forewarned us of and that both by precept and by the evil and harm experienced by other examples that comes by it see Psal 37.1 7 8. 73.2 3 21 22. Prov. 3.31 23.17 24.1 19. And hath moreover furnished us with divers disswasive Reasons against it As 1. The wickedâ— prosperity and the success of evil ways is no uncouth or strange thing but very ancient and ordinary It is called in the Book of Job Job 22.15 The old way which wicked men have trod it is an old and beaten path What notice Job David Ieremiah Habakkuk and many others in Scripture and humane Story have given us of this is too much to relate The Penner of Psal 73. Psal 73.12 holds up wicked men in this condition with a Behold that we may all see and never more strange at it Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches although now adays this of him is inverted and the proclamation is Behold these are the godly who prosper in the world c. 2. God is in Heaven and above them still and he still looks at them with abomination and contempt Psal 115.3 Eccles 5.8 Prov. 3.31 32. Psal 37.13 73 20. Why then should hâ—s servanâ—s look at them with admiration or envy 3. Their succâ—ss and fruition of it is but short but a lâ—ttle while a moment It is resembled to a night dream to the Summer grass Psal 73.19 37.10 to the fat of Lambs to a flower in its fading to rathe ripe fruit in the eaters hand and to a candle ready to be blown out with every puff * Psa 73.20 37 2 20 Isai 28.4 Pro. 24.20 4. They have the disfavor and curse of God with their desires and their speeding in them speedeth their fall and ruine Psal 92.7 That which is said in Ieremiah of the peoples feigned prophecies Every mans word shall be his burden Jer. 23.36 the same may be said of evil prayers when granted Every such grant is as a burden a talâ—nt of lead falling on the petitioner to cast him down to destruction When the Philistins got the victory and took the Ark of God from the Israelites 1 Sam. 5.6 c. they had small joy of that their prisoner the hand of God was heavy upon them while they kâ—pt it So it is
with wicked men in their obtaining of their evil desires 7. Let no man insult over the cross events that come upon the pious prayers of the people of God to rejoyce thereat to turn the disappointments slâ—ps or delays of such mens prayers into derision and triumph Psa 13.2 4 38.16 35.15 69.10 11. Mic. 7.8 is the character of the wickedest persons and the enemies of God but Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy c. These are the Miscarriages to be shunned SECT II. The Graces or Duties to be exercised in the Case above mentioned THe Graces or Duties which in this condition are specially seasonablâ— and necessary to be put in practise are these 1. Lay the case to heart and be duly affected with it They that know any thing of the use of prayer and the worth of Gods face and attentive ear need no perswading to this What should dejâ—ct us if not this While the Ark the sign of Gods presence was a stranger to Israel and captive with the Philistins 2 Sam. 7.2 all the house of Israel mourned after the Lord. This absence of God was David's dayly sorrow of heart yea it was as death unto him For this he made his tears his meat day and night He poured out his Soul in him Psal 42.3 4 10. and his upbraidings by his enemies with this were as a sword in his bones Nay it was this which was as the splitting of the heart of our Saviour upon the Cross when he cryed with a loud voyce Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The 22 Psalm whence the wordâ— were taken pitch them upon a dereliction in prayer Tâ—is withdrawing of God is an Inlâ—t to a muâ— itude if not all miseries and mischiefs a Deut. 31 17. Psal 10.1 c. It is an â—v l for which there is no remedy or compâ—nsation but the ceasing of it b Jâ—b 3â— 29 See Diâ—in Annot. and to the mourner under it is the promise of restoring made c Isai 57. â—5 18. 2. Persevere in prayer give not over the pursuit of your petitions for this cause It behoves us to hold on in duty what ever be the issue Pray we must speed or speed not When the Cloud the token of Gods appearance and conduct unto his Israel in the wilderness was taken up from the Tabernacle Num. 9.21 whether it was by day or by night the people journeyed Whether we be in the light of his presence in this effect of prayer hearing or in the darksom night of his absence we must travel on in our prayers after God Doth God hold his peace we must nevertheless Psa 109 4 yea the rather with David give our selves to prayer Quest But how long must the people of God pray is there no time to give over Answ Those things for which we have a general and indefinite Precept to pray being Temporals for about Spirituals we may pray and must while we live we must continue our requests for until God do either accomplish them for us or take us off and discharge us from the prosecution of them This latter he hath 1. Sometimes done by express word as he did to Moses Deut. 3.26 and to Samuel 1 Sam. 16.1 2. Sometimes he doth it by Providence so he did to David when he fasted and prayed for his child that was struck with sickness 2 Sam. 12.15 16. the Lord took him off from his praying by the death of the child vers 22.23 When the Lord layeth upon the thing prayed for an impossibility in Nature that it should come to pass as he did upon that childs recovery by its death then unless there be a special promise that the thing shall be though it be above Nature as there is of the Resurrection of the body we are to surcease prayer But if the impossibility be but moral that is when it amounts but unto a great unlikelyhood such was that of Zech. 8.6 the flourishing of Ierusalem after the captivity that is no supersedeas unto prayer We find the servants of God have interposed their prayers when the Lords sentence hath been out against the subject of their prayers Deut. 9.25 2 Sam. 12.14 16 Isai 38.1 2. Ion. 3.4 c. Nay when unto their prayers God hath answered them with a plain denyal yet they have persisted to pray Iudg. 10.13 15. Nay further when the Lord hath not only declared that he would not hear them but hath forbldden them to pray yet they have continued praying Ier. 7.16 11.14 with Chap. 14.11 19. That which God hath denounced he may revoke again that which he hath begun to execute he may give over and undo again Ier. 18.7 8. Ezek. 33.8 10 11. Amos 7.2 3 4 5 6. He threateneth under express or implicite conditions He acteth with divers and unknown intents But one condition one intent which he hath made known to us is that we seek unto him unto which his menaces and his judicial proceedings are rather a spur then a discharge As the promises and predictions of God for the coming to pass of a thing are no release from the duty of prayer but rather an invitation and a tye unto it * Ezek. 36.37 so neither are denunciations to the contrary of our prayers any discharge from pâ—ayer no neither are contrary providences or disposings of God which do not reach to an utter or natural impossibility Wherefore lift we up and keep we up our languishing hands and hearts and reinforce our strivings in prayer There are many Considerations to induce it 1. God straitly injoyns it He commandeth not only that we call upon him in our wants and troubles but that we persevere and be importunate therein See Luk. 18.1 c. Rom. 12.12 Ephes 6.18 Col. 4.2 Psal 62.8 Isai 62.6 7. 2. Continuance and instancy in prayer hath its special promises Christ our Saviour in those two passages of Luke 11.5 c. and 18.2 c. hath fully assured us by promise of the prevalency of perseverance in prayer confirming it with a treble comparison taken from the efficacy of persistency in prayer with men with evil men as with a friâ—nd with a father with an unjust Judg how much more then shall it be forcible with God 3. The servants of God have gon this way to work and have left us on record the example of their practise and of the happy succâ—ss of it at length for our imitation and encourag ment In the darkest desertions they have prayed most cryed loudest and wrestled hardest Psal 21.1 2 11 19. 13.1 c. 42.7 8 9. 43.2 3. 44.23 24 26. 61.2 80.4 7 â—4 19 141.7 8. 143.4 6. Isai 5â— 9 62.1 63.15 64.7 8. Lam. 3.18 41 44 54 55. Ion. 2.4 Hab. 1.2 3. with 2 1. 3.1 4. To cease praying would add to our sin increase our misery undo the prayers we have put up
and argue us of hypocrisie 1 Sam. 12.23 Isai 64.7 Gal. 6.9 Nisi ad sit in oratione perseverandi constantia nihil orando agimus Calv. Instit l. 3. c. 20. s 52. Job 27.10 5. One special end of Gods deferring our prayers is to train us on to seek him more diligently Hos 5.15 6. Lastly How hath God been over-intreated by incessancy in prayer as by Jacob distressed at his brother Esaus approach Gen. 32.26 by Moses for Israel Deut. 9.18 19. by Israel under the Ammonitish bondage Judg. 10.16 and by the Church of God in Peters behalf Act. 12.5 Learn we then and keep to this Lesson Let us in the Scripture phrase roul our way upon the Lord Psal 37.5 55.22 Prov. 16.3 Though he should seem to turn it back again from him by delaying to accomplish it yet still be rouling or devolving it over to him by ingeminated petitions Let our prayers be poured out unto God as the Church saith her tears shall be without any intermission till the Lord look down and behold from Heaven Lam. 3.49 c. 3. Beleeve what you see not to wit the presâ—nt acceptance and future return in some or other yea the bâ—st way of your prayers framed accordiâ—g to the Will of God As we must pour out our hearts before God so must we trust in him at all times Psal 62.8 and in particular trust in him for the prayers which we pour out before him From whence had David that lively confidence of the Lords audience of him and the prediscovery of the issue of his prayers so clear as if he saw them already performed before his eyes the which he often professeth even under or together with his most bitter complaints of the Lords hiding himself from him as Psal 6.8 9. 13.5 6. 22.24 43.5 54.7 Had he it from any peculiar or extraordinary revelation or by vertue of the promise of God in his Word layd hold on faith I suppose it might be by the latter way only But by whethersoever it was I see no reason why the vigor of a Christians faith may not without the former extraordinary means attain to the same assurance and triumph which he arrived at For whether it was upon special revelation or upon the written Word that David was so bottomed it was still but by force of a divine word or promise the difference 'twixt those two lies but in the manner of receiving The promise which all Beleevers have in the written Word for the success of their prayers is as firm and certain as that which David built on could possibly be The Lord telleth all his people Isai 45.18 19. in substance thus much He is the Lord that created the Heavens that formed and made the Earth and established it And as he created it not in vain but to be inhabited so he hath not commanded the seed of Iacob to seek him in vain As sure as he made the Earth to be inhabited so sure he hath ordered his people to pray that he may perform and they may possess their prayers What can be a surer testimony to the validity of any thing then that asseveration of our Saviour is for the validity of prayer Luke 18 7.8 Shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night unto him I tell you that he will avenge them speedily I tell you If Christ tell us so in his Gospel it is as sure as if the Spirit told us so by his inspiration to us Can there be a firmer bond to ascertain us then is that tye which we find betwixt the spirit of prayer poured out Zech. 12.10 and the hearing and answer of prayer Chap. 13.9 And from this we may assuredly conclude God hath not in these days poured out the spirit of supplications and thereby put his servants on so universally solemnly and earnestly to pray yea and to enter into such vows and covenants but it is for a great and gracious end at least to themselves in which he will specially manifest himself to be their God and they to be his people Prayers and tears have been accounted the Churches weapons and doubtless what is said of the bow of Ionathan 2 Sam. 1.12 and the sword of Saul that they never returned empty the same shall be made good of those arms of the Church And as the assurance that is given to prayer in general is so stable so is that which is given in special to the prayers of the deserted The needy shall not alway be forgotten The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever The Lord will not cast off for ever but Psal 9.18 Lam. 3.31 32 Psa 102.17 Zech. 10 6. though he cause grief yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer I will be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and will hear them To perswade us further to exercise faith in this behalf 1. Consider God hears and sometimes the petitioner doth not discern it For this take that of Elihu Job 35.14 Although thou sayst thou shalt not see him yet judgment is before him Mat. 21.22 therefore trust in him 2. The promise of audience takes in faith as a condition or requisite 3. The special use of faith is to settle the heart in beleeving and hoping things unseen Heb. 11.1 Rom. 4.18 19 yea and what is cross to present and visible things and in particular things of that nature in return or answer to prayer This is the confidence that we have in him 1 Joh. 5.14 15 that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us c. This is the confidence we may understand it either that this is the matter of the confidence or this is the office or use of our confidence or faith to wit to beleeve and know the success of our prayer though we sensibly find it not 4. This exercise of faith will enable us to wait patiently and regularly Isai 28.16 He that beleeveth shall not make haste 5. Such a faith will be a token or pledg unto the petitioner of a happy issue of his prayer and desertion But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy Salvation Psal 13.5 6. Lastly All the interpositions improbabilities difficulties or oppositions which come betwixt us and our prayers by reason whereof we apprehend God hidden from us and our prayers hindered do not make the least distance obscurity pawse or impediment to the real presence or working of God to us or for our help * Ps 73.23 Zech. 8.6 4. Be content to stay Gods time for the issuing of your prayers wait upon God with constancy and patience So the Prophet Isai 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and will look
we have it These are our scarlet crimson sins which we have to be removed as the causes of the putting back or suspense of our prayers and which are therefore to be throughly repented of and purged away that our prayers may take effect And let me perswade to and prevail in it in the words of Jotham Hearken unto me Judg. 9.7 that God may hearken unto you 2. The second thing to be applied by way of remedy is Let the people of God diligently follow on to the attaining of those ends for the effecting whereof in them the Lord for present hideth himself from them in this kind those ends have been laid down before the hastning on of them is the way to speed the issue of our prayers To instance in and press to some of them in a few words 1. Be constant in prayer hold out in it unto the end yea do not only hold on but mend and quicken your pace therein Add more fuel to increase the flame of your devotions pray more ardently Let your progress in prayer be like the natural motion of a body to its center or proper place the longer still the more swift and vigorous Doth God hide himselfe that you may seek his face then seek the Lord and his strength 〈◊〉 â—05 4 seek his face evermore and so seek that you may find him Certainly prayer is the Key of Heaven if then through unexpertness in the use of it you cannot get the door open presently cast not therefore the key out of your hand but turn and try it again and again until it be open Undoubtedly prayer is the way to find the face of God though it be hid leave not then slack not in the way because it is long lose not the end for lack of holding out It was the sin of Saul upon which immediately followed his ruine that when in his sore distress by the Philistins war he enquired of the Lord and got not an answer from him presently he left off enquiring of God and sought to a woman that had a familiar Spirit 1 Chro. 10 13 14 for this the Text saith the Lord slew him and turned the Kingdom unto David yea in this regard it saith he enquireth not of the Lord His once enquiring was void and stood for nothing and was no more then if he never had done it because he continued not enquiring until he hâ—d answer but through a distrustful and impatient fear ran from God to the Witch 2. Labour for an humbled heart a mourning Spirit both for sins and for prayers succeslesness The want of this hath been our great defect under our late sufferings and seekings to God It was noted of those Jews who remained after the destruction or the Temple City and Land by Nebuchadnezzar that they were not humbled even unto that day Jer. 44.10 they enquired of God by the Prophet Jeremiah Cap. 42.3 to shew them the way wherein they might walk and the thing that they might do but they were still unhumbled they had seen and felt a great deal of the wrath of God upon them for their sins but yet they were not humbled to that day And this is our very state we have sought unto God for his conduct in our Affairs his hand hath been out against and upon us many wayes for our sins but for all that we remain unhumbled But it will not so be most surely now we have had so much to do with God and he with us humbled we must be never did any person or people come off or part with him stoutly Levit. 10.3 he will be sanctified in them that come nigh him God will have us down and lay us low either in Spirit or in worldly state either inwardly or outwardly either to repentance or to ruine and if that will not be without this we shall be humbled both wayes if ever and ere ever God do raise us up Remember what the Lord saith to his people in the Prophet when he had hid his face from them Isai 54.6 The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth when thou wast refused If we be as forsaken and refused of God it behoves us to be of a grieved Spirit and so we must be ere the Lord call us or look again upon us He reviveth the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite ones Isai 57.15.49.13 Mat. 5.4 He will have mercy upon his afflicted He is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such at be of a contrite spirit They that mourn shall be comforted They that sow in tears shall reap in joy 3. Be sure to bide out the present tryal and exercise of the grace of God in you that is of your faith patience love and obedience Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Christ under the tryal Mat. 11.6.24 13. He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved It was a desperate course in Saul and the forerunning passage of his ruine that whereas he had before-time rooted out those that had familiar spirits and wizards out of the Land 1 Sam. 28.3 7. being in his extremity he sought to one of them It would be a dangerous practise for any now to fly or turn to that sinful way for help in their strait which in a freer and calmer condition they justly abandoned and opposed 4. Look we after not only the end of our prayers but our fitting and preparation for that end Chap. 4. Sect. 6. The parts of this preparation have been opened already out of Zech. 12. 13. and Zeph. 3. Three of them you may remember were sanctity brotherly-unity and simplicity or truth in our dealings with God and man For sanctity The pure in heart are they that shall see God Mat. 5.8 When the Lord will work such a Salvation for his people as that all the ends of the Earth shall see it he will have his people to depart Isai 52.10 11 and go out thence from Babylon and touch no unclean thing and be themselves clean For brothâ—rly union and pâ—ace When the Earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea God will make a compliance and harmony betwixt the Wolf and the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid Isai 11 6 c. the Calf and the young Lion Vers 13. the Cow and the Bear the Lion and the Ox the sucking Child and the Asp and Cockatrice their antipethies shall cease that is as it is quickly after explained the envy of Ephraim shall depart Ephraim shall not envy Iudah and Iudah shall not vex Ephraim Of Iob Job 42.10 it is said The Lord turned the captivity of Iob when he prayed for his friends It was not while he disputed with but when he prayed for them The first thing as I take it wherein the Lord appeared
stand upon my watch Chap. 2.1 2 3. and set me upon the tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer he is yet delayed in his petition and receives an answer of further Judgments yet to come And the Lord answered me and said Write the Vision and make it plain upon tables Chap. 3.2 that he may run that readeth it for the Vision is yet for an appointed time c. So that his hopes were overwhelmed with fears and terrors which he expresseth in this third recourse in prayer to God O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce Verse 16. rottenness entered into my bones and I trembled in my self c. The Apostle Paul was earnest by prayer for Israels Conversion and Salvation that is for the Body of that Nation which continued in blindness and stood upon their own and out against the righteousness of God for Justification Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 The answer of God unto him in this was That a remnant only should then be called and the rest be judicially hardened for a long time to come Chap. 11.5 7 25. even until the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles Upon Sauls disobedience and the Lords repenting of his advancement to the Kingdom Samuel prayed a whole night 1 Sam. 15.11 35. yet the Lord rejected Saul from being King over Israel and when this was done Samuel still mourned for Saul Chap. 16.1 till at length the Lord reproved him and sent him to anoint another for that place 2. The holy servants of God have met with stays and disappointments not only in their petitions for others but even in their supplications for themselves and when they have prayed in their own behalf Upright Job that man of Tryals doth in this respect thus make known and bewail his case to his friends Know now that God hath overthrown me and hath compassed me with his Net Job 19.6 7 8. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no Judgment He hath fenced my way that I cannot pass and he hath set darkness in my paths And in another place he complaineth of thâ— same unto God I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear I stand up and thou regardest m not Cap. 30 20 26 27 28. When I looked for good then evil came upon me and when I waited for light there came darkness My bowels boiled and rested not the days of affliction prevented me I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cryed in the Congregation The Prophet David often finds himself in this condition often cries out of it unto God In his 13 Psalm he complains thus for lack of audience How long wilt thou forget me O Lord Psal 13.1 2 3. for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I take counsel in my Soul having sorrow in my heart dayly How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me Consider and hear me O Lord my God In the 31 Psalm he saith I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind Psa 31.12 I am like a broken vessel In the 69. he 〈…〉 moan thus I am weary of my crying Psal 69.3 my throat is dryed mine eyes fail while I wait for my God Holy Heman also was in this very plight O Lord God of my Salvation I have cryed day and night before thee Psal 88.1 and with what success He tells presently Verse 4 5. I am counted with them that go down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength Free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou rememberest no more and they are cut off frâ—â— thy hand And again a little after Lord I have called upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Yet had he no better speed Vers 9.14 Lord why castest th u off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me Nay the greatest Example possible we have for this to wit that of our blessed Saviour who in his Passion is pâ—rsonated by David in these words My God My God Psa 22 12. Mat. 27.46 why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent Part of which words he audibly uttered or rather cryed out when he hung upon the Cross I will add hereunto only one Instance and it is as great as can be added to the former It shall be taken from the contâ—nual experience of all true Christians that are or ever were in the world Our blessed Saviour teacheth all his to pray Thy Will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven And again Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Now although these things are and ought to be dayly prayed for yet it must needs be acknowledged as it is experienced by all the Saints of God on Earth that never doth any of them attain to in this life an absolute conformity to the Will of God like that of the Angels and Saints in Heaven nor to a sinless distance from all temptations Bellar. T. 4 de Justif lib. 4. cap. 13. Chamier T. 3. l. 11. c. 7. s 21. Bellarmine would infer from hence a capacity of perfection in the Saints â—â—edience in this life for otherwise saith he these petitions in the Lords prayer are in vain taught and used This Inference we deny There are divers things allowed yea commanded and necâ—ssary to be prayed for which yet may never be granted and there are sundry things as those petitions specified which are to be prayed for every day and yet they may in their just and full measure never be attained till our last day and end come 3. Yea when the servants of God have called upon God in and for his own Cause and Concernment yet the Lord hath sometimes hid himself from their prayer Eliah whom the Apostle James brings in for a singular pattern of prevalency in prayer he maketh intercession to God against Israel in the Lords Cause as well as his own saying Lord they have killed thy Prophets Rom. 11.2 3. and digged down thine Altars and I am left alone and they seek my life Yet after this things went still on in Israel in relation to the matters of God as they did before he never lived to see any redress The people of God in Psal 44. call out upon God and expostulate with him as one that seemed to sleep out the time of their heavy Calamities and hid his face purposely from them and put their Case into utter oblivion Psal 44.8 22 23 24. Awake why
sometimes in such Visions as the bare representations thereof and foresight thereby of the Calamities of the Church of God under the Grecian Seleucian and Roman Powers drove him much out of heart and brought him into deep distemper both of mind and body O my Lord saith he by the Vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength Dan. 10.16 7.28 8 27. And at another time As for me Daniel my cogitations troubled me and my countenance changed in me And at a third time And I Daniel fainted and was sick certain days and I was astonished at the Vision And if that foreknowledg of the Events of the Church whereabout his prayers were employed were such an amazement and burden to his spirit what think we would the sight and sense of them be to those praying Saints that should live to see them acted and endured The Apostle Paul knowing what an advantage to Christianity in the Protection and Propagation of it it would be to have the Civil Magistrate Christian he giveth Christians a Precept in their private and publique Supplications in special to pray for Kings 1 Tim. 2.1 2. and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And no doubt the primitive Christians in and after the Apostles time were mindful and constant in the practise hereof besides the Authority of the Command their own conveniency would lead them to it That woman in St Johns Vision in the Revelations that appeared clothed with the Sun Rev. 12.12 treading under her feet the Moon and crowned with twelve Stars Divines take to be a figure of the Christian primitive Church And whereas it is said She being with child cryed travelling in birth and pained to be delivered they understand that to intend the said Churches crying unto God by dayly prayers to obtain a Christian Emperor that would cease their Persecutions and establish their Religion in Peace and Freedom yet was it near three hundred years ere she could bring forth that her Man-child Constantine the Great the first Emperor that set up the Christian Profession So long was the Church put to travel in prayer together with hot and painful persecutions ere they received therein their Answer The Church indeed brought forth a Christian Emperor before viz. Anno 245. Julius Philippus Euseb l. 6. c 31. Chron. Carian p. 245. Speed lib. 6. c. 31. but him she brought forth for Heaven and not for her Militant state here he lived not to establish Christianity in the Empire but was soon cut off by Decius the Author of the seventh Persecution who slew him and his son and Caesar a Christian also odio Christiani nominis of hatred to the Christian name So that in him the Churches pregnancy and travel in prayer proved abortive she continued travelling still until she brought forth Constantine We see though the Churches striving together in prayer be compared to the pains of a laboring woman yet it is so resembled in respect of Vehemency not of Duration a womans labour is but for a few hours the Churches travel may be for a multitude of years and some ages ere she bring forth Being thus passed out of Scripture into Ecclesiastical History I will add out of it a few Examples more of the overclouding or suspense put upon the prayers of the people of God Who hath not read or heard of the thundering Legion that Legion of Christian Souldiers which by their prayers relieved the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Army who in an Expedition against the Quadi and others being ready to perish having an Army of Enemies against them of nine hundred seventy five thousand and being withall destitute of water for five days together this Legion of Christians then in the Emperors Leaguer drew apart and falling prostrate upon the Earth in ardent prayer they prevailed with God so that they had plentious showres of Rain to satisfie the Armies thirst and Thunder and Lightening to disperse and destroy their Enemies and upon this that Legion was named by the Emperor though a Heathen the Thundering Legion These Christians and the rest of those times that were so earnest with God in the behalf of a Papan Emperor and Civil Cause were as much or rather more serious and fervent no doubt in dayly prayer for the Churches Rest and Enlargement then under bloody Persecution they must needs be granted to bear a part in the travelling womans pains and cry afore spoken of as also in that cry unto God of the Souls under the Altar at the opening of the fifth Seal which before also I insisted on But though they did and were so mighty in prayer and exercised those Arms of prayers and tears which were the Arms which the primitive Christians only owned as allowable wherewith to resist the Tyranny of their lawful Superiors they being then but of a private and plebeian capacity as diligently as they did their secular Arms for defence of the Emperor yet they could not thereby obtain a present period of those fiery Persecutions See Mr. Clarks Martyrolog p. 44 45 Mr Fox vol. 1. p. 67 c. which then had so long lasted but they went on by times for above a hundred years longer and although Aurelius upon the aforesaid Wonders decreed the stay of the fourth Persecution then on foot yet was it carried on still by the Judges and by his son Commodus After that the Roman Emperors were become Christian Gratian one of the most pious Mr Medeâ— Comment in Apoc. part 1. p 58. And Rosses Hist Book 3. c. 3. An. Chr. 379. zealous and orthodox Emperors we find in Story he was the first Christian Emperor as Mr Mede noteth that refused the Title and Pontifical Robe of the High priest-hood anciently annexed to the Imperial Majesty and a branch of the old Heathenish Idolatry He commanded a general Embracement of the Nicene Creed He suppressed Hereticks and restored the Orthodox banished by his Predecessor Valens an Arian This godly Emperor in his Expeditions of War was generally and affectionately prayed for by the Christian Churches A Historian saith of him At non Ambrosius duntaxat pro Gratiani victoriâ solicitus juges obtulit Deo preces sed fidelium omnium vota publica nuncupata sunt Schulting Thesaur Tom. 4. cap. 321. frequensque tunc pro eo piorum ad basilicas concursus prospera illi assidus postulantium But not only Ambrose offered up dayly prayers to God being solicitous for Gratians victory but the publique supplications of all the faithful were made for him and there was a great flocking together of the godly to the Cathedrals Chron. Caâ—ion l. 3. p. 293 Speed hist book 6. c. 51. p. 178. Rosses Hist B. 3. c. 3. to pray dayly for his prosperity Yet this good young Emperor was first overthrown in Battel and quickly after trayterously slain by Maximus the Usurper In this
entertain it and better to employ it Solâ—mon observes Eccl. 3.11 God hath made every thing beautiful in its time Isai 49.8 And the Lord saith In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee Now the time unto which the Lord defers his answer is that time and his deferring it is which is one means of that beauty and acceptableness of the thing at that time It is with benefits obtained by prayer as with the fruits of trees and other plants these must have their time to ripen ere they be to be gathered so as to be either for pleasure or profit and it is usually sound that those fruits that are longest in growing and ripening are the most wholesom useful and lasting rathe-ripe fruits are more for fond delight then solid and durable use So it is in blessings that come by prayer they become sweet and serviceable to us by our praying and staying for them until a full time be and the longer the stay is the more comfort profit and permanency may be in them when enjoyed Psa 126.1 Sion after her long endured captivity had her mouth filled with laughter and her tongue with singing and said The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad After a laborious and tedious seeding she had a full harvest of joy Lemuels mother was very affectionate to him and sollicitous for his vertuous education and her introduction to her instructions given him yields the reason thereof Prov. 31.2 What my son and what the son of my womb and what the son of my vows She had bred him in her bowels and born him with travel and hazard she had not only endured bodily pains and sorrows for him but her soul had travelled for him as Monica for her Augustine he was the son of her vows and therefore he was very dear to her and she entirely applyeth her endeavors for his training up holily Hannah obtained her son Samuel with prayers and tears ere she could have him she was put to strong conflicting in prayer the text saith 1 Sam. 1.10 c. that in Shiloh she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and she vowed a vow and she continued praying or multiplyed to pray before the Lord. And she her self saith to Eli I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have poured out my soul before the Lord out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken And coming by him so hardly and by so many so earnest suits unto God she accordingly received and disposed of him to wit with much thankfulness and officious observance of her vow of dedication of him unto God conceived and uttered before the Lord ere she conceived him in her womb The former solemn thankfulness she expresseth both in the name which she gave him at his birth Samuel that is asked of God and in the song of praise which she sung and left upon record in memory of that benefit The latter her diligent and punctual observation of her vow appeareth not only in that she denoteth him to God as a Nazarite according to her former obligation but in that she kept him no longer with her at home then until he was weaned and in the least degree capable of delivery up to God and employment in the service of his house and in that she presented him to the Lord so solemnly that is both with a large free-will-offering and a publique profession before Eli of the Lords return of her prayers in this child and of her return of him unto God as his devoted servant in lieu or consideration thereof Thus God deferreth his servants prayers not to deprive them of the fruit thereof but to frame their hearts to a higher esteem a gladder entertainment and a more thankful and profitable disposal of it It is the note of a very reverend Divine that God when he casteth out the prayers of his Saints Mr Trap on Cantic pag. 278. deals by them as the Lioness doth by her young ones which she seems sometimes to leave till they have almost killed themselves with roaring this is to make them more careful another time That which is gotten by working with God that is by instant and constant prayer is ordinarily better blessed to us it is sanctified unto a more happy enjoyment then what is earned meerly or principally by secular industry or hath not so strong and deep a tincture of prayer upon it This is according to that of the Apostle Every creature of God is good for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4 4 5 When Iacob acted as Iacob that is a supplanter when he delt with policy he got indeed at one time the birthright at another time the blessing of his Father from his Brother Esau but those winnings of his for a long time were not so prosperous they stood him in little stead they were followed with divers bitter crosses as with his exile from his habitation and Parents and his tedious pilgrimage in Mesapotamia and the hardships there undergone but when he acted as Israel a Prince with God by importunate prayer he got a clearer blessing a blessing which was followed with sundry tokens of Gods special appearance and goodness to him 6. The delay of the prayers of the people of God may be for the removal of those persons and things which stand in their way as impediments to their receiving or enjoying the mercies prayed for In the Prophet Isaiah while the faithful resolve They for Sions and Jerusalems sake will not hold their peace and while the watchmen placed by God upon the walls of Ierusalem the Lords dayly remembrancers are commanded that they keep not silence and that they give the Lord no rest Isa 62.1 6 until the righteousness of Sion go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth and until the Lord make Ierusalem a praise in the Earth There is a charge given out by God unto some agents of his either Angels or men after this manner Go through go through the gates prepare ye the way of the people cast up Ver. 10 11 12 cast up the high way gather out the stones lift up a Standard for the people and then it follows Say ye to the Daughter of Zion Behold thy Salvation cometh behold his reward is with him and his work before him And they shall call them The holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called Sought out a City not forsaken Here we have clearly set forth these three things in order 1. The incessancy and importunacy of prayer imposed upon the friends and lovers of Sion that her deliverance and exaltation may be procured 2. The many blocks and obstructions that lie in the way by which Sion is to pass to the deliverance and happiness prayed for and the course that is
taken for the clearing thereof in order to the taking effect of those prayers and the bringing on of that restauration 3. The Salvation of Sion that thereupon ensues in answer to prayer then is she called Sought out a City not forsaken by all which we are given to understand that betwixt a restless persistency in prayer and the accomplishment thereof there are ordinarily some interposing impediments which must be removed and for that reason the said accomplishment is for some time delayed The impediments which are in the way of the people of God to the mercies they pray for are for the most part either bad Rulers that are over them or bad people that are mingled and associated with them 1. Sometimes such persons as are in power and rule and are enemies to God and his people they or their enmity or oppositeness are the obstacles to be removed Whilest Daniel is afflicting his Soul and solemnly supplicating in behalf of the Church of God the Temple Dan. 10.1 2 and the City of Ierusalem three full weeks the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia stands in the way of the Angel that was dispatched to Daniel with the answer of his prayers and hinders him from arriving at Daniel for that space and so did the said Prince and divers of his successors afterwards interrupt the effecting of Daniels prayers in the instauration of the Temple and recovery of the Church of God in Iudea The Angel therefore who at the end of those three weeks comes to Daniel to deliver him his answer telleth him by way of satisfaction in the delay already past and that which was yet to come in relation to the matter or things prayed about His words were heard from the first day but he came not until then havâ—ng been withstood and detained for those three weeks by the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia Ver. 12 13 20 and that as soon as he had delivered to him his message he was forthwith to return again to fight with the Prince of Persia Interpreters understand this Prince of Persia in vers 13. to be Cambyses and the resistance which he made to the Angel to be his opposing by his inhibition the building of the Temple which formerly was authorized by his father Cyrus but now whilest Cyrus is absent and imployed in the Scythian War his son Cambyses governing in his place forbiddeth it and the Prince of Persia in vers 20. is conceived to signifie those his successors by whom or during whose reigns the aforesaid work in Iudea ceased to wit Darius Histaspes Ahasuerus called Xerxes and Artaxerxes called Longimanus The Angel therefore as the Minister of God is sent first to take cognizance and course about those proceedings of Cambyses and then to bring unto Daniel matter of information and encouragement touching the subject of his prayers and after that he is to return back to the Court of Persia and there continually to attend the actions of the Princes thereof successively and to fight against those of them that withstood the rebuilding of the Temple and recovery of the state of Iudah All this work was in order to the remotion of the impediments which letted the effecting of Daniels Petitions and for this reason it was that there was so much time to run out ere they could be accomplished as the Prophet himself saith in his Preface to this Vision Vers 1. A thing was revealed unto me and the thing was true but the time appointed was long 2. Sometimes the impediments to be removed are such wicked persons as are mingled or associated with the special people of God whom neither the Will of God nor the conveniency and good of those his people will brook to be copartners with them in the mercies prayed for The Lord declareth his purpose and promise to confer sundry blessings upon a certain party whom he calleth My people that have sought me Isai 65.8 9 10. and whom he contradistinguisheth from that rebellious and provoking people whom he had described before vers 2 3 4 5. But when shall those promises take effect what is it that stands in their way to them Why that rebellious and provoking people must first be proceeded with and taken out of the way they must not survive to participate with the faithful servants of God in those mercies concerning them therefore he saith vers 11. and on-ward But ye are they that forsake the Lord that forget my holy mountain c. Therefore I will number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter c. Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry behold my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit and ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen for the Lord God shall slay thee and call his servants by another name By that Vision of the two baskets of figs Jer. 24. the Lord sheweth the Prophet the reason why he would not grant the Jews already in captivity represented by the basket of very good figs a return from captivity presently nor until after seventy years and it was because the Lord would first consume from off the Land of Judea Zedekiah and the rest that still remained there or that dwelt in Egypt who were signified by the other basket of very evil figs see vers 8 9 10. these were first to be emptyed out and made an end of if the other the better part now in Babylon should have returned while these were left alive in Judea they must have been mixed with them and so either the better party must have fared as ill as the worse or the worst must have shared with the better in their felicity either the naughty figs would have tainted the good and so both have perished together or the happiness of the good would have been blemished by the presence of the bad it was therefore in special wisdom and mercy provided by God that these two sorts should be kept several in two baskets in two far distant Lands that the purer part was put and kept by themselves at Babylon until the more degenerate and incorrigible part were consumed out that so the other might re-enter and enjoy the Land City and Temple of God alone according hereunto is that in Ezekiel Ezek. 20.38 41 42 I will purge out from among them the rebels and them that transgress against me they shall not enter into the Land of Israel and then it 's said I will accept you with your sweet savor when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the Countries c. 7. Lastly The delay of the Saints prayers may be to raise up their thoughts their faith their love and their longing desire unto the last day and second and glorious
of all these and of whatsoever else any will further take up and contribute and let all England go a whoring after it according as his deluded phancy shall lead him But that Ephod proved a snare to Gideon and to his house a snare first of sin in their superstitious use of it and then of punishment in fratricide and usurpation of Abimelech and the sedition and bloodshed that followed chap. 9. A sad presaging pattern The main pillars and vital parts of Religion to wit Piety Love Charity tenderness of Conscience and Courage are grown faint and brought low It is very plain to be seen that Luxury and Epicurism in some worldliness in others and an heretical judgment or a dividing and contentious spirit in a third sort hath deadened and destroyed Religion and besides these three sorts there are but a few left to keep up any life of it among us Many of the Disputes about it and about the outward support of it by the power of the Magistrate and the set maintenance of the Ministry may justly be deemed to arise from the mean esteem cold affection and nauseating weariness of it into which many are declined They account every thing in it unnecessary and burthensom any command of it over them any diligence in its practice any charge bestowed on it though by others seemeth too much They fall to question and quarrel with it as being desirous to ease themselves of its power restraint cost and labor All the dotage unsetledness and Libertinism in opinions and ways that is on foot seems to be from a Paralysis or dead Palsie seized on our Religion In that disease there is a decay or stop of the animal spirits and from thence a resolution of the sinews and muscles and so a stupefaction of the senses and a loosening of the members and limbs of the body In such a manner it is now analogically with Religion A dead Palsie hath struck us the vigor and spirits of our Religion are perished and from thence it is that the understandings of men are become so vain and phantastical their minds and consciences so loose unstable and extravagant That zeal which should heat mens hearts and warm their affections unto the practice of their duties and the resistance of gross errors and sins is cold and extinct to that use and enflamed only to strife and debates of tongue pen and hand either frivolous or plainly heterodox and unrighteous Our unkindly and sickly heats in Religion have begotten Wars and these Wars have not only destroyed the natural lives and worldly estates of many but have drawn out the life and blood of Religion it self and have left it as a cold mangled and liveless carcass Even in many of those who seemed to be affected to Religion above the generality it is evaporated into winds of Doctrine fumes of contention or flashes of high-flown notions or expressions I have culled out these amongst many of the sins of England against the first Table which stand up against and may well out-cry the prayers that are put up for her For those against the second Table they are also as flagrant among us Blood-guiltiness injustice and unmercifulness I need not point at they so break out and fill every place that there is no room left for my complaint against them Covetousness I have met with afore Only a word of Pride Here is pride even in its height Luciferian arrogancy Pride was the National sin of Sodom and after that of Jerusalem and it brought them both to ruine * Ezek. 16 49 and it is now our National sin as much as ever it was either of theirs or any others We have been proud of all the earthly of all the heavenly blessings God hath given us We have been proud of our plenty power wisdom peace successes impunity deliverances We have been proud of our Gospel-priviledges of our Religion Reformation Profession Ministers unseemlily preferring our Church Clergy and Professors above those of other Nations Our pride appears in our discords and jars If contention be the proper issue of pride as Solomon saith it is * Prov. 13 10 then we may conclude our selves the most pride-swollen people under Heaven for we are absolutely the most broken and divided Nation that is or ever was I think upon the Earth Our pride appears in the seditious and aspiring spirit that now lifts men up Every man almost is a Korah and takes too much yea all upon him Every man almost arrogates the highest demerit honor and power to himself scarce a man to be found especially of the lower degree and worth but thinks himself fit and worthy of the chiefest employment and command and none so fit as himself It is not now as in Jothans Parable wherein the Trees going to anoint a King over them first offered their Kingdom to the more noble and profitable Trees the Olive-tree the Fig-tree and the Vine and they refusing then to the Bramble but these being rejected and trambled under-foot every Bramble assumes to himself superiority and will rather set all on fire then not be a Ruler Our pride appears in that contempt and disdain which men cast one upon another The exalted spirits of the Times as they greaten themselves in their own eyes so they lessen and detract from others they look at themselves as more then men at others their Connatives in the Land their Brethren now or once in religious profession and it may be both in the eyes of God and other men their betters as Pagans or Dogs not deserving any respect society liberty protection or subsistence with them Our pride appears in that like the Caldean or Amaeziah King of Judah we cannot keep at home but must be enlarging our desires unsatisfiedly Hab. 2.5 2 Chro. 25 19 and stretching our line to and gathering unto us all Nations and heaping unto us all people Although we are become a shame and a derision a proverb and a by-word a reproach and a taunt unto the Nations that are round about us yet we vaunt and boast it out we stand upon tiptoe we are high and honorable in our own conceits we glory in our selves yea in our shame In these days in which the spirit of drunkenness and deep sleep darkness and dotage is poured out upon us men dream of a higher measure of light and will needs fancy to themselves extraordinary illumination like the Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.12 13 14 we seal up the sum full of wisdom and perfect in beauty as if we had been in Eden the Garden of God or were become anointed Cherubs Next follow as obstructers of prayer the sins we are guilty of in and about our prayers If I should take scope in them every one severally I should scarce find a way to any end In brief therefore We pray yet sin though open and in impudent enough in it self is as to our distinct and convictive acknowledgment latent and hidden Many of those