The Return of Prayers, Title page – Dedication
THE RETVRNE OF PRAYERS. A TREATISE WHEREIN this Caſe [How to diſcerne Gods anſwers to our prayers] is briefly reſolved, WITH OTHER OBSERVATIONS UPON PSAL. 85. 8. concerning GODS ſpeaking PEACE, &c.
BY THO: GOODVVIN. B. D.
HAB. 2. 1.
I will watch to ſee what he will ſay to mee.
LONDON, Printed for R. Dawlman, and I. Fawne, at the ſigne of the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard. 1636.
TO THE MUCH HONOVRED KNIGHT, SIR NATHANIEL RICH.
SIR,
GOd, who from all eternitie hath had an infinit Maſſe of grace and glory lying by him, to beſtow upon his Church: and did accordingly provide a treaſury and Magazin ſufficient wherein to ſtore up all, [the Boſome of his Sonne:] in whom are hid, Epheſ. 3. 8.riches ſo unſearchable, as cannot bee told over, much leſſe ſpent to all eternity.
Hee hath as richly ſhed his holy Sprit on us:foreign Tit. 3. 6. that we, who could never have known of any thing bequeathed us, nor what to pray for as wee ought, might both, fully from him know all that God hath given us; and through him lay claime thereto, who maketh interceſſion for us; and ſo doth furniſh us with a privy key to all that Treaſury, which otherwiſe, is faſt ſhut up to all the world.
Through which Spirit of of prayer, and ſupplications thus powred foorth, beleevers come to bee at once anointed to the fellowſhip, and execution of thoſe three glorious Offices of Chriſt their head. Not only 1. of Prieſts; by offering up their prayers, as ſpirituall ſacrifices, acceptable to GOD, through Jeſus Chriſt: but 2. of Kings; to rule with God, Hoſ. 11. 12. Being hereby made of Privy Councell to the King of kings,Pſa. 20. 4, 5 ſo as their Councels, and deſires expreſt in their Petitions, are ſaid to be fulfilled; and their decrees in their Praiers made, Iob 22. 27, 28.ratified, and eſtabliſht. Nay further, by vertue of this priviledge, advanced to ſuch height of favour, Hoſ. 12. 3, 4as by their ſtrength in praier alone, to have power with God himſelfe; and not onelyonly with him, but alſo over him; and in their wreſtlings to prevaile: Yea to command: Himſelfe hath ſaid it; Thus ſaith the Lord, the holy One of Iſrael and his Maker, ASKE of me, of things to come, concerning my ſonnes, and concerning the worke of my hands, COMMAND ye ME, Iſai. 45. 11. which ſo tranſcendent priviledge of power, is likewiſe by the expreſſe words of this great Charter, univerſally extended unto all tranſactions of this lower part of his dominions; whether Eccleſiaſticall, which doe concerne his ſonnes, that is, his Church: or what ever other, the more ordinary works of his hands, that appertaine to common providence.
And for as much as theſe grand affaires of this his Kingdome, Mat. 6. 10.as future, and to come, are commended to their praiers, as their moſt proper ſubject, about which they are to treate, Aske of mee of things to come: in this reſpect, they doe become as truely. 3. Prophets alſo: though not in ſo full and compleate, yet in ſome kinde of true reſemblance; not by foretelling, yet by foreſpeaking in their prayers, things that come to paſſe. To demonſtrate which, God, who made and upholds this world, and all things in it, by the word of his power, doth likewiſe rule and governe it, by the Preſidents, and preſcript rules, of the word of his will: exactly diſpenſing unto men,Pſal. 25. 10. both rewards and puniſhments, according to the tenour of ſome or other, of his promiſes and threatnings, and former like proceedings therein recorded: though with ſuch various liberty, in reſpect of the particulars, that his wayes remaine unſearchable and paſt finding out: That looke how he appointed in the heavens, thoſe ordinances of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, by their light, heate, and motion, to rule the day and night, to divide, and cauſe the ſeverall ſeaſons of the yeare, and all the changes and alterations that doe paſſe over this animall, and naturall world▪ in like manner hath hee ſtretched out that ſo exceeding broad expanſe of his word and law,Pſal. 119. 96. (to which the Pſalmiſt doth aſsimulate it) over this rationall world,Pſal. 19. 1, 2, 3, 4. compared with Rom. 10. 18. of Angels and Men; and therein ſet his Statutes, and his Judgements, that by the light of Precepts, and their influences in rewards and puniſhments, they might order and direct theſe his creatures reaſonable, and all their actions; alſo diſpoſe, and ſet out all the iſſues of them. And ſeeing his Saints they are a people in whoſe hearts is his Law; and their delight is to meditate therein, both day and night, they daily calculating and obſerving the various aſpects, conjunctions, and mixt influences of thoſe innumerable precepts, promiſes, and threatnings, which themſelves and others, Nations or Men, ſtand under; and by a Judgement thence reſulting,Ier. 8. 7. ſo farre as they have attained, endeavouring to frame their ſupplications and petitions according to Gods will: Hence their praiers oft, full happily ſucceed, and aforehand doe accord, to thoſe iſſues and events, that afterwards fall out. That like as it ſometimes falls out, that the earth comes to bee juſt under the Sun and Moone, in ſome of their conjunctions; ſo their deſires and praiers, ſometimes in a direct line fall under, and ſubordinately concurre with Gods ſecret purpoſes, and ſome revealed promiſe met in conjunction, to produce ſuch and ſuch effects. The Spirit alſo, herein helping their infirmities, ſometime ſo guiding and directing them, by a gracious preinſtinct, though unbeknowne to them, to pitch their requeſts upon ſuch particulars, as God hath fully purpoſed to bring to paſſe; becomming thereby, as it were, the Spirit of prophecy unto them; reſpectively, in ſome meaſure and degree.
Thus doth that great King, imploy his neareſt ſervants, as his under-Officers, and Sherifes to ſerve his Writs, & executions upō his Enemies; to execute the Judgement written in his threatnings, Pſalm. 149. 9. and to accompliſh his mercies written alſo; by putting all the promiſes in ſuit; to be as man-midwives (as Hezekiahs alluſion, when hee ſent a viſiting to the Prophet Eſay, Eſay 37. 2, 3, 4.for his voice and ſuffrage, ſeemeth to import) to help and aſsiſt his promiſes and decrees in their travell with mercies and deliverance, Zeph. 2. 2.when theſe their children doe come unto the birth, and there is no ſtrength to bring them forth.
In all which, they ſhall therefore have the honour to bee accounted Co-workers together with God, in his greateſt works of wonder. And at the latter day, when that great and laſt Edition, both of all Gods works, and likewiſe ours, then compleate and finiſhed, ſhall be publiſhed to all the world, they ſhall finde their names put to them, together with his owne; and the ſame by him acknowledged, to be as truely the works of their hearts and prayers, as that they are the ſole worke of his hands and power. Such honour have all his Saints.
And if all the workes of GOD are ſo exceeding great, and his thoughts therein ſo very deep, Pſal. 92. 5. that every Iota of them, doth deſerve our deepeſt ſtudies, and intentions; and thereunto require a proper skill and wiſedome, to reade his hand, peculiar unto the Saints, ver. 6. whereunto there muſt be adjoined the moſt diligent ſearch, Pſal. 77. 6.and attentive obſervation to finde out his meaning in them; and withall a ſpeciall inclination, and delight to be converſant therein, Thy workes are very great, ſought out of thoſe that have pleaſure in them, Pſal. 111. 2. And if, of all the reſt, thoſe choiſer pieces, his workes of mercy may challenge our beſt regard: in which his heart and delights are moſt; Mich. 7. 18.on which his wiſedome hath laid on the richeſt workmanſhip, in the moſt curious contrivements of his love: Then ſurely that ſelected volume of more ſpeciall mercies [His Epiſtles:] vouchſafed in anſwer to our prayers, is above all other, moſt exactly to be ſtudied, and moſt diligently to bee peruſed by us. Wherein God doth unboſome himſelfe, and lay open his heart, more ſweetly, more familiarly unto us; which are directed, and in a maner dedicated more particularly unto our ſelves alone; Many of them written with his owne hand, in a more immediate maner diſcovered and appearing in them: and all of them come ſealed with the impreſſe of everlaſting love, and downe laden with the encloſure of the moſt precious tokens of his ſpeciall favour.Pſ. 107. 43. Who ſo is wiſe, will obſerve theſe things; and they ſhall underſtand the loving kindneſſe of the Lord.
Neither have ſuch favours, onelyonly more of mercy in the things themſelves beſtowed, but are further indeared to us, by being made our owne mercies, by a more peculiar title to them: by which the kindneſſe in them is rendred double. For therein wee have that royall liberty to become our owne chooſers, and contrivers of our owne condition; having all the promiſes throwne downe to us, with blanks for us to write our names in which of them wee pleaſe; which is the greateſt liberty. And Wee have withall his Spirit ſecretly directing, and fixing the needle of our deſires, to the ſame point, wherein his great intentions towards us doe meete with our beſt good: which is indeed the trueſt liberty. And to be made our ſelves, whom we love ſo well, and therefore delight to do good unto, the chiefeſt inſtruments under him of our owne greateſt happineſſe, is a priviledge, then which, the creature is not made capable of a more tranſcendent royalty. And yet when the greateſt love, thus rectified, which poſsibly we can beare our ſelves, hath opened its mouth wideſt, and ſtretched our deſires in praying, to their utmoſt compaſſe; then will Gods infinite vaſt love, not onelyonly fill them, but doe for us above all that we are able to aſk, yea to thinke; exceeding abundantly above all; as farr above, as his thoughts are above our thoughts; which is farre more then the heavens are higher then the earth.
All which, when put together, (if well conſidered,) how would it provoke us to call in all that precious ſtock of our time, thoughts, and intentions which wee caſt away on trifles, to lay out the choiſeſt portion of them in this thriving trade of entercourſe with God; the returnes whereof, are better then the merchandiſe of ſilver, and the gaine therof, then fine gold. It is the praying Chriſtian that alone imployes the riches of the promiſes, which wee uſually let lie by us like dead ſtocke unimproved: whilſt hee, like a wiſe and diligent Merchant, looks abroad upon all the affaires of Ieſus Chriſt, that are afloat here in this world, and adventures in them all; is watchfull to ſpy out all advantages, and with an holie foreign, intermedleth in every buſineſſe that may bring in glory unto God, good unto the Church, grace and comfort to his owne ſoule. And how infinitely rich muſt that man needes become, that puts even Gods riches out to uſe, with the increaſe of ten Talents for one, yea an hundred fold!
The due eſtimate whereof, would no leſſe quicken us to as diligent an inquiry, what becomes of all thoſe goodly adventures, the prayers we make; to liſten what haven they arrive at, how, and when, and with what fraught they doe returne.
In which great duty, and moſt neceſſary property of all true Merchants, yet many of the beſt and greateſt dealers, that are diligent enough in praying, are ſtill found failing and deficient; that omit no gainfull opportunity of adventure, but are careleſſe and unobſervant of their returnes.
Some through ignorance (it may be) that this is at all a duty, or of any ſuch importance, are carefull onelyonly how to lade in praiers enough, not expecting to finde any of this bread caſt upon the waters, untill that great and generall returne of themſelves, & all the world, with joy bringing their ſheaves with them. Others, though at preſent, many of their praiers come home after a few daies, and richly laden; yet through want of skill to reade thoſe Bills of Exchange which God often writes in an obſcurer character, they lie unregarded by them. Many when voyages prove long, (though to their greater advantage, when once they doe returne, yet in the meane time) through diſcouragement, they give all for loſt, as we doe ſhips at Sea we cannot heare of. The moſt are commonly complaining, that their adventures ſtill miſcary, and that little or nothing comes of all their prayers. And All are negligent of keeping their bookes of accounts, to caſt up their commings in, and goings out, the one with the other. By which they loſe the chiefeſt portion of that comfort, which for the preſent, God hath here allotted us to live upon [the revenues of their prayers.] And God alſo, is not onelyonly robbed of that Cuſtome of his glory which ſhould thence accrew; but wronged alſo by ſtanding ſtill as debtor in their accounts to many prayers, in the return of which he hath been creditor long agoe.
I have endevoured therefore in this ſmall Treatiſe to convince beleevers of the grand importance of this duty, which is ſo full of gaine: To diſcover likewiſe the cauſes of the neglect herein, and remove the temptations and diſcouragements which doe occaſion it; and have briefly reſolved ſuch caſes as doe more uſually occurre in the practiſe of it. But principally, my deſire was to give in ſome few experiments, and obſervations, which may help to teach the weaker ſort, though not perfectly to reade, yet here and there to ſpell, (and eſpecially out of the impreſsions in their own hearts) Gods meaning towards them in his anſwers. I have caſt in ſome ſcattered calculations of broken praiers caſt up, which though they wil not amount, to make generall and perfect Tables out of, yet may ſerve, as Inſtances and examples, for yong beginners, to direct them in the exerciſe of this moſt uſefull skill, and wiſedome, how to compute and ballance their accounts by comparing their prayers and their returnes together.
This ſmall and imperfect embryon, I have preſumed to ſend forth into the world; and directed it firſt of all to preſent its ſervice unto you; and make an honourable and thankefull mention of your Name. Your worth deſerves a more coſtly, large, and laſting monument for this inſcription. Your owne abilities of learning, eloquence, and depth of wiſedome in humane affaires, would you be perſwaded to lay them out, as you are able, would erect ſuch a remembrance and ſumptuous memoriall of you, when you are gathered to your Fathers, as would beare ſome proportion to your great worth. But that which emboldned me was the neere affinity which meditations of this nature doe hold, with thoſe other your more retired thoughts you thinke to none but God and your owne ſoule. You have beene long a frequent and conſtant dealer in this bleſſed way of entercourſe with God in private: Thoſe that know you, know your ſtrict obſervance of thoſe exchange houres you have devoted to meet with God, and enjoy communion with Him. But above all, it was that perſonall obligation, under which a great and ſpeciall all favour from you long ſince brought me, upon which I devoted (with my ſelfe) the firſt of my labours unto your ſervice. And it became one great reliefe unto my thoughts, weighing the many inconveniences of appearing thus in publique, that it gave ſo full occaſion to pay my vowes thus openly before all the world; which having now done, God that is rich in mercy to all that call upon him, fill you with all Grace, and grant all your petitions; ſo prayes
Your Worſhips obliged to love and ſerve you THO: GOODVVIN.