The Return of Prayers, Part 1 · Chapter 2
Chap. 2.CHAP. 2.
Three caſes propounded: The firſt, concerning prayers for the Church, and for the accompliſhment of ſuch promiſes as may fall out in ages to come.
NOw as for rules, and helps to find out Gods meaning towards you in your prayers, and to ſpie out anſwers; and how to know when God doth any thing in anſwer to your prayers, this is the next thing to bee handled: wherein firſt, I will anſwer ſome caſes, and queries which may fall out in ſeverall ſorts of prayers, about the anſwering of them▪
1 As firſt, concerning prayers put up for the Church, for the accompliſhment of ſuch things as fall out in Ages to come.
2 Concerning praiers made for others of your friends, kinred, &c.
3 Concerning thoſe praiers, whether for your ſelves or others, wherein others joine with you.
For the firſt.§. 1. The full anſwer to ſuch prayers is to come. Firſt, there may bee ſome prayers, which you muſt bee content, never your ſelves to ſee anſwered in this world; the accompliſhment of them not falling out in your time: ſuch as are thoſe you haply make for the calling of the Iews, the utter downfal of Gods enemies, the flouriſhing of the Goſpel, the full purity and liberty of Gods Ordinances, the particular flouriſhing and good of the ſociety and place you live in: all you whoſe hearts are right, doe treaſure up many ſuch praiers as theſe, and ſowe much of ſuch precious ſeed, which you muſt bee content to have the Church (it may be) in after Ages to reape: All which prayers are not yet loſt, but will have anſwers: for as God is an eternall God, and Chriſts righteouſneſſe an everlaſting righteouſneſſe, and therefore of eternall efficacie, Dan. 9. 24 Being offered up by the eternall Spirit, Heb. 9. 14. So are prayers alſo, which are the worke of the eternall Spirit of Chriſt, made to that God in his Name, and in him are eternally accepted, and of eternall force, and therefore may take place in after Ages. So the prayer that S. Stephē made for his perſecutors, tooke place in Saul when S. Stephen was dead. So Davids prayer againſt Iudas, Pſal. 109. 8, 9. took effect above a thouſand yeeres after, as appeares, Acts 1. 20. So the prayers of the Church for three hundred yeeres in the Primitive times, That Kings might come to the knowledge of the truth, and they leade peaceable and quiet lives in all godlineſſe and honeſty, (which S. Paul in Nero's time exhorted unto, 1. Tim. 2. 2.) were not anſwered, & accompliſhed till Conſtantines time, whē the Church brought forth a Man-childe.Revel. 12 1▪ So Eſay 58. after hee had exhorted to, and given directions for faſting & prayer in a right manner, hee adjoyneth this promiſe: Thou ſhalt raiſe up the foundation of many generations; thou ſhalt be called the repairer of the breach, namely for this, becauſe his faſting, and prayers might have influence into many ages yet to come, in the accompliſhment of what was prayed for. And that which Chriſt ſaies of the Apoſtles, reaping the fruit of S. Iohn the Baptiſts miniſtery, and the ſeed he had ſowne, is in like maner herein verified; Iohn 4. 37. One ſoweth and another reapeth. And in this ſenſe that which the Papiſts ſay is true, that there is a common treaſury of the Church, not of their merits, but of their praiers: there are bottles of teares a filling, Vials a filling to be powred out for the deſtruction of Gods enemies: what a collection of prayers hath there been theſe many Ages towards it? and that may bee one reaſon why God will do ſuch great things towards the end of the world, even becauſe there hath beene ſo great a ſtock of prayers going, for ſo many ages, which is now to be returned: and herein it falls out to us in our prayers, as in their prophecies to the Prophets of old,1. Pet. 1. 11▪ The Spirit in them did ſignifie the ſufferings of Chriſt, and the glory that ſhould follow. VntoUnto whom it was revealed, that not unto themſelves, but unto us they did miniſter the things that are now revealed: and thus is it in the ſpirit of prayer, which is inſtead of the ſpirit of prophecy: for wee pray through the guidance of the Spirit (who teacheth us what to aske) for many things that come to paſſe in after ages.
OnelyOnly at preſent,§. 2. Yet they may have an anſwer at preſent, in aſſurāce both that they ſhall come to paſſe, and of the acceptation of our perſons for them. it may bee, in prayer thou haſt revealed unto thee by a ſecret impreſſion made on thy ſpirit, that theſe things ſhall come to paſſe, and ſo haſt thy faith confirmed in them, and withall an evidence, that even for thy prayers, among others, God will performe them; and that the contribution of thy prayers, doth help to make up the ſumme: and upon ſuch prayers God uſually for the preſent alſo teſtifies the acceptation of a mans perſon, and reveales himſelfe moſt to him that hee is his; as he did to Moſes; he never revealed his love to Moſes more, then when he praied moſt for Gods people. And haply thou haſt that as one of thy beſt evidences of the uprightneſſe of thy heart, that thou canſt pray for the Churches good, though for a long time to come which thou maieſt never behold with thine eyes even as David alſo did, and rejoyced in it.§. 3. And in heaven we ſhall rejoyce at the accompliſhment of them: and at the day of Judgement▪
And when they are accompliſhed, and thou in heaven, thy joy will ſurely bee the more full for theſe thy praiers: as at the converſion of thoſe thou haſt prayed for, ſo at the ruine of the Churches enemies, &c. whom thou didſt pray againſt; For if there bee joy in heaven at the converſion of a ſinner, (as at the birth of a new Prince and Heire of heaven) then haply in a proportion hee ſhall rejoyce moſt, whoſe prayers had moſt hand in it, and a ſpeciall intereſt therein. And ſo as thy other workes, ſo thy prayers follow thee, and the fruit of them, Ier. 17. 10.as Ieremy ſpeakes: and how ever, yet at the day of Judgement thou ſhalt rejoice, as well as they that enioyed the fruit of thy prayers in their times, thou having ſowne the ſeed of their happineſſe; both hee that ſowes, and hee that reapes ſhall then rejoyce together, as Chriſt ſayes, Iohn 4. 36.