The Return of Prayers, Part 1 · Chapter 4
Chap. 4.CHAP. IV.
The third Caſe, about ſuch prayers wherein others joine with us. How therein to diſcern the influence of our own prayers.
THe third Caſe to bee conſidered is, when a man prayes for ſomething with others; or which others likewiſe pray for with him, ſo as he is not alone in it; how then ſhould he know, that his prayers have a hand in obtaining it, as well as theirs? For in ſuch caſes Satan is apt to object; though the thing is granted indeed; yet not for thy prayers, but for the prayers of thoſe others joyned in it with thee.
§. 1. If our hearts were affected in praying with the ſame holy affections wherewith others that prayed with us were.1. If thy heart did ſympathize, and accord in the ſame holy affections with thoſe others in praying, then it is certaine thy voice hath helpt to carry it; If two agree on earth (ſayes Chriſt) Matt. 18. 19. the word is foreign, that is, if they harmonially agree to play the ſame tune: for prayers are muſick in Gods eares, and ſo called Melody to God, Epheſ. 5. 19 It is not ſimply their agreeing in the thing prayed for, but in the affections: for it is the affections that make the conſort and the melody: now if the ſame holy affections were toucht, and ſtruck by Gods ſpirit in thy heart, that in theirs, then thou doeſt help to make up the conſort; and without thee it would have beene imperfect: yea, without thee the thing might not have been done; for God ſtands ſometimes upon ſuch a number of voices, and one voice caſts it; as when he named ten righteous perſons to ſave Sodome: when therefore the ſame holy motives and affections acted thee in thy prayer, which did them in theirs, it was the worke of the ſame ſpirit, both in them and thee, and God hath heard thee.
Eſpecially if God did ſtir up the ſame ſecret inſtinct in thee,Eſpecially when this ſympathy is unbeknowne each to other. to ſympathize with another in praying for ſuch a thing unbeknowne one to another, as ſometimes it falls out; then ſurely thy prayers are in it as well as his. You ſhall obſerve ſometimes a generall inſtinct of the Spirit, put into Gods peoples hearts, generally to pray for or againſt a thing, without each others ſtirring up one another: even as Ezekiel by the river Chebar prophecied the ſame things Ieremiah did at home at Ieruſalem. Thus againſt the time that Chriſt the Meſsiah came in the fleſh, there was a great expectation raiſed up in the hearts of the godly people, to look and pray for him, Luke 2. 27. and 38.
§. 2. By ſome ſpeciall evidence: as firſt, ſometimes by ſome notable circumſtance.2 God doth uſually, & often evidence to a man, that his prayers contributed, and went among the reſt towards the obtaining of it; as,
1 By ſome circumſtance: as for example, ſometimes by ordering it ſo, that that man that prayed moſt for a thing of concernement, ſhould have the firſt newes of it when it comes to bee accompliſht: which God doth, as knowing it will bee moſt welcome newes to him. God doth herein, as wee doe with a friend, who we know is cordiall in, and wiſheth well to a buſineſſe; hee ſends him the firſt word of it, who was moſt hearty in it, & prayed moſt about it. Good old Simeon, had ſurely been earneſt in ſeeking the Lord, as wel as the reſt in Ieruſalem, to ſend the Meſsiah into the world, to reſtore and raiſe up the ruines of Iſrael, for God did reveale to him, that hee ſhould ſee him before he died: and therefore to evidence to him his reſpect to his prayers, God carryed the good old man into the Temple, juſt at the time when the Child was brought into the Temple, for to bee preſented to the Lord, Luk. 2. 27, 28. And in like manner good Anna, who had ſerved God with faſting and praier, night and day: God ordereth it ſo, that ſhe muſt alſo come in at the ſame inſtant, Luke 2. 38. By ſome ſuch like peculiar circumſtance or other, doth God often uſe to witneſſe to a mans heart, that hee hath heard him in buſineſſes, prayed for in common with others.
Secondly, by the hearts being filled with much ioy in the accompliſhment.2. By filling the heart with much joy in the accompliſhment of what a man prayed for: which is an evident argument that his prayers did move the Lord to effect it, as well as the prayers of others. Thus that good old Simeon, ſeeing his prayers now anſwered, hee was even willing to die through joy; and thought he could not die in a better time, Lord now let thy ſervant depart in peace. For when the deſires have vented and laid out much of themſelves, then when the return comes home, they have an anſwerable part and ſhare in the comfort of it: and as deſires abounded in praying, ſo will joy and comfort alſo in the accompliſhment. As when a Ship comes home, not onelyonly the chiefe owners, but every one that ventured ſhall have a ſhare out of the returne, in a proportion to the adventure: ſo here, though ſome one whom it mainly concerns hath eſpeciall intereſt in the mercy obtained, yet thou ſhalt have thy prayers out in joy from God, that the thing is granted. S. Paul had planted a Church at Theſſalonica, but hee could not ſtay to water it with his owne preaching, yet when abſent, hee waters thoſe Plants which hee had ſet, with prayers, night and day; 1. Theſ. 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly for you, ſayes hee: and as his prayers were exceeding abundant for them, ſo was his joy as aboundant in them, when hee had heard that they ſtood ſtedfaſt, and fell not back againe; Now wee live, if yee ſtand faſt in the Lord, ver. 8. And what thanks can we render to God for all the joy wherewith wee joy for your ſakes, before the Lord? ver. 9.
3 By thankfulneſſe for it when accompliſht.3. If God give you a heart thankfull for a bleſſing vouchſafed to another, prayed for by you with others, it is another ſigne your prayers have ſome hand in it: S. Paul knew not what thankes to give for the anſwering of his prayers, as in that forementioned place. Old Eli had put up but one ſhort ejaculatory petition that wee reade of, for Hannah, & that was The Lord grant thy petition, 1 Sam. 1. 17. & for the returne of that one prayer when Hannah related how God had anſwered her, ver. 26, 27. hee returned ſolemne thankes, And he worſhipped the Lord there. ver. 28.
§ 3. Eſpecially when the thing obtained cō cernes a mans own particular.And laſtly, in caſe the thing concerned thy ſelf, which was prayed for by others helping thee therein, what cauſe haſt thou but to thinke that it was granted for thy owne prayers, and not for theirs onelyonly? ſeeing God ſtirred up their hearts to pray for thee, and gave thee a heart to pray for thy ſelfe, and beſides, gave thee the thing which thou deſiredſt: which argues thou art beloved aſwell as they, and accepted as well as they. I know this ſhal turn to my ſalvation through your prayers, ſaith S. Paul, Phil. 1. 19. though their prayers went to the buſineſſe, yet had not S. Paul beene accepted himſelfe, the prayers of all the men in the world, would have done him but little good. God may heare the prayers of the godly, for wicked men, when they doe not pray themſelves, in temporall things; ſo hee did heare Moſes for Pharaoh, Abraham for Abimelech; and he may heare godly men the ſooner for others prayers; ſo hee heard Aaron and Miriam the ſooner, for Moſes his ſake, Numb. 12. 13: But if God ſtirs up thy heart to pray for thy ſelfe, as well as others for thee; then God that gave thee a heart to pray, hath heard thy prayers alſo, and hath had a reſpect to them more in it then to theirs, becauſe it concerned thy ſelfe, as a more ſpeciall mercy unto thee.