The Return of Prayers, Part 1 · Chapter 7
Chap. 7.CHAP. VII.
Obſervations to be made after prayer, upon the iſſue of what was prayed for: and firſt, if accompliſhed, whether as the fruit of prayers, or out of common providence; Helps herein.
WHen a man hath thus waited, and kept his way, then let him obſerve the iſſue and concluſion of what he ſought for, how things are caſt by God. Now of neceſsity, one of theſe two muſt fall out, that either the thing deſired is accompliſhed, or not accompliſhed; and in either of theſe he may come to ſpie out anſwers to his prayers; for prayer may be anſwered, though the thing be not done.
I meane to inſiſt ſeverally on theſe.
§. 1. God ſometimes anſwers the prayer fully in the way and manner deſired.1 If the thing thou prayedſt for doth come to paſſe, then what needſt thou doubt of an anſwer, and whether God heard thee or no? For thou beholdeſt it with thine eies: and ſo often it falls out, that God doth grant according to the deſires of a mans heart; and not only ſo, but alſo fulfils his counſell therein, as it is, Pſal. 20. 4. that is, fulfils not onelyonly his deſire, and aime of his prayer, but in that very way, by that very meanes, which his judgement and counſell pitcht upō in his own thoughts. The deſire of the heart may be ſatisfied, when God gives ſome other thing, but the counſell of the heart is then fulfilled, when a man is anſwered in that particular, which his own judgment pitcht upon as beſt for him. For counſell is an act of the underſtanding, deliberating about meanes to an end, & directing to chooſe a particular meanes tending to an end: ſo that as Eliphaz ſayes to Iob, 22. 27, 28. Thou ſhalt make thy prayer to God, and hee ſhall hear thee: & decree a thing, and it ſhall be eſtabliſhed to thee, that is, a man is guided to decree and pitch upon ſuch mercies in his prayers, as God makes good in particular: hee ſaies what he would have, and God performs it: and this priviledge thou ſhalt have (ſayes Eliphaz there) if thou wilt turne to him, and be acquainted with him, and receive the Law from his mouth: thou ſhalt not erre in praying; but what thou ſetteſt upon to pray for, ſhall be accordingly granted to thee▪ ſuch a man ſhall have the priviledge, Fingere ſibi fortunam in a right ſenſe, to be his owne chooſer, and carver of his owne mercies; and as Chriſt ſaid, Be it according to thy faith, ſo God ſayes ſometimes, Be it according to thy prayers; and Eliphaz ſpeaks of it as of a ſpeciall favour, that whereas other mens prayers are anſwered obliquely, thine ſayes hee ſhall be anſwered directly, which is more comfortable; as direct beames are, and have more heate in them then collaterall and oblique. Thus if a man will heare God and obey him, God will heare him: for if a man be ſubject to Chriſt; Kingly Office, his Propheticall Office ſhall guide him, and cauſe him not to erre in his Petitions; but by an unerring providence & preinſtinct infuſed by his ſpirit, God will ſo guide him, as to ask evē that very thing which GOD intends to give; whereas of himſelfe hee knowes not what, nor how to aske. So David asked long life, and God gave it him, Pſal. 21. 2, 3, 4. God not onelyonly gave him his hearts deſire, but the requeſt of his lips, v. 2. Hannah askt a ſonne, and God anſwered her in the very thing ſhee deſired, and therefore ſhee called him Samuel, 1 Sam. 1. 20. Becauſe (ſayes ſhe) I askt him of the Lord: and Verſe 27. For this child I prayed, and the Lord (did not give another thing in ſtead of it, but) hath given me my Petition I asked of him. So, 1. Chro. 4. 10. labeſh called on God (tis ſaid) and God granted him the thing hee requeſted. And thus God often deales with his children. And to this end hath God given us his Spirit; and made Chriſt Wiſedome unto us, who knowes what is good for us, though we doe not. And hath therefore alſo commanded us to ſpye out mercies for our ſelves, and then come to him for them: and to this end hath made ſuch particular promiſes of particular mercies, which he would have us have an eie unto in our prayers; all which is, becauſe often he means to beſtow the very things we aſke.
And yet becauſe,Yet our hearts are often jealous, whether it be an anſwer to prayer, or out of common providēce. although we have the very things wee did aſke and deſire, ſuch is the jealouſie & infidelity of our hearts, that we often diſcern not, nor acknowledge that it was our prayers, that obtained them from God: but we are apt, when once wee have them, either to look but to things below, and the ſecond cauſes of them, though before wee did earneſtly ſeeke them of God, or elſe ſtill diſtruſtfully to queſtiō whether or no it was at our prayers that hee granted them, or out of common providence. Thus Iob in his diſtemper, Iob 9. 16▪ although I had called, and God had anſwered me, yet (ſayes he) I would not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voice, that is, not that he did it in reſpect to my prayer and requeſt, becauſe he now deales ſo feverely with me, For hee breaketh me with a tempeſt, Ver. 17. And thus doe our diſtruſtfull hearts, (which are apt to bee unſatisfied with all the cleereſt pledges of Gods favour, and ſtill to miſconſtrue and pervert them,) although God doth anſwer us upon our calling upon him, yet we will not beleeve that he hearkened to our prayer in it. Therefore that you may be further inabled to diſcerne, how, and when things you prayed for, come in by prayer; I give you theſe further directions.
§. 2. Directions to helpe to diſcerne this.1. When God doth a thing in anſwer to prayers, hee often doth it in ſuch a maner, that his hand may bee in a more then ordinary maner ſeen in it.1 From the manner of Gods performance: God diſcovers a more then ordinnary hand of providence in things accompliſht by prayer: inſtanced and diſcovered in 5. particulars. There are few prayers, wherein a man hath ſought God much, but in the anſwers of them God diſcovers himſelfe much, and turnes many great wheeles in the accompliſhment of them, and manifeſts (as David deſires, Pſal. 17. 7.) his marvelous loving kindneſſe; and indeed, when GOD heares prayers, that have beene a long while a making, Hee ſhewes uſually halfe a miracle one way or other.
Now GOD diſcovers his immediat hand in the anſwers of prayers many wayes.
1 By bringing it to paſſe through many difficulties.1. When hee carries a thing through many difficulties, when there were a great many croſſe wards in a buſineſſe prayed for, the leaſt whereof would have kept the key from turning: when GOD ſhall make (as it were) a key on purpoſe to unlocke it; when God plots and contrives all the paſſages in a buſineſſe thou didſt pray for, and ſo accompliſheth it; This is a ſigne, it is a fruit of prayer, and that prayer had been a making that key all that while: So in bringing David to the Kingd me; Ioſeph out of priſon; Mordecai to honour: and likewiſe S. Peter out of priſon, which was done at the prayers of the Church, Act. 12. He was ſleeping betweene two ſouldiers: if they had waked, he had beene diſcovered: and hee was in chaines, but they fall off, ver. 6. 7. And the Keepers ſtood before the doore, but they mind him not, ver. 6. and when one watch is paſt, hee paſſeth quietly through another, ver. 10. and when both thoſe were paſt, an Iron gate flyes open of its own accord, ver. 10. Now ſuch difficulties are there in many buſineſſes, which yet in the end are accompliſhed by prayer: Iron chaines fall off, Iron gates, enemies hearts flye open of their own accord; and though not in that miraculous manner, by the meanes of an Angell, yet no leſſe wonderfully.
Or ſecōdly by facilitating all the means & cauſing them to conſpire to accompliſh it.Or ſecondly when God facilitates all meanes to accompliſh the thing which was prayed for, ſo as all meanes doe in view conſpire and combine in it, that thou haſt winde and tyde, and a faire day, and all the way paved; or as David ſayes, haſt thy way made plaine before thee; and there falls out a great conjunction and meeting of many circumſtances together to effect it, which had influence into it, whereof if any one had beene wanting, haply the thing had not been done, when the thing prayed for is thus granted, prayer then hath done it. Thus, when hee delivered the people of Iſrael out of Egypt, which was the accompliſhment of their long deſires and prayers, (their cry came up the Text ſayes) how were all things facilitated! they that detained them doe themſelves come, and intreate them to goe out, yea, are urgent, ſayes the Text; and that at midnight: nay, hire them to goe out, with their eare-rings; and Pharaoh himſelfe then parts lovingly and fairely with them, and deſires their prayers, Exod. 12. 31, 33, 35. Ver. 32.Bleſſe me alſo: Yea, to ſhew there was no reſiſtance, the Text ſayes, a Dog did not move his tonguee: The bruite Creatures did not diſturb thē, though at midnight, when thoſe Creatures uſe to be moſt obſtreperous through noiſes.
3 By bringing it to paſſe ſuddenly and unexpectedly.3. When hee doth it ſuddenly, and accompliſheth the thing thou haſt long prayed for, ere thou art aware of it: as the returne of the Captivity of Babylon, which was the concluſion of many prayers, was done in a trice, they were as men in a dream, Pſal. 126. 1. they could ſcarce beleeve it was ſo, when it was done, it was becauſe they had ſowen many prayers which came up on the ſuddaine, ver. 5, 6. So Peter, hee was faſt aſleepe, and did not ſo much as dreame of deliverance. So Ioſephs delivery out of priſon, and advancement to bee the greateſt man in the Kingdome, the ſuddenneſſe of it ſhewed it was Gods remembring of him, and hearing his prayers.
4 By doing above what was deſired with addition of other mercies.4. When God grants the thing with an overplus, above what wee did aſk, & caſteth many other mercies in together with that which we long prayed for; this alſo may be a ſigne God did heare our prayers in it: for when he doth heare indeed, hee uſeth to doe above what wee did aske or thinke, thereby the more to overcome the heart. So David aſked long life, and he gave him more then he asked, Pſal. 21. 2, 3, 4, 5. So Solomon he asked but wiſdome, and hee gave him more then he asked, Peace, Riches, Honour, and all with it, 1 Kin. 3. 12, 13. Hannah ſhee aſked but one male childe, 1 Sam. 1. 10. but God gave her three ſonnes more and two daughters, Chap. 2. 21. When prayers are anſwered, uſually mercies come thicke, they come tumbling in; the thing we prayed for comes not alone: as when ſinnes are puniſhed, then miſeries alſo they come like armies in troops upon us: as temptations likewiſe come together, and we fall into many of them at once,Iam. 1. 2. as S. Iames ſpeakes: Thus doe mercies alſo.
5 By adding ſome ſpeciall circumſtance as a token of Gods ſpeciall hand in it.5. When the thing is granted by prayers, there is often ſome particular circumſtance of providence concurrent with it, which is a token for good, and ſealeth to us that it is from God; ſuch often as a man himſelfe takes notice of, and which others take notice of alſo. Shew mee a token for good, ſayes David, Pſal. 86. 17. that others may ſee it and be aſhamed: and ſuch tokens doth God often make ſmall circumſtances to bee. Things ſmall in themſelves, may bee magna indicia, great ſignes and tokens: for example Moſes and Aaron, and the Iſraelites had long cryed to GOD for the deliverance of his people, and laid up many prayers; their cry came up, as was ſaid; and when God doth deliver them, what tokens were there of good? and of GODS hand in it, and of his anſwer to their prayers? The Text notes (as was obſerved before) that a dog did not barke at their going out, Exod. 11. 7. which was a ſmall circumſtance, but it was magnum indicium, and ſo intended by God; for the Text addes, That ye may know that God puts a difference between the Iſraelites and the Egyptians. This was a …oken of Gods hand, to over-rule the tongues of rude bruit creatures, that uſe to ſtir at ſuch unuſuall noiſes, and at travellers eſpecially in the night. So when Iſaac and Abraham, and his ſervant alſo, had prayed for a Wife for Iſaac, ſee by what a token God ſhewed he had heard their prayers; Rebekkah was the firſt that came out to the ſervant ſent to bring a wife for him: and if ſhee be the woman appointed for Iſaac (ſaies the ſervant) Let her offer me drinke, Gen 23. 13, 14.and my Camels alſo: this was a ſmall thing in appearance, but a great indicium of Gods hand in it, and therefore the ſervant bowed at it, and worſhipped: and the ſigne in it ſelfe was ſuch, as argued a good nature in her, and a kinde courteous diſpoſition, which therefore (it may bee) hee ſingled out, as a token of a meet wife, as a thing eſpecially to be looked at in the mariage choiſe.
§ 3. Obſervation from the time wherein the thing prayed for is accompliſht, as,Againe, the conſideration of the time, wherein the things we have aſked▪ are granted, may much help us to diſcerne, whether it be in anſwer to our prayers. For God who doth all things in weight and meaſure, ſhewes his wiſdome and love, as much in the ſeaſon, as in giving the thing it ſelfe: GOD conſidereth all times of thy life, and ſtill choſſeth the beſt and fitteſt to anſwer thy prayers in, In an acceptable time have I heard thee. So Eſay 49. 8. As David (in like maner ſayes) hee prayed in an acceptable time, Pſal. 69. 13. So accordingly God anſwers in the beſt and moſt acceptable time to us; for he waits to be gracious, for he is a God of judgement, Eſay 30. 18. that is, Hee is a wiſe God that knowes the fitteſt times and ſeaſons, wherein to ſhew kindneſſes, and to deale forth his favours in.
1 Sometime the thing is accompliſht about the time wherin we are moſt inſtant in prayer.As firſt, it may be, that at that very time when thou haſt beene moſt inſtant and earneſt, yea even whileſt thou art a praying or preſently after, the thing is done and accompliſht. To this purpoſe is that of Eſay 65. 24. That as ſometimes he heares before they call (which argues much love to give mercies unſought) ſo alſo whileſt they are ſpeaking, I will heare, and grant the thing, which argues no leſſe love; and he culs out that time on purpoſe, that they might reſt aſſured that it was in anſwer to their prayer. Thus to aſſure Hezekiah his prayer was heard, God ſent the Prophet in unto him whileſt hee was a praying and weeping, with his head turned towards the wall. So Iſaac going out to pray in the field, meets his Rebekkah then a comming;Gen. 24 63 that bleſſing of a good Wife, being ſurely the great requeſt temporall hee was then in Treaty with God for: this Rebekkah was the fruit of many prayers. So when S. Peter was in priſon, the Church being gathered together to pray for him, S. Peter comes and knocks at the ſame houre, Acts 12. from the 12. ver. to the 18. So as it often falls out herein, as to the Ruler in the Goſpel, Iob. 4. 52. who inquiring diligently, found that the ſame houre that Chriſt had ſaid to him, Thy ſonne liveth, his ſon recovered, and ſo he beleeved, and his whole houſhold: So alſo here, that ſometimes the thing is done, or the newes of it comes the ſame houre or ſoone after, wherein a man was praying about it, and haply then when the heart was moſt ſtirred about it, more then at any time elſe: this is a ſigne it was an anſwer of prayers, and may help to confirme a mans faith in it, as that alſo did his.
2 When granted in the fitteſt time.Or ſecondly, when it is the moſt acceptable and every way the fitteſt time to have the thing granted. At that time, 1. when thou hadſt moſt neede, and 2. when thy heart was moſt fit for it. For in anſwering prayers, God aimes eſpecially at two things: 1. To ſhew his mercy, that a man might magnifie and exalt that: And 2. To have the heart ſatisfied and filled with joy and contentment in his anſwer, and the thing made ſweet, and a mercy indeed to him: in briefe, that his goodneſſe might be delighted in, and his mercy exalted. The fitteſt time knowne two wayes.And for theſe two purpoſes he culs out ſuch times, when we have moſt need; and alſo when our hearts are moſt ſubdued, and our luſts mortified. For then we are fitteſt to relliſh his goodneſſe alone, and not to bee drawne away with the carnall ſweetneſſe that is in the thing. The one you have expreſt, Eſay 30. 18. Hee waits to bee gracious to have his mercy exalted. The ſecond intimated Iames 5. Ye aske and receive not, becauſe ye aske amiſſe, to conſume upon your luſts; Such prayers, whileſt the heart is in this temper, the Lord denies, or deferres in merciemercy till the heart bee weaned.
1 When wee have moſt need.For the firſt of theſe: As, ſuppoſe thou diddeſt pray long for aſſurance of ſalvation, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, and when thou hadſt moſt need of it, either when thy ſpirit would have failed without it, as Eſay 57. 16. Or againſt ſome great affliction approaching, or ſome great encounter with the world for the Name of Chriſt, then God filled thy heart with it, &c. that was the fitteſt time: now hath God heard thy prayer. As S. Peter hee was in Priſon, and had beene ſo for many dayes, as appeares by the fourth and fifth verſes, Acts 12. God could hauehave delivered him at any time, while the Church prayed for him, ver. 5. But God kept him in on purpoſe, till that very night, when in the next morning Herod meant to bring him forth to execution, and then God delivered him at the prayers of the Church; then was the moſt fit time; As the Pſalmiſt ſayes, The full time to have mercy on him was come. Pſal. 102. 1….And then to receive an anſwer, is a ſigne God did it out of ſpeciall love, which love hee would have exalted by thee, as Eſay 30. 18.
2. When the heart was beſt prepared to receive it, and moſt weaned from it.If 2. when thy heart was moſt fit for the mercy, it was granted, then art thou alſo heard in an acceptable time: for God doth not with hold mercies from thoſe that are his, out of want of love; neither ſo much for what is paſt, as for the preſent evill diſpoſition of their hearts, whereby they are unfit to receive them: and in this ſenſe likewiſe may that bee underſtood, that God prepareth the heart: and heareth the prayer, Pſal. 10. 17.
As firſt, when thy heart is moſt weaned from that temporall mercy (ſuppoſing it ſuch) granted thee upon ſeeking of it: So David, when had hee the Kingdome in poſſeſſion given him? then, when hee was as a weaned child, and had his high thoughts (which haply at the firſt newes of it had riſen in his minde) purged out, Pſal. 131. 2. I have no high thoughts, &c. ſayes hee then; Thus, when thy heart had let all carnall ends goe, and had betaken it ſelfe alone to God, for thy portion to be had alone out of him then the thing prayed for comes to paſſe: this was the fitteſt ſeaſon.
Object. .But you will bee ready to ſay, To have a thing when my heart is taken off from it, and even contented not to have it, makes it to be as no mercy: for where there is no deſire, there is no rejoycing.
Anſw. If thy deſire bee taken off the thing, then thou wilt rejoyce the more in GOD now; and though the thing of it ſelf ſhould now give thee leſſe ſatisfaction, yet God by the thing wil give thee more, and he will make it up; for thou wilt relliſh his love and ſweetneſſe in it now, which is better then life, and therefore much better than that thing enjoyed; and indeed the violence of the deſire before, would have made it leſſe ſweet, for the thing alone would not have filled and contented that deſire, when it was an inordinate luſt, and ſo thou wouldſt have beene vexed with it, rather than ſatisfied, and found a greater vanity in it: but now when it is become a ſubordinate deſire unto God, that the deſire is downe, and the heart quieted and contented with God in the thing: the heart ſayes as ſhe ſaid, I have enough. So 2. likewiſe thou maiſt have an affliction thou prayedſt long againſt taken off then, when thy heart was moſt willing to accept thy puniſhment (as Moſes's phraſe is,Lev. 26. 41) and to ſubmit to God in it.
§ 4. A third ſort of obſervations, from the anſwerable proportion betweene Gods dealing in the accōpliſhment of it, and our prayers.A third thing you are to obſerve concerning the accompliſhment of the thing prayed for, whereby you may diſcern whether granted in anſwer to prayers, is, when thou ſeeſt God in his dealings with thee, and anſwering of thee, to deale in a kinde of proportion with thy manner of praying and ſeeking of him, and of walking with him whileſt thou were dependant on him, for ſuch or ſuch a mercy. And as you may ſee a proportion between ſinnes and puniſhments, which are the rewards of them; that you can ſay, ſuch a ſin brought forth this affliction, it is ſo like the Father: ſo you might ſee the like proportion, betweene your prayers, and your walking with God, and Gods anſwers to you, and his dealings with you. So did David, Pſal. 18. 24. According to the cleanneſſe of my hands hath he recompenced me, &c. His ſpeech notes ſome ſimilitude or likeneſſe: as for example, The more by-ends or carnall deſires you had in praying, and the more you mingled of theſe with your holy deſires, and the more want of zeale, fervency, &c. were found in your prayers, the more you ſhall (it may be) finde of bitterneſſe mingled with the mercy, when it is granted; and ſo much imperfection, and want of comfort in it: ſo ſayes David in the ſame Pſal. verſe 25. 26. With the pure thou wilt ſhew thy ſelfe pure. Pure prayers have pure bleſſings; & è contra: With the foward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelfe froward: and againe, as you in praying ſometimes ſlackened and grew cold, ſo you might ſee the buſineſſe in like manner to coole, and caſt backward: as when Moſes hands were downe, Amalck prevailed; but when they were lifted up, Iſrael had the better, Exod. 17. 12. God let him ſee a proportion, which argued his prayer was the meanes of prevailing. A man findes in praying, that his ſuite ſometimes ſticks, and goes not on as he expected, this is becauſe he gives not ſo good a fee as he was wont, and doth not ply God, and ſolicite him; but on the contrary, when hee was ſtirred up to pray, then ſtill hee found things to goe well: by this a man may clearely ſee, that it was the praier which God did heare and regarded. Thus likewiſe when a man ſees hils and dales in a buſineſſe, faire hopes often, and then all daſht againe, and the thing in the end brought to paſſe, let him looke back upon his prayers: didſt not thou in like maner juſt thus deale with God? When thou hadſt prayed earneſtly, and thought thou hadſt even carried it, then daſh all againe, by interpoſing ſome ſin, and thus againe and againe? Herein God would have you obſerve a proportion; and it may help you to diſcern, how, and when they are anſwered, and obtained by prayer; becauſe God deales thus with you therein in ſuch a proportion to your prayers.