The Return of Prayers, Part 1
THE RETVRNE OF PRAYERS.
PSAL. 85. 8.
I will heare what God the Lord will ſpeake: for He will ſpeake peace unto His people, and to his Saints: but let them not turne againe to folly. The Coherence of the words.
THis Pſalme was penned, in the name and for the comfort of the whole Church of the Iewes, both as a Prophecie of, and a Prayer for their returne out of the Babyloniſh Captivity, and the flowing in again of that ancient glory, peace, adminiſtration of Juſtice, liberty of Gods Ordinances, plenty and increaſe, which formerly they enjoyed, but had now ſuffered an ebbe of ſeventy yeares continuance. And firſt he beginneth with Prayer, from the firſt verſe to this wee have in hand, putting the Lord in minde of, and urging Him with His graciour dealings in former times unto His Church: this is not the firſt time (ſaith he) that the Church hath beene in Captivity, and that thou haſt returned it, (as out of Aegypt, &c.) and therefore wee hope that thou wilt doe ſo againe; Thou haſt beene favourable unto thy Land, &c. His Prayer being finiſhed and hee having ſpoke, he now ſtands, and liſtens, as you uſe to doe when you expect an Eccho, what Eccho hee ſhould have, what anſwer would bee returned from Heaven, whither his Prayer had already come, I will heare what the Lord will ſpeake: or as ſome reade it, I heare what the Lord doth ſpeake: for ſometimes there is a preſent Eccho, a ſpeedy anſwer returned to a mans heart, even ere the Prayer is halfe finiſhed, as unto Daniel, Dan. 9. 20. 21. And in briefe it is this, The Lord will ſpeake peace unto His people: this anſwer hee findes written at the bottome of the petition, but with this clauſe of admonition for time to come, added, But let them not returne againe to folly: a good uſe to bee made of ſo gracious an anſwer.