The Return of Prayers, Part 1 · Chapter 10
Chap. 10CHAP. X.
Application: A reproofe of thoſe that pray, but looke not after the returne of their prayers: The cauſes of this neglect.
THe uſe of all is,A reproofe of thoſe that pray, but looke not after the returne of their prayers. to reprove thoſe, who put up prayers, and are earneſt in begging, but looke not after them when they have done, no more than if they had not prayed: who ſtill venture, & have a great ſtock of prayers going, but looke not after the returns that are made, caſt not up their commings in and gainings by prayers; and when they have prayed, ſit down diſcouraged, as not making account in earneſt that ever they ſhall heare of their prayers againe, even as if they had been but as words caſt away: as beating the ayre; as bread caſt upon the waters, which they thinke ſinks, or is carried away, and they ſhall finde it no more; but herein you deſpiſe Gods Ordinance, and erre, not knowing the power of prayers; and yee contemne the Lord But you wil ſay as they in the Prophet ſaid, Wherein in doe wee contemne him? if you aſkt a man a queſtion, and when you had done, did turne your back upon him, as ſcoffing Pilate aſkt in ſcorne of Chriſt, What is truth? but would not ſtay for an anſwere, did you not contemne him? as not to anſwer when a queſtion is aſked you, is contempt, ſo not to regard the anſwer made, when you have beene earneſt in begging, is no leſſe contempt alſo: if you had writ letters to a very friend about important buſineſſe, and had earneſtly ſolicited him for an anſwer, and hee were carefull in due time to ſend one, if you ſhould make account to heare of him no more, ſhould you not wrong him in your thoughts? Or if hee did write, if you ſhould not vouchſafe to reade over his anſwer, were it not a contempt of him? ſo is it here, when you have been earneſt with God for bleſſings, and regard not the anſwer: and becauſe verily this is a fault among us, I will therefore endevour to diſcover to you the cauſes and diſcouragements,The cauſes of this neglect, are of two ſorts. which though they keepe you not from praying, yet from this earneſt expectation, and reall, and true making account to heare of anſwers of your prayers; onelyonly my ſcope is, not to ſhew you ſo much the reaſons, why God denies you many requeſts, as why even in your owne hearts you are diſcouraged after you have prayed, as if they would not bee anſwered, although God doth anſwer them. Theſe diſcouragements are partly temptations, partly ſinfull impediments wherein wee are more faulty.
1 Temptations, want of aſſurāce; as 1. That becauſe your perſons are not accepted your prayers are not.1 Becauſe your aſſurance that your perſons are accepted, is weake, therfore your confidence that your prayers are heard, is weake alſo: For as God doth firſt accept the perſon, and then our prayers: ſo the beliefe, that God doth accept our perſon is that which alſo upholds our hearts in confidence that our prayers ſhall be granted: this you may finde in 1 Iohn 5. 13, 14, 15. in the 13. verſ. he ſayes. Theſe things have I written to you, that ye may know you have eternall life: and upon that aſſurance this will follow, Verſ. 14, 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heares us, &c. And if we know he heares us, we know we have the petitions wee deſired of him. Marke how he links theſe three together, as effects and conſequences each of other. 1. Theſe things I write unto you, that you may be aſſured, that life and heaven is yours, as in 12. and 13. verſes. And upon that 2. this confidence wil follow in your hearts, That God hears you, that is, that you have his eares open to you, and his heart enlarged towards you: and then 3. if you be aſſured that God heares you, then from this will follow an aſſurance, that You ſhall have any thing granted you deſire; yea, and he makes this one of the maine and immediate effects of Aſſurance of juſtification; therefore he ſayes, this is the confidence that we have in him; that is, this effect there is of this confidence, for whereas they might ſay, what benefit will accrue to us by this aſſurance? why this ſaies hee, which is one of the great and maine priviledges of a Chriſtian, even aſſurance that God will heare him; and not only ſo, but grant him all his prayers. For when a man is aſſured God hath given him his Son, he will then eaſily be induced to beleeve and expect, How ſhal he not with him give mee all things? Rom. 8. 32. If once he looks upon God as a Father, he will then eaſily conceive that which Chriſt ſayes, If Fathers that are evill can give good things to their Children, how much more ſhall not your Father give his ſpirit, and all good things to them that aske them: and if he gave his Son, when wee did not pray to him, how much more ſhall hee not with him give us all things wee pray for? If a man comes to ſue to any man whoſe mind he knew not, whether hee loved him or not, he would have ſmall hope or expectation of having his ſuite granted, though hee came againe and again; but if he be aſſured he is in favour with him, according to that degree of favour, hee ſuppoſeth himſelf to ſtand in with him, hee is aſſured and confident of obtaining his requeſt.
2 Of the weakneſſe of our prayers: which is anſwered by three things.2 Diſcouragement is the weakneſſe of their prayers: though a man thinks his perſon is accepted, yet alas ſayes he, my prayers are ſo poore and weake, as ſurely God will never regard them. To remove which, let mee firſt aſke thee this queſtion: Doeſt thou pray with all thy might? then though that thy might be weak in it ſelfe, and in thine owne apprehenſion ſuch, yet becauſe it is all the might which thou haſt, and which grace hath in thee, it ſhall be accepted. For God accepts according to what a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 2 Cor. 8. 12.
2. Thou art to conſider that God doth not heare thee for thy prayers ſake, though not without them, but for his Names ſake, and his Sons ſake, and becauſe thou art his child, as the mother when her child cryes (ſuppoſe it be a weake child) doth not neglect to heare and relieve it: but tenders it not becauſe it doth cry more lowd, but becauſe it cries; and pities it the more the weaker it is.
3. Againe, though the performance in it ſelfe be weake, yet confidered as a prayer, it may be ſtrong, becauſe a weake prayer may ſet the ſtrong God a worke, as faith for the act of it, as produced by us may be weak, yet becauſe its object is Chriſt, therefore it juſtifies: ſo it is in prayer, it prevailes, not becauſe of the performance it ſelfe, but becauſe of the name, which it is put up in, even Chriſts name; and therefore as a weake faith juſtifies, ſo a weake prayer prevailes as well as a ſtronger; and both for the like reaſon in both, for faith attributes all to God, and ſo doth prayer; for as faith is meerly a receiving grace, ſo prayer a begging grace. And therefore doſt thou think thy prayers are accepted at all, notwithſtanding their weakneſſe? if that they are accepted, then they muſt be accepted as prayers, now if they be accepted as prayers, then as effectuall motives to prevaile with God to grant the thing you aſke; for if hee ſhould not accept them to that end, for which they were ordained, it is as if hee accepted them not at all. As therefore when he approves of any mans faith as true and ſincere, hee approves and accepts of it to that purpoſe, for which it was ordained, which is to ſave and juſtifie, and to this end doth as fully accept the weakeſt act of faith, as the ſtrongeſt; ſo is it with their prayers, which being ordained as a means to obtaine mercies from him, if hee accepts them at all, it is with relation to the accompliſhment of them, which is their end.
4. Men are miſtaken in judging of the weaknes of their prayers, they judge of the weakneſſe of their prayers by their expreſſions, and gifts in performing them, or by the ſtirring and overflow of affections, whereas the ſtrength & vigor of prayer ſhould be eſtimated from the faith, the ſincerity, the obedience, the deſires expreſt in it. As it is not the lowdneſſe of a Preachers voice, but the weight and holineſſe of the matter, and ſpirit of the Preacher, that moves a wiſe, and an intelligent hearer: ſo not gifts, but graces in prayers are they that move the Lord. The ſtrength of prayer lies not in words, but in that it is fitted to prevaile with God; one prayer is not more ſtrong then another, further then it is ſo framed as it hath power with God more or leſſe; as of Iacob it is ſaid, he had power with God, Hoſ. 12. Now prayers move God, not as an Oratour moves his hearers, but as a child moves his father: two words of a childe humbled, and crying at his fathers feet, will prevaile more then penned orations. Rom. 8. It is the meanning of the ſpirit, that God lookes unto, more then the expreſſions: for the groans there are ſaid to be unutterable. Hezechiahs expreſſions were ſo rude and broken, that he ſayes, Eſay 38. 14. that he did but chatter, (hee being then ſick,) even as a crane, yet God heard them.
3. So often failings of anſwers: anſwered by foure things.A third diſcouragement is faylings of anſwers; I have prayed often and long, and I have been ſeldome or never anſwered, and therefore I make little account of my prayers, that they are heard: others have the revenewes of their prayers comming in, but I doe miſſe whatſoever almoſt I ſtand for: Therefore ſay they as thoſe, Why have we faſted, and thou regardeſt it not? Iſay 58. 3.
To remove this, conſider, 1. That thou haſt the more reaſon to wait, for thou haſt the more anſwers to come: for as wicked men treaſure up wrath, ſo doe godly men mercy, and eſpecially by their prayers; & therefore mercies, and anſwers do often come thick together, even as afflictions alſo doe.
Suppoſe thou ſhouldſt have few anſwers concerning the things thou ſeekeſt for here, either in praying for thy ſelfe or others, yet thy reward is with the Lord. It is in praying as in preaching, a man may preach faithfully many a yeere, and yet not convert a ſoule, and yet a man is not to give over waiting, but to obſerve after every Sermon what good is done, and whether God will give men repentance, as it is, 2 Tim. 2. 25. And if none be converted, yet as Eſay 49. 4. A mans reward is with the Lord. Every man ſhall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 1 Cor. 3. 8. and not according to the ſucceſſe of his labour only. So it is in praying, though thou miſſeſt againe and again, & nothing ſucceeds thou prayeſt for, yet be not diſcouraged, for thy reward is with the Lord, which will come in one day.
3. God doth it, not that hee heares thee not, but to try thee; for a man to ſay as David ſayes, Pſal. 116. 1, 2. God hath heard my prayer, therefore I will call upon him as long as I live, that is nothing ſo much as to be able to ſay, Well, I have prayed thus long, and for theſe many things, and never ſped, and yet I will call upon him whilſt I live, though I find no anſwer in this life. To finde commings in, in a trade, and yet to hold out trading ſtill, argues not ſo much faithfulneſſe in a mans calling, as when a man hath loſſes, and caſtings behind hand, and yet to follow it.
4. God uſually ſtayes ſo long that we have done expecting, Luke 18. 8. The Elect cry day and night, but God ſtayes ſo long, ver. 7. that when he comes hee findes not faith, they have done expecting, have forgot their prayers, and then hee doth things, Iſai. 64.they looked not for.
§ 2. A 2. cauſe, are ſinfull diſcouragements, which are three.Other diſcouragements there are wherein we our ſelves are more faulty, and which are our ſins, more then our temptations, which yet weaken the expectation of having our prayers anſwered: as,
1 Slothfulneſſe in prayer.1 Slothfulneſſe in prayer, when wee doe not put to all our might in praying, and then no wonder, we doe not onelyonly not obtaine, but that our owne hearts miſgive us, that we look for little ſucceſſe and iſſue of ſuch prayers, Qui frigidè rogat, docet negare; he that ſhews himſelf cold in a ſuite, teaches him he ſues to to deny him; if wee ſee one ſeeking to us faintly, and ſlightly, wee are not then ſollicitous to deny him, but thinke hee will be eaſily put off, and not thinke much; ſo accordingly when wee ſhall obſerve ſo much by our ſelves, and ſee our ſelves ſlothfull in praying, and praying as if we prayed not, no wonder if by reaſon of that conſciouſneſſe, wee looke not after the ſucceſſe of ſuch prayers, which in the performance wee ſlighted; when wee pray, as if wee were willing to bee denyed, wee knowing that the Scripture ſayes, that the fervent prayer onelyonly prevailes, that prayer which is foreign, that ſets all the faculties on worke, Iames 5. 16. How ſhould wee then expect that God ſhould grant any good thing to us? For though God ſels nothing to us for our prayers, but gives freely, yet hee would have his gifts accepted: now without large deſires, and longings they would not be accepted: and what is fervent prayer, but the expreſſion of ſuch fervent deſires? Iacob wreſtled when he obtained: many ſeeke to enter, ſayes Chriſt, but you muſt ſtrive. Now when wee know theſe things, and yet are ſlothfull, how can wee expect any anſwers at all? will not the conſciouſneſſe of it quell all our expectations? and hence it comes to paſſe that God proportioning his dealings with us to our prayers, becauſe we ſeeme to pray, and yet pray not to purpoſe, therefore God hee ſometimes ſeemes like one aſleepe, and then ſometimes to wake, and make faire offers to helpe, and yet falls as it were aſleepe againe, becauſe we were thus drowſie in our prayers; thoſe prayers that awaken God, muſt awaken us: Thoſe prayers that ſtir God, muſt firſt ſtirre us to lay hold on God as Iſaiah ſpeakes: as obedience ſtrengthens faith and aſſurance, ſo fervency in prayer begets confidence of being heard. In all other things ſlothfulneſſe doth diſcourage and weaken expectation: doth any man expect that riches ſhould come upon him when hee doth his buſineſſe negligently? for it is the diligent hand that maketh rich: doth any man expect a crop and a harveſt, if hee takes not pains to plow, and ſowe his Corne? no more if you doe not take paines with your hearts in Prayer, can you expect an anſwer, or indeed will you.
2 Diſcouragement: looking at prayer as a duty rather then as a meanes to obtaine bleſſings.2 Cauſe: or ſinfull diſcouragement herein, is looking at prayer onelyonly as a duty to be performed, and ſo performing it as a taſke, and not ſo much out of deſires ſtirred up after the things to be obtained, nor out of faith that we ſhall obtain them; which is as if a Phyſitian having a ſick ſervant, to whom he preſcribeth, and commandeth to take ſome phyſicke to cure him, and his man ſhould take it indeed becauſe it is commanded and preſcribed by his maſter, looking at it as an act of duty as hee obeyes him in other buſineſſes, but not as looking at it as a medicine, or meanes, that will have any worke upon him to cure him, and therefore orders himſelfe as if hee had taken no ſuch thing. Thus doe moſt in the world pray to God, take prayer as a preſcription only, but not as a meanes: they come to God daily, but as to a Maſter onelyonly in this performance, not as to a Father, and thus doing, no wonder if they looke for little effect of prayers: for our expectation never exceeds or reaches further then our end and intention, which we had in any buſineſſe. If I perform any Ordinance, but as a duty, then I reſt therein, and expect no further: as if a man preacheth for filthy lucre onelyonly, he performs his duty and then lookes for his hire, but lookes not after any other effect of his Sermons: ſo nor will men doe after their prayers for anſwers to them when they performe them as duties onelyonly. Now to help you in this, you are to looke to two things in prayer. A directiō. Two things to be lookt at in praying. Acōmand. A promiſe.Firſt to a command from God. Secondly to the promiſe of God: and ſo to conſider it in a double relation, firſt as a duty, in reſpect to the Command, ſecondly as a means to obtaine or procure bleſſings at Gods hand in relation to his promiſe: therefore in prayer, firſt an act of obedience, ſecondly an act of faith is to bee exerciſed, aske in faith nothing wavering, Iam. 1. Now the moſt in the world performe it as an act of obedience only, and ſo reſt in the preſent performance and acceptation of it, but if a man pray in faith, hee will pray with an eye to the promiſes; and looke on prayer as a meanes for time to come to obtaine ſuch or ſuch a mercy at Gods hands; and if ſo, then he is not ſatisfied till hee hath an anſwer of his prayers, and till then will wait, as the Church ſayes, Shee would wait till hee did ariſe and plead her cauſe.
3 Diſcouragement; falling into ſins againe after praying.A third ſinfull diſcouragement is returning to ſinnes after prayers, when a man hath prayed for ſome mercy, and riſeth full of much confidence that his prayers are heard, and ſo a while he walkes, yet falling into a ſin, that ſin doth daſh al his hopes, undoes his prayers, (as he thinkes) and calls them backe againe, meetes as it were with the anſwer, which is Gods meſſenger, and cauſeth it to returne to heaven againe. How often when God had even granted a petition, and the decree was a comming forth, and the grant newly written, and the ſeale a ſetting to it, but an act of treaſon comming betweene, ſtops it in the ſeale, and deferres it, blots and blurreth all, both prayer and grant when newly written, and leaves a guilt in the mind, which quells our hopes, and then wee looke no more after our prayers; and this eſpecially if when we were a ſinning, ſuch a thought came in, (as often it doth to reſtrain us) are you not in dependāce upon God for ſuch a mercy, and have prayed for it, and are faire for it, how then dare you doe this, and ſin againſt him? when in this caſe the heart goes on, this blots all the prayer, and diſcourageth a man; for ſaith the conſcience, will God hear ſinners? (as he ſaid.) And thus farre it is true that ſinning thus between, interrupts and hinders the obtaining our petitions, that anſwerably as wee doe thus daſh and betray and undoe our prayers, The anſwer to it.ſo in a proportion, we finde in the way to our obtaining the thing wee prayed for, ſo many rubbes and difficulties doe ariſe; for as wee lay blocks in Gods way comming towards us to doe us good, ſo hee in ours: therefore often when a buſineſſe goes proſperouſly on, and wee think wee ſhall carry it, comes ſome accident betweene the cup and the lip, that caſts all behinde hand againe, becauſe anſwerably wee dealt with God. For when wee had prayed, and were encouraged and in good hopes, then by ſome ſinne or other wee ſpoyld all, and bereaved our ſelves of our expectation. But yet this you are to conſider, that as in the end praying uſeth to overcome ſin in Gods Children, ſo alſo God in the end overcomes difficulties, and brings the matter to paſſe: and know it is not ſins paſt ſo much that hinder the prayers of Gods people, as the preſent unfitneſſe and indiſpoſition of their hearts for mercy.