The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 40
CHAP. XL. The Caſe of not hearing Prayers, and abilitie to pray, as it occaſions the like Queſtionings, ſtated.
Obj. BUt what if I have long cryed to God, and he wil not bear me, nor vouchſafe me an anſwer? I am told, that God hears not ſinners; and 'tis becauſe I am ſuch, that God will not hear me.
A. Surely God hears ſinners, (in a ſenſe) or elſe hee hears not Saints: or (which is more abſurd) Saints are not ſinners. The truth is God hears not men in a ſinful ſtate, under the guilt and power of ſin; but hee hears men guilty of ſinfull acts; otherwiſe it were ſad with all the beſt men on earth. If thou doubt thou art in a ſinfull eſtate, becauſe God hears thee not, then I enquire,
1. Did God ever hear thee formerly in the dayes of thy peace? If he did, then either thou werst not a ſinner, or elſe God did hear ſinners. And if he hear thee not now, then either Satan muſt prove that thou art now a ſinner otherwiſe then thou werſt then, or elſe (if thou be as formerly) that is not the cauſe why God hears thee not now, as hee did then [becauſe God hears not ſinners.]
2 But (the truth is) the Argument is fallacious; God hears not ſinners, the Tempter ſaith, and therefore ſeeing he hears not thee, thou art a ſinner. The conſequence is invalid: He ſhould have framed it thus; God refuſeth to hear none but ſinners; therefore (if he hear not thee) thou art a ſinner. But whereas he ſaith meerly, God heareth not ſinners: This Propoſition may be granted: and ſo may this alſo, God hears not ſome that are not ſinners: and ſo it will not follow more, that thou art a ſinner, then that thou art not a ſinner, from Gods not hearing thee.
3 How many Saints have complained of this uſage from God, That he covers himſelf with a thick cloud, that their prayers cannot paſſe thorow? That he fortifies againſt them, and when they cry and groan, hee ſhutteth out their prayer, Lam. 3. 8, 44. That he is farre from helping them, and from the words of their roaring? Pſal. 22. 2.
4 Gods delayes, are not denyals. Except we could ſet down the time, how long God may delay the ſute of a child of his, we can never draw concluſions of enmity from that delay.
5 Are the things thou askeſt neceſſary to thy being here in grace, and hereafter in glory? or are they but things additional, and convenient? In ſuch things as are not neceſſary to the being of a Chriſtian, many times delayes are mercies, and denyals more. Haſty grants (even in very uſeful and neceſſary things) might loſe God much in point of honour, and thee in point of patience, faith, humility, &c. How much more then in unneceſſaries?
Beſides, ſometimes thy petitions may be improper to thy condition, and good things ill applyed, and not adminiſtred with due reſpect to the patients particular caſe, may be poyſon. In ſuch a caſe denyals are acts of tendereſt love and affection. No man but accounts it an act of trueſt love to deny a friend a knife when he is mad.
Object. But now in comes another objector, and he may plead thus, Indeed, were my caſe ſuch as the laſt you anſwered I could from thoſe anſwers reſt ſatisfied. But my condition is yet worſe: For I cannot pray, nor be heard, becauſe I cannot pray. And I know Gods Spirit is a Spirit of ſupplication.
Anſ. Thou canſt not pray. Couldſt thou ever pray? A child of God may be ſmitten dumb, who was able to ſpeak [Father] plain, and tell large ſtories of his owne condition. And, in ſuch a caſe 'tis evidence enough that thou hadſt once the Spirit of Adoption, that thou once couldſt pray, though now thou canſt not.
2. Thou canſt not pray: Nor ever wilt againe as thou haſt, ſo long as thou wilt own no relation to God. If Satan can make thee queſtion thy relation from thy impotency in this particular, hee hath thee ſure enough (for one while) for recovering either thy evidence of that, or thy ability in this. For thou ſhalt never want lets to prayer, if thoſe will make thee doubt thy ſonſhip; and thou ſhalt never but doubt thy ſonſhip, if thou wilt take thoſe lets for a ſufficient confutation of thy relation, and wilt thereby be kept from prayer again, which is Satans aime, to lead thee in a ring of miſtakes everlaſtingly.
3. Thou canſt not pray. But canſt thou not groan neither? If thou canſt, the Spirit of Adoption may be in a groan, as well as in a prayer, Rom. 8. 26. I ſhall have occaſion to adde more concerning this on the laſt point.