A Treatise of Prayer and Divine Providence, Chapter 4 · Section 8
SECT. VIII.
What may be the Reaſon of the Lords ſeeming by his Providences to anſwer the Prayers which are contrary to thoſe of his People.
HAving gone through this enquiry [What may be the Reaſon of the Lords hiding himſelf from his Peoples Prayers grounded upon his Promiſes?] I have in a manner anſwered the whole Query propounded in the beginning of this Chapter: Only whereas it was divided into two parts*See Sect. 4., and the latter [which is, What may be the Reaſon of the Lords ſeeming by his Providences to anſwer the Prayers which are contrary to thoſe of his People?] I have directly and diſtinctly ſaid nothing unto; I ſhall therefore here remember it, but in one word. The reſolution of the former I take to be the main, both in point of neceſſity, and in the intent of the Propoſer: and it is moreover in effect the anſwering of this latter: for the prayers in the former, from which the Lord hides himſelf, and the prayers in the latter, which ſeem to be anſwered by him, are ſuppoſed to be contrary to each other; ſo that the ſuſpenſe of the one is the ſucceeding of the other: and the Reaſons which move God to hide himſelf from the one, and to anſwer the other, are the ſame, eſpecially in relation to the people of God. In a word therefore, the Reaſons for which the Lord ſeemeth by his Providences to anſwer the prayers which are contrary to his peoples, may be twofold.
1. In relation to them that pray thoſe contrary prayers: It is in wrath to them, and in judgment againſt them. This it muſt needs be; for the prayers of the people of God are preſuppoſed to be (at leaſt for matter) good, and agreeable to the Will of God: the prayers then that are contrary to them muſt needs be for their matter ſinful, as repugnant to the revealed Will of God, or rule of Prayer; and what is ſo ſinful, ſucceſs therein muſt needs be in wrath and judgment. For a man to proſper in his evil way, to bring his wicked devices to paſs, though he joyn prayer therewith, it cannot but be his ſin; yea, his conjunction of that holy performance of prayer, with his unlawful enterprize, much addeth to his ſin*As the Scribes & Phariſees devouring Widows houſes, & for a pretence making long prayer, made their condemnation the greater. Mat. 23.14: and that which is the proper fruit or product of ſin, muſt needs be judgment and puniſhment. It is one of the ſtiles which is given to the judgments of God upon men for their ſins, they are called, the fruit of their own way, and the fruit of their own thoughts. When God therefore performeth or ſpeedeth ſuch prayers, it is in his diſpleaſure to them, and for their hurt: It had been better for them not to have had their deſires†Bernard calls this miſericordia omni indignatione crudelior.. It may be a judgment to them two ways.
1. In being an occaſion or means of increaſing their ſin; this is a heavy judgment. Men by proſpering in their evil deſigns, eſpecially when they (as they think) obtain them by prayer; when they are the ſequel, and (they take it) the iſſue of their devotions, they take occaſion thereby of deluſion, infatuation, hardening, and furtherance in Sin:Prov. 1.31 Jer. 6 19 Their Table is their ſnare, and a trap, and a ſtumbling block, and a recompence: Rom. 11.9What Table is this? May it not be the Table on which they ſpred their prayers before God? or, may it not be applyed to that Councel Table of the chief Prieſts, Scribes, and Elders; of the Jews, at which they conſulted to take Jeſus by ſubtilty, and kill him? which plot,Mat. 26.4 becauſe they proſperouſly atchieved (even beyond their hopes, doing it, by the help of Judas, in the Feaſt of the Paſſover, in the moſt open and ignominious manner, which they doubted they could not do) they therefore concluded their action good,Mat. 27.63, 43 and that Chriſt juſtly ſuffered as an Impoſtor: They tyed the proof of his Innocency, and of his being the Chriſt, upon the event of their proſecution of him; and therefore they ſaid, when Chriſt was upon the Croſs, He truſted in God, Mark 15.32let him deliver him now if he will have him; or as Beza, if he be grateful or pleaſing to him; and, Let Chriſt the King of Iſrael come down from the Croſs, that we may ſee and believe.
Prevalency in evil undertakings carryed on with prayer, putteth on and emboldeneth to many ſins: For example; 1. It lifts men up in pride: H…nce that of David, Grant not, O Lord, Pſa. 140.8the deſires of the wicked; further not his wicked device, leſt they exalt themſelves. 2. It makes men the more violent and fierce in their enmity and perſecution of the people of God. Sennacherib made this one ground of his rage and inſolent threats againſt Hezekiah and his people, Am I now come up without the Lord againſt this Land to deſtroy it? Iſai. 36.10The Lord ſaid unto me, Go up againſt this Land, and deſtroy it. 3. Upon it they juſtifie themſelves, and wax more confident of the goodneſs of their way. Ephraim ſaith, I am become rich, I have found me out ſubstance; in all my labors they ſhall find none iniquity, that were ſin. Hoſ. 12.8As ſome deceive themſelves in thinking they pray w…ll (or aright for matter) therefore they ſhall ſpeed; ſo others delude themſelves in arguing they ſpeed well, therefore they do pray well. Cambden hath obſerved of the Wilde Iriſh (as was once before ſaid) that when they go to rob, they pour out their prayers to God,Cambdens Britannia of Ireland, page 144 that they may meet with a booty: and they ſuppoſe a cheat or booty is ſent unto them from God as his gift: neither are they perſwaded, that either violence, or rapine, or man-ſlaughter diſpleaſeth God; for in no wiſe would he preſent unto them the opportunity, if it were a ſin; nay, a ſin it were, if they did not lay hold on the ſaid opportunity. 4. They take occaſion thereby to go on the more ſecurely and preſumptuouſly in their ſinful courſe. The Jews in Egypt peremptorily determine to go on in their Idolatry, in direct contradiction to the Prophets forewarning them from it in the Name of the Lord; and they take their boldneſs from hence, Becauſe when they were at home, and burned Incenſe there to the Queen of Heaven, Jer. 44.16, 17they had plenty of victuals, and were well, and ſaw no evil. Job Job 12.6obſerves alſo, They that provoke God are ſecure, into whoſe hands God bringeth abundantly.
2. As their ſucceſs in prayer proves their temptation to ſin, ſo it becomes their precipice to caſt them head-long upon their ruine. Thoſe wicked men in Jeremiah, Jer. 12.1, 2 3who have God neer in their mouth, but far from their reins, and in that poſture go on prosperouſly in their way, their happineſs is but their preparation, or fat paſture, to fit them for the day of ſlaughter. Solomon ſaith, The prosperity of fools ſhall deſtroy them. Prov. 1.32This was made memorably good in Iſrael, who in the wilderneſs tempting God by asking meat for their luſts; Numb. 11 33 Pſa 78.18 &c.when God gave them their own deſires by ſending them quails, and they did eat, and were filled with them; while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God fell upon them in a very great plague.
2. There are Reaſons of it in relation to the people of God, whoſe prayers are ſuppoſed thereby to be croſſed.
1. It may be for their ſins: It is not the vertue or value of thoſe prayers, but the vileneſs of the ſins of Gods people, which makes way for, or lifts up thoſe prayers to Heaven: They are the ſame ſins on the part of Gods people, which ſtop their prayers, and promote the prayers of their oppoſites: Their Tranſgreſſions do at the ſame time bring them down very low, Deut. 28.43, 44and lift up the ſtranger that is among them very high above them; they make them the tail, and theſe the head: They move God to caſt off, and abhor, and be wroth with them, Pſa. 89.38 42and to ſet up the right hand of their adverſaries.
2. It may be to accompl…ſh thoſe ends which the Lord aimeth at alſo in his hiding from their prayers. Their not ſpeeding in their own, and their beholding the ſucceſs of the contrary prayers, may work together for the ripening of the ſame ends. Emulation at their corrivals may be a notable ſpur, together with their own diſappointment, to forward them in the attainment of thoſe ayms.
3. One end it may be more eſpecially for in relation to them, to wit, for their probation or tryal. The Prophet ſaith (looking upon the wicked mans happineſs in his hypocritical devotion) Thou, Jer. 12.3O Lord, haſt tryed mine heart towards thee: Poſſibly he might mean that very ſpectacle was his tryal. What Moſes forewarneth the people of God of, in reference to falſe Prophecy, may be (methinks) fitly applyed to falſe Devotion: If a Prophet, or a Dreamer, give thee a ſign or a wonder, when he ſaith, Let us go after other gods, &c. and the ſign or the wonder come to paſs, Thou ſhalt not harken to that Prophet, or Dreamer; Deut. 13.1 &c.for the Lord your God proveth you, to know wh…ther you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your Soul. In like manner in our caſe; If any do for a pretence, or the promotion of a bad purpoſe, call upon God, and the prayer come to paſs, we muſt take it to be a tryal from God, whether our love and loyalty be ſound or no: And indeed it is a notable and ſtrong tryal, when the cloke of Piety, and the courſe of Divine Providence, in prospering the Tabernacles of Robbers, do,Job 12▪ 6 like the hot Sun upon Jonahs head, caſt their bright beams upon our faces. The ſervants of God, who are cordially godly, are apt to be taken with a form of godlineſs in others; and being given both to prayer, and to the eying of Providence, they are much afflicted with the croſs or happy ſucceſs of the one, and proceeding of the other. Where therefore they obſerve a courſe of Prayer, and an inſtance or ſ…ries of Providence going together, and the cauſe or way on which they attend, to be contradictory (in their view) both to the rule of Scripture, and their own prayers grounded thereon, there they are very hard put to, to keep ſtedfaſt: whileſt on the one hand they are bottomed upon the ſure Word of holy Writ, on the other they are encountred with the goodly rays of the moſt juſt and wiſe diſpoſal of God, and the ſerious devotions of men. But this is no greater a tryal then is that in the caſe of Prophecy above cited: and therefore, as Moſes ſaith upon it, Thou ſhalt not harken to the words of that Prophet, or that Dreamer of Dreams; Verſe 2ſo muſt we reſolve in this: and the ground we muſt ſtand upon, and ſtick unto, is that which Moſes there delivers them by way of Antidote againſt that temptation; Ye ſhal walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his Cōmandments, Verſe 4and obey his voyce. Where the voyce of God in his Word and Commandments is given as the rule to guide, and the weight to preponderate or ſway the judgment, in a queſtion, wherein the Providence of God, in the coming to paſs of a ſign or wonder, in favor of a way croſs to that of Gods commandment, is produced; I know this is a tryal which may move the ſervants of God, but it muſt not remove them. It doth happily ſhake them, when as they have not only the doubts and deſpondencies of their own delay or diſappointment in prayer to conflict with, but the upbraidings and inſultings of their ſucceſsful oppoſites, and their own vexations and murmurings thereby ſtirred up to wreſtle with, and vanquiſh: but though it ſhake, it muſt not caſt them down. They muſt take this condition as a tryal from God of their fidelity to him: Let them ſay, This is the teſt or proof of my faithfulneſs, and I muſt endure it.