fpeedily (faith .David) and that I may !{1;101v thouheareflm;, drt~tV nigh unto my foul, Pfal. Pf•l 69.1j,l; 69. '7· 2. When God. doth put a refrlefs tmportu~•t.Y into the heart, maugre all cl!rcouragements , for thts orthat mercy,. and when thts tmportumty is joyned with a fubjection to Gods wilL and rut\s along Wtth 1t, then hath God fiirred it up, and then look for fomething to come: You know the parable how the unjuft Judge heard the widow, f<r her im 1 ortunmes fak!;: So when God pu.s this importunity into the heart it is a fign God means then to hear and anfwer. ' 1 S.om. 1.t8 Pf.tl. 66. 18 Pfnl. <43·' B. 1o. P[af. >1• 14 3 . .Afur prayer: .This will appear in feyeral particulars ; asI. Vvl)en,<;>od qwets. a~d calms the· heart after prayer, by fpeaking fomething to the heart., though what ts fpoken be not al-ways difcerned; as when you fee an earnefi or importunate fuitor goinif)nt? a greaqnan, exceeding an.xious, but C()ming out very chearftJl, contented, and q•uet tn fptrtt, you would coneetve that certainly fomething hath bceq faid to him, which gave him encouragement: So when thou goeft to God and haft been importunat~ in a bufinefs, and thy defires were exceedingly up for it: and then t.hou rtfdl up w11h thy mmde calmed and fatisfied, and thou feelefi the :tnxiouf1;lcfs, the folicimde of thy heart <~l;out the thing, taken off and difpelled; this is a good fign toot Gocl hath heard , and wtll return anfwer to the full: When ' Hanna oui ofmLch bitternefs, and with ftrong defircs, had poured herfoul out unto the Lord, it is faid, That Jbe look!;d no "~•re fad; And thetl God gave her a fon, a fon of her defire. . · · 2. When'God gives an obedient, dependent heart, in walking before him, ·when that conuderatiot; ftill comes in as a c7rb unto fin:. If I regard iniquity i11 my heart, Gol1 tvi/1 nut hear me: \Vhen God cloth fitll after praymg, ~eep the foul in a more obedient frame of Spirit; when he keeps thee from ufing ill means, &c. it is a fign that God.· hath hearp thy prayers, ,and thou fhalt have returns: Davidpraying for his life,Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, give ear to my fuppliaationJ; in thy faithf><lnefs anfiver me, and in tf,j nghteoii[F~efs: __ .._____ Prefently after. he rrays for holtnefs, knowing that !in would enervate and fpoylall his prayers; Ca11[e we to l:._now thJ way, wherein I jiJOu!d walk:.:-·- Teat;h me to do thy will. ·._ i· \Vhen God after prayer, fl:rengthneth the heart to wait and expect for the mercy P,eiired; ,when a man after prayer, begins to wait.rath.er then pray (though he ptaj;~ frill) beeaufe he luoks now God fhould perform; tn thts cafe, and at.thts. time_he may look for (o.me good anfwer from God : .Davzd havmg prayed, fays to hlS fotil, Wdif on the Lord, beof good COJerage, and he will ftrtngthen thy heart: tMit, I [11y, on the Lord. SECT. 7· Thefecond Cafe: S~tppqfe the thing I defire jha/1 not be a;fi;ered,how may I ajJuredly /z.now that God noti>.•ithjlanding doth hrar my prayenl W E may refolve this cafe, ' if r. we obferve thefe particulars: 1. Whether thy prayer was franied in a right manner? didfl- thou not pray abfolutcly for fuch bleflings, as were never abfolutely promifed? if fo, no wonder thy ·prayer is denied; or didft thou pray conditionally (as Chrifi prayed .~ . If iJ be poffiblc,, &c.) then thy prayer may be heard, and yet the things denyed r for otherwife Chrifl: hac! llQt been heard, when y.e~ the text fays, He waJ heard in that he feared. ;z,. :Whether there be not a referva.tion.in that denial, for fome greater mercy,wher~pf th~t c;jepi~l w~s thefo)lndation? if we had many of our defir<;s,we fhould be undone: If the childe had lived for whii;h David fo earneftly prayedl he would bu~ have been a living m9pume11t of his OWfl fhame; God therefore deny,ed his prayer, bm after he gavchim,q Solomor1. 11 • ; • • • · . . 3. Whet])er God cloth no~ anfwer thee fttll accordmg· to the ground of thy prayer? NoW' the ground and intent of thy pyayer, is after Gods gfory, the Churches good, thy own particular comfort· it m:ly be God denies the partitutar mercy th'ou defirefi, and yet .he anfwc:rs. thegr;u~c\ of thy prayer., his glory_fhall be advanced, his Church preferv~d , . thy comfort made up (even for that p:ayer of thine~ .fomc o,ther way. 4· \ Vhethcr G9d yielc\s not far to give thee fat>sfacttOn, as tf he were tender ofde· nying thee? ·So the Lord anfwered Abraham, when praying for Ijhmacl, 0 let Ijbmacl live w thy jighq I God wci)t as far in anfw~ring his rcquell: as might be, rhave het~rd thee (faid God) t~nd ihave 'blejJedhim, and I will make him fr~tt~ful, ar"lnmluplyhsm excert#ngl)'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=