~ chap .• 4 .sec.Us,9. 10rap~r. 'l9' -·~ . e.w~edingly, and he fl,./1 beget nrelve Princes ; b11t my covenant I will ejlablijl! 1vith Jfnac. •. What effects that denial hath upon thy heart? as ....•. ~. Whether thy heart be enlarged to acknowledge God to be holy and righteous irt his dealings with thee, and thine own unworthinefs the caufe of his denying thee? I cry Pf•'· 22 , 2 , 3: '; 11 the day time ( fJith Davtd) but thou hearcjl not: ...... Yet thOII art holy, 0 thol' that inhabitcjl the praifcs of I[rael. 2 Whether God fills thy heart with holy contentment in the denial? 3 : Whether thou can!l be thankful to God out offaith, that God haih ordered all for the bell, though he hath denyed thee? . 4- vVhether thy heart be not d•fcouragcd, but thou canfl pray flill, adeall: for other thing> 1 it moves ingenuous natures to fee men take repulfes and ·denials \veil, and fo it moves God : Now if the cafe be thus; if upon obfervation thou can!l fay, that thy prayers, though denyed, were conditional [•f God will] that thou perceivell a refer– vation in Gods denyal, for fame greater mercy; that God anfwercd thee, at leall:, ac– cordino to the grpund of thy prayers , that God yielded fo far to thee , as if he were loath t~ denY. tbi prayers; that thou fedell fuch effeCl:s of denial upon thy heart, as thefe: ......... 1. An enlargement, to acknowledge God holy and righteous. 2. Ari holy contentment in the denial. · 3· A thankful heart. 4- An heart not difcouraged. howfoever. Surely then God hears, or God hath heard thy prayers, although the par· ticular fuits arc not accompllllied. SECT. 8. T he third Ca(e:Suppofeafter Prayer,IobJerve all I can, and can By no m<ailS . difcover, that either God will an[1ver or hear my prtryers, Whnt fl~a/1 I do then? ~ i\ 7E may refolve this cafe by laying open the Duties appertaining to fuch a foul: V V Can!ttbou not difcern Gods dealings? fpy no returns of thy prayers? it is then thy Dmy ------ . ' 1 . To examine wh1t is the caufe; and if the fault be in our prayer, bccaufe we did 1ames 4· 3· 11 sk amifs, we mufl en-\eavom by Gods grace to amend; or if the fault be in our felves, becaufc we are tmpemtcnt, we mull: firll: repent, and then renew our prayers tmto God. . 1,; 'fo pcrjifl and perfevere m our prayers , without fainting, Continue injlant in.-Lufe! 1g. 1 , prayer , as Hanna, and David, and Daniel, and Bartimem, and that importunate R•m. 12.121 widow. 3 . To expect the Lor(is leifure : I waited patientlyfor the Lord (faith David) and he P{al. 40. 1. enclined1entv me a;;d hea;d my cry. ~ 4- To reil in the good will and pleafure of God: Let him do 1vhat feemeth him good: Who can tell , but God in time m1y give thee a fign of his good-will towards thee , and that he bath h~ard thy prayers? howfoever, it i_s the Lord that gives or denies, let him do what he pleafe, SECT. 9· The fourth cafe: Suppofe the thing~ defire is anfivered, how may I ajfu>·tdly k_nolV "!vas by my Prayers; and not oitt ofcommon provzdencc ? "\J\7 E may rcfolve this cafe by giving thefe djreCl:iorts to the foul, whereby ~t n1ay _ · be enabled to difcern when and howthings prayed for, come In by prayer; As 1. From the manner ofGods performance:' W\len God gives any thing in anfwer to prayers, he often difcovers a more then ordinary hand of providnce in it: As . .1. By bringing itto pafs th-rough mdny difficulties: Thus Peter was delivered out of Af!J 12~ 6,to, pnfon_atthe prayers of the Church; and we finde 1. He was fleeping between two Sould.iers; if they had wakened,hc had been difcoverd. 2. He was in chains,but they fell off. J. The Keepers flood before the door, burthcy minded him not. 4· When on~ watch is.pa!l, he paffctll quicily through another. 5· When both thofe were p~ll:; an tron gate flies ope~ of its own accord: Now fuch difficulties are there in many bufineffes, wh1ch ~et in the end are acconipliilied by prayer; iron chaines fall off, iron gates, enem1es hearts flie open oftheir own accord, and though not in that miractJlous manner, by the means of an Angel, yet no lefs wonderful. Pp~ 21 Bj
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