Exad.t2. 'l· 2. Byfacilitati~g all tJJcans, and caujing th~m to confpire to accompltjJ; the thing p"ra)'td for ; thou hall: winde and tide, and a fair day, and all the way paved and plam before thee ; th~rc falls out a~reat conjunctiOn and mee:mg of many circumflances together to effect 1t, wh1ch had mflu,ence mto It, whereof 1f any one had been wanting, haply the thmg had not been done: Thus, when f}i-acl went out of Egypt (which was the ac. complifhment of their prayers) their cry came up unto God (faith the Text) ho\v were all things facilitated? the Egyp_tmns that detamed them 1 then came and intreated them to go out, Rtfc up, andget you forth from amongft my people, faid Pharaoh; Tea, thry were urgent upon the pcopl<, that th:Y >mght fend them out cf the Land; yea, They hired them tu go ottt w~th zhetr. jove_Ls r.Jfi.tvcr, an,d jCtte!s ofgold, a~d raimmt, and Pharaoh part~ himf~lf lovmgly and fa1rly w1th them, and delires thw prayers, Blefs me alfo; yea, to thew there was no refittance, the Text fa1th, A dog did not move hu tongue· the brute creatures did not diflurb them, though at midnight, when thefe creature; ufe to be 35· 3;. 3'· Ex•d. I I. 7· moll: ob!lrepcrous through noifes, efpecially at Travellers. l'[al. 126. 1. 3. By brmging zt to pajsfuddenly and !lnexpeCtedly;as the return of the captivity of Ba. byhn, which wns the conclufion of many -prayers, W'\ll done in a trice; they were as men in a dream, thty could fcarce believe it was fo, when it was dooe. I King·J· 12. ll· 4. By doing above what was defred, with adduion of other mercies; fo Solomon asked wifdom, and God gave him more then he asked, Peace, Riches and Honour: When prayers are anfwered,ufually mercies come thick; the thing we prayed for, comes not f.ien. 24 If.•. 49· 8. alone. · 5. By adding fome fpeci~l circmnftance, as a tokfn of Gods fpecial hand in it, fuch a to– ken as a man himfelf often takes notice of, yea, and others nlfo often take notice of it. ShC!Vme a tok§n for good (faithDavid) that others that hate me mayfee it, and be ajhamel So when Abraham and lfaac, and Abra'·ams fervant had prayed for a wife for Jfoac. (ee by what a token God Chewed that,he had heard their prayers; Rcbtk..,ah, was th~ 14 , firll: that Game out, and 1fjhc be the 1vom"n appointed for Jfaac (praycs the fervant) ltt her <jfer midrink.: and my ca~nels alfo,, and thereby ft:.tlll bow thou haft Jhewed kjndnefs to >6. my M;<ftcr ; and God gave hnn the toKen, and therefore the fervant bowed at it, and worjhiped the Lord: Ifwe take notree of the fign, it was fuch a• argued in her a kinde, courteous difpofition, which therefore (it may be) he lingled out as a token of a meet wife, efpecially to be looked at in the marriage choice. z. From the time, wherein the thing prayed for is accomplifhed: God who dothall things in weight and mcafurc, fhews his wifdom and love as much in the feafon, as in giving the thing it felf: God confidereth all times of thy life, and ll:ill choofeth the bell: and fittell: to anfwer thy prayers in: In an acceptable tt>ne have J heard thee (faith God) As--· r. It may be at the ".Jary time w(lcn thou art mo(t inll:ant and earnell: in prayer: Whiles they are yer (peaking (faith God) Iwtfl hear; . a time cull'd out on purpofe, that they might reil: allUred it was an anfwer to their prayers. 2. At that time when thou hall: moll: need, and when thy heart is moll: fitted for l'[al, 10. 17. mercy (i.e.) when thy heart is moll: fubdued, and thy lull:s mortified,·for then thou art fittefl: to rclifh his goodncfs alone, and not to be drawn away with the carnal fweetnefs that is in the thing, Thou 1vilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cattfe thine ear to hear; thou wilt prepare their heart (n raking it offfrom the thing defired, in making it quieted and l'[aU.a. )sam.l 2, contented with God in the thing,· and then thot~wtlt hear] this is the fittell: time. 3. From the effects upon thy heart that.prayell: : As----- ', If the thing granted by thy prayers, d(aW thy heart more near unto God : Things granted out of orc,lil]ilry providen~e onel_Y, do encreafe our lulls, and are fnares to us, but if tho1,1findell: Gods dealings WJth thee,to be a kmdly motJve to caufe thee to mourn for fin, and to be a refuaint againfl: fm, it is a fign it was a fruit of thy prayer : Away from m~ye workJrs of irriquity (faith David) God hath heard the voyce of my weeping : OG · · . ' 2. If thou findell: Gods dealings with thee, to be a kindly motive, to 'Caufe thee t~ rcjoyce in God, more then in the thing obtained, it is a fign it was a frmt ofthy prayer. Hanna bleffing God for her child,Ny heart rejoyccrh in the Lord, faith fhe : She rejoy• ceth not fo much in the gift, .as in the giver;' not fo much in her 'child, as in his favour that anfwer~~hcr prayer. . ' 3· If the mercy obtained by thy prayer, enlarge thy heart w1th thankfulnetfc: Se'\f loves mukcs us more f<>~;ward to pray, then to give tha-nks, for nature is a-ILof 'the~i:i- • vmg
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