Cafes about Prayer. --------~----------------------~--~------·----- ~- 19 , Quell. 19· May we pray Ab{oltttrly for omroard mercin, or only Conditionai:y? 5!C.tfl. t?~ Anfw. You mu!\ diHinguifh 1. Between a co~di!ian fpok.e_n of the fubjeff, when we are uncertain whC:ther it be \a mercy or not, and an excnnilck cnndmon of the grant. :z. ~etwcen a condirion of prayrr, and a condition 0f txptHatinn.. 3· Between fubmiffion to Gods Will, and a cJnditional detire or prayer. And fo I anfwer, r. lt isJuccffJry when we are uncertain whether the thing it felf be Good or not, that we pray with a fuPjeDive conditinnality: [Grant thU if it be good.J: or [If it be not Good I domt pr:J)l fiJr it. J fnr it is pn:fuppofCd in prayer that we know the thwg prayed for to be good. 2· Bur When we know the thing ro .he a me~C)' and gorl(l, we _may. pray !or it abfolutrly. 3· But we may noc believe that we fhall rece1vC all w1th an abfolute cxprUatzoll, wh1ch we abfolutdy Pray for. For Prayer being the expreilion of drfire, that which may be abj:,/utrly drfired, though not abfolutely promifid,. may be abfulurely prayed for. (As our mcre~fc or fire~gth of Grace or the Converfionof our ulanons 1 &c.) 4· But yet all fuch mull be asked wuhafubmiffi:m to the will of Gnd ; But that maketh it not properly a conditional f0rm of praying ; For when the nature of Prayer is as it were to move the will of God, it is nod() proper to fay, [Lord do thi1 if it bt thy wiU alrtady; J or [ L.rd ht pltaj'td to do tbi~ if it bt thy plrafu:e ] as to fay [Lordgr~nt tbif mtrcy; But if tbott den.J: it, it i~ my.d,fty to {tthm~r. J So.Chnlt mmtloncd~ both the fi•b;rlilvt conditio 1 tality al'ld the fubmiffionof h1s Will, Mit. 26. 39· lf zt be pflffible let thtt cup pafi from me: nevrrtheh[l not aJ I wiU, but a1 th9u JJ'ilt: As if he had faid, N:1ture rcqttireth me wirb a Jimple ne/ition tobe unwilling of the fufferiitg, and if it be conjijlent with the dejired end1of my mediJtorjhip, tu be drftrnuJ to avoid it : but feeing th:Jt can~ot be, ~Y comp-zrin~ wiU com_mandeth thiJ.J}mp'e wiU of fdfprrfervation tu fubmit to thy mojl perfe/J ,.,u. But 1! any call rim [fubm•ffim] a cmdmon, the motter is not r.rc::ar. 9· 20. Q:!.cfi. 20. May ,., pray for aU tbt n·t may laJTfu!'y d,firt? . . ~eft. 2 o. An[w. No: for prayer j, not only an cxprdiion of D.:fire : but alfo a mean1 to anam the thtng aelircd. And fome things may be lawfully d,fittd (at lea!\ with a fimple velleity,) which may not be fought, becaufe thty mufi not be hoptd for, where God hath [aid that he will not grant them. For it is vain to {lek that which you have no hope to find: As to dejire to fee the Converfion of the whole:: world, or to pafs to Heaven as Hcnoch withouc dying, are lawful (by a firt1ple vellcity ) : But all things compared it is not lawful peremptorily to ddire it, without fub~ million: and thererorc: not to ask it. It is the exprrffion of a comparate, determinate dejire, which is propf:rly called prayer, being the ufc of means for the obtaining of that defire :And whatfoever I may f• defire, I may pray for; t'or if there be no hope of it, I may not fo dtfire it. But th~ defire by way of jimple vrlleity may not be put into a proper prayer, when there is no hope. I mutl have a fimple Dtfire (with fubmiffion) to attain a finlefs perfection here, even th.is hour : But bccaufc: there is no hope, I may not let it proceed to a determinate peremptory dejire upon "3 comparing judgement, nor into a proper prayer. And yet thefe veVei1iu may be exprelfed in pr4'yer, though they have not the full nature of a prayer. Obj. But wa1 mt CbriflJ tJ prayer, Mitth. 26. 39· Anfw. Either Chrijl ar man was certain thlt the Cup mu£\ not p1fs from him, or uncertain. It }'OU could prove him uncertain, then it is a proper prayer (with fubmillion to his F.uhers will ) : But if he wascertain that it was not to p1fs from him, then it was analogically only a Prayer, it being but a. repnfenting of his 11tUcity, to his father, and not of his determinate wiU, nor w.ts any means to attain thatend : And indeed fuch it was, As if he had faid, Fathtr if it had flood with t/n tndJ of my office and thy ,.;U, I wMid have aJ".fd thi1 of thte ; but btcaufe it dotb >tot, I fubmit. And this much we may do. 9· 21· Qll.efi. 2 J • How tbm ca1t we pray for the falvalion of aU t1Je rvor/dl mHjl it bt for aU men ~eft. 21 • coUcUivcly l or only f ()r fome, cxclHding no nHmericJJl denominate per{on l An[w. Jufi as Chrifi pr~yed here in this Text: we mull <xprcfs our fzmplt vtUeity of it to God, as a thing that m tt !elf IS mofi defireable (as the p1ffinG of the Cup was unto Chrifi): But we cannot t:Xprefs a determinate volition, by a full prayer, fuch as hath any tendency as a means to , attain that end: becaufe we are certain that Gods will is againll it, or that it t:PiU not he. 9· 22· Q;!efi, »· M~y ,., pr.y for tht Converfion ofaU the NationJ of the World to Chrijlianity, with !!<.•eft· 22 , • hopeful praytr l AnjW. Yes : For we are not ctrlain that every nation !lull not be fo converted, though ic be im~ probable. ~· 23· Q:!.efi. 23. May ,., pray in hspt with aproprr prayer ( a1 a mtanJ to attain it J tb.r awh>lt "" ~ 'Kingdom may be aUtrHly converted and foved l · ~l; • 2 3• Anfw•. Yes :.ForGod hath no way told ~s that it !hall not be : Though it be a thing impro– bablt, 1t IS not zmpoiJiblt: And therefore bemg greatly defirable may be prayed for. Though Chrifi hath told us that hiS flock, u lmle, and few find the way of life, yet that may ftand with the falva- • rion of aKingdom. 9· 24· Q!elt. 24· May,., proy for tht deflruiJiOit of tbt enemies of Chrifl, or of the Gofpcl or of the ,;,,. 11 2 f• King l , OJ:.!!.r . An[w. Not with rcfpect to that which is called God: antecedent will; for fo we ought firfi to pray for thtn Co~werfion, ( ~nd reJtumt tJll then ) : But ~nh rcfpcct to that calltd his Confoquent wiU we may: that IS, we mufi firll pray that they may be refiramcd and converted, and fecondly that, if nor, they may be de!lroyed.
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