246 The Life of Faith. As a Minitier may pray for greater abilities for his work, &.. Object. 'We pray not ec commandedfir anyflab things, ifwe pray not conditionally for them. Asfm: But Gill the difficulty is, Wbat is the conditionto be inferted ? whether it be, IfGod will ? Or, Ifit befor ourgood ? Or, Ifit befor the univerfalgood of the world ? if it were the Tall, then we might be furs of the fat- vation of all men, when we ask it ; and the Iccond cannot be the condition when we pray for others : and if it be thefrrif, then it telleth us that the commanding Will of God is not it which is principally meant is the promife. In this difficulty we mutt conclude,that the text refpedeth gods Will comprchenfivriy in all thefe three forcmentioned rcfpeds ; but primarily hispromifing Wallin matters which fall under promife, and his decreeingWiria things which he bath thought meet to make no promife of: and then fecondarily, his commanding Will tous ; but this extendeth not only to prayer it ftlf, but allo to the manner of prayer, and to our con)unbi and fulfrgwent endeavours. And fo this mecteth and clofethwith the former Will ofGod : becaufe we do not pray according to his commanding Will, unlefI we do it with due re- fped to his promifing and decreeing Will. And fo it is, as if it were laid [Ofall :bofe things which God hash promifed or de- creed, whatfoever youaskin my Name, in a manner agreeable to bit command, and do fcondyour prayers withfaithful endeavours, you (hall obtain it ; fecaufe neither hi decrees or promifes are nakedly, or meerly togive fucb a thing ; but complicately togive it in t bie wayofasl ing.] And as to the Objections in the beginning, I anfwer, r . Where onlyGods decreeingWillis the meafue of the mat- ter to be granted, the text intendcth not to us a particular af- furanceofthc thing; but the comfort that we and our prayers are accepted, and they (hall be granted if it be not fuch a thing, as God in his wifdom and carnal counftl, hath lceretlydttet- mined not todo. As if you pray for the converlion of the Kingdomof China, ofjapon, of Indojian, of Tartary, &e, And a. Where Gods Pramifebath given us fecuriy of tLe thing in particular; yet thisgeneral promife, and our prayer, are neither of them t'or a, l.he general promife doch
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=