The Return of Prayers

I mean to insist severally on these.

I meane to insist severally on these.

¹1 If the thing thou prayedst for doth come to pass, then what needst thou doubt of an answer, and whether God heard thee or no? For thou beholdest it with thine eyes: and so often it falls out, that God doth grant according to the desires of a mans heart; and not only so, but also fulfils his counsel therein, as it is, Psal. 20. 4. that is, fulfils not only his desire, and aim of his prayer, but in that ⟨p. 127⟩very way, by that very means, which his judgement and counsel pitched upon in his own thoughts. The desire of the heart may be satisfied, when God gives some other thing, but the counsel of the heart is then fulfilled, when a man is answered in that particular, which his own judgment pitched upon as best for him. For counsel is an act of the understanding, deliberating about means to an end, & directing to choose a particular means tending to an end: so that as Eliphaz says to Job, 22. 27, 28. Thou shalt make thy prayer to God, and he shall hear thee: & decree a thing, ⟨p. 128⟩and it shall be established to thee, that is, a man is guided to decree and pitch upon such mercies in his prayers, as God makes good in particular: he says what he would have, and God performs it: and this privilege thou shalt have (says Eliphaz there) if thou wilt turn to him, and be acquainted with him, and receive the Law from his mouth: thou shalt not err in praying; but what thou settest upon to pray for, shall be accordingly granted to thee▪ such a man shall have the priviledge, Fingere sibi fortunam in a right sense, to be his own chooser, and carver of his own