1A third thing you are to observe concerning the accomplishment of the thing prayed for, whereby you may discern whether granted in answer to prayers, is, when thou seest God in his dealings with thee, and answering of thee, to deal in a kind of proportion with thy manner of praying and seeking of him, and of walking with him whilst thou were dependant on him, for such or such a mercy. And as you may see a proportion between ⟨p. 159⟩sins and punishments, which are the rewards of them; that you can say, such a sin brought forth this affliction, it is so like the Father: so you might see the like proportion, between your prayers, and your walking with God, and Gods answers to you, and his dealings with you. So did David, Psal. 18. 24. According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me, &c. His speech notes some similitude or likeness: as for example, The more by-ends or carnal desires you had in praying, and the more you mingled of these with your holy desires, and the ⟨p. 160⟩more want of zeal, fervency, &c. were found in your prayers, the more you shall (it may be) find of bitterness mingled with the mercy, when it is granted; and so much imperfection, and want of comfort in it: so says David in the same Psal. verse 25. 26. With the pure thou wilt show thy self pure. Pure prayers have pure blessings; & è contra: With the froward thou wilt show thy self froward: and again, as you in praying sometimes slackened and grew cold, so you might see the business in like manner to cool, and cast backward: as when Moses hands were down, Amalck ⟨p. 161⟩prevailed; but when they were lifted up, Israel had the better, Exod. 17. 12. God let him see a proportion, which argued his prayer was the means of prevailing. A man finds in praying, that his suite sometimes sticks, and goes not on as he expected, this is because he gives not so good a fee as he was wont, and doth not ply God, and solicit him; but on the contrary, when he was stirred up to pray, then still he found things to go well: by this a man may clearly see, that it was the prayer which God did hear and regarded. Thus likewise when a man sees hills and dales in ⟨p. 162⟩a business, fair hopes often, and then all dashed again, and the thing in the end brought to pass, let him look back upon his prayers: didst not thou in like manner just thus deal with God?
1A third thing you are to observe concerning the accomplishment of the thing prayed for, whereby you may discern whether granted in answer to prayers, is, when thou seest God in his dealings with thee, and answering of thee, to deale in a kinde of proportion with thy manner of praying and seeking of him, and of walking with him whilest thou were dependant on him, for such or such a mercy. And as you may see a proportion between ⟨p. 159⟩sinnes and punishments, which are the rewards of them; that you can say, such a sin brought forth this affliction, it is so like the Father: so you might see the like proportion, betweene your prayers, and your walking with God, and Gods answers to you, and his dealings with you. So did David, Psal. 18. 24. According to the cleannesse of my hands hath he recompenced me, &c. His speech notes some similitude or likenesse: as for example, The more by-ends or carnall desires you had in praying, and the more you mingled of these with your holy desires, and the ⟨p. 160⟩more want of zeale, fervency, &c. were found in your prayers, the more you shall (it may be) finde of bitternesse mingled with the mercy, when it is granted; and so much imperfection, and want of comfort in it: so sayes David in the same Psal. verse 25. 26. With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure. Pure prayers have pure blessings; & è contra: With the foward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward: and againe, as you in praying sometimes slackened and grew cold, so you might see the businesse in like manner to coole, and cast backward: as when Moses hands were downe, Amalck ⟨p. 161⟩prevailed; but when they were lifted up, Israel had the better, Exod. 17. 12. God let him see a proportion, which argued his prayer was the meanes of prevailing. A man findes in praying, that his suite sometimes sticks, and goes not on as he expected, this is because he gives not so good a fee as he was wont, and doth not ply God, and solicite him; but on the contrary, when hee was stirred up to pray, then still hee found things to goe well: by this a man may clearely see, that it was the praier which God did heare and regarded. Thus likewise when a man sees hils and dales in ⟨p. 162⟩a businesse, faire hopes often, and then all dasht againe, and the thing in the end brought to passe, let him looke back upon his prayers: didst not thou in like maner just thus deale with God?
- 1§ 4. A third sort of observations, from the answerable proportion between Gods dealing in the accomplishment of it, and our prayers.§ 4. A third sort of observations, from the answerable proportion betweene Gods dealing in the accōplishment of it, and our prayers.
