14 Observe if in the end God doth not answer thee still according to the ground of thy prayer: that is, see if that holy end, intention, and affection, which thou hadst in prayer, be not in the end fully satisfied, though not in the thing thou didst desire: for God answers, Secundum cardinem, according to the hinge which the prayer turns upon. ⟨p. 197⟩As when a General is sent out with an Army, by a King or a State, who give him many particular directions, how to order and dispose, and manage the war, although in many particulars that fall out, wherein they could not foresee to give so punctual and particular directions, he swerve from the directions, yet if he keeps to the intent of their Commission, and doth what is most advantageous for their ends, he may be said to keep to his Commission. For as they say of the Law, Mens leg is est lex▪ the mind of the Law is the Law, not the bare words it is printed in: so ⟨p. 198⟩the Meaning of the Spirit is the prayer, Rom. 8. 27. and not simply the things desired, wherein we express those our desires: and still the meaning, the intent, the ground of our prayers shall be answered. To open this, the main ends, and meanings of our hearts in our requests are Gods glory, the Churches good, and our own particular comfort and happiness: we can desire but comfort, and a man looketh out, and spieth out such a particular mercy, which he thinketh tends much to Gods glory, and his happiness, and yet that thing is denied; yet notwithstanding ⟨p. 199⟩God will answer him according to the meaning of his prayers, his glory shall certainly be advanced, even for that prayer of his, some other way, and his comfort made up, which is the common desire of all mankind: and thou canst have but comfort, let the thing be what it will that conveys it to thee; and God will take order that that comfort thy soul desired, thou shalt have come in one way or other, which when it doth, thou canst not but say thy prayers are heard. For as God fulfils his promises, so he hears prayers, there is the same reason of both: ⟨p. 200⟩now God hath promised, He that leaves Father and Mother, shall have an hundred fold: not in specie, as we say, in kind, this cannot always be fulfilled, for an hundred Fathers he cannot have. God fulfils it not therefore always in the same kind, but in some other things, which shall be more then a hundred Fathers would be.
14 Observe if in the end God doth not answer thee still according to the ground of thy prayer: that is, see if that holy end, intention, and affection, which thou hadst in prayer, be not in the end fully satisfied, though not in the thing thou didst desire: for God answers, Secundum cardinem, according to the hinge which the prayer turnes upon. ⟨p. 197⟩As when a General is sent out with an Army, by a King or a State, who give him many particular directions, how to order and dispose, and manage the war, although in many particulars that fall out, wherein they could not foresee to give so punctuall and particular directions, he swerve from the directions, yet if he keeps to the intent of their Commission, and doth what is most advantagious for their ends, he may bee said to keepe to his Commission. For as they say of the Law, Mens leg is est lex▪ the mind of the Law is the Law, not the bare words it is printed in: so ⟨p. 198⟩the Meaning of the Spirit is the prayer, Rom. 8. 27. and not simply the things desired, wherein wee expresse those our desires: and still the meaning, the intent, the ground of our prayers shall be answered. To open this, the maine ends, and meanings of our hearts in our requests are Gods glory, the Churches good, and our owne particular comfort and happinesse: we can desire but comfort, and a man looketh out, and spieth out such a particular mercie, which hee thinketh tends much to Gods glory, and his happinesse, and yet that thing is denied; yet notwithstanding ⟨p. 199⟩God will answer him according to the meaning of his prayers, his glory shall certainely be advanced, even for that prayer of his, some other way, and his comfort made up, which is the common desire of all mankinde: and thou canst have but comfort, let the thing bee what it will that conveighs it to thee; and God will take order that that comfort thy soule desired, thou shalt have come in one way or other, which when it doth, thou canst not but say thy prayers are heard. For as God fulfils his promises, so hee heares prayers, there is the same reason of both: ⟨p. 200⟩now God hath promised, Hee that leaves Father and Mother, shall have an hundred fold: not in specie, as we say, in kinde, this cannot alwayes bee fulfilled, for an hundred Fathers he cannot have. God fulfills it not therefore alwayes in the same kinde, but in some other things, which shall be more then a hundred Fathers would bee.
- 1§. 1. God answers to the ground of our prayers.
