The Return of Prayers

In which great duty, and most necessary property of all true Merchants, yet many of the best and greatest dealers, ⟨image 11⟩that are diligent enough in praying, are still found failing and deficient; that omit no gainful opportunity of adventure, but are careless and unobservant of their returns.

In which great duty, and most necessary property of all true Merchants, yet many of the best and greatest dealers, ⟨image 11⟩that are diligent enough in praying, are still found failing and deficient; that omit no gainfull opportunity of adventure, but are carelesse and unobservant of their returnes.

Some through ignorance (it may be) that this is at all a duty, or of any such importance, are careful only how to lade in prayers enough, not expecting to find any of this bread cast upon the waters, until that great and general return of themselves, & all the world, with joy bringing their sheaves with them. Others, though at present, many of their prayers come home after a few days, and richly laden; yet through ⟨image 12⟩want of skill to read those Bills of Exchange which God often writes in an obscurer character, they lie unregarded by them. Many when voyages prove long, (though to their greater advantage, when once they do return, yet in the mean time) through discouragement, they give all for lost, as we do ships at Sea we cannot hear of. The most are commonly complaining, that their adventures still miscarry, and that little or nothing comes of all their prayers. And All are negligent of keeping their books of accounts, to cast up their comings in, and goings out, the one with the other. By which they lose the chiefest portion ⟨image 12⟩of that comfort, which for the present, God hath here allotted us to live upon [the revenues of their prayers.] And God also, is not only robbed of that Custom of his glory which should thence accrue; but wronged also by standing still as debtor in their accounts to many prayers, in the return of which he hath been creditor long ago.