The Return of Prayers

For the first.¹ First, there may be some prayers, which you must be content, never your selves to see answered in this world; the accomplishment of them not falling out in your time: such as ⟨p. 34⟩are those you haply make for the calling of the Jews, the utter downfall of Gods enemies, the flourishing of the Gospel, the full purity and liberty of Gods Ordinances, the particular flourishing and good of the society and place you live in: all you whose hearts are right, do treasure up many such prayers as these, and sow much of such precious seed, which you must be content to have the Church (it may be) in after Ages to reap: All which prayers are not yet lost, but will have answers: for as God is an eternal God, and Christs righteousness an everlasting righteousness, and therefore of ⟨p. 35⟩eternal efficacy, Dan. 9. 24 Being offered up by the eternal Spirit, Heb. 9. 14. So are prayers also, which are the work of the eternal Spirit of Christ, made to that God in his Name, and in him are eternally accepted, and of eternal force, and therefore may take place in after Ages. So the prayer that S. Stephen made for his persecutors, took place in Saul when S. Stephen was dead. So Davids prayer against Judas, Psal. 109. 8, 9. took effect above a thousand years after, as appears, Acts 1. 20. So the prayers of the Church for three hundred years in the Primitive times, That Kings might come to ⟨p. 36⟩the knowledge of the truth, and they lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty, (which S. Paul in Nero's time exhorted unto, 1. Tim. 2. 2.) were not answered, & accomplished till Constantine's time, when the Church brought forth a Man-child.