The Return of Prayers

And though indeed his promise to hear and accept the prayer is general and universal:¹ yet the promise to hear it, by granting the very thing it self prayed for, is but an indefinite promise; such as he makes to other means of doing men good, as to our admonitions and reproofs, and to our preaching, &c. He makes such promises, because sometimes he doth hear and convert ⟨p. 50⟩by them. For instance, that promise, Jam. 5. 15. of healing the sick, cannot be universal: for it might then be supposed as a truth implied in it, that sick men might never die, when as it is appointed for all men once to die, ²seeing it may be supposed that the Elders may at all such times of danger of death still come and pray with them: but the meaning is, that it is an Ordinance, which God hath made a gracious promise unto, because he often doth restore the sick at their prayers: and therefore upon every such particular occasion, we are to rely upon God for the performance of it, by ⟨p. 51⟩an act of recumbency; though with an act of full assurance that we shall obtain it, we cannot; the promise being not universal, out indefinite.

And though indeed his promise to heare and accept the praier is generall and universal:¹ yet the promise to heare it, by granting the very thing it selfe praied for, is but an indefinite promise; such as he makes to other meanes of doing men good, as to our admonitions and reproofes, and to our preaching, &c. Hee makes such promises, because sometimes hee doth heare and convert ⟨p. 50⟩by them. For instance, that promise, Iam. 5. 15. of healing the sick, cannot be universall: for it might then be supposed as a truth implied in it, that sick men might never die, whē as it is appointed for all men once to die,