A01902:67
The Return of Prayers
The return of prayers A treatise wherein this case how to discern Gods answers to our prayers is briefly resolved, with other observations upon Psal. 85.8. concerning Gods speaking peace, &c. By Tho: Goodwin. B.D.The returne of prayers A treatise wherein this case how to discerne Gods answers to our prayers is briefly resolved, with other observations vpon Psal. 85.8. concerning Gods speaking peace, &c. By Tho: Goodvvin. B.D.
London: printed by M. Flesher for R. Dawlman, 1636
THE RETURN OF PRAYERS. › Chapter 3THE RETVRNE OF PRAYERS. › Chapter 3
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And yet again if God should at any time give a man such a special faith concerning any such particular temporal blessing for himself or another,1 then he is bound to believe it thus in particular: as when He gave power to any to work miracles, (as to his Apostles He did, with a Commission to work them,) then they were bound to believe that such and such a miracle should infallibly be wrought by them; as that the Devils should be cast out by them, &c. And therefore in this case ⟨p. 59⟩Christ rebukes His Disciples, for not believing thus upon such particular occasions, Matth. 17. 20. And then it is also true, that if God give such a faith, He will infallibly perform it: and thus those his words are to be understood, Matth. 27. 22. Whatsoever ye ask in faith believing, 2ye shall receive, he speaks it of the faith of miracles, for 21. ver. he had said, If ye believe and doubt not, ye shall say to this Mountain, remove into the sea, and it shall be removed: so that, when God works such a faith, and we are called to it, we are bound to believe with a certain persuasion that such a ⟨p. 60⟩thing will be done, and it shall be done: but unto such a kind of special faith in temporal promises for our selves or others, God doth not now always call us. If indeed at any time we did believe and doubted not, by reason of a special faith wrought by God, that GOD would remove a mountain into the Sea, or bestow any outward mercy, it should be done: for he that stirred up such a faith, would accomplish the thing: but it is not that, which God requires of believers, that they should without doubting thus believe concerning outward things; the promises ⟨p. 61⟩thereof being not universal, but indefinite; and therefore answerably a man is not absolutely bound to believe that God will certainly bestow such a temporal blessing on him, no not though he should have the qualification, which the promise being not universal, made o all so qualified, but indefinite to some of such so qualified. The case is the same of believing promises made to our praying for others, which is the thing in hand.