The Return of Prayers

and is a thing which some men are not acquainted with, but yet may be in some cases existent to some mens spirits, as it was to Davids in the thing mentioned.

and is a thing which some men are not acquainted with, but yet may bee in some cases existent to some mens spirits, as it was to Davids in the thing mentioned.

And concerning this also I will also add a Caution, ¹as about the former. That it doth not always fall out upon all such kind of evidences made to a mans spirit, and that by God, that the thing prayed for doth come to pass. For these very persuasions stirred up by God, ⟨p. 112⟩may be and are often but conditional, though thus immediately made to a mans spirit, and are so to be understood, and not peremptory and absolute. It cannot be imagined that all these should always be of greater absoluteness and peremptoriness, than were many of those revelations made by God to the Prophets, wherein He manifested his gracious purpose towards such a man or people, either to vouchsafe them such a mercy, or bring such a judgement; which forewarnings though they were particular and express, yet limited and intended ⟨p. 113⟩with a condition, according to the performance, or not performance of which, it fell out, either the judgement expressly threatened was diverted, or that good thing which was as directly and fully promised, was not bestowed: as it was in the case of Jonah threatening the destruction of Nineveh; and so in the promise concerning Ely's house, 1. Sam. 2. 30. I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever, but now the Lord says, it shall not be so: For they had broken the condition which was implied in it; they had despised the ⟨p. 114⟩