Minister. Good Zechariah waited longer on the Lord, before he granted his request,1 then ever you did: it is like he prayed for a child in his younger years, yet his prayer was not heard before he was old. And further, you must note that the Lord may hear the prayers of his servants, and yet they be altogether ignorant of it: For the manner that God useth in granting their requests is not always known; as may appear in the example of our Saviour Christ,2 Who in the days of his flesh, did offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet we know that he was not freed from that cursed death, but must needs suffer it. How then was he heard? On this manner: he was strengthened to bear the death, he had an Angel to comfort him, he was afterward freed from the sorrows of death: And so it is with the rest of Christs body, as it was with the head. Some being in want pray for temporal blessings: God keeps them in this want, and yet he hears their prayers, in giving them patience to abide that want. Some being in wealth and abundance pray for the continuing of it, if it be the will of God. The Lord flings them into a perpetual misery, and yet he hears their prayers, by giving them blessedness in the life to come. You pray for the increase of faith and repentance, and such like graces: you feel no increase after long prayer: yet the merciful God hath no doubt heard your prayer, in that by delaying to perform your request, he hath stirred up in you the spirit of prayer, he hath humbled you, & made you feel your own wants, the better to depend on his mercy: for the beginning and increasing of every spiritual grace.
Minister. Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord, before he granted his request,1 then euer you did: it is like he praied for a child in his younger yeres, yet his praier was not heard before hee was olde. And further, you must note that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants, and yet they be altogither ignorant of it: For the maner that God vseth in granting their requests is not alwaies known; as may appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ,2 Who in the daies of his flesh, did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares, vnto him that was able to saue him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet wee knowe that hee was not freed from that cursed death, but must needes suffer it. How then was he heard? On this manner: hee was strengthened to beare the death, he had an Angel to comfort him, he was afterward freed frō the sorrowes of death: And so it is with the rest of Christs bodie, as it was with the head. Some beeing in want pray for temporall blessings: God keepes them in this want, and yet he heares their prayers, in giuing them patience to abide that want. Some beeing in wealth and aboundance pray for the continuing of it, if it be the will of God. The Lord flings them into a perpetuall miserie, and yet he heares their praiers, by giuing them blessednes in the life to come. You pray for the increase of faith and repentance, and such like graces: you feele no increase after long praier: yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier, in that by delaying to performe your request, he hath stirred vp in you the spirit of praier, he hath humbled you, & made you feele your owne wants, the better to depend on his mercie: for the beginning and increasing of euery spirituall grace.
- 1Luk. 1.7.13.
- 2Heb. 5.7.
