Minister. Good Zechariah waited longer on the Lord, before he granted his request, then ever you did, Its like he prayed for a child in his younger years, yet his prayer was not heard before he was old. And further1 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. Who in the days of his flesh, did offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto him 2that was able to save him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet we know 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 ⟨p. 275⟩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 and strength 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 dings 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 and 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, then euer you did, Its like hee praied for a child in his yonger yeres, yet his praier was not heard before he was old. And further1 you must note, that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants, and yet they bee altogether ignorant of it: For the manner that God vseth in graunting their requests is not alwaies knowen: as maie appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ. Who in the daies of his flesh, did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares, vnto him 2that was able to saue him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet wee knowe 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 Angell to comfort him, hee was afterward freed from the sorrowes of death. And so ⟨p. 275⟩it is with the rest of Christes bodie, as it was with the head. Some being in want pray for temporall blessings: God keepes them in this want, and yet hee heares their praiers, in giuing them patience and strength to abide that want. Some being in wealth and aboundance praie for the continuing of it, if it be the will of God. The Lorde dinges them into a perpetuall miserie, and yet hee heares their praiers, by giuing thē blessednesse in the life to come. You praie for the encrease 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 spirite of praier, hee hath humbled you and made you feele your owne wants, the better to depend on his mercie, for the beginning and encreasing of euerie spirituall grace.
- 1Luk. 1. 7. 13
- 2Heb. 5. 7.
