The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

Obj. But then you leave us at utter uncertainty, whether we have the answer of our prayers or not?

Answ. Not so. But the answer of your prayers must not be tried by your conceits but by Gods rule. If you p•ay for that which you have neither a command nor promise for, your prayer is sin, and your answer can be nothing but Gods rebuke, or your own delusion. But if you pray for that which you have a command for, but no particular promise, then you have only the General promise that your prayer shall not be lost, but shall bring down either the thing you pray for, or something else which the wisdom of God seeth to be best for you and others; and to his ends. And this is all that you can warrantably believe. But if you pray for that which hath both a command and a particular promise (as the pardon of sin, and necessary grace and life eternal to a believer) you may be sure that this prayer shall be granted in kind. So that you are not to judge of the answer of prayers, by your feelings and passions and impulses, but by the promise of God, which you must believe will be fulfilled what ever you feel: Faith and not feeling must tell you whether your prayer be accepted.

Answ. Not so. But the answer of your prayers must not be tried by your conceits but by Gods rule. If you p•ay for that which you have neither a command nor promise for, your prayer is sin, and your answer can be nothing but Gods rebuke, or your own delusion. But if you pray for that which you have a command for, but no particular promise, then you have only the General promise that your prayer shall not be lost, but shall bring down either the thing you pray for, or something else which the wisdome of God seeth to be best for you and others; and to his ends. And this is all that you can warrantably believe. But if you pray for that which hath both a command and a particular promise (as the pardon of sin, and necessary grace and life eternal to a believer) you may be sure that this prayer shall be granted in kind. So that you are not to judge of the answer of prayers, by your feelings and passions and impulses, but by the promise of God, which you must believe will be fulfilled what ever you feel: Faith and not feeling must tell you whether your prayer be accepted.