Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist: when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought; It stands not in this only, that we open our minds to him, and make our requests known to him; but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again. If the Lord grant our requests, we ought to take notice of it, that we may praise him, and give him thanks. If he do not answer them, that we may consider what the cause is. Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear. It may be thou doest not pray aright. It may be thou retainest the love of some particular sin in thee. It may be God doth it for the trial of thee. It is good for thee to observe. When any thing falls upon men amiss, and contrary to their expectation, or to their prayers, they are ready to attribute it to other causes: it is good rather to say that thou hast prayed amiss, and that is the cause of it. When a man is distempered in his health, either he will say that he hath not taken physic, or else it was not physic fit for him; it is still forgotten whether he hath prayed to God, or whether he hath prayed amiss. In James 4. there the cause is ¹given, you have either not prayed, or prayed amiss, you ask and receive not, because you ask amiss; therefore you do not obtain. It may be I say that that may be the cause why thy prayers are not heard, that thou prayest amiss.

For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist: when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought; It stands not in this onely, that we open our minds to him, and make our requests known to him; but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again. If the Lord grant our requests, we ought to take notice of it, that we may praise him, and give him thanks. If he do not answer them, that we may consider what the cause is. Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear. It may be thou doest not pray aright. It may be thou retainest the love of some particular sinne in thee. It may be God doth it for the tryal of thee. It is good for thee to observe. When any thing falls upon men amisse, and contrary to their expectation, or to their prayers, they are ready to attribute it to other causes: it is good rather to say that thou hast prayed amisse, and that is the cause of it. When a man is distempered in his health, either he will say that he hath not taken physick, or else it was not physick fit for him; it is still forgotten whether he hath prayed to God, or whether he hath prayed amisse. In