A77360:1036
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. As God doth prevent us with his mercy, in reference to our preparedness for his mercy, so he doth prevent us with his mercy, in reference to all our Prayers. Look when God gives in a mercy before we pray for it, then God is truly said to prevent us with his mercy. It is ordinarily said, God will not set in his mercy before our Oven be hot; but if God should never set in his mercy till our Oven and Hearts be hot in Prayer, we had been an unredeemed people to this day: though God will answer Prayer, yet he will be found also of them that seek him not. Do ye say, why then should we pray? I answer, that you are to pray, not only because it is your duty to pray, but, the more God works in an extraordinary way, the more it is our duty to be found in the use of ordinary means: And what if I say, that the same mercy may come as an answer of prayer, and yet in a way of preventing ⟨p. 484⟩love too? What say you to the case of Hezekiah? When he was sick he prayed, and God heard his prayer, and health came as an answer of prayer, and yet he was prevented, for fifteen years more God gave in to him, which was beyond his prayer. You know how it was with Zechariah; says the Lord, I have heard thy prayer, and gave him a Child, yet he did not pray for a Child, for he could not believe that he should have a Child; so that God gave him a Child in a way of preventing mercy, and yet it was in answer of prayer too. So here in the Text, Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not with-holden the request of his lips, for thou hast prevented him with the blessings of thy goodness; Why? why although the mercy received may be an answer of prayer in regard of the body of it, yet it may come in a way of preventing love, as to the moreness of it; so it was with David, so with Hezekiah, and so with Zechariah. That's a fourth thing, God doth sometimes prevent, as in reference to our prayer, giving in mercy beyond all our prayers.
4. As God doth prevent us with his mercy, in reference to our preparedness for his mercy, so he doth prevent us with his mercy, in reference to all our Prayers. Look when God gives in a mercy before we pray for it, then God is truly said to prevent us with his mercy. It is ordinarily said, God will not set in his mercy before our Oven be hot; but if God should never set in his mercy till our Oven and Hearts be hot in Prayer, we had been an unredeemed people to this day: though God will answer Prayer, yet he will be found also of them that seek him not. Do ye say, why then should we pray? I answer, that you are to pray, not only because it is your duty to pray, but, the more God works in an extraordinary way, the more it is our duty to be found in the use of ordinary means: And what if I say, that the same mercy may come as an answer of prayer, and yet in a way of preventing