anothers praiers joyned with his So it followes That yee may bee healed ver 16. For in that sense I understand healing in ver 16. So also 1. Iohn 5. 16. If a man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death that is not against the Holy Ghost hee shall aske life for him and God shall give him life that sins not unto death Concerning this case I give these considerations how such prayers are answered 1. Consideration §. 1. Such prayers for others God often granteth Such prayers God often heareth why else are any such promises made as That they shall bee healed in their bodies James 5. 15. Healed of their lusts ver 16. Converted to life 1. Ioh. 5. 16. God hath made these to encourage us to pray and to testifie his abundant love to us that it so overflowes and runs over that he will heare us not onely for our selves but for others also which is a signe we are in extraordinary favour So God intimates concerning Abraham to Abimelech Gen. 20. 7. He is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt live and as he was a Prophet so wee are Priests as for our selves so for others also to God our Father and it is a prerogative we have through the fellowship wee have and communion of Christs Priestly office Revel 1. 6. who hath made us Kings and Priests to prevaile and intercede for others and a speciall token and pledge of extraordinary love For if God heares a mans prayers for others much more for himselfe in his owne behalfe So when Christ healed the man sick of the palsie it was as it is said For the faith of the standers by Matth. 9. 2. Hee seeing their faith said Thy sinnes are forgiven thee the meaning is not as if for their faith sake he forgave that man his sins Hab. 2. 4. for The just doth live by his owne faith but to encourage them who out of faith brought that sick man to him and us all in like maner to bring others and their plaints by prayer before him he therefore then tooke occasion to declare and pronounce forgivenesse to that poore man §. 2. hee therefore then said Yet alwaies they do not prevaile for the parties prayer for Thy sinnes are forgiven thee 2. Consideration yet secondly prayers for others may often also not obtaine the particular thing prayed for them So Samuels prayer for Saul 1. Sam. 15. 35. So David for his enemies Psalm â—7 13. For it is in this The reason as it is â—n the use of other means and ordinances for the good of others God making such like kinde of promises to our prayers herein as hee hath made to our endeavours to convert when wee preach to men that looke as wee preach to many and yet but few beleeve Rom. 10. 16. for Who hath beleeved our report even as many as are ordained to eternall life wee become all to all and winne but some So we pray for many not knowing who are ordained to eternall life which whilest wee know not wee are yet to pray for them 1. Tim. 2 3 4. Onely as where God hath set his Ordinance of Preaching it is more then a probable signe hee hath some to convert and usually the word takes among some though often but a few So when hee hath stirred up our hearts to pray for others it is a signe God will heare us for some of those we pray for yet so as we may be denied For God doth require it as a duty on our parts because it is an outward meanes ordained by God by which sometimes Hee useth to bring things to passe but yet not as such a certaine and infallible meanes as hee hath tied himselfe universally unto to bring the thing to passe on his part And though indeed his promise to heare and accept the praier is generall and universal Such promises to hear us for others being but indefinite not universall yet the promise to heare it by granting the very thing it selfe praied for is but an indefinite promise such as he makes to other meanes of doing men good as to our admonitions and reproofes and to our preaching c. Hee makes such promises because sometimes hee doth heare and convert by them For instance that promise Iam. 5. 15. of healing the sick cannot be universall for it might then be supposed as a truth implied in it that sick men might never die wheÌ„ as it is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9. 27. seeing it may bee supposed that the Elders may at all such times of danger of death stil come and pray with them but the meaning is that it is an Ordinance which God hath made a gracious promise unto because he often doth restore the sick at their praiers and therefore upon every such particular occasion wee are to rely upon God for the performance of it by an act of recumbencie though with an act of full assurance that we shall obtain it we cannot the promise being not universall out indefinite Of the like nature are all other promises of things temporall and outward Illustrated by the like tenour of all promises of things temporall of which wee herein speak as when God promiseth to give long life to them that honour their parents riches and honours to them that feare Him the tenour and purport of which promises is not as if absolutely infallibly universally God doth alwayes performe these to those that are yet truely qualified with the conditions specified in those promises The contrary both Scripture instances and common experience shewes they are therefore indefinitely meant and so to bee understood by us for because when ever God doth dispense any such mercies to any of his hee would doe it by promise All his wayes to His being truth that is the fulfilling of some truth promised and also God having purposed in his outward dispensation of things here in this world to bestow riches and honours upon some that fear him though not upon al for how then should all things fall alike to all Eccles 7. 2. Poverty and cotempt upon them that feare God even as well as those that feare him not Hee hath therefore indefinitely expressed His gracious dispensation herein The faith towards them required to be but an indefinite act of recumbency not of assurance requiring answerably an act of saith which principle in us is suited to a promise as a faculty is to its proper object suitable to that his meaning in the promise That as hee intended not in such promises an absolute infallible universall obligation of himselfe to the performance of them to all that feare him so the act of faith which a man is to put forth toward this promise in the application of it for his owne particular is not required to be an absolute infallible perswasion and assurance that God will bestow these outward things upon him having these
ver 24. That he comforted Bath sheba also Thirdly if the heart be thankfull out of faith when denied 3 If thou canst bee thankfull to God out of faith that God hath cast and ordered all for the best though hee hath denyed thee and although thou seest no reason but that the thing prayed for would have beene for the best yet art thankfull upon the deniall of it out of faith resting in Gods judgement in it As David in all those forementioned places was Thou art holy that inhabitest the prayses of Israel he praises God for all this David before he did eate after his seven dayes fasting for the childe arose And went first into the Temple and worshipped 2. Sam. 12. 20. and of what kinde of worship it was appeares by his anointing himselfe and changing his raiment which was in token of rejoycing and thanksgiving and it fell out to him according to his faith for presently after Solomon was begotten vers 24. §. 4. If the heart be not discouraged for continuing still to pray for other things 4 If thou canst pray still and givest not over although thou standest for mercies which thou missest if when thou hast mercies granted thou fearest most and when denied lovest most and art not discouraged thy prayers are heard Psal 80. 4. Though God seemed angry with their praiers yet they pray and expostulate with him and give not over for they made that Psalme as a Prayer And how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people So Psal 44. 17. Though wee are cast among Dragons yee wee have not beene false in thy Covenant So say thou I will pray still though I never have an answer in this life It moves ingenuous natures to see men take repulses and denialls well which proud persons will not doe and so it moves God Chap. 10 CHAP. X. Application A reproofe of those that pray but looke not after the returne of their prayers The causes of this neglect THe use of all is A reproofe of those that pray but looke not after the returne of their prayers to reprove those who put up prayers and are earnest in begging but looke not after them when they have done no more than if they had not prayed who still venture have a great stock of prayers going but looke not after the returns that are made cast not up their commings in and gainings by prayers and when they have prayed sit down discouraged as not making account in earnest that ever they shall heare of their prayers againe even as if they had been but as words cast away as beating the ayre as bread cast upon the waters which they thinke sinks or is carried away and they shall finde it no more but herein you despise Gods Ordinance and erre not knowing the power of prayers and yee contemne the Lord But you wil say as they in the Prophet said Wherein in doe wee contemne him if you askt a man a question and when you had done did turne your back upon him as scoffing Pilate askt in scorne of Christ What is truth but would not stay for an answere did you not contemne him as not to answer when a question is asked you is contempt so not to regard the answer made when you have beene earnest in begging is no lesse contempt also if you had writ letters to a very friend about important businesse and had earnestly solicited him for an answer and hee were carefull in due time to send one if you should make account to heare of him no more should you not wrong him in your thoughts Or if hee did write if you should not vouchsafe to reade over his answer were it not a contempt of him so is it here when you have been earnest with God for blessings and regard not the answer and because verily this is a fault among us I will therefore endevour to discover to you the causes and discouragements The causes of this neglect are of two sorts which though they keepe you not from praying yet from this earnest expectation and reall and true making account to heare of answers of your prayers onely my scope is not to shew you so much the reasons why God denies you many requests as why even in your owne hearts you are discouraged after you have prayed as if they would not bee answered although God doth answer them These discouragements are partly temptations partly sinfull impediments wherein wee are more faulty 1 Temptations want of assurāce as 1. That because your persons are not accepted your prayers are not 1 Because your assurance that your persons are accepted is weake therfore your confidence that your prayers are heard is weake also For as God doth first accept the person and then our prayers so the beliefe that God doth accept our person is that which also upholds our hearts in confidence that our prayers shall be granted this you may finde in 1 Iohn 5. 13 14 15. in the 13. vers he sayes These things have I written to you that ye may know you have eternall life and upon that assurance this will follow Vers 14 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heares us c. And if we know he heares us we know we have the petitions wee desired of him Marke how he links these three together as effects and consequences each of other 1. These things I write unto you that you may be assured that life and heaven is yours as in 12. and 13. verses And upon that 2. this confidence wil follow in your hearts That God hears you that is that you have his eares open to you and his heart enlarged towards you and then 3. if you be assured that God heares you then from this will follow an assurance that You shall have any thing granted you desire yea and he makes this one of the maine and immediate effects of Assurance of justification therefore he sayes this is the confidence that we have in him that is this effect there is of this confidence for whereas they might say what benefit will accrue to us by this assurance why this saies hee which is one of the great and maine priviledges of a Christian even assurance that God will heare him and not only so but grant him all his prayers For when a man is assured God hath given him his Son he will then easily be induced to beleeve and expect How shal he not with him give mee all things Rom. 8. 32. If once he looks upon God as a Father he will then easily conceive that which Christ sayes If Fathers that are evill can give good things to their Children how much more shall not your Father give his spirit and all good things to them that aske them and if he gave his Son when wee did not pray to him how much more shall hee not with him give us
thou must lose thy life next moment if thou shouldst commit such a sinne wouldest thou venture if thou didst beleeve it Now The loving kindnesse of God is better than life and wilt thou lose the enjoying of it though but for a moment 4. It is folly to returne againe because the pleasures of sin will be much lesse to thee after thou hast had peace spoken Take them at the best when they are freshest and when thy palate was most in relish and taste with them when thou wert carnall and ere thou knewest what sweetnesse was in God and they then were but poor sorry pleasures but now they will prove farre more empty than before they are empty vaine pleasures even to him that hath thē in their flower and in his season of sinning and therefore all wicked men are weary and do inwardly complain of their condition onely they cannot finde sweetnesse in God and so are faine to keepe themselves to their husks but alas to thee they are farre lesse worth than to another man who knows not God and therefore thou art like to have a worse bargaine of it another man can make more money of a sinne and get more pleasure out of it than thou art able to doe For first thy conscience having beene scorched with sinne as scalt flesh deares more and is more sensible in comming to the fire than other parts of the body is become of a quicker sense whereas wicked mens is seared and so they commit all uncleannesse with greedinesse but thine is tender galled in the act which allayes much of the pleasure of thy sinne and mingleth the more bitternesse with it And 2. besides this galling of conscience which is common to thee with many an unregenerate man thou hast a principle of grace an inner man which is dead to such pleasures that tasts them not that is like Barzillai who through age 2 Sam. 19. 35. could not taste either what he ate or drank as young men doe no more can that New man in thee and therefore it can be but halfe as pleasant to thee as to another man If one side of a man be taken all with a numbe palsey what pleasure is it to that man to exercise his limbs in the actions of life He is but halfe a man and lives but halfe a life so it is with thee when thou hast grace in thy heart but halfe thy heart can take pleasure in sinning that new man the other halfe reluctates grieves for it hates what thou doest and all this must needs strike off much of the pleasure But 3. If wee adde to this that this new man in him having once tasted what sweetnes is in God and How good the Lord is is then like a man that hath eaten sweet-meats other things are out of taste with him and therefore also it is folly to returne No man sayes Christ Luke 5 ult having dranke old wine desireth new for hee saith the old is better a manused to high fare cannot agree so well with thinne dyet so the soule having beene used to taste of great pleasures in God the impression remembrance of them leaves his soule lesse satisfied than another mans a stomack that hath beene enlarged to full diet looks for it and riseth more hungry from a slender meale now communion with God inlarges the faculties and widens them and makes them more capable of greater joyes than other men have and therefore the creature is lesse able to fill them still he remembers with much griefe whilest he is eating his huskes what fare hee had in his fathers house and oh Then it was better with me than now Call me not Naomi but call mee Marah as she said For I went out full and am come home empty so doth hee say when he comes from the act of sinning he went with his heart full of peace and meeting with a bargaine of sinning thought to eke out his joy and make it fuller but hee comes home empty Vse 1 1 Use is to those who have had peace spoken to them let them at such times feare themselves and God most for then comes in this as you see here as the most seasonable admonition that can be given to returne no more to folly 1. Feare God then most for of all times else then sins provoke him most to come and call him Father and the guide of your mouth and yet to fall to sinne this is to doe as evill as you can you cannot doe worse Ier. 3 4 5. So Ezra 9. After such an escaping should we againe breake thy Commandements wouldest thou not be angry till thou hadst consumed us In times of affliction it is the property of a good childe to love GOD most in times of speaking peace to feare God most and his goodnesse and to fear to offend him for his goodnesse sake Did I onely say that God is provoked most then if you return to folly Nay I adde further he is grieved which is more then to be provoked and therfore you shall marke that expression and admonition not to grive Gods Spirit then comes in when the Spirit hath sealed us up to the day of redemption Ephes 4. 30. Then by sinning wee are said more properly to grieve him then before when hee hath so far ingaged himselfe to love a man and expressed himself to him and set his seale upon him for his God is angry with wicked mens sins but hee is grieved for yours To grieve him is more then to anger him Meere anger is an affection can ease it selfe by revenge and by comming even againe with the party and when wee can or intend to doe so our mindes are not so much aggrieved but please themselves rather to thinke of the revenge which wee meane to execute so when wicked men sinne whom GOD meanes to meet with hee is said to be angry rather then grieved and sayes I will ease my selfe of mine adversaries Isay 1. 24. and avenge my selfe of mine enemies But here as when a mans wife that lies in his bosome or his child shall wrong him so is it when one sins whom God hath set himselfe to love and done much for and made knowne his everlasting kindnesse unto and sealed to the day of redemption this goes to his heart grieves him rather then angers him and such are the truest and deepest griefes What should hee doe with you in this case if afflict you and by that meanes goe about to turne you from your iniquity therein he shall but afflict himselfe as it were for Though they rebelled yet when they were afflicted hee was afflicted Esay 63. 9 10. As when a Father that is a Magistrate or as one that maintaines a Student in a Colledge if either punisheth a childe or pupill in his purse he punisheth himselfe so must God afflict himselfe to afflict you Put not the Lord into these straits if you have any love in you And 2. as thou art therefore to feare God
most then so thy selfe most and to be more watchfull over thy own heart thou art then apt to returne to folly if thou takest not heed as when a man hath beene very hot or sweat much hee is apt to take the greatest cold Hezekiah after GOD sealed peace to him and answered his prayers and renewed the lease of his life his heart got cold he did returne to folly The reason is because then the heart is apt to grow lesse watchfull and to thinke it selfe fortified enough against any tentation As S. Peter having seene Christ transfigured in the Mount grew confident in his own strength And know that the Devill watcheth such an opportunity most for hee gets a great victory if he can foile thee then after hee hath beene foiled himselfe and when thou art most triumphing over him how many battels have beene lost through security of victory and recoyling of the enemy and besides our corrupt nature so farre as unrenewed is apt to gather heart to it selfe to slight sinne as thinking its pardon easily gotten Therefore when thou art tempted labour often to renew those thoughts which thou hadst of thy sinne at that time when thou wert suing for peace before thy peace was gotten when thou wouldest have given a world for Gods favour also what thoughts thou hadst of it when God spake peace how thou didst abhorr it yea thy self look what sin was most bitter to thee an enemy to thy peace as if uncleannesse Idlenes neglect of prayer ill company c. and preserve in thy heart those bitter apprehensions of it say of it thou hast bin a bloody sin to me as Moses wife said of her husband and though I have got peace my life saved yet it was a bloody sin to Christ his blood was shed to purchase this my peace shal I return to it And when tempted to it again have recourse to the kindnes God shewed thee in pardoning and say how shall I do this and sinne against God say as he said Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend 2. Sam. 16. 16. and what shall I Absalom-like now I am new reconciled to my Father fall a plotting treason again what shall I make more worke for prayer more worke for God breake my bones again lie roaring again Think thus I was burnt in the hād afore I shal be racked surely now Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Vse 3. The doctrine of assurance if not abused and of Gods speaking peace to men is no dangerous doctrin to make men secure and presumptuous in sinning when peace is preached in any mans heart this use naturally flowes from that Doctrin returne no more to folly The very scope of the whole Epistle of S Iohn is to help all beleevers to assurance as appeares by the 1. Iohn 1. 4 5. and the 5. Chap. 13. These things I write to you that yee might have communion with God and that your joy might be full But this will open a way to all licentiousnesse No sayes S. Iohn Chap. 2. 1. These things I write unto you that ye sin not nothing guards the heart more against tentations then the peace of God it is said to guard the heart Phil. 4. 2. Yea and if you doe sin the assurance of Gods love is the speediest way to recover you so it followes If any one doth sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father c. And hee that hath this hope in him that is to live with Christ and knowes what manner of love the Father beares us purifies himselfe as hee is pure 1. Iohn 3. 1 2 3. If there were no more but selfe-love in a man it were then no wonder if he doth abuse it For selfe-love where the love of God is wanting is unthankfull and ungratefull willing to take all the love and kindnesse which is afforded and abuse it and work upon it for its owne advantage and it is true also that because wee have too much of this principle unmortified in us therefore God trusteth so few with much assurance because they would abuse it But where true love to God is seated and much of it implanted there the love of God the peace of God doth as kindly and naturally enkindle and enflame and set it awork even as arguments sutable to self-love doe work upon and stirre that principle For grace is more for GOD then for our selves it being the image of Gods holinesse whose holinesse consists in this to aime at himselfe in all and therefore when Gods free grace towards a man is revealed it raiseth him up to higher straines of love to God and hatred of sin And therefore it is observable Psa 51. 12. that David when he prayes for the restoring of the joy of his salvation hee prayes not simply for it or alone but withall prayes for a free spirit Establish me with thy free spirit that is a spirit of ingenuity which is kindly sweetly and freely wrought upon therefore when we have a free spirit wrought in us then that free love that is in God towards us will worke most kindly upon it and constraines us to love him that loved us first The love of Christ constrains us 2. Cor. 5. 14. Because we thus judge that if Christ died for all then they which live should not live unto thēselves but unto him that died for them S. Paul gives the reason why this love of Christ did thus constraine him because hee did thus judge that is this consideration of Christs love hee having a principle of love in his heart to Christ hee found to be a powerfull prevailing reason to perswade him to live to Christ Having a new judgement hee saw force and strength in the argument And so shall we if we thus judge and it will have this naturall consequence as naturally to follow upon it in our hearts as any reason in any other kinde hath that is brought to enforce any other conclusion And therefore as the minde is constrained as it were to assent to a truth proved by force of reason that if you grant this then this or that will follow so because we judge this reasonable by an argument drawne out of loves Topicks that if Christ died for all who otherwise must themselues have died that then they should live to him this will constraine us to love him and live to him Amor Dei est extaticus nec se sinit esse sui luris THis Text and admonition here gives a ust occasion to consider a little of that so often questioned case of Conscience concerning relapses of Gods Children into the same sinnes and folly againe The case of relapsing into the same sinne after peace spoken resolved and whether after peace spoken Gods people may returne againe to folly Some have held that a man after a second repentance could not fall into the same sinne again others if he did it excluded him from mercy for time to come For