kingdom instead of them? The holy women that went to the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus with their spices, did not lose their labour, though they found him risen. What are all the enjoyments of the world to the spiritual mercies and comfort of the promises which thou findest in thy at- tendance on God ? Not so much as the dead body to ovu' I'isen Saviour. Thou findest not some dead creature comfort, but thou meetest with embraces from a living God.
CHAPTER XXVI.
HOW TO KNOW WHETHER A MERCY COMES TO US BY COMMON PROVIDENCE, OR AS A GRACIOUS ANSWER TO PRAYER, RESOLVED.
The last thing Satan abuseth the Christian with, to make him doubtful of the acceptance of his prayer, and also to question, when a mercy is given in after jTi'ayer, whether it comes as a gracious answer to it or no, is this, that the Avicked themselves have many, and those the same temporal mercies issued out unto them by the hand of common providence without prayer, which he receives. Now, saith Satan, how knowest thou that thy mercies come to thee as an answer of thy prayer, and not at the door of common providence, with them ? For the extricating thee out of this snare, thou must know, that we are not to expect extraordinary ways to determine this, but must satisfy ourselves with what light the word of God affords, which is able to resolve, not only this, but all our cases of conscience. It is true, that God doth sometimes cast in some such circumstances, as bring an evidence with them, that the mercy flies to us on the wings of prayer ; as, when upon Abraham's servant praying at the well for God's gracious conduct and help to despatch his master's business prosperously, that Rebecca should presently come forth, and by her kind carriage and invitation so fitly answer the moidd of his prayer; here God declared to his very sense that his prayer found the right way to heaven : when upon prayer the mercy is thus cast in strangely and suddenly without the con- currence of second causes, yea, when they all lie under a visible sentence of death, and the thing is put beyond the activity of their sphere to work. Thus, when the apostles healed the sick vipon a short prayer darted up to heaven. When Peter knocked at the door where the church was praying for him, what but prayer bound his keeper's senses so fast in the chains of sleep, and made those with which Peter was bound to fall off without any hand to help but Heaven's? What made the iron gate so officious to open to him that had no key in his hand to unlock it? Surely we must confess prayer opened heaven's door, and Heaven, at the church's prayer, opened the prison door. Yet, it is as true, that more commonly mercies that are won by prayer, come not with this pomp and observation ; but as converting grace often steals into the hearts of some with less terror and noise of humiliation than it dotli in others; so, truly, do answers to prayer (and the more commonly) come with more silence, and in the ordinary road, by the concurring help of second causes. As the Christian praying for the temporal provisions of this life, God answers his prayer by blessing his dilgence in his calling. The sick Christian praying, hath his food and physic thereby sanctified, and so recovers. Now, though God hath left himself at liberty, either to send his mercies by secondary hands, or when he pleaseth to be the messenger himself, and bring them in an extraordinary way ; yet hath he not left us at liberty to leave the ordinary road, and neglect the means, under a pretence of expecting extraordinary ways to have our desires.
Now, as to this ordinary way of giving in mercies in answer to prayer : First, Inquire whether thou, who didst put up the prayer, be in a covenant state. When God gives a mercy in answer to prayer, he is said to remember his covenant, Psa. cv. 8; and to be mindful of his covenant, Psa. cxi. 5. His eye is first on the person, taking notice whether it is his child or no, then his ear is open to his cry, Psa. xxxiv. 15 : ' The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.' ' Who art thou, my son?' said Isaac to Jacob, before he gave him the blessing. If God sees thou art not his child, (and liis eyes are not dim, like old Isaac's, that he can be deceived,) thy prayer is not accepted. Indeed, neither canst thou in that state pray, in a
PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC. QQ()