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A87871 A discourse of praying with the spirit, and with the understanding. Where of extemporary premeditate set forms of prayer. Preached in two sermons at Hillsborough anno 1659. By Henry Leslie (maugre all antichristian opposition) Bishop of Down and Conner. And now published for the redresse of the great abuse of prayer in that diocesse, whereof he had, and ought to have a charge. Whereunto is annexed a letter of Jer. Taylor, D.D. concerning the same subject. Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667. 1660 (1660) Wing L1162; Thomason E1041_4; ESTC R207928 28,259 45

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we must use the means we must seek and labour to find out the truth for we must search the Scriptures John 5.39 we must seek wisedom as silver and search for her as for bidden treasurs Prov. 2.4 we must separate our selves and seek wisdom as it is Proverbs 18.1 Through desire a Man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom First the holy Spirit stirs up in us a desire of heavenly wisdom then this desire makes us to separate our selves from the World and worldly thoughts to retire into the closet of our own hearts by holy meditation and to seek God diligently in the use of the means and then the wisdom of God which before seemed foolishness is by the illumination of the Spirit made so known unto us that we cannot but discern and admire it So much the Apostle hath taught us Chap. 2.13 saying we speak not in the words which mans wisedom teacheth but which the holy ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with spirituall things Where we see that the Holy-Ghost doth teach us words which mans wisedom cannot teach but it is upon our cooperation our study and endeavour while we compare spiritual things with spiritual things And so the holy Spirit worketh faith in us faith is the gift of God of God only he not only gives the power to believe but also brings forth the art as the Apostle tells us Philip. 1.29 It is given unto you for to believe Faith is reckoned amongst the gifts of the Spirit Gal 5.22 And the Apostle mentioneth the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 And yet the Spirit doth not work faith in us without means but requireth our own endeavonrs for saith St. Augustine He who made thee without thine own help will not justifie thee without thine own help we must use the means diligently hear read and meditate in Gods word for faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. 17. And they who neglect to use the means must never think that the holy spirit will inspire them immediately with the grace of faith Thus you see how the holy spirit now worketh in directing the Church to discern the canonicall books in perswading us of the truth of Gods word in leading us into all truth and in begetting the grace of faith in us that in all these he requireth our own endeavours and consequently he requireth the same in all his other gifts and productions Therefore I may safely conclude that so and no other wayes the spirit inableth us to pray namely in the use of means both natural and artificiall That prayer is the gift of the spirit no man can deny for saith the Apostle we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom 8.26 where I desire you to observe the word which the Apostle useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a double compound an ingeminate expression and signifieth that he joynes in relieving he bears or lifts with us helping us in our labours together with him So that if we would have the holy Spirit help us to pray we must labour we must make use of our own judgment and reason and not only make use of our natural faculties but also of our learning and industry we must diligently read and meditate in Gods word that we may be acquainted with the style of the holy ghost and there learn to frame our prayer aright both for the matter and for the forme And when we thus study the addresses which we make unto God we may be sure of the direction and assistance of the spirit for God helpeth industry and his spirit now worketh by means and then most assists us when we most endeavour So that albeit we cannot now pray by immediate inspiration and in a strange tongue yet we may and must pray by the direction and assistance of the spirit in the use of the means The spirit directs us to pray in the Word and assists us inwardly with his motions He directeth us to pray in the word for there we have many Godly prayers psalmes and hymnes recorded for our use And we may use them either as prayers or patterns to frame our prayers by First we may use them as prayers for no prayer that we can make can be compared with them for piety and devotion neither can any man now presume to have such a measure of the spirit as those holy penmen had whose prayers and hymnes are by the spirit of God consigned unto the use of the Church for ever And so some of them have been alwayes used for that wild conceit that now possesseth men was not known in former ages namely that our prayers should wast themselves away in the making and like smoak vanish in the ascending that they should never be reiterated but still conceived new and that as often as we make our adresses unto God we should vary both our matter and words This is the divinity of many men in this age who measure God by their own bellies thinking that he doth loath to have the same sacrifices offered dayly as they do to be fed still with the same meat without change of dyet But such devotion was never known unto the people of God for they alwaies practised the contrary The Priests under the law by Gods own direction used the same words in blessing the people every day which are set down Numb 6.24 25 26. David at the removing of the Ark used the same prayer Psal 68.1 which was at first composed by Moses for that use Numb 10.35 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered The same David composed many prayers and psalmes for the use of the Tabernacle the Ninety second Psalm is entituled a song for the sabbath day the same being composed to be sung every sabbath when there was a holy convocation unto the Lord. It is said 2. Cron. 29.30 That Ezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing prayses unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asapth the Seer The Prophet Hosea prescribes unto the repenting Isralites a set form of prayer which he will have them to use Chap. 14.2 take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously so will we render the calves of our lips c. John the Baptist taught his disciples a form of prayer as appeareth Luke 11.1 And Christ hath taught us a most exquisite form and hath commanded us to use it saying when you pray say our Father c. But now that prayer is rejected and a countermand given when you pray say not our Father and certainly such a direct opposition against Christ must needs proceed from the spirit of Antichrist St. John Rev. 15.3 saw in a vision those who had gotten the victory over the beast praising God and they sung the song of Moses the Jews in their dayly liturgy used the song of Moses albeit they never had the same occasion again which brought