easily taken notice of by men and hath the praise of men but the Spirit of Prayer is only known to him that searcheth the hearts Rom. 8. 26 27. Could we discern who hath the Spirit of Prayer we might discern who is the Child of God the Father hath compassion on his sick Child though it cannot speak articulately nor speak at all but only sighs groans looks upon his Father and then his Bowels yearn Seventhly Our living in known sins and loving them may possibly not hinder the gift of Prayer but it cannot but damp the Spirit of Prayer true our sins may meritoriously deprive us of all gifts yea common gifts but sin is not so diametrically opposite to gifts as it is to grace and the Spirit of Prayer for the Spirit of Supplication is also the Spirit of Sanctification Rom. 1.4 the Spirit of grace Zach. 12.10 A little Box with Civet in it will smell long of it afterward Prayer is a conference with God a company keeping with him and every man is better by that company and conference He that refrains not sin may be said to restrain Prayer from God Iob 15.4 Supplication will either subdue sin or sin will cause Prayer to cease either Prayer it self or at least the spiritual performance of it Eightly He that hath only the gift of Prayer may make frequent mention and have some general minding of Jesus Christ But he that hath the grace of Prayer lays all his weight and leans only upon the Lord Jesus in whose Name only he hopes to be heard Ninthly The one is satisfied with the performance of the duty and resteth in the work done especially if he have the praise of men the other is not satisfied with any thing on this side Grace and the Love and Favour of God Lastly To omit more particulars every certain sign of Faith Hope Love or other the sanctifying or saving Graces of Gods Spirit is a sufficient Character of the Spirit of Prayer as it is distinguished from the common gift of Prayer I have been the more careful to shew this difference because some mens gifts in Prayer have been such a snare to some well minded weak souls that they presently thereupon deemed them to be Saints yea and greedily embraced their errors and wicked practises CHAP. VII Of the Spirit of Prophecy mentioned Act. 2.17 18. THE Lord here promiseth a plentiful powerful and withal a prudent effusion of his Spirit for he saith he will not only drop but pour and yet not all my Spirit but of my Spirit on all flesh men of all Nations Gentiles as well as Jews men of all conditions sons or servants men of all ages old or young persons of both Sexes sons or daughters and that they shall Prophecy Now Prophecying frequently in holy Scripture and probably in this place is a speaking to men to edification and exbortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14.3 The Sum and Substance of their Speech for the matter thereof was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great things of God vers 11. Probably such great things as the blessed Virgin did praise God for viz. the Incarnation Conception Nativity of the Lord Jesus Luk. 1.49 and also the Innocency Miracles Death Passion Resurrection Ascension of the Lord Jesus who is called wonderful Isa 9.6 As for this Sermon of Peter it is not recorded for an Epitomie of what they spake but an Apologie and Justification of their persons from that base imputation of drunkenness and also of their Doctrine from Falsehood and Novelty by proving it by the old Testament Visions and Dreams being both of them divine representations of things to men do thus differ Dreams are to a man when asleep Visions are representations of things to the eye either of the mind or body when awake Dreams Visions are but dimmer darker representations of Gods mind God did speak more freely clearly friendly familiarly to Moses Numb 12.6 7 8. And now in these last days he hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 they both of them differ from Prophesying though such were called Seers and Dreamers 1 Sam. 9 9. Deut. 13.1 Prov. 29.18 Isa 1.1 for man is meerly Passive in the one and Active in the other by Dreams and Visions God speaks to men Psal 89. 19. Numb 12.6 by Prophesying one man speaks to another 1 Cor. 14.3 In the one they receive Instruction and by the other they vent it their Dreams and Visions did furnish them for Prophesying The great Question is When and in Whom this Prophesie was fulfilled which I shall endeavour to answer in certain Propositions The First is It is most plain and certain that the Prophesie was fulfilled at that time so Peter doth assert vers 16. and the Spirit did then descend upon them and they began to speak with other Tongues Act. 2.2 3 4. and they that probably in the morning could understand none but their Mother Tongue Act. 10.44 45. nor could read one letter of the Book were by the Spirit enabled not only to read but to understand and translate the Hebrew Greek Syriack Arabick into their own Mother Tongue yea to speak and Preach in several Tongues the wonderful things of God vers 11. as able yea more ably then if they had been Masters of Arts Doctors of Divinity Professors of the Hebrew Syriack Chaldee and the other Languages yea they were able to deliver sound Doctrine and to dispute for it Act. 6.9 This was a wonderful and miraculous pouring out of the Spirit shortly after Christs Ascension into Heaven and for the honor of it Ephes 4.8 and in performance of his promise to his Apostles Act. 1.4.5 and immediately preceding in order of time as well as of the Text those strange prodigies that threatened the ruin of Jerusalem Vers 19 20. That God might have a Church amongst the Gentiles before the fall of the Jewish Church And as the miraculous confusion of Tongues was the casting off of the Heathen Gen. 11.7 so the gift of Tongues in this variety was a means of their conversion And if the Prophecy was fulfilled at this time as doubtless it was it is enough Sundry Prophesies neither have been nor shall be any more fulfilled then once it is too much when a Prophesie is fulfilled once to expect it should be fulfilled again or because it was fulfilled in one Age therefore to expect it shall be fulfilled in every Age. If this Text was fulfilled after this time it must be understood principally of the Apostles for they that spake in this place were Peter and the Eleven Acts 2.14 called Galileans vers 7. and therefore their Preachings and Prophecyings were the principal accomplishments of this Prophesie And then Secondarily of Prophets and Prophetesses 1 Cor. 12.28 Such as Agabus was and the Daughters of Philip the Evangelist Act. 11. Act. 21.10 Indeed it were to be wished that all the Lords people were Prophets but not that they may Prophesie till they be Prophets
THE HOLY GHOST ON THE BENCH OTHER SPIRITS AT THE BAR Or the Judgment of the Holy Spirit of God upon the Spirits of the Times Recorded in Holy Writ And Reported by Richard Hollinworth Mancuniens London Printed by J. M. for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Parrot in Pauls-Churchyard 1656. To the Reader Gentle Reader IF thou beest Pious and Prudent and lovest Gods truth and the Churches Purity and Peace This plain Piece will not be unacceptable to thee The Subject is seasonable and suitable enough and I have endeavoured to handle it so far as I meddle with it solidly satisfactorily and also succictly omitting Illustrations Illations yea and Applications also that thou mightest have much fruit in a few small Leaves and not read long for a little If the Doctrine be sound I shall leave thee to make the use My desire and design is the suppression of sin and wickedness and whereas wickedness according as one or other of the three enemies of our salvation is predominant is either fleshly as Adultery Fornication Gluttony Drunkenness Or wordly as Covetousness injustice oppression extortion Or Divelish as Schism Heresie Blasphemy Contempt of Magistracy Ministery and other Ordinances of God The first of which was too much indulged in former times and the third to say nothing of the second is as much indulged in these times I am not now to fight against flesh and blood but against the spiritual evils of the times which are both sins and judgments and shew both mans wickedness and Gods wrath and are to say no more as leavening Matt. 16.6.11 12. Gal. 5.9 Antichristian 1 Ioh. 2.22 and 4.3 and 2 Ep. Ioh. v. 7. Sathanical Ioh. 8.44 1 King 22.22 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Act. 13.10 2 Tim. 3.8 as prophaneness is though now more practised Preached and pleaded for then formerly I am not able to encounter with them my self alone when these enemies come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against them I desire not to speak any thing my self but to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches and to report what judgment he gives as he hath left it on Record in holy Scripture in which are written the great things of the Law and the gracious glorious things of the Gospel O let them not be accounted a small thing The ensuing Tract doth represent that the holy Ghost doth as it were cite or summon and cause several spirits to be apprehended and brought to Tryal and that he sets down certain distinctive Signes and Symptomes of the Spirit of God and other Spirits And Lastly That he doth examine and determine some particular cases brought before him concerning the Spirit of Prayer the Spirit of Prophesie the witnesing Spirit the Ministerial and Anti-ministerial Spirit And when this Treatise hath made this representation it gives up the Ghost It hath been my hearts desire and Prayer that I might represent these judicial proceedings aright It is my hearts desire and prayer that thou mayest receive them aright And that the high and holy Spirit of God may be with thy Spirit and with the Spirits of all Saints and particularly with the spirit of him who is the least of all Saints Manchester March 1. 1655 6 R. H. An Epistle Good Reader I Cannot conceal the contentment that I took in this little but judicious Treatise when it was brought to me for perusal The communications of Gods Spirit are made matter of scorn by some and by others a meer pretence what more usual now then for fanaticall persons to pretend to a peculiarity of the Spirit as the filthy Gnosticks in the primitive times gave out that all others were carnal they only were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual men as having a special presence of the Spirit in them Vide Iraeneum Lib. 5. to adversus heresis cap. 11. passim alibi and therefore their pride is supposed to be taxed by the Apostle Jude vers 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensual not having the Spirit that is by their bruitish practises they plainly shewed they had least of that Spirit to which they did pretend Tertullian when he turned Montanist wrot a Book Adversus Psychicos against the carnal or animal men intending thereby the Orthodox But this is not all how often do such kind of persons father the Brats of their own carnal hearts upon the Holy Ghost and intitle the suggestions of the Devil that evil spirit to the impulsions of that holy Spirit of promise by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption Therefore it much concerneth the Ministers of the Gospel to vindicate the honour of God and to put people upon trying the Spirits and in a matter of such concernment to give them the best light they can You will bear with me a little in my folly for uch I account it to be to acquaint the world with the course of my private Ministery and indeed bear with me 2 Cor. 11.1 whilest I tell you that considering the necessity of the present times wherein some deny the Personality and God-head of the Spirit others counterfeit his Presence and Operations and many mishapen and monstruous conceits are obtruded upon the world concerning both I thought I could not better serve the present truth and accomplish the ends of my Ministery than by clearing up the whole Doctrine of the Spirit as touching his Godhead and Personality His Effusion first upon Christ as the Head sensibly at his Baptism Mat. 3. On the Apostles as the chief Agents and Factors for his Kingdom on the day of Penticost Act. 2. Then upon all Beleivers till his second comming especially on the Ministers of the Gospel who are ordinarily presumed to have a more plentiful measure of the Spirit according to that place which they sustain in the body Next my work was to state the manner of his Presence the quality of his Operations in Inlightning Sanctifying Witnessing Comforting Strengthning Quickning awakening thoughts of and desires after our blessedness in Heaven more especially the influence of the Spirit upon the duties of Prayer and Preaching And after all this I took occasion to speak of resisting grieving and quenching the Spirit on the one side and of gratifying and glorifying the Spirit on the other in all which discourses I mainly intended a Direction to Christians to guide them in the tryal of Spirits and whilest I was considering of making this work more publiquely useful how happily am I prevented by the pains of this Godly Learned and judicious Authour who hath treated of the same things almost in the same Method and that in such a succinct and strengthy way that if thou complain of any thing it will be of want of Words not of Matter so Much being spoken in so Little a compass for my part I cannot but profess my joy That the Lord hath inclined the heart of such an able person to such an Argument Now
this good Lord bless his Labours to thine Use I am Thine in all Christian Service Tho. Manton The Contents CHAP. I. OF Tryal of Spirits in general Folio 1 CHAP. II. Of the Properties of the Spirit of God with the vindication of them from common mistakes Folio 13 CHAP. III. Of four other Qualifications of the Spirit of God and the vindication of them Folio 23 CHAP. IIII. Containing two other Properties of the Spirit of God Folio 31 CHAP. V. Of the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Shewing how he doth assist in Prayer Folio 40 CHAP. VI. Of the difference between the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and the common gift of Prayer Folio 50 CHAP. VII Of the Spirit of Prophesie mentioned Act. 2.17 18. Folio 57 CHAP. VIII Of the witnessing Spirit mentioned Rom. 8.16 Folio 73 CHAP. IX Of the continuance of the Ministerial Spirit and Office in all ages on Isa 66.21 Folio 86 CHAP. X. Of the Spirit of Corah and his gainsaying on Jude vers 11. Folio 106 ERRATA PAge 2. l. 8. for permission read commission l. 10. for commission r. permission p. 3. l. 2. for shews r. would shew l. 16. for spirit of r. spirits of p. 5. l. 3. for into r. unto p. 9. l. 1. for Templers r. Temples p. 12. l. 15. for thy r. the p. 13. l. 9. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 15. l. 6. for unsuitable to good r. unsuitably to do good p. 16. l. 12. for Uzzah's r. Uzziah's P. 17. l. 1. for the Apostles pray r. the Apostle prays l. 6. for there are r. there are p. 19. l. 3. for inconstancy r. incontinency p. 26. l. 12. for fleight r. sleight p. 22. l. ult for first r. fifth p. 29. l. 16. for bot r. not for â—n r. an p. 49. l. 8. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 62. l. 17. for certain 〈◊〉 certainly l. ult for gelist came r. gelist come p. 64. l. 1. for bouted r. 〈…〉 CHAP. I. Of Tryal of Spirits in the general THere are evil Spirits as well as good reprobate Angels which did not abide in the truth as well as Elect Angels which were confirmed in grace and truth The Scripture mentions a Spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2.12 a mans own spirit Ezek. 13.3 a perverse spirit Isa 19.2 a spirit of Divination a spirit of Antichrist a spirit of error and giddiness as well as a spirit of truth of Faith of Love of Meekness as Satan sets up false gods in opposition to the true and living God and false Christs in opposition to the true Christ so he also sets up lying spirits in opposition of the true Spirit false Apostles false Prophets false Ministers in opposition of the true and faithful Ministers of Christ And the worser sort of Spirits are abroad Satan walks up and down too and fro in the earth Many false Prophets are gone out into the world they have from God a kind of permission though no approbation 1 King 22.22 and from men too much commission and connivence and this comes to pass by the wise and gracious ordering of God Partly for the punishment both of Ministers which have too much complyed with the Sins Errors and Schismes of the times and of Professors which have loathed Manna grown wanton and weary of the most holy and wholesome truths and desirous of Novelties And partly for the probation and tryal of the truly sincere and sound Pastors and People Deut. 13.1.2 1 Cor. 11.19 As Josephs chastity was tryed by his strong temptations to uncleanness Gen. 39. or possibly God shews us the misery and mischief of toleration under which as we plainly see whatsoever is dear and precious in the eyes of God and his People is basely prophaned and abused It is therefore necessary that we should try the Spirit Indeed it is not easie to discern the difference of Spirits a bodily blemish as defect of an eye an arme or hand is discernable by every child or fool but a defect in the Intellectuals is less discernable and spiritual deceits are spun with the finest thred and least of all discoverable or confutable yet it is dangerous not to discern them The spirit of some Herbs are as hurtful as others are healthful The House and Home of good Spirits is Heaven of bad ones Hell each of them labour to conduct men to the respective places from whence themselves do come Adam and Eve not discerning Satan in the Serpent plunged both their persons and posterity into a world of woe and misery and many of their posterity are in like manner cheated into Hell 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. The Persons that are to try are the Church of God the Catholique and particular Churches Pastors Governors and every Christian Those that are truly Regenerate have in measure the Spirit of God and them God will keep that either they shall not erre foully or not finally And those that have onely the common gift of the Spirit may thereby be enabled soundly though not sanctifyingly or savingly to discern and discover errors Tryal is in order to passing judgment and though private Christians have not the judgment of decision yet they have and are to use the judgment of private practical discretion that their faith may not be implicite and blind resting only upon men But alass what ever right or liberty all Christians have sundry of them have no ability of trying spirits at least not in all cases as Infants in age Ideot's and those that are weak in the faith which are indeed to be cherished and received but not into doubtful disputations Rom. 14.1 Castles cannot be built in the Aire Foundations must be laid and Walls built before the Roof can be laid or Pinacle set up Some have need of milk and not of strong meat being unskilful in the word of righteousness Heb. 5.12 13. Oh that they would learn the first principles of the Oracles of God and build themselves in their holy faith upon firm Foundations which through Gods wisdome and goodness are more plain and easie before they exercise themselves in matters too hard and high for them Psal 131.1 The Spirits that are to be tryed are those Spirits that we have need and occasion as well as ability to try All Spirits need not trying either because their folly and falsehood is manifest to all men at the first sight Those that Preach other Gospels are to be accursed Gal. 1.7.8 They are neither to be entertained in our house nor saluted by the way 2 Ioh. 10. When Cerinthus was in the Bath Iohn disputed not with him but leaped out from him Get thee behind me Satan is good in this case Or because they have been duly tried alreadie there is a time of trying and but a time and then there is a time of holding fast that which upon trial we find good and abstaining from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.21 The Beraeans having by scarching
enemy to Timothy and other Ministers and their sound Doctrine and Teaching yet he is not an enemy to all Teaching he will admit that men shall get themselves an heap of corrupt and flattering Teachers 2 Tim. 4.2 3. and that Jeroboam should set up Idolatrous Priests of the lowest of the people and consecrate whosoever will which yet indeed were good enough for their Gods for they were but Calves so he sets up false Apostles false Ministers and As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so do these men resist the truth being men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith Secondly In case there be some notorious pollution prophanation or corruption of that Ordinance which Elies Sons were in their Sacrificing guilty of 1 Sam. 2.12 13. whereby not only themselves were made vile but the Lords people possibly the better part of them were made to transgress because they abhorred not only that corruption but also the offering of the Lord because of it Thirdly In case that Ordinances be set up against Ordinances Church against Church and Altar against Altar Some saith Paul Preached Christ of envy and strife and contention Phil. 1.16 those which say they are of Christ in opposition to Peter and Paul are reproved 1 Cor. 1.12 so far as the holiest Minister that lives doth never so rightly and skilfully Preach the Word or administer other Ordinances in contention and opposition to any faithful though possibly not so well gifted Minister or people he therein doth the work of Satan and not of God CHAP. V. Of the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Shewing how he doth assist in Prayer THat the Spirit doth help us to Pray I need not to prove only I shall endeavuor to search out the manner how he helps And that First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First The Holy Ghost doth not immediately inspire the Method Matter words of Prayer as he inspired the holy men of God in their Prophesying and Penning of holy Scriptures for if he did then as those Prophesies were purely divine infallible free from any fault or failing corruption yea and indiscretion in the form phrase method or manner of them so also should the words of our Prayers be also perfect purely divine infallible c. but by sad experience we find the contrary 2ly It had been a sin I conceive for the Prophets or men of God not to have delivered the very same Message they received of the Lord both for matter manner and method but it cannot be conceived to have been a sin in any Saint of God against the guidance and governance of Gods Spirit if he had used another Method or Phrase of words in his morning Devotions then then he did Secondly The Spirit is not in our prayers properly the person praying or petitioning that is below the High and Holy Spirit of God Arrius Macedonius and others more lately do abuse Rom. 8.26 27. and finding him as they fancy upon his knees they degrade him from his Deity but Augustine Answers the Spirit is said to Pray as we say Solomon builded the House yet he was a Magistrate a King not a Mason or Carpenter he directed how to build found out Workmen furnisht them with Materials and Money for the work Indeed all the Persons in the Trinity are Authors of our Supplications as well as of our Sanctification Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa but every one in his order the Father and Son do Sanctifie and also help us to pray by the Holy Ghost Thirdly The Spirit doth not make Intercession for us after the same manner that Christ doth Romans 8.34 Christ maketh Intercession in Heaven presenting himself to God for us as the high Priest did bear the names of the children of Israel upon his Shoulders and upon his Brest-Place noting to us that he would bear them up and bear them out that he loves them and they lie near to his heart Exod. 28.12.28 29. but the Spirit of God doth make Intercession in us upon Earth there is a vast difference which somewhat doth resemble this between directing or drawing up a Petition to a Prince or State and the preferring presenting it speaking to it and pleading for it the one may be done in the Country the other must be done at the Court. Fourthly The help of the Spirit of God in Prayer is not to be understood exclusively with relation to other Ordinances as though he did not help Godly Ministers to Preach and Godly men to hear remember and practise as well as to pray for the Sons of God are led by the Spirit in the one as well as the other Rom. 8.14 and he as hath been before shewed is the Spirit of wisdom of the fear of the Lord and of grace as well as of Supplication Now these have a general influence upon the whole conversation and not only upon Prayer We are to walk in the Spirit to sing with the Spirit to serve God in the Spirit Rom. 1.9 Ioh. 4.24 Fiftly The help of the Spirit of God doth not prohibit evacuate or invalidate other helps John did not sin in teaching his Disciples to Pray Luk. 11.1 nor did the Disciples of Christ sin in desiring Christ to teach them to pray and yet they did not consider Christ as God as Head of the Church or Saviour of the world but as their Master pressing him with the example of John the Baptist and perswading him to imitate it they it seems did not understand or not remember the mind and meaning of Christ in his Sermon Mat. 6.6 7. brief notes whereof are in Luk. 6. Therefore they here desire that he would teach them to pray and our Saviour saith not ye have the Spirit therefore you need not to be taught nor saith he John was to blame to teach them to pray nor I will teach you as being the Head of the Church but I oughe not to teach you as your Master no I will send my Spirit to teach you and in the mean time I will not help you but he teacheth them again giving them hence a special rule of direction to whom for what and in what manner and order they ought to pray as also we have a short directory 1 Tim. 2.1 And the Israelites were appointed to take unto them words Hosea 14.2 though the Spirit of God doth put us in remembrance Ioh. 14.26 yet Ministers also may yea must put people in remembrance of what is necessary 2 Pet. 1.12.15 the same may be said of Prayer Thus much for the Negative how the Spirit of God doth not help in Prayer Now I shall endeavor by the help of his Spirit and your Prayers to shew Affirmatively how the Spirit of God doth help in prayer and that help is of two sorts Habituating or Actuating the one is more remote and the other more neerer The one qualifies the person praying the other the Prayer it self The Spirit of God as to the person is First an Enlightening Spirit Secondly
an Enlivening Spirit Thirdly an Enlarging Spirit First He is a Spirit of Light enlightening the person discovering our needs necessities our dangers and duties our cases and cures he shews us our sins our selves and the means of our Salvation Ioh. 16.9 and consequently what we should pray for Secondly He is the Spirit of Life enlivening a man Rom. 8.2 When God made man he breathed into his Body the Breath of Life and when a man is converted the Spirit of Life is breathed into the soul as the body without the soul is dead so the soul without this Spirit of Life is dead also A man that marries an Inheretrix is Tenant by the Curtesie of England if he beget a Son which is born and cries it is much presumed that if there be life there will be crying The Spirit of grace is the Spirit of Supplication Zach. 12.10 Paul a new born Babe falls a crying Act. 9.11 without life there can be no crying Thirdly He is the Spirit of Liberty and not of Liberty only but of Adoption also enlarging the soul with faith and love to God Rom. 8.15 only Sons can call God father Christ in his Prayer called God Father six or seven times Ioh. 17. This Fatherhood is a good foundation of Faith and Prayer Christ taught us to call God our Father children cry Dad and Mam. I shall now come to those Acts of the Spirit that are nearer to and have more influence upon the Prayer Which are these First The Spirit of God doth invite excite us to pray as Satan suggests evil motions to hinder it so the Spirit of God suggests good motions Rev. 22.19 The Spirit saith venite oremus come let us pray Secondly The Spirit of God doth discover to us our present wants and needs that we which of our selves know not what to pray for may know what to pray for Rom. 8.26 Thirdly The Spirit brings to our remembrance the savory and suitable phrases and passages of holy Writ especially the precious Promises which are most pertinent are brought to our minds and memories by this Spirit of Promise Ioh. 14.26 Eph. 1.13 Promises and Prayers are like figure 6. and of 9. the very same figure only the Promises like the figure of 9. do bend downward and Prayers like the figure of 6. do point upward Fourthly He excites corroborates and strengthens the graces of prayer faith hope and love c. That they lye not as sparks under the ashes he fills the Sails of the soul with a fair wind and carries it with a full sail Heb. 10.12 as Satan filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira to lye so he fills the hearts of the Saints to cry Our hearts saith one are dead and dull and lye like a Log in a Ditch and though we toil and tug with them we cannot lift them up but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he enlivens our graces and raises up our souls Rom. 8.26 Fiftly He enlargeth our affections in prayer with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered in words or phrases as one who is so sore burden'd oppressed and grieved that he cannot express it Rom. 8 26. Sixtly It teacheth us to take care and make conscience that now especially in Prayer we offend not in our tongue Psal 39.1 It restrains that petulancy and extravagancy of words and wit great swelling words of vanity vain bablings idle repetitions c. and so far as the Spirit doth assist us in our words he teacheth us to pray in the words of truth and soberness CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and the common gift of Prayer THe help of the Spirit of God is not in all alike some have only a common gift of Prayer such are as canting Beggers which by use and custome have got an artificial trade of begging such were the cunning women in Iewry and the like in Ireland that have Lachrimas venales Tears to sell and others have a special gift or grace of Prayer and though even the common gift be from the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Yet I shall crave leave thus to distinguish these works by calling the first of them the gift of Prayer and the second I shall call as Zachary calls it Zach. 12.10 The Spirit of Prayer And thus they differ First Hypocrites may have the gift of Prayer as well as the gift of Prophecying Mat. 7.22 so had Iudas but only the Saints have the Spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.26 27. Secondly Possibly all Saints have not the gift of Prayer or skill to conceive and compose a Prayer suitable to their several occasions as Children or Babes in Christ but all Saints have the Spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 Thirdly The gift of Prayer is only exercised in vocal Prayer and that in conceived Prayer too but the Spirit of Prayer may be found in silent Ejaculations as in Nehemiah Ch. 2.4 and Hannah whose words were not heard and Eli supposed she had been drunk but she was full of the Spirit of God as they were Act. 2. Yea though a word be not uttered Ex. 14. 15. the heart hath a tongue that God can hear Jesus Christ prayed the same words thrice though he had not the Spirit by measure and he exercised the Spirit of Prayer as much or more the last time then the first So we may sing Davids Psalms in the spirit 2 Chron. 29.30 Hence it also follows that Tyrants may rob us of the exercise of the gift of Prayer but not of the Spirit of Prayer the tongue of the Spirit cannot be cut out when a man cannot speak the Spirit may pray Fourthly They that have the gift of Prayer they have apt expressions outward enlargements they court God and complement with him profess more then is true and promise more then they mind to perform they draw nigh to God with their mouth Matth. 15.8 But they that have the Spirit of Prayer have sometimes yea at all times when their Spirit is lively deep impressions upon their heart devout affections soul inlargements sighs and groans of the soul are the life and soul of Prayer sighs and sobs grieving and groaning are good Rhetorick in the Closet between God and us their affections are too big for their expressions Rom. 8.26 27. words are but the outside of Prayer Fiftly The gift of Prayer is only or chiefly of use when we joyn with others the Spirit of Prayer is of as much use when we are alone Sixtly The gift of Prayer is apt to puff men up with pride because he can pray better then others it makes men censorious and contemptuous of others saying or thinking at least I am not as this Publican Luk. 18.11 or stand by thy self I am more holy then thou Isa 65.5 But the Spirit of Prayer doth shew men so much of their own wants and weaknesses that they are ashamed of themselves that they are humble mean in their own eyes and prefer others before themselves the one is