20.12 as Jeremiah expresses it Isa 63.9 He is afflicted in all our Afflictions and pities us therein Psal 103.13 as a Father pities his Children 2. Prayer is a Remedy against Afflictions Psal 138.3 as thereby we obtain support and Comfort under them or Deliverance from them And I may say as much of Prayer Heb. 11.3 c. as the Apostle doth of Faith Jam. 5.16 the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much It turned the Heart of Esau Gen. 32.11 it put to Flight the Amalekites Ex. 17.11 Numb 14.17 It held God's Hand Exod. 23.11 It turned away his wrath Joshua 10.12.13 It stay'd the Sun in the Firmament It opened Heaven Jam. 5.17.18 and shut it again Yea time would fail me to tell of David Asa Jehoshaphat Hezehiah Esther The Prayer made by the Church for Peter which open'd the Prison-doors The thundering Legion in the Time of Aurelius which were so prevalent for the Emperour against his Enemies when he was in a great Strait that he thereupon wrote to the Senate to forbear the Persecution of them of which amongst others we may read Tertullians Apology Cap. 5. and Eusebius Lib. 5. Cap. 5. And the Reason of this Efficacy of Prayer is because they are his Children that pray to him their Prayers are indited by the Holy-Ghost and presented by Jesus Christ 3. Though God do not alwayes answer the Desires of his People in Prayer yet he many Times quiets their Hearts so as they go away satisfied as one that hath left the Management of his Affairs in the hands of a Friend who he knows is both faithful and able to look after them As Hannah when she had poured forth her Soul before the Lord 1 Sam. 1.15.18 went away and her Countenance was no more sad And we find that often verified which Bernard saith of himself Serm. 32. In Cant. Quoties me Oratio quem pene desperantem suscepit reddidit exultantem et de Venià presumentem he went to Prayer oftentimes even despairing and returned rejoycing and confident of Pardon Thus we shall find David beginning his Psalms many times with mournful complaints which he ends with Thanksgiving and Triumph as particularly Psal 6. Psal 13. Psal 22. Psal 28. Psal 69. Psal 142. But Secondly hereby sometimes are meant moral or Spiritual Infirmities Psal 10. as the Psalmist accounts it his Infirmity when he was ready to give up his Hopes and to complain of God as if he had forgot to be gracious And these are the Infirmities which the Apostle requires the strong to bear with in the weak Rom. 15.1 Now here it seems to signifie those spiritual Infirmities which we are subject to in our prayers by what followes in the Text and I shall make it more fully appear in mine ensuing discourse Rom 8.35 It is said he makes Intercession for us Which is not to be understood as if he did mediate or intercede for us as Christ doth who doth also make Intercession for us Neither doth he intercede in us using us only as Instruments to express his Mind as evil Spirits speak by those who are possessed by them but what he doth is by way of Assistance lifting over against us as the Greek word is by many interpreted as he that lifts over against another to help him when he is lifting at something that is too heavy for him And he is said to intercede because he helps us therein or causeth us to intercede As in one Place it is said the Spirit of Adoption cryeth Abba Father Gal. 4.6 in another Place that We thereby cry Abba Rom. 8.15 Father 1 King 8.13 As Solomon is said to build the Temple at Jerusalem because he directed encouraged and furnished Materials for the Building of it Both Christ and the Holy-Ghost are concerned in our Prayers Ephs 2.18 It is by Jesus Christ through one Spirit that we have Access to the Father 1 Jo. 2.1 Jo. 14.16.26 And the same Word translated Advocate when applyed to Jesus Christ is likeways frequently applyed to the Holy Ghost And as Advocates do not only plead for their Clients but many times dictate to them what they should say So both Christ and the Spirit are as Advocates to us And as Nathan did first suggest to Bathsheba what she should say 1 King 1.12 c. and then came in himself to confirm her Words to second them further to urge them So the Spirit doth first assist us in drawing up our Petitions for which Cause we are said to pray in or by the Spirit or Holy Ghost Ephes 6.18 Jude 20. And in this respect as is generally supposed he is called the Spirit of Supplication Zech. 12.10 And when we have presented our Petitions then Christ doth by his Intercession further confirm them and plead with the Father on our Behalf Now I shall shew particularly what are those Infirmities which we are subject to in Prayer and how the Spirit helps them And the first Infirmity I shall speak of is that which the Apostle here mentions in the Text that is Ignorance we know not what we should pray for as we ought He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might be understood of an Inability in General as that they know not to do right which is according to the ordinary manner of Expression in several Languages particularly the French and Italian and our English Bibles do well express that of the Evangelist which hath puzled many Criticks make it as sure as ye can Matt. 27.65 But it is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we know not what we should pray for as we ought And this may be understood two wayes either of the Matter of our Prayers that we know not as we should indeed know what to pray for or of the manner of them we know not what to pray for as we should pray It is certainly true of both As will appear by what I have here to say First we know not what we should pray for we know not first what we stand in need of such is the Latitude of the Commands of God Psal 119.96 and consequently the extent of our Duty that although we may know how to express our Desires in some Comprehensive Petitions which according to a large Interpretation of them may reach to our several necessities Yet we cannot pray explicitely for those several Mercies which we need And again so various are the Occurrences of our Lives that we know not what particular temporal Blessings to pray for As God caused a Gourd to grow up for Jonah which he laboured not for So he prevents us with many Favours which we cannot by our foresight or forecast contribute any thing to Now as it is in Learning those who have some Infight into it may possibly if they have Opportunity to furnish themselves with Books provide such as may serve
particularly when he would set himself to Prayer his Mind wandered from him and drew him to other things and before he was aware his Prayer was interrupted and he was deceived by his Imagination and a little after he adds Quare Anima mea si sapis noli de viribus liberi arbitrii gloriari donec pervenias ad libertatem gloriae filiorum Dei that is Wherefore O my soul if thou be wise do not boast of the Power of Freewill till thou come to the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Grad 8. pag. 176 177. and Grad 16. pag. 321. speaking of those words of the Apostle Jam. 3.2 in many things we offend all he adds What must we say that fall so far short of the perfection of the Apostles We pray to God and presently our Imaginations carry us away to think of other things and we turn the back as it were on God Now thus to trifle with God in Prayer is very unsuitable to the Majesty and Greatness of that God whom we should serve with Reverence and godly Fear Heb. 12.28 very unbecoming those that have or should have such a sense of the Worth of those things we pray for and the need which we stand in of them and such Prayers are no way answerable to those expressions of Scripture whereby the Nature of Prayer is set forth Gen. 32.24 as wrestling with God striving with him Rom. 15.30 Esa 26.16 Psal 102.1 pouring out a Prayer to him out our heart before him crying to him Psal 62.8 searching for him with all our heart Jona 2.2 Jer. 29.13 Esa 64.7 stirring up our selves to take hold on him lifting up our Soul to him So that we lose much of the Comfort and Benefit of our Prayers and finding little Sweetness therein and rare returns thereto another evil followes hereupon and that is Tediousness or Weariness of Spirit therein It is with us as with Servants that goe with their Masters when they visit their Friends The Master who is taken into some inner Room and hath the delightful Converse of his Friend and some Collation or Banquet to entertain him thinks time hastens too fast away while the Servant that stayes without and hath no Company to converse with nor any thing to refresh him thinks time long and tedious Or it is with men in Duties of Religion as in reading Books A School boy to perform his task toyls about words without regard to the Matter thereby expressed and burdens his Memory with what he understands not But when he comes to be a man and capable of Understanding the Matter of the Book and to suck out the Marrow and Sweetness of it what was a burden to him before is now a Delight So while we are Christians only by Profession we tire our selves with the meer out-side or shell of Duties But when we come to be Christians in truth we come to the marrow and kirnel thereof and so they are sweet and delightful to us Now the Spirit helps the distraction and wandring of our minds and consequently the tediousness and weariness that followes thereupon by making intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered inspiring us with those earnest and fervent desires which our tongues that ordinarily out-run our desires are not able to express And it is the first direction that a learned Man in his exercises of holy living gives against Wandring Thoughts in Prayer that besides the moral Industry that we should add to be steady in our Thoughts we should pray for the Spirit of Supplication and use Prayer to be assisted in Prayer Psâ—l 86.11 And as God can unite our Hearts to fear his Name so he can unite them or keep them close unto himself in Prayer For not to insist upon that immediate or Physical Influx that he may have upon our Minds to determine them to any particular Object we may conceive how this may be done in a moral way as a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation assisting our Understandings in the knowledge of Spiritual things that having a due Sense of the Majesty and Greatness of God with whom we have to do and the Necessity and Excellency of the things we pray for our Minds may be more intent and fixed on the Object and Matter of our Prayrs Acts. 3.5 as the lame man gave heed to Peter and John expecting to receive something from them Further the Spirit of God doth both encourage our moral Industry and likewise assist us therein And as I before explained the Greek Word here used in the Text helps or takes over against us by giving us some sweet tasts of Spiritual Comforts in Prayer As the learned man last mentioned observes in the beginning of Religion most frequently and at other times irregularly God complies with our Infirmities and encourages our Duty with little overflowings of spiritual Joy and sensible Pleasure and Delicacies and Prayer so as we seem to feel some little beam of Heaven and great refreshments from the Spirit of consolation though he addes that it is not safe for us always to expect them for when we do so it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them This seems to be that which the Church means by being brought into the chambers of her beloved Cant. 1.4 which are places of most intimate and familiar converse and into the Banquetting-house Cant. 2.4 or Wine-cellar to taste those spiritual Comforts which are as the best Wine Cant. 7.9 that causeth the Lips of those that are asleep to speak and though we tast not these Comforts alwayes in Prayer nor frequently though this be as Bernard saith rara Hora a time that seldom happens yet Psal 63.1 as David's Soul longed to see Gods Power and Glory as he had seen it in his Sanctuary so this will make us long and hope to taste the like refreshments in prayer as a good man when he had lost a Son and was very much afflicted thereby he was observed on a sudden to be very chearful and being asked what was the reason of so sudden a change he answered that to enjoy those comforts which he had found with God in prayer he could be content to lose a Son every day in the year The Fifth and last infirmity which I shall speak of is Sorrow or Grief which many times makes the soul as a Vessel without vent Cura livis loquuntur ingentis stupent Esa 26.16 light afflictions do many times makes us pour out our prayers to God but great afflictions amaze and stupifie So the Psalmist was so troubled Psal 77.4 that he could not speak Yet this is an infirmity for we should pour out our complaint before the Lord even when we are overwhelmed Psa 102.1 Now according as this sorrow or trouble is different so is the means whereby the Spirit doth help or ease us Sometimes our affliction may be
very great and we may be pressed out of measure above strength 2 Cor. 1.8 as Paul was in Asia and then God pities us Psal 103.13 as a Father pities his Children and as when the Spirits are exceedingly oppressed we apply Cordials which may relieve them and enable the sick person to breath so God doth by his Spirit shed abroad his love into our hearts which doth relieve and revive the Soul by a more immediate virtue Rom. 5.5 then those comforts which by degrees we relieve our selves with by communing with our own hearts or meditating on the Scriptures as Cordials do not require time or natural strength to concoct them and turn them to Nourishment as meat doth but immediately diffuseth its virtue to the sudden cheering or revival of the Patient Sometimes Christians are as I may say sullen like Ahab when he could not have Naboth's Vinyard 1 Kin. 21 4 being exceedingly discontented at some worldly cross or disappointment as Jonah at the withering of his Gourd Jon. 4.1 8. and at Gods sparing of Ninive or they do too much give way to grief and indulge themselves therein as the Psalmist refused to be comforted Psal 77.2 Now the way to deal with such is to awaken their Consciences to a due sense of the evil of sin that they may more earnestly pray for the pardon of it or more prize the pardon of it and think with themselves they have greatter matters to exercise their minds then those that they trouble themselves so much with or that God hath done so much for them in the pardon of their sins that they should not take outward troubles so grieviously at the hands of God Job 2.10 but be content to receive some evil from him having received so much good 2 Sam. 19.5 as when David was so exceedingly troubled at the death of Absalom Joab roused him out of his dumps by representing to him his unkindness to his faithful Subjects and how this act of his might be justly interpreted and likewise the great danger which might ensue thereon by his people leaving him while he did so discourage them and this made him shake himself from his sorrow I shall in a few words apply what I have said on this Subject and this may First instruct us how exceeding impotent we are to that which is good there is nothing doth more fully convince us of our weakness then our inability to pray We might think if we considered things only in the Idea as they speak without consulting experience that if we could do any thing we might pray it being that which our necessity doth so far enforce us to that it might seem enough to us to have liberty to pray but we see that as we cannot call Christ Lord without the Spirit so we cannot call God Father without the assistance thereof nor pray either for matter or manner as we ought without it Wherefore it seems strange to me that any wise considering man should reduce the whole interest of the Spirit in the Prayers of Christians to that extraordinary gift in the primitive times whereby as they say those that were to pray for others were enabled to ask those things which were useful for them and to teach others how to form their prayes and so that to pray in the holy Ghost Jude 20. enjoyned by the Apostle was to keep to the publick Assembly and joyn with him that was then assisted in his Prayers by the holy Ghost And that this gift when it ceased was supplied by set prepared forms for daily and constant uses provided by such as had benefited under those that had such gifts and remembred some of their Forms or at least the method and manner used by them and that Liturgies in the Church had their rise from hence About the use of Liturgies in the Primitive Church or the authority of those recommended to us for their venerable antiquity it is not for me now to speak any thing but by what I have already said it appears that the Spirit of God is further concerned in the Prayers of Christians and I cannot see how the Spirit should this way make intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered Secondly This may teach us when ever we go to God by Prayer Eph. 2.18 not only to come to him by Jesus Christ for acceptance but to look to the Spirit for his assistance We do not expect nor teach others to expect Enthusiasmes or immediate Inspirations ordinarily in Prayer neither do we suppose that men should attend so for the assistance of the Spirit as to forbear their Prayers till they find themselves like holy men of old who were the pen men of the Scripture moved by the holy Ghost much less do we think that all Extempore Prayer as it is called or conceived Prayer is by the holy Ghost neither do we suppose that those that joyn with others in Prayer do not pray by the holy-Ghost for he assists as to the manner as well as the matter of our Prayers neither do we believe that the Spirit assists us to the utmost of his power so that those Prayers wherein we have his assistance should be in every respect perfect but he doth as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication not only qualifie us habitually for Prayer Zach. 12.10 but assist us actually in Prayer yet in such measure as seems good to him and as of old God would not accept of Sacrifices offered by strange fire Lev. 10.1 so neither will he accept of our Spiritual Sacrifices unless they be offered by the fire of Zeal kindled from Heaven and blown up by the holy Ghost but as he may hear Sinners 1 King 21.29 as he did Ahab for some outward Mercies which are from the exuperance or overflowings of his bounty And though I doubt not but many do vainly pretend to or falsely boast of the assistance of the Spirit in Prayer not understanding what they speak or whereof they affirm yet to scoff at praying by the Spirit as if it were not a thing for any to expect or in any sense to pretend to is such a piece of boldness and prophaness and at least borders so near upon Blasphemy that no sober serious Christian will adventure upon it FINIS Books printed for and to be sold by B. 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THE INTEREST OF THE SPIRIT IN Prayer By H. Lukin LONDON Printed by J. D. for Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons in Cornhil 1674. READER THe following Discourse was a Sermon preacht some years since and one that heard it desiring a Copy of it I did at length yeeld to his importunity and sent it him as now you see it with the addition of these few Latin Quotations which I do not use to interrupt the attention of ordinary hearers with in popular Discourses and this I did not purposing to make it thus publick but having once transcribed it I consented further to the desire of some to have it printed but never had opportunity to review what I had written from the first time that I sent it till I saw it from the Press This I thought meet to advertise you of that you may not expect much accurateness though you knew not the Authour before nor a clear and full discussion of such things as a discourse of this nature would allow only some brief touches of it I hope none will complain of a bold pressing of Scripture to serve an Hypothesis of propension to any party of a slavish subjection to the Authority of great Names of a Sceptical or Magisterial censuring of other Men of their Opinions I have endeavoured to shew that candour freedom impartiality moderation that I may not be afraid of or ashamed to own it as a Man a Scholar a Christian a Minister either when it is exposed to the censure of others or at that day when every mans work shall be made manifest I have for the finding out of the truth herein attended to two things Scripture and Experience both of which we should have a due regard to in our search after Truth As in Physick through practice and Experience be a great advantage to Men and make things more clear as Examples do Rules yet if Men trust wholly thereto the Emperical Physician may be deceived assoon as the Rational or Methodical because there being so many things that effects depend upon or may proceed from it is very easie to mistake that for the cause of a thing which is not the cause of it and though they see the effects they know not what concurs thereto or what hath the chief influx into them and I have oft observed and lemented Mens being imposed upon by this fallacy of non causa pro causa or taking that for the cause of a thing which is not especially in matters of Religion Besides Men are apt to infer general conclusions from particular experiments and so either measure themselves by others or make their own experience a standard for the tryal of others So on the other hand many times Men attain not the true sense of Scripture while thay consider things only in the Idea or notion without examining how things are really in particular Subjects I know we must not make Man the measure of all things as Protagoras in another sense Men must be tryed by Scripture not the Scripture by Men. Yet we must acknowledge the Scripture speaks sometimes according to what really is or it speaks as things are sometimes found to be not according to what is constantly or universally true Wherefore I have endeavoured to find out what the Scripture according to its ordinary stile and manner of speaking may intend in such places as I have had occasion to inquire into and have likewise observed and examined what is the ordinary experience of sober serious Christians who dare not boast of such things as they have not really found in themselves but have that experience of God's Gracious working in them which they would not want for the whole world and which doth establish them more firmly in the belief of Spiritual things than to be shaken by such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vain-spirited persons as are not likely to be acquainted with such matters or to be competent Judges of them There are some Erratas in the Printing for those who are in the few words of Hebrew Greek and Latin as the Learned only can take notice of them so they know how to correct them There are some small faults in pointing and omissions of a letter in some places which any ordinary Reader may know how to rectifie The more considerable you may correct thus ERRATA Pag. 35. l. 13 r. as he knows P. 39 l. 3. r. riches of his Mercy P. 48. l. 19 r. desultorians P. 55. marg r. Gen. 45.26 P. 59. l. 17. r. do confidently P. 61. l. 4. r. the Philosopher speaks P. 73. l. 17. r. ingenuously P. 75. l. 4. r. desired P. 83 l. 12. r. to assist P. 100. l. 6 r. in Prayer The Interest of the Spirit in Prayer Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered THere are two Things which are the chief Trouble of Christians in this world inward Corruptions or the Remainders of Sin and outward Afflictions or Tribulations Against both these doth the Apostle comfort and encourage them in this Chapter and in these words especially wherein he shews how the holy-Ghost whom our blessed Saviour had promised as a Comforter to his People doth perform this Office particularly by assisting us in our Prayers For the better understanding of the Words we may observe that by Infirmities in Scripture are understood either Afflictions which we call natural Infirmities or sinful Defects or Imperfections which we call Moral or Spiritual Infirmities It is likely the Apostle understands the former where he saith 2 Cor. 12.10 he takes Pleasure in Infirmities It can hardly be conceived how he should take pleasure in moral Infirmities and without question he understands outward Afflictions where he saith Christ was compassed about with Infirmities Heb. 5.2 for he was free from all sinful Defects 1 Pet. â—2 22. He did no sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth Now if the Apostle should here speak of these natural Infirmities it is certain the Spirit helps us against them by assisting us in our Prayers Prayer being an excellent Remedy against afflictions Wherefore David when he was in a great Strait Psal 109.4 resolves to give himself to Prayer Which Words have much exercised Criticks But I think our English Translation hath fully expressed the Sense of them and Prayer is a Remedy against Affliction 1. As thereby we ease our Minds by pouring out our Hearts to God Psal 62.8 So the Psalmist expresses the Nature of Prayer It is an Ease to us in Trouble to pour out our Complaints into the Bosom of a Friend Job 32.20 and we refresh our selves by giving vent to our passion if it be a Friend that will consider our Condition and pity us in it so by Prayer we open our Cause to God or reveal our Cause to him Jer. 11 20. Cap.
to inform them in some general and common Learning But such is the vast compass of Learning as that a young Scholar would not know how to furnish a Library so as to have Books of all sorts to serve himself of upon all Occasions Or as in the Accommodations of Life an ordinary Person may easily know how to furnish himself with necessaries or what may serve him to live in a mean or sordid Manner But there are many more things required to live neatly and handsomly if a man be exact and curious which an ordinary Man would not think of Now thus it is in Matters of Christianity if a man can satisfy himself to live at all Adventures with God Lev. 26.21 as the Expression is in the margent of our Bibles a little will serve his turne But if a Man will walk circumspectly Ephes 5.15 or accuratly as a Christian ought to walk taking heed to his Ways pondering the Paths of his Feet taking heed to his Spirit keeping his Mouth as with a Bridle filling up every Relation with the Duties belonging thereto filling up every Duty with the Graces required therein exercising the Graces requisite to every Condition loving Enemies praying for those that persecute him and despitefully use him denying himself crucifying the flesh with the Affections and Lusts watching against Temptations there is much required to such Manner of Life and we shall have many particular Mercies to beg of God in Order thereto Secondly We know not what is meet and convenient for us to ask and so sometimes as the Sons of Zebedee Matt. 20.22 ask we know not what No man knows what is good for him in this Life Eccles 6.12 And so we pray many Times for that which would be a Cross or a Curse to us rather than a Comfort or Blessing What we pray for as Bread would if God should grant it prove as a Stone to us Matt. 7.9 rather break our teeth then refresh or nourish us Probably our Saviour might in these Words refer to some proverbial Speeches among the Jews For there were Proverbs of like Import or to the same Purpose in other Nations as the Learned know As in these things there was a near Resemblance or Similitude as to outward Shew But the greatest Difference as to their use and effect So as a Child seeing some kind of Stone as a Pumice-stone or some such like might desire it as Bread to satisfie his Hunger yet his Father knowing what it is would not give it him as knowing how unfit it would be to answer the Childs End And the like may be said of some Fishes and Serpents Yea of an Egge and a Scorpion if that be true which Naturalists report of them The drift of our Saviours Discourse is that though Children are so ignorant as to desire many things as good for them which their Parents see not good to grant as knowing them to be improper means for the attainment of that end which the Children aim at or propound to themselves So we do many times in our Prayers fix on such things as God sees would not reach the end which we think to attain thereby So that God does sometimes deny us in mercy as well as answer us in mercy For Riches Honour Wisdom Learning Beauty Wives Children are great Blessings where God is pleased to make them so But if we peremtorily and absolutely insist upon them in our Prayers as Abraham for a Child Gen. 15.2 as if all that God could do for him were nothing if he went childless God can give us them alone without that comfort which we expect with them and so we receive them as he did a Ring which he had lost with great Joy rewarding him that brought it without taking much notice of it but upon further Observation saw that there was his Ring without the Diamond so that it was not worth the reward which he gave for finding of it Outward good things without that Blessing which should make them comforts to us are not worth asking Now the Spirit helps this Infirmity by giving us more Wisdom and spiritual Understanding And here I shall do these two Things First shew you that this Wisdom and Understanding is from the the Spirit of God Secondly shew you how much this conduces to help us in our Prayers For the former it is evident from the Testimony of the Scripture The Apostle praies for the Ephesians Eph. 1.17 that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him For the Philippians Phil. 1.9 that their Love might abound more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgment For the Colossians Col. 1.9 that they might be filled with the Knowledge of God's Will in all Wisdom and spiritual Understanding All which doth imply that it is God that giveth these and that he doth it by his Spirit is without question 1 Cor. 2.12 it being thereby that we know the things freely given to us of God It is he that takes of the things of Christ and shews them unto us Joh. 16.14 and so is a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding making Christians in their Measure quick of Understanding in the Fear of the Lord. Isa 11.2.3 Now if we could not conceive of the manner of this Worke of the Spirit yet we should rest in this Evidence that there is such an effect of it And we may further suppose that he gives us an experimental Knowledge of Christian Graces or Vertues by Working them in us that he brings the Heart unto Wisdom or causes us to apply our Hearts thereto by awakening us to a serious sense of the great importance of heavenly things and that he doth open our eyes or elevate our Understandings to understand the marvellous things of God's Law Psal 119.18 Rev. 3.18 and so is as eye-salve to anoint our Eyes that we may see And if any shall yet expect a more satisfactory account of this work of the Spirit let them consider how little it is that we understand of the nature of Light Eph. 5.13 though it be that which makes all other Things manifest And though we all by experience know the Benefit thereof and serve our felves of it Now in the next place I shall shew how this helps our Ignorance in Prayer and first we hereby come to understand more of the Compass and Latitude of our Christian Calling and how far our Duty extends Wherefore the Apostle in the forementioned places prayeth for this Knowledge Judgment Wisdom and spiritual Understanding Phil 1.1 that they might be filled with the fruits of Righteousness and that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Col. 1.10 being fruitful in every good Work Hence it is that serious Christians are so inlarged many times in their Prayers Some men go to Markets or Fairs only for company or out of Curiosity to see and be seen and
were moved more agreably to their Natures in a more sober rational way So that their stile is more even compos'd and one thing depending more methodically upon another and they are not so disultorious as the Prophets makeing frequent and sudden Transitions from one Subject to another of a quite different Nature and agreable hereto is the ordinary Assistance which we now have from the Spirit of God which being in such a calme connatural Way or Manner is not so easily observed as the Transports or more violent Motions of Prophets and prophetical men of Old And as in Preaching when men have by giving attendance to Reading 1 Tim. 4.13 Study both got a stock of habitual Knowledge and made actual Preparation for delivering a Sermon it pleases God sometimes to suggest things to them that may serve his own wise and holy End which they never thought of in their Preparation as in the case of Austin who converted Firmas a Manichee by something which he did besides his Intention fall upon in his preaching And the experience of many can witness that they have had many things brought to mind in Preaching which they had never prepared So in Prayer though the Spirit of God do not ordinarily assist either Ministers or private Christians so as he did those that had the Gift of Prayer in the primitive Church but they do ordinarily consider what Errand they are going to God on beforehand yet as is said in another Case there is many times given them in that hour what they Mat. 10.19 should speak And divers things suggested to them by the Spirit of God who doth doubtless put into them many Good things as the evil Spirit steals away Good things from us And though I would not impute the difference that is in the Prayers of Christians alwayes to the unequal Assistance of the Spirit yet on the other Hand we should not impute it wholly to the uneven working of mens Fancies or the different motion of the natural Spirits Another Infirmity which we are subject to in our praiers is Unbelief That this is a sinful Infirmity is evident from the displeasure of God against the Noble-man that would not believe the plenty that should be in Samaria 2 King 7.19 and against the good man Zacharia that did not believe the things promised which were to be fulfilled in their season Luke 1.20 And we are subject to this Infirmity in three cases especially First when we are under great and clear convictions of Sin when we have our sin set in order before us and reprefented by the Spirit of God in all the Circumstances which may aggravate it For first the pardon of it seems to be no light matter but an act of Divine Power As Moses praies that the Power of the Lord may be great therein Num. 14.17 I know it may be interpreted of his power in bringing them into the Land of Canaan upon the pardon of their sin But yet it is an act of Divine power to pardon sin in that God doth so far prevail with himself therein we should not be able to overcome our own passion so far as to pardon such as had so far offended us and were so much in our power But further those who are under such convictions have such an esteem of Gods pardoning grace that they are afraid to believe it or please themselves with the hopes of it lest their hopes should fail them and such a disappointment aggravate their trouble Gen. 47.26 Thus Jacob was backward to believe the advancement of his Son Joseph looking upon it as too good news to be true So when Christ was risen they believed not for joy Luk. 24.41 Quod nimis volumus haud facile credimus tarda solet magnis rebus inesse fides Whereas unhumbled sinners that were never made sensible of the evil of sin are so ready to believe the pardon of it that they can hardly believe that God will punish it but think it would be rigour and severity in him so to do A second case is when we are in great straits and difficulties as the Israelites Psal 78 19. Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness Ezek. 37.11 Can these dry bones live Our hope is lost we are cut off for our part It is made an argument of strong faith in Abraham Rom. 4.18 19. to believe in hope against hope A third case is when the answer of our prayers is deferred or denyed Sometimes God seems to be angry against the prayers of his people Psal 80.4 and when they pray things go worse and worse And it was an argument of strong faith in the woman of Canaan that she did not east away her confidence when first Christ seemed not to regaad her prayers He answered her not a word and when he did answer did in effect deny her telling them that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Maâ— 15.22 c. and when she perfisted in her suit upbraids her as one unfit for mercy this would be to take the childrens bread and cast it unte dogs It is hard to hold on when God thus beats us off Now the Spirit helps this Infirmity First by strengthening the habit of Faith in us Heb. 12 2â— Jesus indeed is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Ioh. 16.14 yet it is by the Spirit that he doth it Phil. 1.19 the work of Faith is fulfilled as well as begun with power Thes 1.11 He doth so fully convince us of the infinite Wisdom Power Goodness and Truth or Veracity of God Eph. 1.19 that we do not confidently rely upon his Promises or Attributes Psal 60. so far as the Scripture gices us encouragement to do it Secondly he doth this by witnessing to us our Adoption so as we can come to God with a filial boldness crying to him Rom 8.15.16 Abba Father Many suppose this testimony of the Spirit to be an internal immediate evidence of the Spirit of God to the Soul of a Believer saying as David prayes I am thy Salvation Psal 35.3 or as Christ to him that was sick of the Palsy Matt. 9 2. thy sins are forgiven thee Now to affirm there is no such testimony of the Spirit because we find no such thing in our selves is as the Philosophers speak to measure vertue by our selves and to think nothing can be done which we cannot do our selves Seneca Epist 71. And for what is objected against this from the countenance that it gives to Enthusiasmes and pretences to secret inspiration and the tendency that it hath to make men deceive themselves by Satanical suggestions and delusions It is answered that though this Testimony be not mediately by the Word it is always according to the Word so that men do in vain pretend to such a Testimony while they have not these characters of the Children of God which