abilities? Or that he doth assist us only by his aids, external and internal, in the use of such means which God and nature had given to man, to ennoble his soul, better his faculties, and to improve his understanding? That the aids of the Holy Ghost are only assistances to us, in the use of natural and artificial means, I will undertake to prove; and from thence it will evidently follow, that labour, and hard study, and premeditation, will soonest purchase the gift of prayer, and ascertain us of the assistance of the Spirit; and, therefore, set forms of prayer, studied and considered of, are in a true and proper sense, and without enthusiasm, the fruits of the Spirit. 16. First; God's Spirit did assist the apostles by ways extraordinary, and fit for the first institution of christianity; but doth assist us now by the expresses of those first assistances which he gave to them immediately. | 17. Thus the Holy Ghost brought to their memory all things which Jesus spake and did, and, by | that means, we come to know all that the Spirit knew to be necessary for us, the Holy Ghost being author of our knowledge, by being the fountain of the revelation; and we are, therefore, Oɛodidaktoɩ, | "taught by God," because the Spirit of God revealed the articles of our religion, that they might be known to all ages of the church; and this is testified by St. Paul: "He gave some apostles, and some prophets," &c. "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man," &c. This was the effect of Christ's ascension, when he " gave gifts unto men," that is, when he sent the Spirit, the verification of the promise of the Father. The effect of this immission of the Holy Ghost was to fill all things, and that for ever; to build up the church of God until the day of consummation; so that the Holy Ghost abides with the church for ever, by transmitting those revelations, which he taught the apostles, to all christians in succession. Now as the Holy Ghost taught the apostles, and, by them, still teaches us what to believe; so it is certain he taught the apostles how and what to pray; and because it is certain that all the rules concerning our duty in prayer, and all those graces which we are to pray for, are transmitted to us by derivation from the apostles, whom the Holy Ghost did teach even to that very purpose also, that they should teach us: it follows evidently, that the gift of prayer is a gift of the Holy Ghost; and yet to verify this proposition, we need no other immediate inspiration or extraordinary assistance, than that we derive from the Holy Ghost, by the conveyance of the apostolical sermons and writings. 18. The reason is the same in faith and prayer; and if there were any difference in the acquisition or reception, faith certainly needs a more immediate infusion, as being of greatest necessity, and yet a grace to which we least co-operate, it being the first of graces, and less of the will in it than any other. But yet the Holy Ghost is the author of our faith, b Rom. x. 17. Ephes. ii. 8. and “we believe with the Spirit" (it is St. Paul's expression); and yet our "belief comes by hearing and reading" the Holy Scriptures, and their interpretations. Now reconcile these two together, "Faith comes by hearing," and yet "is the gift of the Spirit;"h and it says that the gifts of the Spirit are not ecstasies and immediate infusions of habits, but helps from God, to enable us, upon the use of the means of his own appointment, to believe, to speak, to understand, to prophesy, and to pray. 19. But whosoever shall look for any other gifts of the Spirit, besides the parts of nature helped by industry and God's blessing upon it, and the revelations or the supplies of matter in Holy Scripture, will be very far to seek, having neither reason, promise, nor experience of his side. For why should the spirit of prayer be any other than as the gift and "spirit of faith," as St. Paul calls it,' acquired by human means, using Divine aids? that is, by our endeavours in hearing, reading, catechizing, desires to obey, and all this blessed and promoted by God, this produces faith. Nay, it is true of us what Christ told his apostles, " sine me nihil potestis facere ;" not "nihil magnum aut difficile," but "omninò nihil," as St. Austin observes. "Without me ye can do nothing" and yet we were not capable of a law, or of reward or punishment, if neither with him, nor without him, we were able to do any thing. And, therefore, although in the midst of all our cooperation we may say to God, in the words of the prophet, "Domine, omnia opera operatus es in nobis," "O Lord, thou hast wrought all our works in-us," yet they are opera nostra " still; God works, and we work: first is the xápic pepoμévn, God's grace is brought to us, he helps and gives us abilities, and then expects our duty. And if the spirit of prayer be of greater consequence than all the works God hath wrought in us besides, and hath the promise of a special prerogative, let the first be proved, and the second be shown in any good record, and then I will confess the difference. 86 20. The parallel of this argument I the rather urge, because I find praying in the Holy Ghost joined with graces, which are as much God's gifts and productions of the Spirit, as any thing in the world, and yet which the apostle presses upon us as duties, and things put into our power, to be improved by our industry, and those are faith (in which I before instanced) and charity. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God." k All of the same consideration, faith, and prayer, and charity, all gifts of the Spirit, and yet "build up yourselves in faith, and keep yourselves in love," and therefore, by a parity of reason, improve yourselves in the spirit of prayer; that is, God, by his Spirit, having supplied us with matter, let our industry and co-operations, "per modum naturæ," improve these gifts, and build upon this foundation. 21. Thus the Spirit of God is called "the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of counsel, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of meekness, the Spirit of wis* Epist. Jude, ver. 20. i 2 Cor. iv. 13. dom." And, without doubt, he is the Fountain of | ed, because themselves call upon their disciples to all these to us all, and that for ever, and yet it can- exercise the gift of prayer," and offer it to considernot reasonably be supposed, but that we must stir ation, that such exercising it is the way to better up the graces of God in us, co-operate with his as- it; and if natural endowments and artificial endeasistances, study in order to counsel, labour and con- vours are the way to purchase new degrees of it, it sider in order to wisdom, give all diligence to make were not amiss they did consider a little before they our calling and election sure, in order to our adop- begin, and did improve their first and smallest capation, in which we are sealed by the Spirit. Now cities before they ventured any thing in public, by these instances are of gifts, as well as graces; and way of address to almighty God. For the first besince the days of wonder and need of miracles is ginnings are certainly as improvable as the next expired, there is no more reason to expect inspira- degrees, and it is certain they have more need of tion of gifts, than of graces, without our endea- it, as being more imperfect and rude. Therefore, yours. It concerns the church rather to have these whenever God's Spirit hath given us any capacities secured than those, and yet the Spirit of God puts or assistances, any documents, motions, desires, or it upon the condition of our co-operation; for, ac- any aids whatsoever, they are, therefore, given us cording to the proverb of the old moralists, "Deus with a purpose we should, by our industry, skill, and habet sinum facilem, non perforatum," "God's labour, improve them, because without such cobosom is apt and easy" to the emission of graces operation, the intention is made void, and the work and assistances, but it is not loose and ungirt; imperfect. something must be done on our part, we must improve the talents and swell the bank; for if either we lay them up in a napkin or spend them, suppress the Spirit or extinguish it, we shall dearly account for it. 22. In the mean time, if we may lose the gifts by our own fault, we may purchase them by our diligence; if we may lessen them by our incuriousness, we may increase them by study; if we may quench the Spirit, then also we may re-enkindle it : all which are evident probation that the Holy Ghost gives us assistances to improve our natural powers, and to promote our acquisite, and his aids are not inspirations of the habit, or infusions of a perfect gift, but a subliming of what God gave us in the stock of nature and art, to make it in a sufficient order to an end supernatural and divine. 23. The same doctrine we are taught by St. Paul's exhortation to Timothy: "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." I And again, "Stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands." m If there be any gifts of the Holy Ghost and spiritual influences, dispensed without our cooperation, and by inspiration of the entire power, it is in ordination; and the persons so ordained are most likely to receive the gift of prayer, if any such thing be for the edification of the church, they being the men appointed to intercede, and to stand between God and the people; and yet this gift of God, even in those times when they were dispensed with miracle, and assistances extraordinary, were given, as all things now are given, by the means also of our endeavour, and was capable of improvement by industry, and of defailance by neglect ; and therefore much rather is it so now, in the days of ordinary ministration and common assistances. 24. And indeed this argument, beside the efficacy of its persuasion, must needs conclude against the men to whom these "adversaria" are address 1 Tim. iv. 14. m 2 Tim. i. 6. "So as that hereby they become not slothful and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them. But that each 25. And this is exactly the doctrine I plainly gather from the objected words of St. Paul. "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities," ovvavridaμ¤áverai, it is, in the Greek, "collaborantem adjuvat." It is an ingeminate expression of our labours. And that supposes us to have faculties capable of improvement and an obligation to labour, and that the effect of having the gift of prayer depends upon the mutual course, that is, upon God blessing our powers and our endeavours. And if this way the Spirit performs his promise sufficiently, and does all that we need, and all that he ties himself to; he that will multiply his hopes further than what is sufficient, or what is promised, may possibly deceive himself, but never deceive God, and make him multiply and continue miracles to justify his fancy. 66 26. Better it is to follow the Scriptures for our guide, as in all things else, so in this particular. "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." " "The word of God" is "the sword of the Spirit;" "praying in the Spirit," is one way of using it, indeed the only way that he here specifies. Praying in the Spirit," then, being the using of this sword, and this sword being the word of God, it follows evidently, that praying in the Spirit is praying in, or according to, the word of God, that is, in the directions, rules, and expresses of the word of God, that is, of the Holy Scriptures. For we have many infirmities, and we need the Spirit to help; as doubting, coldness, weariness, disrelish of heavenly things, indifferency; and these are enough to interpret the place quoted in the ob jection, without tying him to make words for us, to no great religious purposes, when God hath done that for us, in other manner than what we dream of. 27. So that, in effect, praying in the Holy Ghost, or with the Spirit, is nothing but prayer for such things, and in such manner, which God, by his Spirit, hath taught us in Holy Scripture. Holy prayers, “spiritual songs," so the apostle calls one one, by meditation, by taking heed, &c. may be careful to fur- part of prayer, viz. " eucharistical or thanksgiving," | that is, prayers or songs which are spiritual "in materiâ." And if they be called spiritual for the efficient cause too, the Holy Ghost being the author of them, it comes all to one; for therefore he is the cause and giver of them, because he hath, in his word, revealed what things we are to pray for, and there, also, hath taught us the manner. 28. And this I plainly prove from the words of St. Paul before quoted, "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought." P In this we are infirm, that we know not our own needs, nor our own advantages: when the Holy Ghost hath taught us what to ask, and to ask that as we ought, then he hath healed our infirmities, and our ignorances in the matter and the manner; then we know what to pray for as we ought, then we have the grace of prayer, and the spirit of supplication. And, therefore, in the instance before mentioned, concerning spiritual songs, when the apostle had twice enjoined the use of them in order to prayer and preaching, to instruction and to eucharist, and those to be done by the aid of Christ, and Christ's Spirit; what in one place he calls, "being filled with the Spirit," in the other he calls, "the dwelling of the word of Christ in us richly;" plainly intimating to us that when we are mighty in the Scriptures, full of the word of Christ, then we are filled with the Spirit, because the Spirit is the great dictator of them to us, and the remembrancer; and when, by such helps of Scripture, we sing hymns to God's honour, and our mutual comfort, then we sing and give thanks in the Spirit. And this is evident, if you consult the places, and compare them. t 29. And that this is for this reason called a "gift and grace," or issue of the Spirit, is so evident and notorious, that the speaking of an ordinary revealed truth, is called in Scripture, "a speaking by the Spirit." s "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost." For, though the world could not acknowledge Jesus for the Lord, without a revelation, yet now that we are taught this truth by Scripture, and by the preaching of the apostles to which they were enabled by the Holy Ghost, we need no revelation or enthusiasm to confess this truth, which we are taught in our creeds and catechisms; and as this light sprang first from the emission of a ray from God's Spirit, we must for ever acknowledge him the fountain of our light. Though we cool our thirst at the mouth of the river, yet we owe for our draughts to the springs and fountains from whence the waters first came, though derived to us by the succession of a long current. If the Holy Ghost supplies us with materials and fundamentals for our building, it is then enough to denominate the whole edifice to be of him, although the labour and the workmanship be ours upon another stock. And this is it which the apostle speaks, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." u 30. For it is a rule of the school, and there is 31. So that now I demand, whether, since the expiration of the age of miracles, God's Spirit does not most assist us when we most endeavour and most use the means? He that says "no," discourages all men from reading the Scriptures, from industry, from meditation, from conference, from human arts and sciences, and from whatsoever else God and good laws provoke us to by proposition of rewards. But if "yea," (as most certainly God will best crown the best endeavours,) then the spirit of prayer is greatest in him, who (supposing the like capacities and opportunities) studies hardest, reads most, practises most religiously, deliberates most prudently; and then, by how much want of means is worse than the use of means, by so much extempore prayers are worse than deliberate and studied. Excellent, therefore, is the counsel of St. Peter. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God:" not lightly, then, and inconsiderately. "If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth :" great reason then to put all his abilities and faculties to it and whether of the two does most likely do that, he that takes pains, and considers and discusses, and so approves and practises a form, or he that never considers what he says, till he says it,-needs not much deliberation to pass a sentence. Only, methinks it is most unreasonable, that we should be bound to prepare ourselves with due requisites, to hear what they shall speak in public, and that they should not prepare what to speak; as if to speak were of easier t Vid. Acts xix. 21. and xvi. 7-10. u 1 Cor. ii. 13. * 1 Epist. iv. 11. or of less consideration, than to hear what is spoken; or if they do prepare what to speak to the people, it were also very fit they prepared their prayers, and considered beforehand of the fitness of the offertory they present to God. 32. Lastly; did not the penmen of the Scripture write the epistles and gospels respectively all by the Spirit? Most certainly, "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," | saith St. Peter. And certainly they were moved by a more immediate motion, and a motion nearer to an enthusiasm, than now-a-days in "the gift and spirit of prayer." And yet, in the midst of those great assistances and motions they did use study, art, industry, and human abilities. This is more than probable in the different styles of the several books, some being of admirable art, others lower and plain. The words were their own; at least, sometimes, not the Holy Ghost's. And if Origen, St. Jerome, and especially the Greek fathers, scholiasts and grammarians, were not deceived by false copies, but that they truly did observe, sometimes to be impropriety of an expression in the language, sometimes not true Greek, who will think those errors or imperfections in grammar were (in respect of the words, I say, precisely) immediate inspirations and dictates of the Holy Ghost, and not rather their own productions of industry and humanity? But clearly, some of their words were the words of Aratus, some of Epimenides: some of Menander, some of St. Paul, "This speak I, not the Lord." Some were the words of Moses, even all that part of the Levitical law which concerned divorces, and concerning which our blessed Saviour affirms, that "Moses permitted it, because of the hardness of their hearts, but from the beginning it was not so:" and divers others of the same nature, collected and observed to this purpose, by Origen,a St. Basil, St. Ambrose; and particularly that promise which St. Paul made "of calling upon the Corinthians as he passed into Macedonia," which certainly, in all reason, is to be presumed to have been spoken "humanitùs,” and not by immediate inspiration and infusion, because St. Paul was so hindered that he could not be as good as his word, and yet the Holy Ghost could have foreseen it, and might better have excused it, if St. Paul had laid it upon his score ; but he did not, and it is reasonable enough to believe there was no cause he should; and yet, because the Holy Ghost renewed their memory, improved their understanding, supplied to some their want of human learning, and so assisted them, that they should not commit an error in fact or opinion, neither in the narrative nor dogmatical parts, therefore they wrote "by the Spirit." Since that, we cannot pretend, upon any grounds of probability, to an inspiration so immediate as theirs, and yet their assistances which they had from the Spirit, did not exclude human arts and industry, but that b y Etiam veteres prophetæ disposuerunt se ad respondendum prophetice, et vaticinia, admoto plectro, aut hausto calice, dederunt.-Gen. xliv. 5. "Scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est, in quo Dominus meus bibit, et in quo augurari solet," dixit economus Josephi. "Et efferte psalterium," dixit Eliseus, 2 Reg. iii. 15. Dominum interrogaturus. the ablest scholar did write the best, much rather is this true in the gifts and assistances we receive, and particularly in "the gift of prayer;" it is not an extempore and an inspired faculty, but the faculties of nature, and the abilities of art and industry are improved and ennobled by the supervening assistances of the Spirit. And if these who pray extempore, say that the assistance they receive from the Spirit, is the inspiration of words and powers without the operations of art and natural abilities, and human industry, then, besides that it is more than the penmen of Scripture sometimes had, (because they needed no extraordinary assistances to what they could, of themselves, do upon the stock of other abilities,) besides this, I say, it must follow that such prayers, so inspired, if they were committed to writing, would prove as good canonical Scripture as any is in St Paul's epistles; the impudence of which pretension is sufficient to prove the extreme vanity of the challenge. 33. The sum is this: Whatsoever this gift is, or this spirit of prayer, it is to be acquired by human industry, by learning of the Scriptures, by reading, by conference, and by whatsoever else faculties are improved, and habits enlarged. God's Spirit hath done his work sufficiently this way, and he loves not, either in nature or grace, which are his two great sanctions, to multiply miracles when there is no need. 34. And now let us take a man that pretends he hath the "gift of prayer," and loves to pray extempore,-I suppose his thoughts go a little before his tongue; I demand, then, whether cannot this man, when it is once come into his head, hold his tongue, and write down what he hath conceived? If his first conceptions were of God, and God's Spirit, then they are so still, even when they are written. Or is the Spirit departed from him, upon the sight of a pen and ink-horn? It did use to be otherwise among the old and new prophets, whether they were prophets of prediction, or of ordinary ministry. But if his conception may be written, and being written, is still a production of the Spirit; then it follows, that "set forms of prayer," deliberate, and described, may as well be a praying with the Spirit, as sudden forms and extempore outlets. 35. Now the case being thus put, I would fain know what the difference is between deliberate and extempore prayers, save only that in these there is less consideration and prudence; for that the other are (at least as much as these) the productions of the Spirit, is evident in the very case put in this argument: and whether to consider and to weigh them be any disadvantage to our devotions, I leave it to all wise men to determine; so that in effect, since, after the pretended assistance of the Spirit in our prayers, we may write them down, consider them, try the spirits, and ponder the matter, the reason, and the religion of the address; let the Vid. Eras. Epist. ad Jo. Eckium, Ep. lib. 20. 21 Cor. vii. 6. a Homil. 16. in Numer. b Lib. v. cont. Eunom. c. penult. c Lib. viii. in Lucam, c. 16. world judge whether this sudden utterance and ex- | truly a praying with the Spirit; but this will do tempore forms, be any thing else but a direct reso- our reverend brethren of the assembly little advanlution not to consider beforehand what we speak. tage as to the present question. For this Spirit is "Sic itaque habe, ut istam vim dicendi rapidam not a spirit of utterance, not at all clamorous in the aptiorem esse circulanti judices, quàm agenti rem ears of the people; but cries aloud in the ears of magnam et seriam, .docentique." They are the God, with " groans unutterable," so it follows, and words of Seneca, and express what naturally flows only "he that searcheth the heart, he understandeth from the premises. The pretence of the spirit, and the meaning of the Spirit." This is the Spirit of the gift of prayer, is not sufficient to justify the the Son, which "God hath sent into our hearts," dishonour they do to religion, in serving it in the (not into our tongues,)" whereby we cry, Abba lowest and most indeliberate manner, nor quit such Father." And this is the great avßevría for mental men from unreasonableness and folly, who will dare prayer, which is properly and truly praying by the to speak to God in the presence of the people, and Spirit. in their behalf, without deliberation, or learning, or study. Nothing is a greater disreputation to the prudence of a discourse, than to say it was a thing made up in haste, that is, without due considering. 36. But here I consider, and I wish they whom it concerns most would do so too: that to pretend the Spirit, in so unreasonable a manner, to so ill purposes, and without reason, or promise, or probability for doing it, is a very great crime, and of dangerous consequence. It was the greatest aggravation of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, euσaodai Tò äyιov TÒ TVɛυμa, that they did falsely pretend and "belie the Holy Spirit;" which crime, besides that it dishonours the Holy Ghost, to make him the president of imperfect and illiterate rites, the author of confusion, and indeliberate discourses, and the parent of such productions, which a wise person would blush to own: it also entitles him to all those doctrines which either chance or design shall expose to the people, in such prayers to which they entitle the Holy Spirit as the author and immediate dictator. So that if they please, he must not only own their follies, but their impieties too; and how great disreputation this, is to the Spirit of wisdom, of counsel, and of holiness, I wish they may rather understand by discourse than by experiment. 37. But let us look a little further into the mystery, and see what is meant in Scripture by "praying with the spirit." In what sense the Holy Ghost is called the " 'Spirit of prayer," I have already shown; viz. by the same reason as he is the "Spirit of faith, of prudence, of knowledge, of understanding," and the like, because he gives us assistances for the acquiring of these graces, and furnishes us with revelations by way of object and instruction. But "praying with the spirit" hath besides this other senses also in Scripture. I find in one place, that we then pray with the spirit, when the Holy Ghost does actually excite us to desires and earnest tendencies to the obtaining our holy purpose, when he prepares our hearts to pray, when he enkindles our desires, gives us zeal and devotion, charity and fervour, spiritual violence and holy importunity. This sense is also in the latter part of the objected words of St. Paul,d "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings." And, indeed, this is 4 Rom. viii. 26. e Sunt ne mei ? sunt ne tui ? imo sunt gemitus ecclesiæ, aliquando in me, aliquando in te. August. eodem modo quo St. August. dixit Deo, Conqueror tibi, Domine, lachrymis 38. Another praying with the spirit I find in that place of St. Paul, from whence this expression is taken, and commonly used, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." It is generally supposed that St. Paul relates here to a special and extraordinary gift of prayer, which was indulged to the primitive bishops and priests, the apostles and rulers of churches, and to some other persons extraordinarily, of being able to compose prayers, pious in the matter, prudent in the composure, devout in the forms, expressive in the language; and, in short, useful to the church, and very apt for devotion, and serving to her religion and necessities. I believe that such a gift there was, and this indulged, as other issues of the Spirit, to some persons upon special necessities, by singular dispensation, as the Spirit knew to be most expedient for the present need, and the future instruction. This I believe, not because I find sufficient testimony that it was so, or any evidence from the words now alleged; but because it was reasonable it should be so, and agreeable to the other proceedings of the Holy Ghost. For although we account it an easy matter to make prayers, and we have great reason to give thanks to the Holy Ghost for it, who hath descended so plentifully upon the church, hath made plentiful revelation of all the public and private necessities of the world, hath taught us how to pray, given rules for the manner of address, taught us how to distinguish spiritual from carnal things, hath represented the vanity of worldly desires, the unsatisfyingness of earthly possessions, the blessing of being denied our impertinent, secular, and indiscreet requests, and hath done all this at the beginning of christianity, and hath actually stirred up the apostles and apostolical men to make so many excellent forms of prayer, which their successors did in part retain, and in part imitate, till the conjunct wisdom of the church saw her offices complete, regular, and sufficient. So that now every man is able to make something of forms of prayer, (for which ability they should do well to pay their eucharist to the Holy Ghost, and not abuse the gift to vanity or schism ;) yet at the first beginning of christianity, till the Holy Spirit did fill all things, they found no such plenty of forms of prayer; and it was accounted a Jesu Christi, de quo dictum est, Heb. v. 7. denoɛis tè kai |