The Whole Armor of God, Exegesis · Treatise 3 · Part 4
THE FOVRTH PART.
The Ground of Prayer.
§. 126. Of the meaning of this phraſe in the Spirit.
THe third general branch concerning praier, is the ground from whence it ariſeth, and that is the Spirit. Pray in the Spirit, ſaith the Apoſtle. Some heere vnderſtand the ſpirit of man, which is the ſoule and heart of a man: and ſo is this phraſe vſed,d1. Cor. 14. 15. foreign. where the Apoſtle ſaith, I will pray with the Spirit, or in the Spirit. Others vnderſtand the Spirit of God, which is the holy Ghoſt: and ſo is this phraſe vſed,Iude v. 20. foreign. f where the Apoſtle Iude ſaith, Pray in the holy Ghoſt, gRom. 8. 26.and where Saint Paul ſaith, The Spirit maketh requeſt for vsus. I take it, that they which exclude either of theſe, come ſhort of the Apoſtles meaning: for I doubt not but he heere intendeth both the Spirit of God and alſo the ſpirit of man, ſure I am that both may ſtand together, yea that both do alwaies concurre together and cannot be ſeuered: for without the holy Spirit of God, man cannot pray in his ſpirit and heart: and whenſoeuer the Spirit of God helpeth vsus to pray, hee ſtirreth vp our ſpirits and hearts to pray. The ſpirit of man is that eſpeciall place where the Spirit of God hath his reſidencie.
This clauſe then affordeth vntounto vsus theſe two inſtructions.
1 True prayer is a worke of the holy Spirit of God, and commeth from his motion.
2 Prayer framed by the Spirit of God, floweth out of the very ſpirit and heart of a man.
§. 127. Of the worke of the Spirit in prayer.
FOr the firſt,Doct. 1. Praier a work of the holy Ghoſt. note what the Prophet ſaith in Gods name to Ieruſalem, hZach. 12. 10.I will powre vponupon them the ſpirit of ſupplications. He calleth the gifts of prayer the ſpirit of ſupplications, becauſe it is Gods Spirit which worketh in vsus this gift, and inableth vsus to call vponupon God: in a like reſpect, Saint Paul vſeth this phraſe,i2. Cor. 4. 13. The Spirit of faith. More plainely is this point proued, by that phraſe which Saint Iude vſeth,kIude v. 20. Praying in the holy Ghoſt: but moſt euidently byaRom 8. 26, 27. Expounded. Saint Paul, who layeth it downe, firſt affirmatiuely, ſaying, The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh interceſsion for vsus: then negatiuely, ſaying, Wee know not what to pray, &c. What may the Apoſtle meane by this phraſe, The Spirit it ſelfe maketh interceſsion? Doth the holy Ghoſt truely and properly pray for vsus, as Chriſt our High Prieſt and Mediator, or as one of vsus for another? Noe verily: for then ſhould the holy Ghoſt bee our Mediator (which was one of Arrius his hereſies) an office which is neuer attributed to him, but appropriated to Chriſt:b1. Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Chriſt Ieſus Beſides, then alſo ſhould God make requeſt to God; for the holy Ghoſt is God, but not man alſo, as Chriſt was. The meaning then of the Apoſtle muſt needs bee this, that the Spirit of God ſtirreth vsus vp to pray, quickning, and putting life into our dead and dull ſpirits, yea inwardly, as it were, ſuggeſteth vntounto vsus, and infuſeth into vsus ſuch deſires, ſuch ſighes & grones, yea and ſuch words, as are acceptable to God, which for the truth and ſincer…e of them, for the vehemencie and ardencie of them, for the power and efficacie of them are cforeign.vnutterable: they pierce thorow the very heauens, and enter vntounto the glorious Throne of Gods grace, and there make a loud crie in the eares of the Almightie. Therefore dRom. 8. 27.in the next verſe the Apoſtle addeth, he that ſearcheth the hearts (that is, God the ſearcher of all hearts) knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit (that is, what deſires, what ſighes and groanes, what prayers proceed from the work of his Spirit, being ſtirred vp thereby in our ſpirits) for Gods Spirit informeth, and inſtructeth our ſpirits to make prayers to God, according to the will of God, which otherwiſe were moſt impoſſible for vsus to doe: we neither could tell what to aske, nor how to aske. Thus plainely and clearely we ſee, that true prayer commeth from the motion and worke of Gods Spirit: which may yet further be confirmed by comparing, Gal. 4. 6. with Rom. 8. 15. in that it is ſaid, the Spirit in our hearts crieth Abba Father: in this, by the Spirit we crie Abba Father.
The reaſons why thus the Spirit prayeth,Why needfull that the holy Ghoſt helpe vsus to pray. yea why it is needfull that the Spirit ſhould pray, and ſo we pray in the Spirit, are theſe.
1 In regard of our naturall eſtate,Reaſons. we hauehave no abilitie at all to pray: a dead man can as wel craue help of another man, as a naturall man in faith craue ſuccour of God. e2. Cor. 3. 5.Wee are not ſufficient of our ſelues, to thinke any thing as of our ſelues. Can we then be ſufficient of our ſelues to pray aright?
2 In our regenerate eſtate wee are no longer able to doe any good thing, then the Spirit helpeth and aſſiſteth vsus. Though once we be inabled by the Spirit to pray aright, vet if the Spirit leaue vsus and continue not in vsus his powerfull worke, all our abilitie is gone (as a wheele which is turned about with an hand, if the hand be taken away, the wheele will ſoone ſtand ſtill) it is needfull that vntounto the firſt grace, following grace be added: for man after he is regenerate, ſtill needeth the preſent, effectuall, continual worke of Gods holy Spirit. It is therefore ſaid, fPhilip. 1. 6.He that hath begunne a good worke in you, will performe it vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt.
3 Though we knew how to pray, yet would not our prayer be acceptable to God, except it came from his Spirit: gRom. 8. 17. foreign.it is attributed as a proper worke to the Spirit, that he maketh interceſſion according to the will of God (that is, ſo as is pleaſing and acceptable to God) for as God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, ſo the Spirit knoweth the will of God.
1 Heere note how the whole Trinitie hath a worke in this holy exerciſe of prayer.hRom. 8. 26. The holy Ghoſt frameth our requeſts.iReu. 8. 3. The Son offereth them vp vntounto his Father. kRom. 8. 27.The Father accepteth them thus framed, and offered vp.
2 Note the reaſon, why the prayers of the Saints are ſo acceptable, and auaileable, why they pierce thorow the clouds, and hauehave acceſſe to Gods throne: they are the groanes of Gods Spirit: not that the Spirit groaneth, but that our ſpirits are made to groane by Gods Spirit.
3 Note what an admirable gift, the gift of prayer is, a ſingular gift, peculiar and proper to the Saints, who hauehave the Spirit of God: ifl1. Cor. 12. 3. no man can ſay that Ieſus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghoſt, ſurely no man can call vponupon God, as his Father, but by the Spirit of God.mRom. 8. 15. We hauehave therefore receiued the Spirit of adoption, whereby we crie Abba Father.
4 Note how we may know whether Gods Spirit bee in vsus, and whether we be Gods ſonnes or no: euen by the Spirit of prayer: I meane not an outward formall vttering of words, but true prayer comming from the heart.
§. 128. Of the meanes to pray aright in the Spirit.
THey who deſire to pray aright, ſo as their prayer ſhould be acceptable to God, muſt,
1 Labour for Gods ſanctifying ſpirit, which is gotten by the miniſtery of the word, as was ſet foorth bynActs 10. 44. thoſe extraordinary gifts which God beſtowed on Chriſtians while they were hearing the word preached: & asoGal. 3. 2. Saint Paul with great emphaſis affirmeth, ſaying, receiued ye the the ſpirit by the workes of the law, or by hearing of faith? that is, aſſuredly by hearing the Goſpell (which is the word of faith) preached ye receiued the ſpirit: in which reſpect the preaching of the Goſpell is called,p2 Cor. 3. 8 the miniſtration of the ſpirit.
2 Hauing the ſpirit we muſt goe along with him, and follow his good motions: powring forth thoſe deſires which he ſuggeſteth vntounto vsus:qLeu. 9. 24. the fire which God would continually to burne vponupon his Altar, came out from the Lord. If ſacrifices were offered vp with any other fire, that fire was countedr& 10. 1, &c. ſtrange, and the ſacrifices no whit acceptable, but abominable to the Lord: the heauenly fire whereby our ſpirituall ſacrifices of praier muſt be offered vp, is that holy ſpirit which commeth out from God: he carrieth the very image of God: we muſt therefore sMar. 22. 21giuegive vntounto God that which is Gods.
3 We muſt take heede wetEph. 4. 30. grieue not the holy ſpirit of God: which is done byu1 …eſ. 5. 19 quenching the goog motions thereof thorow our careleſneſſe, or by*Acts 7. 51 reſiſting the ſpirit, thorow our rebellion: hence is it that many of the Saints are ſo dull, and vntoward to this exerciſe: by their ſecurity and carnality they hauehave grieued Gods ſpirit, and he hath withdrawne his helpe and aſſiſtance.
Many hearing that the ſpirit maketh requeſt for vsus, wil be ready wholly to giuegive ouer this duty vntounto the worke of the ſpirit, and ſo neuer rowſe vp themſelues, but ſay, when the ſpirit pleaſe it will make requeſt for me. Theſe grieue the ſpirit, becauſe they ſtirre not vp the gift thereof.
§. 129. Of prayer comming from the ſpirit of a Man.
2 FOr the ſecond doctrine,Doct. 2. Praier wroght by Gods Spirit, commeth out of mans ſpirit. that Prayer framed by the Spirit of God, floweth out of the very ſpirit and heart of a man; it is alſo cleare byxRom. 8. 26. the forenamed place, The ſpirit maketh interceſsion with groanes, &c. Now groanes proceede from the heart, and ſpirit, not from the tongue and lips: but more expreſlyyGal. 4. 6. the Apoſtle ſaith, that the ſpirit which crieth Abba Father, is ſent into our hearts. Hence it is that they which pray in the ſpirit, are ſaidz1 Sam. 1. 15. Pſal. 62. 8. to powre out their ſoule and their heart to God. The Virgin Mary (who without all queſtion praiſed God in the ſpirit) ſaith,*Luk. 1. 46, 47 My ſoule magnifieth the Lord, my ſpirit reioyceth in God.
1 The heart of man is,Reaſons. as it were, Gods chaire of ſtate, whereunto no creature can come: it is proper to God alone; it is his Pallace wherein he moſt delighteth: wherefore Gods Spirit maketh his aboade there, and ſtirreth that vp to pray.
2 The heart is a fountaine whence commeth eueryevery thing, good or euill: wherefore the Spirit doth eſpecially purifie and ſanctifie it. Yea, the heart is as a Queene, ſhee hath a command of all the powers of the ſoule, and parts of the body; and therefore the Spirit giueth this gift of prayer to her.
§. 130. Of diſcerning when we pray in the Spirit.
Vſe 1 HEreby may we iudge whether the Spirit of God be in vsus, and moue vsus to pray or no. If our prayer come but from the teeth, though it be neuer ſo well framed in regard of the forme of words, and though our geſture be neuer ſo ſeemely, ſauouring of much reuerence and humility, yet all is nothing: the Spirit of God hath no part in this worke, if thy ſpirit pray not. Herein lieth a maine difference betwixt the manner of perſwading God and man. Man may be moued with faire ſpeeches, inticing words, eloquent phraſes, (aAct. 12. 21, 22 as the people of Tyrus and Sidon with Herods eloquent Oration) but all the eloquence in the World is no more to God then the lowing of an Oxe, or the howling of a dogge, if it come not from the ſpirit. Hearty and vpright prayer is the beſt rhetoricke to moue God withall.
Vſe 2 What matter of humiliation is miniſtred vntounto moſt, euen of them that are accounted the beſt? how often doe ſuch as heare others pray, fall downe on their knees, and ſo ſeeme to pray, and yet know not what hath beene prayed? Their thoughts hauehave beene vponupon other matters. Some manifeſt as much in that, when the prayer is ended, they teſtifie no aſſent thereunto by ſaying, Amen. Yea, how often doe they who vtter the prayer (Miniſters in the Church, other perſons in other places) tumble ouer words with their mouthes, when their hearts are wandring, ſo as little aſſent of ſpirit, if any at all hath been giuen to their owne words? Can ſuch ſacrifices be acceptable to God? let vsus be humbled for that which is paſt; and be more watchfull ouer our hearts for the time to come.