The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the efficient of Prayer.
THe next thing I ſhall treat of, ſhall be the efficient cauſe of …rayer, which is the holy Ghoſt: …or deſire to pray, is not bred in us by …ature, nor acquired by humane …udy or induſtry, but put into us by …he Spirit of God,Balls Treat. of prayer. as a judicious Di…ine well noteth: As no man can …y Jeſus is the Lord but by the holy …hoſt, 1 Cor. 12.2, 3. So no man …n be enabled to call upon the Lord … his Father ſincerely and affectio…ately, but by the ſanctifying Spirit. …ecauſe ye are ſons, therefore God hath …nt forth the Spirit of his ſons into your …earts, whereby ye cry Abba, Father, …al. 4.6. The Apoſtle exhorteth the Epheſians, to pray with all manner prayers and ſupplications in the Spiri… Epheſ. 6.18. The Spirit is the ri… of true prayer,Bains Expoſit. in Epheſ. if it proceed n… thence, it is an empty ring whi… God regardeth not, ſaith a learn… man. Prayer is not a work of ma… wit, nor of humane learning: F… ſaith the Apoſtle, We of our ſelv… know not what to pray for as we oug… Now true effectual prayer, is a wo… a fruit, a gift, an effect of the ſanc… fying Spirit: The Spirit it ſelf help… our infirmities, and teacheth us to pr… Rom. 8.26, 27. As a Watch can… go, unleſſe the ſpring be wound u… and an inſtrument can make no m… ſick, though it be in tune, unle… we finger it, and play out; a… reaſon will make this evident us.
1. All good works are the fru… of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22, 23. the… fore to pray being a good work, it a fruit of the Spirit. I will pour w… ter upon him that is thirſty, and flo… upon the dry ground: The meani… whereof he interpreteth in the ne… words, I will pour out my Spirit on … ſeed, and my bleſſing on thy off-spring; …nd they ſhall ſpring up as among the graſs, …nd as willows by the water-courſes; …ne ſhall ſay, I am the Lords, and ano…her ſhall call himſelf by the name of …acob, and another ſhall ſubſcribe with …is hand unto the Lord, and ſirname …imſelf by the name of Iſrael, Iſa. …4.3, 4, 5.
2. As all the actions of Gods com…union with us, or communicating …imſelf unto us, are conveyed by …e holy Ghoſt, as in the workes …f converſion, ſanctification, con…lation, &c. So all the actions …f our communicating our ſelves … him, are mannaged and diſ…arged by the Spirit; as Faith, Re…entance, Love, &c. ſo likewiſe this …f prayer.
Queſt. Doth not then a regenerate …an pray truly, or doth only the holy Ghoſt …ay in him, and for him, as Chriſt did, …d doth make interceſſion for his peo…, or as one man may pray and doth for …nother.
Resp. A regenerate man; foraſ…uch as he is ſpiritualized, &c. by …rtue of that increated heavenly nature and principle, may be truly ſa… to pray, and properly too, as a m… that hath legs may be ſaid to go; though prayer be the gift of God, y… it is the act of man. The Lord ſ… of Saul after his converſion, Bel… he prayeth, Acts 9.11. But this d… not exclude, but rather neceſſar… include the concurrent aſſiſtance Gods Spirit, a ſpecial concurrence… the Spirit to produce this ſpe… work; For of our ſelves we are not ſ… ficient for one good thought, 2 Cor. 3 As he that hath legs cannot go wi… out the common concurrence Gods Spirit to that common actio… ſo it is in the children of God: A… i… with a wheel that hath in it an… titude to turn about; but this m… be done by ſome hand, or ſome … ternal, or internal motion, or a … mation; if that ceaſe, the wheel … quickly ſtand ſtill: ſo it is in all holy actions of a good man, and this of prayer; there muſt be an citing and concomitant work of … Spirit; the Spirit of God is ſet o… the prayers of Gods people, it hat… ſuperintendency over them, he … …erneth them in their prayers, with…ut whoſe aſſiſtance they know not …hat to ask, as they ought: It is the …ork of the Spirit ad preces inſtigare, … ſtir up unto prayer, Et verba & …ſpiria ſuggerere, and to ſuggeſt …ords and breathings into them, …ch prayers God will grant which …e readeth written in the ſtile of his …wn Spirit.Ubicunque faciem ſuam Deus contemplatur, illam meritò a…at, & honore habet. Calv. inſtit. l. 3. c. 13. The reaſon why God …ce…teth thoſe prayers, is becauſe …ey come from the Spirit, and are the …preſſions of his own Image, which …od cannot chuſe but love, where…ever he beholdeth it, as Calvin ſaith.
Now the Spirit enableth a man to …ray:
1. By convincing him of his ſins, …nd of his miſerable eſtate by them.
2. By working in him a deſire to …e delivered from them, ſhewing …im withall the true and onelyonly way … recover out of that eſtate, viz. by …eſus Chriſt.
3. By begetting in him a true faith …nd ſanctified nature, by which he …pprehendeth God to be his gracious …ather in Chriſt, willing to receive …im into the armes of his embracements, upon his unfeigned repe… ance. And then
4. By ſtirring up ſpiritual deſir… and earneſt requeſts unto God in … heart, for putting words in … mouth, and ſo enditing his pray… for him, that they may be accep… ble; and this the Spirit doth ordin… rily in every mans firſt converſion… and afterwards upon occaſion ſt… ring up his ſpiritual part; to po… out it ſelf in ſupplication, out of … holy acquaintance and familiar… that it hath with God.
Hence you may ſee the grou… why the prayers of the Saints are … powerfull with God, viz. not on… becauſe they are tendered and p… ſented up in the name of Chriſt; b… alſo, becauſe they are endited a… put into us by the Spirit, who tea… eth us to pray (both for matter a… manner) according to the will … God, Rom. 8.27. The Spirit on… knowing the mind of God, 1 Cor. 10, 11. and ſo God knoweth and a… proveth the voice of his own Spiri… thence it is,Crooks hypocr. part 1. chap. 21. that praying in the h… Ghoſt, Jude verſ. 20. They wr… ſtle with God, and overcome him with his own weapons, and being ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, they do not onelyonly encounter Devils, but alſo prevail with God, as a grave Divine noteth. And thence it is, that …heir prayers pierce the clouds, and …ave preſent acceſſe to the throne of Grace, entring into the ears of the Loord of Hoſts. Our prayers are …he works of Gods Almighty Spirit, …nd therefore they have an omnipo…ent and irreſiſtable power to prevail with him, Gen. 32.26. Exod. 32.9, 10. And therefore thoſe that deſire this gift of prayer, let them labour after …he aſſurance of this gift of Gods …anctifying Spirit, that ſo they may …ome into an holy familiarity with God by prayer and ſupplication, This Spirit is gotten by our conſtant …nd faithfull attendance on the Word …lainly and powerfully preached, Gal. 3.2. And as we prize that high and heavenly exerciſe of prayer, having the Spirit, let us be carefull we quench not, nor grieve the Spirit, by our careleſſe neglecting the motions of it, nor reſiſt it by our rebelli… againſt it, and ſo cauſe it in diſple… ſure to withdraw its influences fro… us, whereby we become ſecure, co… and dead, and ſo unfit for the ex… ciſe of all holy duties, eſpecially t… of prayer. It is our duty theref… to ſtir up the gifts of God in us, t… all our prayers may be quickned this Spirit of ſupplication, and every petition pouring forth w… the Spirit ſuggeſteth to us. The … which God would have burning … on the Altar, came from the L… from Heaven, Levit. 9.24. All ot… fires were ſtrange fires, Levit. 10 and the Sacrifices not accepted, the ſacrificer puniſhed: Yet muſt a Chriſtian give over this duty wh… ly to the Spirit of God, becauſe Spirit enableth us to do it, but muſt rouze up our ſelves, and m… our ſelves (in what we can) fit the Spirits guidance, continuing the diligent uſe of all holy mea… that the Spirit may blow more a… more ſtrongly upon us. The Sp… giveth abillity to pray, and in… citeth us to it, but we muſt pray …he Spirit. Many cry, Lord help, …ho quicken not themſelves to this …uty; they think meerly upon the …ew of ſupply that cometh from the …pirit; but if you keep your ſeed in …he Garner, God will not encreaſe …our ſtore; you muſt plow and ſow, …nd then in your endeavours you may look for a bleſſing from Heaven. God hath ſaid, he will meet his people, Iſa. 64.5. but he expecteth that you ſhould be going and then he will come.Symonds deſerted Souls caſe and cure. God dealeth with his people (ſaith a good Divine) as men do with young ſwimmers, he will hold up your heads, but you muſt ſtretch out your limbs.