Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 35
SERMON XXXV.
ROM. VIII.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.
WE now come more distinctly to shew what the Holy Ghost doth in Prayer.
1. He directeth, and ordereth our requests, so as they may suit with our great end, which is the injoyment of God. For of our selves we should Pray only after a natural and humane affection, which sets up its self instead of God; and self considered as a Body, rather than a Soul; and so asketh Bodily things, rather than Spiritual; and the conveniencies of the Natural Life, rather than the injoyment of the world to come. Let a man alone, and he will sooner ask baits, and snares, and temptations, than graces, and helps. A Scorpion instead of Fish, and a Stone rather than Bread; we take counsel of our lusts, and interests, when we are left to our own private spirit; and so would make God to serve with our sins, and imploy him as a Minister of our carnal desires; as 'tis said of them in the Wilderness, Psal. 78.18. They tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their lusts. Our natural will and carnal affections will make us Pray our selves into a snare. In the Text 'tis said, We know not what to pray for as we ought. And in the 27. v. He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. foreign according to God; not only with respect to his will, but his Glory, and our eternal good; so that human and earnal affection shall neither prescribe the matter, nor fix the end. To Pray in an Holy manner, is the product of the Spirit, and the fruit of his operation in us. Faith, and Love, and Hope, are more at work in a serious Prayer, than human and carnal affection, which referreth all its desires and inclinations to the Bodily Life.
2. He quickneth, and enliveneth our desires in prayer. There is an holy vehemency and fervour required in Prayer, opposite to that careless formality and deadness, which otherwise is found in us. These are the groanings which cannot be uttered, spoken of in the Text. Groaning, noteth the strength and ardency of desire, when there is a warmth, and a life, and a vigour in Prayer. Oh how flat and dead are our hearts, oftentimes, when we want these quickening motions! A flow of words may come from our natural temper, but these lively motions, and strong desires, from the Spirit of God. Tis notable, that the Prayer which is produced in us by the spirit, is represented by the notion of a cry; twice 'tis said teaching us to cry Abba Father; not with respect to the loudness of the voice, but the earnestness of affection. Crying for help, is the most vehement way of asking, used only by persons in great necessity and danger; a prayer without life is as incense without fire, which sendeth forth no perfume, or sweet savour. The firing of the Sacrifices was a token of Gods acceptance; so when warmth of heart cometh from Heaven, God testi…ieth of his gifts.
3. He incourageth and emboldneth us to come to God as a Father. This is one main thing twice mentioned in Scripture, Rom. 8.15. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father; and Gal. 4.6. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying Abba Father. A great part of the life and comfort of Prayer, consisteth in coming to God as a reconciled Father. Now this is seen in two things, 1. Child-like confidence. 2. Child-like reverence.
1. Child-like confidence, or a familiar owning of God in Prayer, when we come to him as little Children to their Father, for help in their dangers and necessities. Christ hath taught us to say our Father, and in every Prayer we must be able to say so in one fashion or an other; not with our lips, but with our hearts; by option and choice, if not by direct affirmation, Luke 11.13. If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask it? We forget the duty of Children, but God doth not forget the mercies of a Father. Let it be the voice of our trust and hope, rather than of our lips.
2. With child-like reverence, in an humble and awful way; God that hath the title of a Father, will have the honour and respect of a Father, Matt. 1.6. If this should breed lear and reverence in us at other times, it should much more when we immediately converse with him, 1 Pet. 1.17. If ye call on the father, who without respect of persons judgeth every man. God will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him, Heb. 10. so Phil. 3.11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with tr…ubling. Our familiarity with God, must not mar our reverence, nor confidence and delight in him: our humility and serious dealing with God in Prayer, is wrought in us by the spirit; in whose light we see both God and our selves; his Majesty, and our vileness; his purity▪ and our sinfulness, his greatness; and our nothingness.
2 The necessity of this help and assistance.
1. The order and oeconomy of the divine persons sheweth it. In the mystery of redemption God is represented as our reconciled God and Father, to whom we come. Christ as the Mediator, through whom we have liberty and access to God, as our own God. And the Spirit as our guide, Sanctifier, and Comforter, by whom we come to him. God is represented as the great Prince, and Universal King, into whose presence-chamber poor petitioners are admitted; Christ openeth the door by the merit of his Sacrifice, and keepeth it open by his constant intercession, that wrath may be no hindrance on Gods part, nor guilt on ours; for otherwise, God is a consuming fire, Heb. 12.29. and sin divides and separates between God and us, Isa. 59.2. Then the spirit doth create, preserve, and quicken; and actuate these graces in the exercise of which this access is managed and carryed on. Otherwise, such is our impotency and aversness, that we should not make use of this offered benefit, Eph. 2.18. For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the father. The injoyment of the Fatherly love of God, is the highest happiness in which the Soul doth rest content; Christ is the way by which we come to the Father; and the Spirit our guide, which causeth us to enter in this way, and goeth along with us in it. We cannot look right to the blessed Father, but we must look to him through the Blessed Son; and we cannot look upon the Son, but through the Blessed Spirit, and so we come aright to God.
2. That prayer may carry proportion with other duties. All the Children of God are led by the spirit of God, Rom. 8.14. as in their whole conversation, so especially in this act of prayer. Look as in common providence, no creature is exempted from the influence of it; for in him they all live▪ move, and have their being; exempt any creature from the dominion of providence; and then that creature would live of its self. So as to gracious and special providence, you cannot exempt one action from the spirits influence; for we live in the spirit, and walk in the spirit, Gal. 5.25. We sing with the spirit, and hear in the spirit, and serve God in the spirit; so we pray in the spirit only; there is a special regard to this duty, because here we have experience of the motions of the renewed Soul directly towards God, and so of the comforts and graces of the spirit, more than in other duties.
3. Because of our impotency. We cannot speak of God without the Spirit; much less to God, 1 Cor. 12.3. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. That is, on him as the Messiah, and Redeemer of the World. 'Twas a deadly state the Redeemer found us in; to lessen mans misery, was to lessen the grace of Christ; so we must not extenuate the Honour of our Sanctifier; we can neither live, nor work, nor walk, nor pray, without the Spirit. The help is not needless, if we consider what we are, and what prayer is; what we are, who are enemies to our own happiness, and holiness; and Prayer, which requireth such serious work; surely the setting of our hearts, and all our hopes upon an invisible Glory; and measuring all things thereunto, is a work too hard for a carnal sensual creature, that is wedded to present satisfactions; and without this, there is no praying in a spiritual manner; they that love sin, will never heartily pray against it; and they that hate an Holy, Spiritual, Heavenly life, can never seek the advancement of it. Now this is our case; we may babble and speak things by rote; or we may have a natural fervency, when we pray for Corn, Wine and Oyl; and Justification, and Sanctification, in order thereunto; we may have a Wish, but not a serious Volition of spiritual and heavenly things, which is the Life and Soul of Prayer.
4. With respect to acceptance, Psal. 10.17. When thou preparest the heart, thou bendest the ear. Rom. 8.27. He knoweth the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. God knoweth what is a belch of the flesh, and what is a groan of the Spirit; every voice, but that of his Spirit, is strange and barbarous to him; he puts us upon holy and just requests; he hath stirred them up in us; as a Father teacheth a Child to ask what he hath a mind to give him.
3. Cautious against some abuses▪ and mistakes in prayer.
1. This is not so to be understood, as if the matter and words of prayer were immediately to be inspired by the Holy Ghost, as he inspiried the holy men of God, in their prophecying and penning the Holy Scripture. We read, 2 Pet. 1.21. That holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And we may say, Holy Men pray as they are moved by the Holy Ghost; but yet there is a great deal of difference between both these; partly, because they were immediately moved, and infallibly assisted by the Spirit; so moved and extraordinarily born through, that they could not err and miscarry; they were free from any fault, failing, or corruption in the matter, form, or words wherein this was expressed; all was purely Divine. But in our Prayers we find the contrary by sad experience. Partly, because it had been a sin in the Prophets not to have delivered the same message which they received of the Lord, both for matter, manner, and method; but it is no sin in a Child of God, against the guidance and governance of Gods Spirit, to use ano…her method than he used. To contract and shorten, or to lengthen and inlage his Prayers, as opportunity serveth; and yet the Prayer, is the Prayer of the Spirit, that that is directed, ordered, and quickned by the Spirit.
2. This is not to be understood, as if we should never pray till the spirit moveth us. The Prophets were not to Prophesy, till moved by an extraordinary impulse; for they were not bound by the common law of Gods servants, or children, to see visions, or to prophecy; but we are not to stay from our duty, till we see the spirit moving; but to make use of the power we have, as reasonable creatures, Eccles. 9.10. Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; and to stir up the gifts and graces that we have as believers, Isa. 64.7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee, 2 Tim. 1.6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance; that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, and in the way of duty to wait and cry for the necessary influences of the Lords Spirit, Cant. 4.16. A w…ke, O north-wind, and come thou south wind, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow forth; let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. And to obey his sanctifying motions, Psal. 27.8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face: my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
3. We cannot say we have not the Spirit of Prayer, because we have not such freedom of words as may give vent to spiritual affections. If there be a sense of such things as we mainly want, that is, Christ and his graces, and an affectionate desire after them; and we address our selves to God with these desires in the best fashion we can, that we may have help and relief from him, and you are resolved not to give him over till you have it; you have the Spirit of Grace and supplications, tho it may be you cannot inlarge upon these things with such copiousness of expression as others do. Therefore let us consider what is the Spirit of Prayer; and how far doth he make use of our natural faculties. I conceive it thus. A man is convinced that his happiness lyeth in the injoyment of God; that there is no injoynment of God, but by Christ, till he be justified, and sanctified, and walk in Holy obedience to him. The Spirit of God upon this changeth his heart, and 'tis set within him to seek after God in this way, 1 Chron. 22.19. Now set your heart, and your soul, to seek the Lord your God: And Psal. 119.36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies. Now because the will without the affections doth not work strongly, but is like a ship without sails; affections are the vigorous, and forcible motions of the will, without which it would lie sluggish, and idle; or like a Chariot without wheels and horses; or a Bird when her wings are clipped; therefore the Holy Ghost stirreth up these affections, and our heart within us makes us willing, and this bringeth the Soul to God; for no other can give us satisfaction, but he alone. And the difficulties of Salvation are so many, that we cannot overcome them, but in his power and strength. Now sense of wants, and an earnest desire of a supply, will ordinarily put words into a mans mouth, and affections beget expressions. Yet because many accidental reasons may hinder it, the weight of Prayer is not to be layed so much upon the expression, as the affection; if there be a strong and an earnest desire after grace, it will make us express our selves to God in the best manner that we can. As long as you Pray for necessary graces, and other things in subordination thereunto, and can heartily groan and sigh to God for what you want, with respect to your great end, the Prayer is well performed; there may be a great petulancy and extravagance of words, where there is not a good and an honest heart; vain bablings, without faith, or feeling, or spiritual affection.
4. 'Tis not to be understood as if all that pray graciously, had the spirit in a like measure, or the same persons always in the same measure. No, the wind bloweth where it li…eth, John 3.7. And he giveth us to will and to do. We cannot find the assistance at our own pleasure; some have it in a more plentiful, others in a scanty measure, tho all have i…. Jesus Christ himself, tho he had not the spirit by measure, yet he exercised and acted the spirit of Prayer more at one time, Luke 22.44. And being in an agony he prayed foreign more earnestly. His love to God was always the same, but the expression of it different. So Gods Children seek Heavenly things with a weaker degree of desire, and sometimes with a stronger; at sometimes we have the directing work of the Spirit, and are not sensible of those earnest and unexpressible groans. That is to say, we put up our requests for things lawful, and useful, and most necessary for us at the time, but not with that ardour and fervency that we do desire; we cannot say that the Holy Ghost doth not assist these Prayers; as sometimes the assistance is given us more largely as to the groaning part; and men are all in a flame; strong and passionate affections do most bewray themselves. Sometimes as a spirit of confidence and Holy liberty with our Father; and faith is clearly predominant in Prayer; at other times repentance and Child-like reverence and fear are altogether in action in the Prayer, and there is a great seriousness, tho not such life and vigour, or strength of faith, as grief for sin, bemoaning our failings.
5. Gifts are more necessary when we joyn with others, and are their mouth to God. But the Spirit of Prayer is of most use when we are alone, and we have nothing to do but to set our selves before the searcher of hearts, and draw forth our desires after him; when without taking in the necessities of others, we present our personal requests to God, and lament the defects of our own Hearts, and the plague of our own Souls. When we pray alone, 'tis good to observe the workings of our own hearts; surely whatever Prayer we make to God, we should find it in our hearts, 2 Sam. 7.27. Therefore hath thy serv…nt found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. Having a deep sense of our wants, a real desire of the blessing, we ask exercising grace, rather than memory and invention; pouring out our very Souls to God, with sighs and groans, rather than words; we are liberty there to use, or not use the voice; to continue speech, and break it off, and lift up the heart by strong desires to God.
VSE. It informeth us,
1. What kind of help we have from the spirit of God in prayer; his work is to guide and quicken you. First, to guide you in Prayer, that you may Pray to God in an Holy manner; we know not what to pray for as we ought, on a fourfold reason; 1. As blinded with self-l…ve. 2. As discomposed by trouble. 3. As struck dumb by guilt. 4. As straitned by barreness and leanness of soul.
1. As blinded by self-love. Oh, what strange prayers will men put up to God, if they take counsel of their lusts and interests! as the Disciples that called for fire from Heaven; Christ told them, ye know not of what manner of spirit ye are of, Luke 9.55. Self love so blindeth us, that if we be lead by it, we shall rather beg our ruin, than our salvation; for we know not what is either profitable, or prejudical to us; so that it would be an argument of Gods anger, to grant our requests. The Ambitious, if he should pray from the passion that possesseth him, would only ask honour and worldly greatness. The Covetous only, that God would double his worldly portion, and inlarge his estate, according to his vast desires, the Sensual, the ability and opportunity of glutting his bruitish inclinations; the Vindictive, that he may interess God in his quarrels. All sinners would serve him, only to serve their carnal turns; whatever words we use to God in Prayer, if we serve him to these ends, and hope that by praying, they shall be the better gratified, our Prayer is turned into sin; but he that is guided by the Spirit, intreateth nothing of God but what is pleasing to him, and suiteth with his Glory; we come to our Father which is in Heaven when we Pray; and our welfare in the World must be subordinated to our Eternal and Heavenly estate. And we come in the name of Christ; now to ask honours in his name, who was born in a Stable, and Dyed on a Cross; pleasures in his name who was a man of sorrows, is utterly incongruous: no! Gods Glory, Kingdom, Will, must be preferred before our inclinations; other things asked with reservation and submission.
2. Our minds are discomposed by trouble, that we scarce know what to do, or say. 2 Chron 20.12. Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are unto thee. Our Lord Christ, John 12.27. My soul is troubled, what shall I say? in great grief, Christ himself was at a loss. The great Teacher of the Church, who hath so much to say for our comfort and counsel in such cases, yet was amazed, and at a nonplus; and David, Psal. 77.4. I am sore troubled, I cannot speak. Our words stoppeth the mouth. Now when our thoughts are thus confounded, we scarce know what to pray for; the Spirit teacheth us what to say. Look as in the case of the fear of men, Luke 12.12. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour, what you shall say. So in our perplexities, when we are scarce able to open our mouths to God.
3. When struck dumb by some newly contracted guilt, as David kept silence and grew shy of God, Psal. 32.3. The Spirit urgeth us to penitent confession, and humble suing out our pardon, v. 5. with that brokenness of heart which becometh a sinner.
4. When straitned by barrenness, and leanness of Soul; would fain Pray, but are dry and barren of matter; 'tis because we use not meditation, and serious recollection, Psal. 45.1. My heart is inditing a good matter, my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. One that is well acquainted with God and himself, cannot want matter. First, The Holy Ghost puts us upon the serious consideration of these things; and then when we come to speak to God, a man will copiously enough be supplied out of the abundance of his heart, Matth. 12.34. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. If the mind be stocked and furnished with holy thoughts, and meditation, it will break out in the lips.
2. His next office is to quicken you, or raise your affections, and holy desires, which are the life of Prayer. The prayer continueth no longer than the desires do. Therefore groans are more Prayer than words; weeping hath a voice, Psal. 6.8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. Tears have a tongue, and a language which God well enough understandeth; look as babes have no other voice▪ but crying for the mothers breast, that's intelligible enough to the tender parent; so when there are earnest and serious desires after grace, God knoweth our meaning.
2. It informeth us, that the motions of the spirit are an help in prayer, not the rule and reason of prayer; many will say they will pray only when the spirit moveth them. Now he helpeth in the performance, not in the neglect of the duty; we are to make conscience of it. God giveth out influences of grace according to his will, or good pleasure; but we must Pray according to his will of precept; the influence of grace is not the warrant of duty, but the help; we are to do all acts in obedience to Gods command, whatever cometh of it, Luke 5.5. God is soveraign; disposed, or indisposed, you are bound; our impotency is our sin; now our sin cannot excuse us from our duty, for then the creature were not culpable for his sinful defects and omissions; the outward act of a duty is commanded as well as the inward; tho we cannot come up to the nature of a perfect duty, yet we should do as we can; tota actio, and totum actionis, falleth under the command of God, Hosea 14.2. Take with you words; I, and also take with you affections. Tho I cannot do all, I must do as much as I can, bring such desires as I have. Gods spirit is more likely to help you in duty, than in the neglect of it. You quench the Spirit that must assist you, by neglecting the means; when the door is bolted, knocking is the only way to get it open; present your selves before God, and see what he will do for you. By tacking about, men get the wind, not by lying still; there is many times a supply cometh ere we are aware, Cant. 6.11, 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. We begin with much deadness and straitness; by striving against it, rather than yeilding to it, we get inlargement afterwards. God assists those that will be doing what he commandeth; when we stir up our selves, he is the more ready to help us.
2. USE, is Caution. See that your prayers come from the Spirit; there are some prayers is a reproach to the Holy Spirit, to father them upon him.
1. An idle and foolish loquacity, when men take a liberty to prattle any thing in Gods hearing, and pour out raw, tumultuous, and indigested …oughts before him, Eccles. 5.2. Be not hasty to utter any thing before God. 'Tis a great irreverence and contempt of his Majesty. Surely the Spirit is not the Author of ignorant, sensless, and dull praying; nothing disorderly cometh from him. The Heathen are charged with vain babling, and heartless repetitions, Matth. 6.7. They think to be heard for their much speaking. Shortness or length, are both culpable, according to the causes from whence they come; shortness out of barrenness, and straitness; or length out of affectation, or ingeminating the same thing, without savour or wisdom; or a meer filling up the time with words.
2. A frothy eloquence, and affected language; as if the Prayer were the more grateful to God, and he did accept men for their words, rather than their graces; and were to be worshipped with fine phrases, and quaint speeches. No, 'tis the humble exercise of faith, hope, and love, which he regardeth; and such art and curiosity is against Gods sover…ignty, and doth not suit with the gravity and seriousness of worship. If we would speak to God, we must speak with our hearts to him, rather than our words; and the more plain and bare they are, the better they suit with the nature of duty. Moses was bid to put off his shoes in holy ground, to teach us to lay aside our ornaments when we humble our selves before God; 'tis not words, but spirit, and life; not a work of oratory, but filial affection. Too much care of verbal eloquence, sheweth our hearts are more conversant with signs, than things; words than matter; and it hath a smack of the man, and smelleth of the man; but savoureth not of the Spirit, Psal. 119.26. I declared my ways, and thou heardest me.
3. Outward vehemency and loud speech. The heat which ariseth from the agitation of bodily spirits, and vehemency of speech, differeth from an inward affection, which is accompanied with reverence, and child-like dependance upon God; 'tis not the loud noise of words, which is best heard in heaven; the fervent affectionate crys of the Saints, are those of the heart, not of the tongue, Psal. 10.17. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble; and Psal. 38.9. O Lord, all my ways is before thee, and my groanings is not …id from thee. The vehemency of the affection, may sometimes cause the extention of the voice; but without it, we are but as tinkling cymbals.
4. Natural Fervency, when instant and earnest, for some kind of blessings, especially when we are oppressed with grievous evils, and would fain get rid of them; yet they cannot be looked upon as a motion of the spirit; partly, because 'tis the temporal inconvenience they mind, more than the removal of sin; and cry more to get ease of their troubles, than repentance for their sins which procured them; and the supply of their necessities which they mind, and not the favour of God; and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth it howling, Hos. 7.14. Like the moans of the Beasts for ease; partly, because they have no more to do with God, when their turns are served, and they are delivered from their troubles, Jer 2.27. In the time of their trouble they will say, arise and save us, Exod. 10.17. Intreat the Lord, that he may take away this death only. So that all cometh from mere self-love; partly, because those relentings which they have for sin, go not deep enough to divorce their hearts from it, Psa. 78.36, 37. Nevertheless, they did flatter with their mouth, and they lyed to him with their tongues; for their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. Even then, when they sought God right early, and remembred that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer the Judgments of God; had some slight effect upon them, reduced them to some degree of repentance, and good behaviour and temper for a while, but all this while they were but like ice in yielding weather, thawed above, and hard at bottom; partly, because if they pray for spiritual things, 'tis but a dictate of conscience ▪ awakened for the time; not the desires of a renewed heart, seconded with constant endeavours to obtain what we ask of God; and so, The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing, Prov. 13.4. They are not urging desires, that quicken to diligence.
But what prayers then come from the spirit?
1. When there is something divine in them, such as are suited to the Object to whom we pray, and looketh like worship relating to God, when it hath the stamp of his nature upon it; we apprehend in God two sort of Attributes, some that belong to his Mercy and Goodness, some to his Majesty and Greatness; now his Mercy and Goodness is seen in the joy of our faith and confidence; his Majesty and Greatness in our Humility and Reverence; both prompt us to serious worshipping.
2. When there is something beyond the work of our natural faculties; and prayer is not the fruit of memory and invention, but of faith, hope, and love; a man by the help of memory and invention, may frame and utter a prayer which his heart disliketh.
3. Whatever prayers are according to the will of God, v. 27. And he that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
3. VSE is to exhhort you to get this spirit of prayer and supplication.
1. Beg the Spirit of God; From his fatherly Love, Luke 11.13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him?
2. Beg it as purchased by Christ; as one of his Disciples, as one that hath consented to the Covenant of Grace, which is a dutiful and obediential acceptance of Christ Jesus, as our alone remedy; so doth Paul pray for it, Eph. 1.17, 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightned, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints. So doth God offer it.
3. Obey the spirit in other things, and then he will help you in prayer, Rom. 8.14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God. That implyeth, that he not only directs, but we follow his direction; therefore make it your business to obey his motions when he would restrain you from sin, Rom. 8.13. If ye through the spirit, moriifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live. When he inviteth and leadeth you into Communion with God, which is called by the Apostle, walking in the spirit, Gal. 5.25. Obey him speedily, for delay is a plausible denial; thoroughly doing all that he requireth of you constantly, not sometimes only, when generally you neglect him; the spirit is a stranger to you in prayer, when you neglect his other motions; there is a grieving the spirit, Eph. 4.30. And grieve not the holy spirit, whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption. A resisting the spirit, Acts 7.51. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the holy ghost. And there is a quenching the spirit, 1 Thes. 5.19. Quench not the spirit.
4. Do not pride thy felf with the assistance he giveth, Psal. 91.15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him, and will be with him in trouble, and I will deliver him. Simon Magus would fain have the power to work miracles, Acts 8.19. And when Simon saw, that through the laying on of the Apostles hands, the holy ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the holy ghost.