The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 48
CHAP. XLVIII. A third Caſe, Whether the Spirit furniſhes the Saints at all times with like life and vigour of expreſſions; and other Caſes occaſioned hereby, ſtated.
Queſt. 3. DOth the Spirit of Adoption uſe to furniſh the ſoul alike at all times with life and vigour in expreſſions.
Anſw. 1. Undoubtedly, he doth not. And of this we have a very remarkable proof in this very Chapter, verſ. 26. The Spirit helps ſometimes in words at large, but ſometimes he ſupplies us with groans only. Nor is it need he ſhould. For
1 Theſe are but the outward gayety, pomp, and hangings of Devotion. Now garments themſelves are no part of the man, nor things abſolutely neceſſary to the life of man; much leſſe are the ſtate and magnificence of trimming and faſhions neceſſary. The outward garb of the body, & the outward garb of duty, prevail alike with God, that is, juſt nothing at all.
Yet let me not hereby occaſion in any one a lazy, and ſupine neglect of expreſſions. Though utterance be not a grace, (and God accepts and delights in nothing but grace,) yet it is a gift, and God will not have gifts ſlighted, or wilfully neglected, and ſo ſuffered to decay for want of blowing up. But however, if (by no neglect of mine own) I am ſhut up, that I cannot expreſſe my ſelf, I muſt not preſently conclude, that my prayers that I offer up with broken ſighes and groans, have not all things neceſſary to their acceptance.
2 Theſe are many times the fewel of our corruption, the matter of our pride, vain-glory, and ſelf-advancement in the preſence of God, and it is oftentimes a very great mercy, that Gods Spirit with-drawes the actual exerciſe of that gift from us, which we are apt to abuſe ſo much to his diſhonour, and our own diſadvantage. How many perſons are there, eſpecially in theſe dayes, that make elegancy and fluency of expreſſions in prayer, a matter of emulation?
3 Theſe are many times the excellencies of unſanctified men. No real friend uſeth to be ſo liberal in words of Ceremony and formality, as a complementing Courtier, that intends not a word of what he ſayes. The Phariſees could make long prayers, Mat. 13 14. but the Publican that was more in earneſt, is quickly at an end of his Devotion, for want of expreſſions or boldneſſe to ſpeak more. 'Twas ſhort and ſweet, (as we ſay.) I am perſwaded the Divel may be a falſe Spirit of prayer in the mouths of many Hereticks and Seducers in theſe dayes, as well as a falſe Spirit of propheſie (of old) in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets, 1 King 22. 22. Men ſhall never want tools, that do the divels work. Some men pray like Angels, as Parots ſpeak like men, and yet both ſay leaſt of what they ſay.
4 Theſe may be an occaſion of greateſt formality in prayer; if continued. We ordinarily account a form of words to be a form of prayer. I tell you friends, there may be as much formality, in an unſtinted fluency of expreſſions. That is the form of any Grace or Duty which moſt reſembles it, and yet is not what it reſembles. Aſſuredly, fluent and fervent expreſſions in prayer, carry the moſt glorious appearance, and form of a ſpiritual Duty that can be. Many a man therefore ſits down in them, as other perſons do in an external Leiturgy, and places all Religion in a few ſpiritual Complements with God.
Yet would I not have theſe expreſſions of mine any way abuſed to the juſtification of the ſtinted formaliſts Devotions, in which uſually perſons of that ſtrain place their whole Religion. Undoubtedly, we may lawfully uſe a crutch when we are lame, and a go-cart whiles we are children. Young beginners may find help in the matter, method, and language of prayer from a good form; and I know not but under extraordinary deliquies & ſwoundings of ſpiriti, n which the ſoul cannot put forth its operations as before; a godly man may (as Chriſt did in his Agony) go, and repeat to God thrice and more the ſame Mat. 26. 44.form of words. But to keep the faſhion, or the ſize of garments when I am one and twenty, which I uſed when I was a child; or to uſe the crutches when I am whole, which ſupported me when I was lame; or crawle about by chaires and ſtools when I am a man, is a piece of ridiculous abſurdity.
A. 2 Add moreover that Elegancy and fluency of expreſſions, though ſometimes they are, yet are not alwayes the work of the Spirit of God. I dare not ſay the Spirit doth not many times ſuggeſt the very language of prayer; as well as he ſuggeſted the very words of the ſtrange tongues with which the Apoſtles ſpake, Act. 2. 1, 2, 3. &c.
Yet I know alſo, that much of the life and vigour of expreſſion in prayer is from our own parts. There is much Art in expreſſion, and (ſo) much of our own; flouriſhes of ſtudied or elaborate Oratory, Rhetorical termes, a natural heat of affection, from the affectionateneſſe of our owne expreſſions. Some things of this nature may appear in prayer, which would be the ſame, if I were making a ſerious ſpeech about a matter of concernment before a mortal man.
Now you may diſtinguiſh ſupplies received from the Spirit in this kind, from others, by theſe probable ſignes.
1 Supplies of language from the Spirit, are more natural, and leſſe strained for. That that a man ſpeakes from a principle within, is ordinarily delivered in a kind of natural eloquence. But what is meerly lip-labour, is over-done; expreſſions are more forced, and there is more of invention in them: And ſo it is in prayer; the Spirit is the moſt inward principle of prayer to a gracious man. He followes in nothing ſo freely, as when he is led by the Spirit; his own natural and moral actions are not freer and more unforced then gracious actions are. The more ſtudy there is for terms to expreſſe a mans ſelfe; the more of the head there is in prayer, moſt commonly, the leſſe there is of the heart.
2 The more humble acknowledgement of your own impotency to pray, you enter upon the duty withal, the more of the Spirit is in your after enlargements. A ſoul that goes to duty in its own ſtrength, is not acquainted with ſuch ſelf-abaſing thoughts, but out of the experience of former abilities, thinks as Samſon, I will go out now and ſhake my ſelf as at other times, Judg. 16 20. Such an one goes to prayer, as a Scholar to ſtudy a ſpeech, out of the ſtrength of his reading and invention.
3. The enlargements of expreſſion which proceed from the Spirit, are not a conſtant ſupply. When men pray always with the ſame fluency of expreſſion, 'tis a ſad token there is much of nature and art in ſuch prayers. The Spirit (I confeſſe) may give ordinary ſupplies, but yet the ſoul ſhall obſerve, now and then, the ſtream runs more low and still, eſpecially upon ſome ſuch occaſion, as (I have before ſhewn) may make the Spirit withdraw his influences that enable in duty.
4. There is as great an height in affections, when the Spirit ſuggeſts matter of prayer, as in expreſſions. Without all queſtion, the Spirit, when hee ſupplies, will not ſupply the leſſe materiall part of prayer, and not the more principall and momentous. A man of a nimble invention, and a fluent tongue, may be able to ſpeak high ſtrains of Rhetorick in prayer; but is the heart warmed ſutably to the expreſſions? If the ſtream run only from the teeth outward (as we ſay) 'tis not ſupplied from a divine ſpring.
5. If the heart be warmed alſo, yet, I ask, doth its warmth produce the language of prayer; or rather, the language, it? Some good natures (as we call them) will weep at a paſſionate diſcourſe, either of their own or another mans. The heart is first hot, where the expreſſions are from the Spirit. It may be, expreſſions may add to the quantity of heart-affection in duty: as (on the other ſide) dull expreſſions will much take off from the edge of a good affection. But whence was the riſe of thy heate, in the ſubstance of it? from without, or from within? A natural mans expreſſions in prayer, are the ſpring of his affections: a godly mans affections, are the ſpring of his expreſſions.
3. Adde alſo, that the fayling of expreſſion in prayer, is much our own fault.
1. Sometimes, we over-prize it; In deſiring it too ſollicitouſly when abſent; in rejoycing and pleaſing our ſelves too fondly, when preſent; diſcomforting our ſelves when we want it, as if we wanted the Spirit, becauſe we have not a wiſhed ſupply of the gift: and laying the foundation of our hopes of acceptance upon that when preſent, which we may be accepted without.
2 Studying more to pray, then praying that we may pray. Spiritual abilities for prayer (of whatever kind they be) are uſually fetched in by prayer, Luke 11. 13. as water in the well is fetched up by putting water into the pump Whiles we are asking, God hears, and that he may, enables us to aske. He giveth the Spirit to them that ask him.
3. Want of meditation, I mean, not of expreſſions, but things. Well ſtudyed matter yeilds plentifull expreſſions, the Poet obſerves.
Verba que praeviſam rem non invita ſequuntur.Horat. art. Poet.
Well-conceived matter is never ſtifled in the birth for want of the midwifery of apt expreſſions.
4 Want of acquaintance with the Word of God. Many people complain they have a great dearth of expreſſions in prayer; but the cauſe of it is in themſelves. They do not ſtudy the Word of God, which as it is a compleat magazene of matter, ſo it is the beſt, and moſt genuine ſpring of expreſſion in prayer. The language of confeſſion, petition, thanksgiving which the Saints of God uſe in the Scripture, is (in a ſort) a ſupply from the Spirit, fetched in by induſtry. For it is (all of it) indited by the Spirit to our hands. Thoſe are ſurely (therefore) the moſt acceptable, & meet expreſſions to ſend up to heaven, which firſt deſcended from heaven. There is a ſtrange vein of expreſſion in prayer that conceited perſons affect in theſe dayes; which a man, if he compare with Scripture, will eaſily conclude to be a gibberiſh of a wanton age, unknown to the Saints of God in former times. The Spirit of God loves to indite your prayers, (when hee doth ſupply your defects that way) in his own familiar expreſſions, which are thoſe of the Scripture.