CHAPTER IV. 169 word of Christ forbids them all premeditation, but only an anxious and solicitous fear and care, as we are bid to take no thought for the morrow; Mat. vi. 34. that is, Be ,not over soli- citous or disquieted about provision for the morrow. But if Christ did utterly forbid there all preparation, yet that command and promise to the apostles in miraculous times, when they should appear before magistrates, cal never be given to encou- rage the sloth and laziness of every common christian in our (lay, when he appears in worship before God. Now in order to find the happy medium between these two extremes, of attributing too much or too little to the Spirit of prayer, I have diligently consulted the word of God : and so far as I am able to judge or determine, his assistance in prayer may be reduced to the fol- lowingparticulars: I. He bestows upon us our natural capacities, some degree of understanding, judgment, memory, invention and natural affection ; some measure of confidence and liberty of speech, and readiness to utter the conceptions of our mind. And this he doth to believers in common with other men, for every good gift comes from God; James i. 17. And in a particular man- ner the third person in the trinity, the Holy Ghost, is generally represented as the agent in such sort of operations, especially where they relate to religion. H. He blesses our diligence in reading, hearing, medita- tion, study, and attemptsof prayer ; whereby, whilewe attend to useful rules and instructions, we treasureup a store of matter for this duty, and learn by degrees to express our thoughts with propriety and decency, to our own and others' edification. Thus he adds a blessing to our studies, in order to grow in the know- ledge of the things of God as Christians ; and in the learningof tongues to interpret scripture, and in the holy skill of exhorta- tion, in order to become able ministers. All these are called spiritual gifts, because, as is before shewn; in the primitive times, they were given on the sudden, in an extraordinary man- ner, without laborious study to acquire them ; but in our day, these are to be obtained and improved by labour and use, by re- peated trials, by time and experience, and the ordinary blessing of the Spirit of God : and thesame must be said concerning the gift of prayer. He sanctifies our memory, to treasure up such parts of the holy scripture as are proper to be used in prayer ; he makes it faithful to retain them ; and ready in the recollection of them at proper seasons. If men become skilful in any faculty, and especially that belongs to religion, it is justly attributed to God and his Spirit; for if he teaches the plowman to manage wi;ely in sowing and reaping ; Is. xxviii. 26. 29. much more clods he teach the christian to pray. Ife divides to every ode what gifts he pleases, and works according to his good pleasure;
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