the breathings of the Spirit. [This hrlping ofthe Spirit] is very Emphatical in the O– riginal ; as a man taking up an heavy piece oftimber by the ouc end? cannot alone get it up, till fomc other man takes tt up at the other end, and fo help; hm1 : So the poor foul that is a pulling and tuggmg with hts own heart, he finclcs tt heavy and dull, ltke a log in a ditch, nnd he can do no good with it, till at laff the Sp1ri t of God comes at the other end, and takes the heavidl: end of the bur.den, and fo helps the foul to lift it up. In our prayers we fhould eye the Spirit of God, we fhould cattour foules upon the affi!l:ance of the Spirit, we fh~uldyrelfe the Lord with this Prom1fc, Lord, th011 haft Jaid, that thy Spint help; om· znj~rmttzcs,when we1{:1oiV not what we prayfor, 11or bow to pray f or any thing dJ 1ve ought: !Y_ow m~k.!good thu word of rlnne 1~ myfl·ut at t~u.!lme,ler 1ne have the breathinrrs cf the Sp1nt ofGud m me; alas, the brrathmgs (/f man) lftt C{IIIJ( from giftJ and parts, ~hoit wilt nevrr regard, except I here be the brcatl>i"£' ofthe holy G!Jojl in me. B1tt how jhould we k_no1v whether the Spirit of God come in, er no? \Vc may know it by this; The Spirit of God carric.s unto God, and it makes the prayer fweet and delightful, tt leaves a favour behmdc tt.. 0 the breath of the Spmt ofGod is u fwcct breath , and tt makes fwcet prayers ; tt never comes tnto the foul, but after it hath done any work it came for, it leaves a fwect fcent bchinde: ns Civit that is put into a little box, though you fhould take out the Civit , yet there will be a fweet favour left behind; fo though the Spirit of God,in rcfpcCl: of the prefent affi!l:ance, withdraws it felf, yet it leaves a f11·eet favour behind it. ·' 3· In the Namr ofChrijl: for Whatfoevcr you n;luhe Fmhcr in my Name, that I will do. There is a neceffity of praying in Chrijh Name, { 1. In regard of .AdmijJion. 2. In regard of .Ajfij/ance. 3· In regard of .Aoceptance. r. In regard of .AdmijJion: God i; aconfmningfire, and we arc dryed fiubblc, ther~ is no approaching to him,but in Chrifi,in whom we have acccf with bvldnef to the Throne of Grace: God will not look pleaftngly on us, if wc·come without Chrifi, he is no 'Ihome ofGrace without him; it is Ghrifi who makes that which was a Bar of Jull:icc, a Bench of Mercy; in him we have admiffion: Do we fall upon the Duty of Prayer? do it not in the firength of man, but in the ll:rcngth of Chri!l: : fay, Lord, I come alone i;uhe Merits of Chrijt , to partnk$ ofthe Merits ofthe Lord Jcfiu : I have mdeavourrd to prepare myfelf through thy grace , but I look not for admi!Jion through my preparations or dijpojitiom, bitt throttgh the blood and mediation ofJcfm Chnjl. 2. In regard of .Ajfij/ance: We pray, but we have no firength to do it without Chrifi; we might as well be fet to move Mountaincs, as to pray without the ll:rength of.Chrill:; Without me (faith Chri!l:) you can do nothing; without union with Chrill:, wtthout communion with .Chrifi, we can do nothing: from Chrill: we mufi have both operating and co-operating ll:rength , both inherent and affi!l:ant fircng.th ; otherwife though ;vc.h~vc grace, we fhall not be able to perform any work, !\Or cxercife our ow,n graces' tt tS he that mufi work all our works in us and for us , the inherent work of grace ;vithin us,and the required works ofduty for us: And blclfed be that God,who hath gtvcn to us what he rcqutrcth of us, and hath not onely made Precepts Promifcs, but P>omifcs Performances. ;. ,In regard of .Acceptanre: Our works, they are noc onely impotent, but impure too, as they come from us : It is Chrifl that mufi put validity to them, it is Chrijl that mull: put.hts own odours to them , it is Chri!l: that mufi put both Spirit and Merit to' thet~, h1s grace to work, and his blood to own them; for whatever comes from his Spi– nt, 1t ts prcfe~tcd through his Merit: Here is great comfort: Do we look over onr performances , ,and wonder that ever God fhonldaccept thc111? fo much deadnefs, fo little li~c, f? much coldnefs? confider then, that God looks upon them, not as ours, but as Chnfls! mw.hom Jiot oncly our perfons, but our pcrform~nces arc accepted·: Chrill: ~IVes us h1s ~ptrtt, and Chrill: is willing to own what we prcfent by his Spirit, and God IS WJIImg to owli whatever is prefented to him by Chrill: his Son. To this · purpofe there wa; g!ven to Chrij/much incen(e that he jhorJid offer it with ,r/Jc prayrrJ of all Saints upon the golden .Altar, il>hich was before the Throne, and the fmok$ of thr incenfe whit·h came wtth the praJ.m of ;hr Saint!, aft'ended up beforr God otJt ofthe .Angels hand. Revel. 8. h4· T~ts A~gd ts Ch~,ll:; this inccnfe his'merits, the mingling of the prayers of the Sait:tts Wtth thts mccnfc ts fhe fupplying, or covering of the defeCl:s of their prayer~ with the n'lerih '.l8S Anfw. £2!.tefl. John 14. 13 John ts. s " . Revel S.-/,4'
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