V er.2 7. the 8th Chapter to the ROMANS. 2 51 right to the bleffed Father; but we muff look to him through the Bleffed Son; and we cannot look upon the Son, but through the Bleffed Spirit, and fo we come aright to God. 2. fhat prayer may carry proportion with other dirties. All the Children of God are led by the fpirit Of God, Rom. 8. 14. as in their whole converfation , fo efpecially in this ad of prayer. Look as in common providence, no creature is exempted from the in- fluence of it ; for in him they all live,move, and have their being; exempt any creature front the dominion of providence ; and then that treasure would live of its fèlf..Soas to gracious and fpecial providence, you cannot exempt one af(ion fromthe fpirits influence; for we live in the fpirit, and walk in the fpirit, Gal. 5. 25, We fing with the fpirit, and hear in the fpirit, and ferve God in the fpirit ; fo we pray in the fpirit only; there is a fpecial regard to this duty, becaufe here we have experience of the motions of the renewed Soul directly towards God, and fo of the comforts and graces of the fpirit, more than in other duties. 3. Becaufe of our impotency. We cannot fpeak of God without the Spirit ; much lure to God, t Cor. 12. 3. No max can fey that jef rs if the Lord, bit by the Holy Ghofi. That is, on him as the Meffiah, and Redeemer of the World. 'Twas a dead;& ftate the Redeemer found us in; to leffen mans mifery, was to leffen the grace of Chrifi; fo we mutt not extenuate the Honour of our San &ifier; we can neither lice, nor work, nor walk, nor pray, without the Spirit. The help is not needlefs, if we confider what we are, and what prayer is; what we are, who are enemies to our own happinef, and holinefs; and Prayer, which requireth fuch ferious work; furely the fetting of our hearts, and all our hopes upon an invifibleGlory, and meafuring all things thereunto, is a work too hard for a carnal fenfual creature, that is wedded to prefent fatisfattions and without this, there is no praying in a fpiritual manner ; they that love fin, will never heartily pray againa it; and they that hate an Holy, Spiritual, Heavenly life, can never feek.the advancement of it, Now this is our cafe,5 we may babble and fpeak things by rote ; or we may have,a natural.fervency, when we. pray for Corn; Wine and Oyl; and Juttification, andSandi fication, in order thereunto; we may have Wifh, but not a ferious Volition of fpiritual and heavenly things, which is the Life and Soul of Prayer... 4. With refpeCl, to acceptance, Pfal. to. 17. When thou prepareft the heart, thou bender( the ear. Rom. 8. 27. He knoweth the mind of the !Pit, becaufe he maketh in- let-olio,: for the faints, according to the Will of God. God knoweth what is a belch of the ti:efh,and what ,is, agroax of the Spirit; every voice, but that of his Spirit, is [(range and barbarous to him ; he puts us upon holy and juft requeffs; he hath furred them up in us ; as a Father teachetha Child to ask what he hath a mind to give him, 3. Cautious againg force abxfes and mifiakes in prayer. t. This is not fo to be underíhood, as if the matter and words of prayer were inï- mediate!& ro be infpired by the Holy Ghoft, as he infpiried the holy men of Gods in their prophecying and penning the Holy Scripture. We read,2 Pet. 1.2 r.7hat holy men fpake as they were moved by the Holy Gho.fl. And, we,may fay, Holy Men pray as they are moved by the Holy Ghof(; but yet there is a great deal of difference hetween both there; partly, becaufe they were immediately moved, and infallibly affifted by tiw Spirit; fo moved and extraordinarily born through, that they could not err and mifcarry; they were free from any fault, failing, or corruption in the matter, form, or words wherein this wasexprelled,; all was purely Divide.. But in our Prayers wet. find the Contrary by fad experience. Partly, becaufe it had been a fin inthe Prophets not to have delivered the lame meffage which .they received of the Lord, both for matter, manner, and method s but it no fin in a Child of God, again(( the guidance add governance of Gods Spirit, to ufe another method than he ufed.. To contra& and (hotter., or to lengthen and inlage his Prayers, as opportunity ferveth; 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 underflood, as if we 'toad never pray till the fpirit mon thus. The Prophets were not to Prophefy, till moved by an extraordinary impulfe; for they were not bound by the common law of Gods fervants,, or children, to fee vinous; or to prophecy; but we are not to fray from our duty, till We fee the fpirit moving'; but to make ufe of the power we have, as 'reafonable creatures, Eerie/ q, to. itrbat- ever thy hand fne!ethto da, do it with all thynright; and to fNr up the gifts and graces that we have as believers, Ifa. 64. 7. And there is none that calleth upon this 912 nvme
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=