CHAPTER 1V. 161 CHAPTER IV. Of the Spirit of Prayer. ALL the rules and directions that have hitherto been laid down, in order to teach us to pray, will be ineffectual, if we have no divine, aids; we are not sufficient of ourselves to think one thought, and all that is good comes from God. If therefore we would attain the gift or grace of prayer, we must seek bothfrom .heaven; and since the mercies of God of this kind, that are be- stowed on men, are usually attributed to the holy Spirit, he may very properly be called the spirit of prayer; and as such, his assistance is to be sought with diligence and importunity. I con- fess, the spirit of prayer, in our language, may sometimes sig nify a temper of mind well furnished and ready for the work of prayer. So when we say, There was a greater spirit of prayer' found in churches in former days than now ; we mean, there was a greater degree of the gift and grace of prayer found amongst men their hearts and their tongues were better furnished and fitted for this duty. Butto deny the spirit of prayer in all other senses, and declare there is no need of any influences from the holy Spirit to assist us topray, carries in it a high degree of self- sufficiency, and borders upon profaneness. My business there- fore in this chapter, shall be to prove, by plain, and easy arguments, that the Spirit of God doth assist his people in prayer : Then to strew what his assistances are, and how far they extend, that we may not expect more from him than scripture promises, nor attribute too little to his influences: And after a few cautions laid down, I shall proceed to give some directions how the aids of the holySpirit may be obtained. SECT. I.Proofs of the Assistance of the Spirit of God in Prayer. The methods of proof which I shall use to evince the influ- ences of the Spirit of God in prayer, are these three : 1. Express texts of scripture. 2. Collateral texts. 3. The experience of christians. I. The first argument is drawn from such express texts of scripture as these :. 1. Text. Zech. xii. 10. Iwill pour put on the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a Spirit of grace, and of supplication. Here the holy Spirit of God is called a Spirit of supplication, with respect to the special opera- tions and ends for which he 1s here promised. The plentiful communication of his operations to men; is often expressed by pouring him out upon there; as Is. xlv. 3. Prov. i.' 23. Tit. iii. 6. and many other places. Now that this prophecy refers to the times of the gospel is evident, because the effect of it is a looking to Christ as-pierced or crucified-. They shall look on him whom they have pierced. Vat.. v. I.
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