Part 3
3. There is no praying aright without sanctifying grace, nor without that grace in exercise, John 9:31, Cant. 3:1. Where sanctifying grace is not, the filth and pollution of sin remains, and defiles all, Tit. 1:15. So that such a man's praying is like the opening of an unripe grave, Rom. 3:13. Accordingly the praying Pharisees are called "whited sepulchres," Matth. 23:27. Where grace is not in exercise, there is incense indeed, but no pillar of smoke ascending from it to heaven; spikenard indeed, but no smell thereof. Now it is the indwelling Spirit that works sanctifying grace, 2 Thess. 2:13, puts that grace in exercise, Cant. 4:16, and so fits men to pray, Zech. 12:10.
4. Lastly, To praying aright is required light and warmth, a light of the mind, and warmth of affections; the former for the matter, the latter for the manner. And it is a false light and warmth that makes some natural men think that sometimes they pray aright, Isa. 58:2. But all genuine light, and vital warmth comes from the Spirit, Eph. 1:17, 18; 2 Tim. 1:7. Hence the emblem of the virtue of the Holy Spirit was "cloven tongues, like as of fire," Acts 2:3, 4. And the effect thereof is someway compared with that of drunkenness (which excuses it no more than Christ's being compared to a thief excuses stealing, Rev. 16:15); for as the liquor being received to excess, influences the man, so that things come in his head which otherwise would not, and the affections and passions are wrought up by it, Prov. 23:33, so the Spirit indwelling and influencing, presents to the mind matter of prayer, and works up the affetcions suitable thereto, Eph. 5:18, 19, Cant. 7:9.
III. I shall shew in what respects our praying aright is so far done by the help of the Spirit, that it is justly reckoned his work. That it is so reckoned in scripture, is evident from the text, where his interceding for us with groanings cannot be understood of himself as the subject, but of us according to the analogy of faith. It is plain also from Gal.
4:6, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." Now the Spirit's crying Abba, Father, is meant certainly of our crying so, by the help of the Spirit, not of a crying whereof the Spirit is the subject; for God is not the Father of the Spirit, because it is the second person, and not the third, who is the Son of God; and Father and Son are the relatives. And thus the apostle explains it, Rom. 8:15, "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Now the reasons of this are,
1. Because all that is right in our prayers is from the Spirit, and all that is wrong in them from ourselves, either as to matter or manner, 1 Cor. 12:11; 1 Pet. 1:22; with 2 Cor. 3:5. In the incense of our prayers there is smoke that goes up towards heaven, ashes that remain behind on the earth; it is the fire from the altar that sends up the smoke, it is the earthly nature of the incense that occasions the ashes. The flesh of any such spiritual sacrifice is wholly owing to the Spirit, the skin and dung is our own, and ours only. Therefore all our right praying is justly reckoned the Spirit's work.
2. None pray aright but as they are members of Christ, and children of God, Gal. 4:6, Rom. 8:15, John 15:5. Now it is the Holy Spirit of the Head that dwells in and actuates all the members acting as members, 1 Cor. 12:11, 12. Therefore as the soul sees by the eye, and hears by the ear; so whatsoever the members of Christ do aright as members, is justly ascribed to the Spirit that actuates the mystical body, and is the Spirit of adoption. But there may be a defect in seeing by the eye, and hearing by the ear; these are not to be ascribed to the soul, but to some disease in the eye or ear. So whatever defects may be in the members of Christ, these are not to be ascribed to the Spirit, but to the remains of corruption in them, and their state of imperfection while here.
3. The Spirit is the principal cause of our praying aright, we are but the instrumental causes of it. The act of praying in heart and expression is done by us; but the grace, ability, frame for prayer, and
the exciting and bringing forth into exercise that grace and ability, is from the Spirit, Phil. 2:12, 13. Hence prayer is said to be inwrought in us, Jam. 5:16. If the wind blow not, the spices send not forth their pleasant smell, Cant. 4:16. As the sound of the horn ceases as soon as one ceases to wind it, so does our praying aright on the withdrawing of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3:5.
4. Lastly, All our praying graces, as all others, are in their exercise the product of the Spirit, and his work in us, Gal. 5:22, 23. There is a root and stock of grace in the believer, implanted and preserved by the Spirit, 1 John 3:9. In prayer these are brought forth into exercise, the man acts faith, love, &c., and therein the soul of prayer lies; but look on them as they are so brought forth from the stock, and they are the fruit of the Spirit, though the believer is the tree they hang on. For the Spirit is the vital fructifying sap of the trees of righteousness, Isa. 44:3, 4. Thus the holy lustings, longings, and desires of a believer against sin, are called "the Spirit's lusting," Gal. 5:17 (compare ver. 16, 18), in the same sense as the groanings in our text. See 1 John 4:4.
OBJECT. If our praying aright is the work of the Spirit, what need have we of the intercession of Christ, for the acceptance of our prayers? Surely the Spirit needs no intercessor betwixt him and the Father. ANSW. Though it is the Spirit's work, it is not his work separately by himself without us; but it is his work in us, and so our work too, Gal. 4:6, with Rom. 8:15. And so far as it is done by us, we groaning, lusting, crying in prayer, every thing has a sinful mixture from us at best; so there is need of Christ's intercession still. The water comes pure from the fountain, the Spirit; but running through a muddy channel, such as every saint here is, it cannot be accepted in heaven, but as purified and sweetened by the intercession of Christ.
IV. I come now to consider, what is the Spirit's work in our praying aright, or what his making intercession for us is. And here I shall shew,
1. The difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the Spirit's.
2. The help of the Spirit in prayer.
FIRST, I am to shew what is the difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the Spirit's.
1. Christ intercedes for us in heaven at the Father's right hand; Rom. 8:34. The Spirit intercedes in our hearts, upon earth; Gal. 4:6. We have no intercession made for us in heaven, but by Christ the only intercessor there.
2. Christ's intercession is a mediatory intercession, where in he mediates or goes between God and us; an office peculiar to him alone; 1 Tim. 2:5. But the Spirit's intercession is an auxiliary intercession to us, whereby he helps us to go to God in a right manner, prompting us to intercede for ourselves aright.
3. The Spirit's intercession is the fruit of Christ's intercession, and what is done by the sinner through the Spirit's intercession, is accepted of God through the intercession of Christ. Christ by his death purchased the Spirit for his people, and through his intercession the Spirit is sent into their hearts, where he helps them to pray for themselves; and these prayers are accepted of God by means of the Mediator's intercession, John 14:16, and 16:7, 13; Rev. 8:4. In a word,
The difference is such as is between one who draws a poor man's petition for him, and another who presents it to the king, and gets it granted. The Spirit does the former, and Christ does the latter, for us.
SECONDLY, I shall consider the help of the Spirit in prayer, which is his making intercession for us, in the style of the scripture. We shall view this work of the Spirit, more generally, and more particularly.
FIRST, More generally, and that in two things. He acts in it,
1. As a teaching Spirit; John 14:26. It is our infirmity in point of prayer, "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." He enlightens our minds, and helps our ignorance as to the matter and manner of prayer, 1 John 2:27. He is the great Teacher of the church, and none teacheth like him. He will teach them who are so weak that no other can teach them; so that hearing some of God's weak children pray, one must needs say, "This is the finger of God."
2. As a quickening Spirit; Psalm 80:18. Therefore the Spirit is compared to fire, which gives both light and heat. He removes spiritual deadness, and stirs up praying graces in the heart; whence his influences are compared to the blowing of the wind, that puts things that were at rest in motion. Thus he is said to "make intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered," setting the gracious heart a labouring and working towards God, with the utmost earnestness, as one groaning.
SECONDLY, More particularly, the work of the Spirit in our prayers lies here.
First, He excites us to pray, Rom. 8:15, "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father." He prompteth us to go to the throne of grace, who otherwise would be negligent of it, and backward to it; Cant. 5:2, 3, 4, "I sleep, but my heart waketh, &c. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him." Thus he leads us to God (Eph. 2:18, Gr.) as an internal moving principle. This lies in two things,
1. He impresses our spirits with a sense of a divine call to it, and so binds it on our consciences as duty to God, Psalm 27:8. Heb. "My heart said unto thee, Let my face seek thy face, when thou saidst, Seek ye my face." Thus he applies the general command for praying to particular times, that the man is made in effect to say, now God is calling me to this duty; and so he sees he cannot slight it without disobedience, but must go to it from conscience of duty. This cuts off
the low motives to prayer, of custom, credit, regard to the commands of men, &c.
2. He disposes our hearts for it, inclines us to the duty, that we willingly comply with it. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek," Psalm 27:8. Men may have a sense of the command on them, who for want of a disposition to the duty commanded, either neglect the command, or else are but dragged to obey it. But the Spirit powerfully inclines the will to the duty, so that the man obeys out of choice, Psalm 110:3; Cant. 6:12. This cuts off the low motives of fear of man, and slavish fear of God too, which move many.
Secondly, He gives us a view of God as a gracious and merciful Father in Christ; Gal. 4:6. Without this there can be no acceptable prayer. Where there is no spiritual view of God at all in prayer, we worship we know not what. Where we view him as an absolute God out of Christ, we may be filled with terror of him, but can have no true confidence in him. But by the Spirit viewing him in Christ, we have at once the sight of majesty and mercy. And hereby he works in us,
1. A holy reverence of God, to whom we pray, which is necessary in acceptable prayer, Heb. 12:28. By this view he strikes us with a holy dread and awe of the majesty of God, whereby is banished that lightness and vanity of heart, that makes such flaunting in the prayers of some, as if they were set down on their knees to shew their gift, and commend themselves.
2. A holy confidence in him, Eph. 3:12, "Abba, Father," speaks both reverence and confidence, whereof the Spirit is the author, Rom. 8:15. This confidence respects both his ability and willingness to help us, Matth. 7:11. Without this there can be no acceptable prayer, Heb. 11:6; Jam. 1:6. This is it that makes prayer an ease to a troubled heart, the Spirit exciting in us holy confidence in God as a Father. Hence the soul, though not presently eased, draws these conclusions.
(1.) He designs my good by all the hardships I am under, Rom. 8:28. (2.) He pities me under them, Psalm 103:13. (3.) He knows the best time for removing them, and will do it, when that comes, 1 Sam. 2:3.
Hereby is cut off that unbelieving formality, whereby some expect nothing by prayer, and get as little; as also the despondency, wherewith others are struck, from the sense of God's justice, and their own sinfulness.
Thirdly, He gives us a view of ourselves in our own sinfulness and unworthiness, John 16:8. This always accompanies the view the Spirit gives of God, Isa. 6:5, "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." We are very ready to become strangers to ourselves, and to lose sight of our sinfulness. But the Spirit of prayer, according to the measure of his influence, opens out the man before his own eyes, casts abroad the many foul plies of his heart and life, Luke 18:13; Isa. 64:6. Hereby he works in us,
1. Humiliation of heart before the Lord, fills us with low thoughts of ourselves before him, Gen 18:27; makes us see ourselves unworthy of the mercies, that either we have got, or desire to have, Gen. 32:10; fills us with holy shame, and self-loathing, Luke 18:13; Ezek. 36:31. This fits us for the receipt of mercies of free grace; and the want of it makes sinners to be in their prayers, as if they came to buy of God, and not to beg, and so to be sent empty away.
2. Cordial confession, that comes away natively from seen and felt sinfulness, Psalm 62:8. Thus the influence of the Spirit in prayer causes full and free confession of sin with the mouth, to the honour of God, and our own shame. And the things thus being impressed on the heart, there follow natively words to express them by; and where they fail, groans do well compensate them before the throne. This cuts off the formal, hale-hearted confessions of sin, wherewith prayers are often vitiated.
3. Hearty thanksgiving for mercies received, Psalm 116:11, 12. Hereby the smallest mercies appear very big; and the sinner, that wondered at other times how he came not to get more mercies, begins to wonder he has any at all left him, Lam. 3:22. But without a discovery of our sinfulness by the Spirit, all our thanksgivings for mercies are but empty compliment, like the Pharisee's, Luke 18:11.
4. A high value for the Mediator, and his righteousness, which lies out of the view of the unhumbled heart, Phil. 3:9. As the stars are best seen from the bottom of a deep and narrow pit, so Christ crucified is best discovered in his excellency and suitableness, by the humbled soul. The lower the soul is in its own eyes, the higher will the Mediator be in its eyes; and the higher the Mediator is, the more fit one is to pray.
Fourthly, He gives us a view of our wants, and the need we have of the supply of them, Luke 15:17. This may be seen, comparing the Pharisee's and Publican's prayers, Luke 18:11, 12, 13. The Spirit taught the one, and not the other. The want of this mars prayer, Luke 1:53, "He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away." Here he acts,
1. As an enlightener, opening the eyes of the mind, to discern the wants and needs we are compassed with, Eph. 1:17, 18. The Spirit's shining in on the soul, as the sun on a moth-eaten garment holden up betwixt us and it, the soul gets a broad sight of its wants; whence it is made to say, as Isa. 64:6, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Luke 18:13, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Psalm 19:12, "Who can understand his errors?" This the Spirit doth by opening up the law in its spirituality, and giving us a view of our own circumstances in a present evil ensuaring world.
2. As a remembrancer, bringing seasonably to mind the wants we have, or might have adverted to, John 16:26. To everything there is a season; but ofttimes in the season of getting supply at the throne of grace, our wants and needs escape us, they come not in mind, till the
market is over. The Spirit is a remembrancer in this case, seasonably suggesting to us our needs for ourselves or others. So he sets things before us in time of prayer.
3. As a forewarner of what we may need, John 16:13. So we find Job not only offering sacrifice, with a view to what he could not know, chap. 1:5; but also possessed with a fear of a trial before it came, chap. 3:25. Thus men are led to lay up for what they may meet with, and in prayer to have a view to the grace that may be needful in such and such emergents. Hereby he helps us,
(1.) To matter of prayer, sets before us things to be prayed for. Where the Spirit is thus at work in the soul, persons will be taught to pray, and it will supply the want of a form; and therefore they that soothe themselves with that, they cannot pray, do but bewray themselves to be void of the Spirit of God.
(2.) To the right manner of praying; for hereby he,
[1.] Impresses us with a sense of need, that we are made to pray feelingly, that the tongue does but express what the heart feels, Luke 15:17, 18, 19. Insensibleness of our needs makes us formal in prayer, and therefore to be sent empty away. A mere rational sight of our wants will not cure it; but the light of the Spirit is the light of life, John 8:12; that will not miss to affect the heart.
[2.] Hereby we are rendered sincere in our addresses to God, Psalm 17:1. Feigned lips in prayer proceed from a dark and insensible heart. He that really sees his disease, and is persuaded of the need of the Physician, there is no doubt of his being in earnest for his help.
[3.] Hereby we are made importunate in prayer. Necessity has no law, and hunger breaks through stone walls, as we see in the woman of Canaan, who did hang on, over the belly of discouragement, and would take no refusal. Importunate praying is prevailing, Luke 11:8; and felt need that one cannot bear without relief, makes importunity.
[4.] Hereby we are made particular in prayer, laying our hand on our sores, and laying out our particular wants before the Lord, Luke 18:41. General prayers, like general preaching, have little of the Spirit in them. They that go where help is to be found, being indeed pinched, will readily tell where they are pinched.
Fifthly, He gives us a view of the grace and promises of the covenant, Psalm, 25:14; John 14:26. Without this, the sinner, pressed with a sense of need, has nothing to support him, and therefore cannot pray in faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ has purchased all the grace and promises of the covenant for his people, and there is enough there for all they can need. It is the office of the Spirit to open them out before their eyes, and apply them. And here the Spirit,
1. Brings to their remembrance the grace and promises suited to their case, Gen. 32:11, 12. The promises are the rule and encouragement of prayer; but while they lie out of our sight, we can neither have suitable direction nor encouragement from them; but when the Spirit draws near with the promise to us, there is help at hand in prayer.
2. He unfolds that grace and these promises, causing to understand them in a spiritual and saving manner, 1 Cor. 2:12. The letter of the promise can only help to words in prayer; but the Spirit shining on the promise, will help to pray in a gracious manner, for the demonstration of the Spirit is always with power. Hereby,
(1.) The Spirit teaches what to pray for, according to the will of God. While the promises rightly understood regulate our prayers, and they are agreeable to the grace of the covenant, we may be sure we do not err in the matter, 2 Sam. 7:28, 29. These are God's bills and bonds to his people, and by them he shows what he allows us to ask of him. What he is debtor to his faithfulness for, we may crave.
(2.) In what terms to pray for it, the terms of the promise, terms agreeable to the grace of the covenant. And this is the rise of some
expressions of God's children in prayer, which may seem strange and uncouth to others, that have not their view of the grace of the covenant, which want makes them appear unseemly to them; yea, they may seem strange to themselves. And hence also is the agreement to a nicety, that is sometimes to be found betwixt the answer of prayer, and their expression in prayer.
(3.) Hereby he fills our mouths with arguments, helping us to plead and pray, Job 23:3, 4. The grace and promises of the covenant, held before the eyes by the Spirit shining on them to the soul in prayer, is such a fountain of heavenly oratory that will make a weak and unlearned Christian plead and pray at the rate that others are strangers to, and which themselves at another time are quite unable to reach.
(4.) Hereby he stirs up in us a faith of particular confidence as to the thing prayed for, so that we are helped to pray believingly, and not doubtingly and distrustfully. The necessity of this faith in prayer is evident from the scriptures, Matth. 21:22; Mark 11:24; 1 Tim. 2:8; James 1:6; and the Spirit is the author of it, 2 Cor. 4:13. He gives a view of the promise and grace of the covenant with relation to that thing, and helps to regulate the prayer thereby, strengthens to believe the accomplishment of the promise in that particular for the Mediator's sake, and consequently the hearing of prayer in that particular. Hereby it appears what this faith is, namely, a confidence agreeable to the promise as demonstrated by the Spirit; absolute as to the particular thing, where the promise is demonstrated absolute, or by the Spirit particularly applied to the thing, Psalm 119:49, which may be in things not absolutely necessary, as Mark 5:27, 28, 34. Or indefinite, where the promise is left so by the Spirit, that is to say, a confidence of the thing itself, or of what is as good. And hereby also this faith is distinguished from presumption, in that it is founded on a word of God, and the merit of Christ.
(5.) Lastly, Hereby he works in us a holy boldness in prayer, Eph. 3:12. Faith coming before the throne, and spreading out the word of
promise with the grace of the covenant, makes bold there for a gracious answer. How bold was Jacob in that case, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me?" Gen 32:26. Foolish men have ignorantly censured this boldness in the prayers of God's children, but God is well pleased with it, when he says, "Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me, Isa. 45:11; though the counterfeiting of this holy oil must needs be dangerous. It is distinguished by its attending humility, as in Jacob, Gen. 32:10, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant."
Sixthly, He raiseth in us holy desires for the supply of our wants; "groanings which cannot be uttered." The Spirit working as fire, fires the heart in prayer, sets it in motion, Cant. 5:4, a lusting, longing, panting for what may tend to the perfection of the new creature, either removing the impediments of its growth, or supplying it with fresh incomes of grace for its growth. Of this more afterwards. But thus we are made to pray fervently, Jam. 5:16; Rom. 12:11.
Seventhly, He gives us a view of the merit and intercession of the Mediator, Eph. 1:17. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, without whose illumination Christ will be a hidden beauty to us. He shewed Zechariah the intercessor, at his work, Zech.1:12, and Stephen, Acts 7:56, and he shews believers the same sight for substance by the eye of faith, 1 Cor. 2:12. Hereby,
1. He points us to the only way of acceptance of our prayers, John 14:6; while hypocrites overlooking Christ lose all their requests. He teaches us to pray as we ought, and so to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, depending on his merit and intercession allenarly.
2. He lays before us a firm foundation of confidence before the Lord; 1 John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" an Advocate who never loses the plea he takes in hand, John 11:42, having an undisputable ground to go upon, namely, the purchase of his own blood. A fresh view of this
makes faith in prayer renew its strength, and fills with confidence; Eph. 3:12, "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."
3. Lastly, He furnishes us with an answer to all objections, that an unbelieving heart and a subtile devil can muster up against us, in prayer; Rom. 8:33, 34, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Are we sinful and vile? The merit of Christ is of infinite value. Are we unworthy for whom God should do such a thing? Yet the Mediator is worthy. Can our prayers, smelling so rank of sinful imperfections, not be accepted at our polluted hands? Yet being perfumed with his merit, they can be accepted at his hand, Rev. 8:4.
Eighthly, He manages the heart and spirit in prayer, which every serious soul will own to be a hard task; Jer. 10:23, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Gal. 5:16. Therefore the psalmist says, Psalm 31:5, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit." And,
1. He composes it for prayer; Psalm 86:11. "Unite my heart to fear thy name." He frames the heart, that is out of frame for it; commands a heavenly calm in the soul, whereby it may be fitted for divine communications; saying to the heart tossed with temptations, troubles, and risings of corruption, "Peace and be still; and he blows up the fire of grace into a flame, 2 Tim. 1:7. So the preparation of the heart is owing to him; Psalm 10:17, "Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble; thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear."
2. He fixes it in prayer, that it wander not away in the duty; Ezek. 36:27, "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." There is need not only of quickening grace in duty, but of establishing grace;
for the heart itself is apt to wander off from the serious purpose, and the powers of hell exert themselves to divert from it. But the supply of the Spirit in prayer keeps the heart fixed. And, in the case of wandering,
3. He reduces it from its wanderings in prayer; Psalm 23:3, "He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." It will always cost a struggle to hedge in the heart in duty, and the help of the Spirit is necessary to maintain the struggle, Rom. 7:21; Gal. 5:17. But sometimes the heart is quite carried off by its wandering disposition, that the prayer is quite marred, the heart leaving the tongue. In this case the Spirit convinces and humbles the soul under the sense of that sin, and so makes it more serious than before, from thence shewing the corruption of nature, Rom. 8:37.
Ninthly, and Lastly, The Spirit causes us to continue in prayer from time to time, till we obtain a gracious answer; and so makes us pray perseveringly, Eph. 6:18. The Lord may keep his people long hanging on for an answer ere they get it. The promise may be big with the mercy prayed for, and yet it be not only many months but years ere it bring forth, as in the case of Abraham and David. This is a sore trial, and there would be no keeping from fainting if the Spirit did not help our infirmity. But he helps to hang on,
1. By accounting for the delay of our answer, in a way consistent with God's honour and our good, and so satisfying us in that point; Psalm 22:2, 3, "O my God, I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not; and in the night season and am not silent. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." He helps to discern the unsoundness of the subtile reasonings of unbelief, tending to despondency, and so hinders from making rash conclusions; Psalm 77:10, "I said, this is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." And so he keeps up in us kind thoughts of God's dispensations.
2. By strengthening faith and hope, which have the battle to fight in this case, Eph. 3:16. Hangers on at the throne of grace may get a long stand, but they will get their strength renewed, Psalm 27:13, 14. This the Spirit does, by shining anew on the promise; adding other promises to it tending to the same scope; giving some present experience and off-fallings from the Lord's hand, whereby the soul is refreshed in the time; and helping to observe the signs of the approaching day while yet the night continues.
3. Lastly, Continuing and reviving on our spirits the sense of our need, which, pinching us anew, obliges to renew our suit for relief until the time we get it, 2 Cor. 12:8, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." If in this case we were left to our own spirits, we would seek our help from another quarter, than hanging on about the Lord's hand, and our sense of need would wear off, and we would drop our petition. But the Spirit perfects what he begins; Psalm 138 ult., "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me."
I shall now make some practical improvement of this subject.
USE I. Of information. This may let us see,
1. That men in this world are under the influence of that part of the other world which they are in the road to. If ye are in the road to the happy part of the other world, ye are under the conduct and influence of the Holy Spirit, prompting and helping you to do your duty to God. Whence ye may gather, that they are in the road to destruction, who are under the conduct and influence of the spirit of the world, prompting and helping them to a course of sin. Consider the prevailing course of your lives, and trace it to the spring, and ye will find it is the spirit ye are acted by, 1 John 4:4. One part of men is led by the Spirit of God, and they are holy, heavenly, and spiritual; another by the evil spirit, and they are unholy, hellish, and carnal. He is a spirit of covetousness in some, of uncleanness in others, &c.
2. Praying is another thing than men generally take it to be. It is not the exercise of a gift, but of grace; not a piece of task laid on men, but a privilege they are advanced to; not a work to be done in our own strength, but by help from heaven; not a piece of the form of religion, but of experimental religion. Consider prayer in this scripture view of it, and among many that bow their knees in prayer to God, there will be found few really praying persons; many whose hearts must say on what they have heard of it, Ezek. 20:49, "Doth he not speak parables?"
3. True praying will always make people holy and humble; for the Spirit by which it is done is the Spirit of holiness and light, Matth. 3:11. Does a man value himself upon, and appear proud and conceited of himself on the account of his good praying? still continue in his profane, untender, unholy course? His prayers are his own, they are not by the help of the Spirit in him. God regards them not.
4. Great is the encouragement that poor sinners have to apply themselves to serious and spiritual praying. The weakest are left inexcusable, if they neglect prayer still; and the formal professor, if he continue with his formal task-work of praying still. We have the Hearer of prayer to go to, the Father of our Lord Jesus, with our petitions; an Intercessor in heaven, to present them; and an Intercessor on earth, to draw them for us, and help us to make our petitions. This is the office of the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
USE II. Of exhortation. Set yourselves for praying in the Spirit, Eph. 6:18. Prayerless persons, give yourselves to praying, and to this kind of praying. Praying persons, satisfy not yourselves without this kind of praying. Stand not still in the outer court of prayer, with hypocrites and formalists; come in to the inner court, with God's own children. Look for the help of the Spirit, employ the Spirit in all your duties, and particularly your prayers. Remember that all the prayers are lost that are not done in the Spirit.
I shall give you some advices, how to get the help of the Spirit in prayer.
1. Come to Christ in the way of believing the gospel. The fulness of the Spirit is lodged in Christ, Rev. 3:1. He communicates the Spirit to dead sinners, 1 Cor. 15:45, with John 20:22, and this in the word of the gospel, Gal. 3:2. It is vain to expect the help of the Spirit in prayer, till once we have received the Spirit to dwell in us, Eph. 3:17, with 1 John 3 ult. To receive the word of the gospel as an engrafted, quickening word, whereby we close with Christ for all, is the necessary foundation for all this.
2. Beware of maltreating the Spirit. And so,
(1.) Resist not the Spirit, Acts 7:51. Do not stave off convictions, and awakenings out of a state or course of sin. Beware of sinning over the belly of light, and persisting in sin against calls to repentance. That is to resist the Spirit, and so to provoke him to leave you.
(2.) Quench not the Spirit, 1 Thess 5:19. If this holy fire begin to burn at any time, so as you see the light and feel the heat of it, do not withdraw fuel from it by neglecting the motions and operations of it, not taking care to cherish them; do not smother them; by not giving them vent in prayer: far less drown it out, by taking your swing in any sinful course; Luke 21:34, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life."
(3.) Grieve not the Spirit, Eph. 4:30. The Spirit is grieved by undervaluing his graces, comforts, influences, and his means of communicating them; by sins gross in their nature or aggravations, whereby the conscience is wasted and signally defiled, whereby some have quite withered away, the Spirit leaving them.
(4.) Vex not the Spirit; Isa. 63:10. Vex him not by your still relapsing into the same sins; Numb. 14:22, especially after convictions of the ill of them, confessions thereof, resolutions against them, and smarting
for them. This is the great trial of the divine patience, whereby men are in hazard of being given up of God, Numb. 14:27.
(5.) Blaspheme not the Spirit in his operations, particularly praying in the Spirit. Take heed of making a mock of religion, preaching, praying, seriousness, talking slightingly of these things, and of making persons the objects of your derision and spite on these accounts. Sometime these things were only to be found among malignants and persecutors; but now they are to be found among people that pray themselves, and partake of the Lord's table. These Satan is training up for greater service, when such times shall come again. But take heed, it is a dangerous course, as these young blasphemers of the Spirit in his operations felt; 2 Kings 2:23, 24, "As Elisha was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord; and there came forth two shebears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."
3. Walk tenderly and circumspectly; Eph. 5:15. A loose and untender walk, wherein people let down their watch over the frame of their heart, and the course of their life in words and actions, provokes the Spirit to withdraw; when a tender walk is followed with the tokens of his favour; John 14:21, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
4. When ye go to prayer, be convinced of your absolute need of the Spirit. Look for him, and wait, and lay yourselves open to his influences; Luke 11:13. Labour to revive that conviction at every occasion of prayer, and to keep it up throughout it. Look for the Spirit in the promise, believing it with application; Ezek. 36:27, "I will put my Spirit within you," &c. Lay yourselves down at his feet, to be enlightened, quickened, &c., Jer. 31:18, as one lays open himself to receive the fresh air.
5. Be habitually concerned for answers of prayer. They that are in good earnest to have their petitions granted, will be careful to have them right drawn; but they that are indifferent in the one, will be so in the other too; Psalm 5:3, "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee," says David, "and will look up." If ye be concerned for Christ's intercession for you in heaven, so will ye be for that of the Spirit in your own heart.
6. Let the Bible be dear to you, and look on it as God's word to you in particular, Rom. 15:4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Rev. 3 ult., "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The word is the vehicle wherein the Spirit is conveyed to us; it is the channel of communicating his influences to us; and the instrument he works by in us, in all the parts of his working in us, exciting, enlightening, &c. Isa. 59 ult, "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever."
7. Be careful observers of providence, Psalm 107 ult., "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord." The spirit is in these wheels; and the more people are set to observe their motions, the more they will readily get to observe. This is a way to carry you off formality in prayer, and give you an errand in good earnest to the throne of grace, whether in the way of petition, confession, or thanksgiving.
8. Lastly, Be watchful in prayer, Eph. 6:18. The evil spirit watches against us at all times, and in a special manner the fowls come down on the carcases of our spiritual sacrifices. When ye sit down on your knees, the heart will be apt to fall a-wandering, and it will be much if before the end it do not give the slip. The Spirit of the Lord only can manage our spirits, and he will be provoked by our wanderings to
withdraw. Therefore take that watchword, Prov. 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
I shall now proceed to the last doctrine observable from the text.
DOCTRINE V. ult. The Spirit helps believers to pray, particularly, causing in them gracious groanings, which cannot be uttered.
In discoursing this point, I shall,
I. Consider the nature of these groanings caused by the Spirit in believers.
II. Shew how the Spirit makes intercession for believers with groanings.
III. In what respects these groaning are groanings that cannot be uttered.
IV. Conclude with two or three reflections.
I. We shall consider the nature of these groanings caused by the Spirit in believers. And here I shall shew,
1. Of what kind they are.
2. The moving causes of them.
FIRST, I am to shew of what kind these groanings are. There is a twofold groaning.
First, A natural groaning, the effect of pain, and any heavy pressure that lies on men's spirits, Jer. 51:52, "Through all her land the wounded shall groan." This is common to men with beasts, Joel 1:18, "How do the beasts groan?" And men may groan so, without any gracious movings of heart towards God; therefore they are none of the groanings in the text, Job 35:9, 10, "By reason of the multitude of oppressions, they make the oppressed to cry; they cry out by reason
of the arm of the mighty. But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?"
Secondly, Spiritual and gracious groanings, whereby the gracious soul natively expresses its movings towards God under some heavy pressure, 2 Cor. 5:4, "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened." These are they with which the Spirit helps believers, and which he causes in them. When men are in a swoon, they groan none; but when they are recovering, they will discover it by groaning; an argument that their sense and feeling is returned. So by these groanings believers are distinguished from the dead in sin.
These spiritual groanings of believers speak,
1. Their feeling of a weight and pressure upon them, 2 Cor. 5:4, above cited. Such is the imperfection of our state in this life, that if there is life in a soul, it must groan, because there is no escaping of pressures, from an evil world without, and an evil heart within. And the easy jovial life that men lead without these groanings, they owe it to spiritual death, which has taken away their feeling, Eph. 4:18, 19.
2. Their labouring under these pressures, like one under a burden, Psalm 6:6, "I am weary with my groaning, (Heb.) "Laboured to weariness in my groaning." This imports,
(1.) An earnest endeavour to get them off, or to bear them while they are kept on. The new creature is surrounded with weights of various kinds, which in their own nature tend to hinder its growth, and coming to perfection; and there are mighty labourings and workings of it against them, that it may get forward to its desired perfection; Phil. 3:14.
(2.) Great difficulty in that labouring, so that the man is as it were out of breath wrestling with his harden which natively issues in a groan, Eph 6:12. There is difficulty in the Christian life, that will try what metal men are of, and will put them to the exerting of their
utmost vigour; and therefore it is compared to the exercise of wrestlers and runners.
3. The working of their affections under them; especially,
(1.) Grief of heart, Jer. 45:3. Groaning is the natural expression of sorrow: and sighs, sobs, and groans, are what a heart pierced and weighed down with grief naturally vents itself in. Christ was "a man of sorrows, and so we find him groaning, John 11:38; and true Christians, whatever their natural temper is, will be found to resound as an echo to a groaning Saviour.
Particularly, groans are the more heavy, when they arise from a double grief, a grief for such a thing, and a grief that it is beyond our power to help it; and of this sort mostly are the groans of believers, Rom. 7:24.
(2.) Earnest desire of help and relief, 2 Cor. 5:2. Here the heart of the believer in these groanings moves directly towards God, with eyes lifted up to heaven. And hence these groanings are prayers in effect, and are so reckoned before God, Rom. 8:27. Whence it appears how the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings, that helping to groan before the Lord, he helps to pray. These groanings may be considered two ways.
[1.] As they are joined with solemn prayer. When a Christian is seriously praying, and is so weighted, that his prayers are here and there interrupted with groanings; these groanings which the prayers are interspersed with, are in God's account parts of the prayer, and as acceptable parts as are in it all; whether they come in when a sentence is closed, or come in before it be perfected, Psalm 6:3, "My soul is sore vexed; but thou, O Lord, how long?" Men know not distinctly the meaning of such groans, but the Lord sees it as plain as if expressed by words.
[2.] As they are separate from solemn vocal prayer. And thus we may also consider them two ways.
(1.) As they come in the room and stead of vocal prayer intended.
I believe it is very possible, that a child of God may go to his knees to pray, and may rise again without having been able to speak a word, but only to groan; and though he thinks he could pray none at all, he is mistaken; as far as the Spirit helped him to groan, he helped him to pray, though none could understand that prayer of his but God himself who searcheth the heart, Rom. 8:27. As a full bottle does not orderly empty itself, so a heart may be too full to empty itself by words, but by groans, Psalm 77:4, "Thou holdest mine eyes waking; I am so troubled that I cannot speak."
(2.) As they are without any design of solemn prayer. When a man is walking or sitting, musing on the sinfulness of his own heart and life, or on the wickedness that is done in the world, with the dishonour that comes on the holy name of God thereby; till his heart, swelling with grief, natively vents itself in a groan; that groaning is in God's account a prayer, and a prayer that shall be heard at length, as proceeding from the influence of his own Spirit. What was it that set the wheel of providence in motion, to stop the wicked career the Egyptians were in, Exod. 2:24? Why, God heard the groaning of the children of Israel.
SECONDLY, I come now to shew the moving causes of these groanings of believers. Believers by the Spirit, have their groanings unto the Lord,
1. Under a pressure of trouble. While they are here, they cannot miss so much of a suffering lot, as will make them groan; Rom. 8:18, 23; and by the Spirit, these groans are directed towards God, as those of a child, under the difficulties of the way, are directed to his father.
(1.) Sometimes they are groaning to him under outward troubles. So Israel groaned under the Egyptian bondage; Exod 2:23, 24; yea Christ himself; John 11:33, 38. These are weights that press their
spirits, make them to groan, and look upward for relief; Rom. 8:23, longing for the day when they shall be beyond them.
(2.) Sometimes they are groaning under inward troubles; Psalm 30:7, "Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." While here they are liable to spiritual desertions, wounds in their spirits under the apprehensions of the Lord's anger against them. And they groan out their case towards the hand that smites them. Both outward and inward troubles often meet together, as in the case of David; Psalm 6:2, 3, 6, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed; but thou, O Lord, how long? I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears;" and in that of Job: chap. 23:2, "Even to-day is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning."
2. Under a pressure of temptations. These are a heavy weight to a gracious soul; they made Paul to go groaning to God again and again; 2 Cor. 12:7, 8. Our Lord Christ had experience of an hour of the power of darkness; Luke 22:53, "When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." And his followers will not want experience of the same, wherein temptations come on thick and vigorous. These cause groanings,
(1.) Because of their disturbing the peace of the soul; they turn the calm into a storm, that the soul is tossed thereby as on a raging sea, which makes them cry, "Lead us not into temptation."
(2.) Because of the difficulty of one's keeping his ground against them; Eph. 6:12, 16. Every temptation has a friend within us, and men's nature is unto temptation as tinder to sparks of fire, apt to take fire; so that it requires hard wrestling to keep our ground.
(3.) Because of the danger of falling thereby into sin. Temptation is the precipice, and sin is the devouring gulf; and they who have a
sense of their danger, no wonder they groan, groan under the pressure, and groan for relief.
3. Under the pressure of sin. This is a light burden to the most part of mankind, but it is the heaviest burden to a child of God, and causes in him, through the Spirit, the heaviest groans. For it is of all things the most contrary and opposite to the new nature in him, whence are these continued strugglings; Gal. 5:17, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Many troubles Paul met with; but did any of them all ever cause in him such an exclamation as that; Rom. 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Now the children of God groan,
1st, Under the weight and pressure of their own sin, the sin of their nature, and the sin of their life; Psalm 51:3, 5, "I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." It lies on them heavy as a body of death, while others being dead in sin, it is no burden to them; no burden to their heart, though sometimes it may be to their conscience. And there are three things in their sin that press them sore.
(1.) The filthiness of it, that deformity that is in it, being the quite contrary of the holiness of God expressed in his law. The soul seeing the glory of the holiness of God, and how its sin is the very reverse of that glory; that fills it with shame; Ezra 9:6, and self-loathing; Ezek. 36:31. Beholding itself in the glass of the pure and holy law, as a polluted and defiled creature, it groans under it as one pressed down to the earth with a burden; Jer. 3 ult., "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God."
(2.) The prevailing power of it; Psalm 65:3, "Iniquities prevail against me, (Heb.) Have been mightier than I." The new nature struggles
against sin; Gal. 5:17. The new man of grace and the old man of sin are engaged in combat; and ofttimes the old man prevails, and the new man is cast down. Now the believer taking part with grace against corruption, groans under this prevailing power of corruption (Rom. 7:23, 24,) as an insupportable tyranny that he longs to be rid of.
(3.) The guilt of it; Psalm 51:4, "Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." In the eyes of a believer, life lies in the favour of God, the shinings of his countenance; but their guilt binds them over to his anger, and overclouds his countenance. And that is a weight that makes them groan; that when it is removed, they rejoice as one that has got a harden taken off his back; Psalm 38:4, "Mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me." Compared with Hos. 14:2, "take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips."
2dly, Under the weight and pressure of the sin of others; Ezek. 9:4, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." As one cannot but loath an abominable thing on another as well as on himself; so sin, wherever it appears, on others, as well as on ourselves, will be a burden to a gracious soul, that will make it groan; Isa. 6:5, "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Thus Lot was under a continued burden in Sodom, while he was among them; 2 Pet 2:7, 8. And none groan spiritually under their own sin, that do not groan also under the sins of others amongst whom they live. There are three things in the sins of others that make them groan.
(1.) The dishonour to the holy name of God that is in them; Rom. 2:23, 24. To see men trampling under foot the holy laws of God, and, by their profane courses, affronting the God that made them, and walking after their own lusts, cannot but be a burden to any who
truly love the Lord, and are concerned for the honour of his name; Psalm 119:136, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes," says David, "because they keep not thy law." Zeal for the honour of God, as it is native to his children; so, where it cannot prevail against sin, natively vents itself in groaning under the burden; Psalm 69:9.
(2.) The ruin to the sinner's own soul that is wrapt up in it; Jer. 13:17. There needs no prophetical eye, but an eye of faith in the Lord's word, to foresee the ruin of those that go on impenitently in their sinful course; Rom. 6:21. When sinners are fighting against God, by going on in their trespasses; it is easy to see whose head must be wounded in the encounter; Psalm 68:21, and who must fall at length, however long they keep foot; Deut. 32:35. Now the prospect of this is enough to make a gracious soul groan for those that cannot groan for themselves; Psalm 119:119, 120, "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." So Hab. 3:16.
(3.) The hurt that is in it to others. It is Solomon's observation that "one sinner destroyeth much good," Eccl. 9 ult. And there is a woe pronounced on the world, because of offences, Matth. 18:7. Sin is a noxious vapour, spreading its infection over many; wounding some, and killing others; grieving to the godly, and hardening to the wicked. And a serious view of the mischief it does to others, beside the sinner himself, makes the godly groan.
From what is said it appears that sin is the fundamental and chief cause of the believer's groaning. Troubles outward and inward rise from it, temptations lead to it. That is it within them, and that is it without them that makes them groan. That is the burden to the Spirit of God that grieves him, as one groaning under a burden, Amos 2:13; Isa. 1:24. That is it that makes the whole creation groan, Rom. 8:22. And it is that which makes the believer groan.
II. The second general head is to shew how the Spirit makes intercession for believers with groanings.
1. He works in them a spiritual feeling of their burdens; Rom. 8:23, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." The time was, when they lay with the rest of the world without sense or feeling of the burden on them, and he gave them life; and sometimes spiritual life in them has been so low, that they could have but little true feeling of their own case; and it was a burden to them to bestir themselves to rid themselves; Cant. 5:3, "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" But the Spirit excites grace, and gives them a lively feeling of their spiritual case; ver. 4, "My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him."
2. He gives them a view of the free and unburdened state wherein mortality is swallowed up of life, 2 Cor. 5:4. There is such a state, it is represented in the word of truth. The Spirit strengthens the eye of faith, whereby the soul sees it clearly, though afar off; a state wherein there is an eternal putting off of the burden of trouble, temptation, and sin.
3. He excites in them ardent desires of riddance from their burden, and of arriving at the unburdened state; 2 Cor. 5:2, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." Rom. 8:23, "Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." What ardent desire of deliverance would a man have who was kept lying among dead corpses, rotting and sending forth their stench into his nostrils? Such ardent desire will a Christian have, when, through the Spirit, grace is put in lively and vigorous exercise, while the dead world without him, and the body of death within him, conspire to annoy him with their savour of death, Rom. 7:24. Hence,
4. He engages them in earnest wrestling with their burden, in order to get clear of it, that the new creature of grace may get up its back, and run the way of God's commandments, Gal. 5:17. Here grace has a mighty struggle with its enemy, longing and panting for the victory, and pressing towards a state of perfection, Phil. 3:14.
5. Lastly, Finding themselves still entangled with their burden, notwithstanding of all their wrestling, he helps them to groan out their case before the Lord, as a case that is beyond their reach to help; Rom. 7:23, 24, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But the groaning through the Spirit's aid is not groaning and dying, but,
(1.) Groaning and looking to the Lord for help; Psalm 123:1, "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens." The believer groans and looks upward to God for relief. His burden of trouble, he will lie under it, till the Lord take it off, and will not take any sinistrous course for his deliverance; Isa. 28:16, "He that believeth shall not make haste." The burden of sin, he is never to be reconciled with that, but however long he wrestles with it without the desired success, he will ever be looking and longing for deliverance, Phil. 3:13, 14.
(2.) Groaning and waiting for relief, Rom. 8:23. Unbelief makes one to groan and despair of deliverance, either in temporals or spirituals, Jer. 2:25. But the Spirit makes the believer to groan and wait in hope, Gal. 5:5. Though the eyes fail while they wait for their God, yet still they will wait in hope of the promise, Luke 18:1.
III. I come now to shew in what respects these groanings are groanings that cannot be uttered.
1. The working of their affections, thus set in motion by the Spirit, is sometimes such as stops the coarse of the words. This is often seen in
the workings of natural affections, how that either joy or grief filling the heart, mars the ordinary course of words; the heart being too full, to be vented easily in expression. It is not then to be thought strange, that it so falls out in the case of spiritual affections pat in mighty motion by the Spirit. Yea they do,
(1.) Sometimes interrupt the expression, and the groaning fills up what is wanting in the words, Psalm 6:3. Even as a hurt and pained child tells his case to his mother, in imperfect expressions, filling up the want with tears, sighs, and sobs; so that she may have difficulty to understand what ails him; but our Father in heaven has no difficulty in coming at the meaning of his children so expressed, Rom. 8:27, "He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit." Our elder Brother sometimes spoke by broken sentences from the same cause, Luke 19:41, 42, "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." So Gen. 3:22.
(2.) Sometimes stop the expression altogether, like as a multitude of people rushing all together to a door, they all stick, and none can get out, Psalm 77:4, "I am so troubled that I cannot speak." So a child of God may go to prayer, and not be able to speak a word. But let them go to their knees before the Lord for all that; and if they cannot speak a word, let them groan their case before the Lord. That is a proper way of praying in the Spirit, and God will certainly hear and accept that kind of praying, though there be nothing but groaning in it. Do ye put away dumb people without an alms, because they cannot speak? are ye not more moved with their signs and humming noise, than with the cries of common beggars? Do not the sighs and sobs of your frighted or hurt children move you more than their complaints formed in words? And do ye think that God will disregard the groans and sighs of his people, when they cannot speak a word to him? No, surely; he will hear the groaning of the prisoner, Psalm 102:20.
2. What they feel and see in this case, by the Spirit, is always beyond what they can express in words. I own that what a child of God sometimes feels and sees in prayer, is so small, that their words may sufficiently express it; but when the Spirit helpeth them to these groanings, it is quite otherwise, their words cannot come up to their affections. When the Spirit gives a Christian an experimental feeling of the burden of sin, realizes to him the glory of the unburdened state, and makes him groan between the two, there is something there that is truly unspeakable. As the gift of Christ is unspeakable to those who truly see it, 2 Cor. 9:15, and the joy in the Holy Ghost to those that feel it, 1 Pet. 1:8, so are the groanings by the Spirit unutterable to the groaners.
I conclude with two or three reflections.
1. God's people are a groaning people. For they have the Spirit of Christ, and he makes intercession for them with groanings; they have put on Christ, and he was a groaner. And those that are strangers to these groanings, their groaning time is coming; walking now in the vanity of your minds, will make eternal groaning.
QUEST. How are God's people regarded when they get leave to groan on? ANSW. They must abide the trial of their graces, and be conformed to the image of a groaning Saviour. In due time their burden will be taken off, and they will groan no more.
2. Prayer is a business of great weight and seriousness. It is one thing to say a prayer, another thing to pray indeed acceptably. Wherefore from this, and all that has been said,
3. Lastly, Learn to pray by the help of the Spirit, for no other praying is acceptable to God; look to him in all your addresses to the throne, and depend upon his guiding and influence; that through Christ Jesus ye may have access by one Spirit unto the Father, Eph. 2:18.
Of Praying in the Name of Jesus Christ
Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. - JOHN 16:23
OUR Lord Jesus is here comforting his disciples under the want of his bodily presence which they had so long enjoyed, showing them that it should be well made up to them. They should see him again after his resurrection, though not to return to that familiarity with them as before; they should see him by the Spirit, in his exalted state; and should find God so reconciled to them by his sacrifice of himself, that they should have a boldness of access to the throne in heaven, which they had not before; that in that day they should ask him nothing in that manner they used while he was with them in the days of his flesh; but in a manner more to his honour and their comfort. Here he declares,
1. What that manner is, and that in two things. (1.) They should apply themselves, in asking or petitioning, directly to the Father as their God and Father allowing them access to him, for the supply of all their needs. (2.) They should apply to him in the name of the Son, the exalted Redeemer, expressly, seeing more clearly the way of sinners treating with God through the Mediator, than either the Jewish church had done, or they themselves while they had his bodily presence with them.
2. The success of that manner of applying to God. It should be successful in all points. Whatsoever, in spiritual or temporal things, they should petition the Father in the name of Christ, he should give it them for his sake.
The following doctrine arises from the words.
DOCTRINE.—Whosoever would pray to God acceptably, must pray to him in the name of Jesus Christ.
In treating this point, I shall,
I. Shew what it is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
II. Give the reasons why acceptable prayer must be in the name of Christ.
III. Lastly, Apply.
I. I am to shew what it is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. That this takes in whatever is necessary in prayer, both as to matter and manner, is evident from the text, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name," &c. And no man can thus pray but by the Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:13.
Negatively, It is not a bare mentioning his name, in prayer, and concluding our prayers therewith, Matth. 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." We must begin, carry on, and conclude our prayers in the name of Christ, Col. 3:17, "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." The saints use the words, "through Jesus Christ our Lord," 1 Cor. 15:57; but the virtue is not in the words, but in the faith wherewith they are used. But alas! these are often produced as an empty scabbard, while the sword is away.
Positively, we may take it up in these four things.
FIRST, We must go to God at Christ's command, and by order from him. This is the import of the phrase "in his name," Matth. 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." If a poor body can get a recommendation from a friend to one that is able to help him, he comes with confidence and tells, such a one has sent me to you. Our Lord Christ is the friend of poor sinners, and he sends them to his Father to ask supply of their