VeR. 20.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 337
Now the censers were to be kindled with holy fire before the smoke went up ; the coal wherewith we are kindled must be taken from the altar, not from a common hearth, and then our prayer goeth up as incense : God's course is to ' prepare the heart,' and then to grant the request : Ps. x. 17, ' Thou wilt prepare their hearts, and cause thine ear to hear.' Sorely God's ear will be opened if our hearts be opened ; Avhen he himself sets us a- work we need not doubt of audience. Fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice was the solemn token of accept- ance heretofore ; fire from heaven is the token still, even a holy ardour wrought in us by the Spirit.
2. In point of assistance. Prayer is- a work too hard for us ; we can babble of ourselves, but we cannot pray without the Holy Ghost ; we can put words into prayer, but it is the Spirit puts affections, without which it is but a little cold prattle and spiritless talk. Our necessities may sharpen our prayers, but they cannot enliven our prayers. A carnal man may feel the impulsions of a natural fervency, and so cry unto God as the young ravens cry unto him, and in all creatures there is a desire of relief : the rude mariners in the tempest were very earnest, Jonah i. 6. But now gracious affection is quite another thing than this natural fervency. There may be cold and raw wishes after grace, but not serious volitions and spiritual desires ; these we must have from the Holy Ghost. Surely if we did consider what prayer is we should see the need of this assistance. It is a work which will cost us travail of heart, Acts i, 14, irpoaKapTepovvTe'i iv ry irpocrev)(r], and James v. 16, Se?/o-i9 ivepjov/xivr]. It is expressed by ' striving,' Kom. XV. 30, ' Strive with me in prayers,' and Col. iv. 12, ' Labouring for you fervently in prayers,' &c., dya)vt^6fj,€vo^. It is a striving with God himself, and then there is no setting upon God but by his own strength. This was figured in Jacob's wrestling. Gen. xxxii. 25, to the end ; which is explained Hosea xii, 4, ' Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed ; yea, he wept and made supplication,' The party that Jacob wrestled with is called a mem, cm angel, and God ; a man, for the shape and form assumed ; an angel, to note the second person, who is the messenger of the covenant ; and God, Gen. xxxii. 30. It was such an angel as blessed him, which is proper to God. Now in the assumed body Jacob wrestled with him, which was symbolical ; the prophet referreth it to his prayers. But how is it said he could not prevail against Jacob ? With a blast of his mouth he might have confounded him, and it had been as easy for him to maim and destroy every joint as to make him halt and lame of one thigh. I answer — He could not because he would not ; he gave out but such a measure of strength to the body assumed, and the Lord did wrestle both in and against Jacob, in Jacoho, Deus est seipso fortior — he wrestleth against us with his left hand, and strengtheneth us with his right, so that God's power prevaileth over himself. All this is spoken to show what need we have of a divine power when we strive with God.
But now what is it to pray in the Holy Ghost ? I shall answer it in a word. The Spirit helpeth us in prayer in a way of gifts or graces. In a way of gifts, that the heart may not be bound up, and that we may have necessary words to give vent to affections. Adam maimed
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338 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 20-
US both as to gifts as well as graces ; and therefore, that our supplies in Christ may be answerable, the Spirit bestoweth upon us the gift of prayer, that we may enlarge ourselves to God on all occasions. This gift was either extraordinary and proper to the first times of the gospel, when they were able of a sudden to dictate a prayer in a strange language which they had never learned ; so it is said 1 Cor. xiv, 15, ' I will pray with the Spirit, and with understanding also.' Many did pray with the Spirit, that is, made use of this gift, but to the neglect of edifying ; they did not pray so as they might be under- stood by the hearers. Now saith the apostle, I would use the gift but to edification, so as the understanding of the auditory may go along with me.
[1.] The ordinary gift of the Spirit is that special dexterity whereby men are able to put their meaning into apt words. It is not of such a miraculous infusion, and so wonderful in itself, as the former, because it dependeth much upon the temper and suitable con- stitirtiou of the body, and is much bettered by industry, hearing, reading, meditation, conference, &c., as all other ordinary habits are. But such a gift there is in the church, as we find by plain experience, many men's tongues being ' as the pen of a ready writer,' Ps. xlv. 1, All miraculous gifts are now turned into ordinary gifts somewhat like them, as discerning of spirits into a sagacity and cautelous prudence, gifts of tongues into a special dexterity that way, and gifts of healing into skill in physic ; so praying with the Spirit into readiness of utter- ance and freedom of speech. Now, though we are to covet the best gifts and strive after them, yet we must be contented with our measure. Sometimes this gift is given to carnal men because of their service in the church. Gifts are for the body ; they may have great abilities to pray and preach, and may be carried on with full gales of outward assistance. Usually it is given unto men according to their constitution and natural receptivity ; all cannot expect a like quick- ness and enlargement of speech. In the penmen of scripture you may observe a difference of character and style according to their temper and education, though their assistance as to words was also infallible, Isaiah writeth in a courtly style, and Jeremiah in a priestly, and Amos' manner of speech relisheth of his calling. In the New Testa- ment, John is seraphical, Paul argumentative, and Peter writeth in a milky, sweet, middle way, &c.