First, What kind of help we have from the Spirit of God ia prayer ; his work is to guide and quicken you.
First, to guide you in prayer, that you may pray to God in a holy manner ; we know not what to pray for as we ought, on a four- fold reason ; [1.] As blinded with self-love ; [2.] As discomposed by trouble ; [3.] As struck dumb by guilt ; [4.] As straitened by barren- ness and leanness of soul.
[1.] As blinded by self-love. Oh ! what strange prayers will men put up to God, if they take counsel of their lusts and interests ! as the disciples that called for fire from heaven; Christ told them, 'Ye know not of what manner of spirit ye are of,' Luke is. 55. Self-love so blindeth us that if we be led by it, we shall rather beg our ruin than our salvation ; for we know not what is either profitable or l)rejudicial to us; so that it would be an argument of God's anger to grant our requests. The ambitious, if he should pray from the passion that possesseth him, would only ask honour and worldly greatness ; the covetous, only that God would double his worldly portion, and enlarge his estate according to his vast desires; the sensual, the ability and opportunity of glutting his brutish inclina- tions ; the vindictive, that he may interest God in his quarrels ; all sinners would serve him only to serve their carnal turns. Whatever words we use to God ia prayer, if we serve him to these ends, and
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hope that by praying they shall be the better gratified, our prayer is turned into sin ; but he that is guided by the Spirit entreateth nothing of God but what is pleasing to him, and suiteth with his glory. We come to our Father which is in heaven when we pray ; and our wel- fare in the world must be subordinated to our eternal and heavenly estate. And we come in the name of Christ ; now to ask honours in his name who was born in a stable and died on a cross, pleasures in his name who was a man of sorrows, is utterly incongruous. No; God's glory, kingdom, will, must be preferred before our inclinations ; other things asked with reservation and submission.
[2.] Our minds are discomposed by trouble, that we scarce know what to do or say : 2 Chron. xx. 12, ' Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are unto thee.' Our Lord Christ : John xii. 27, ' My soul is troubled, what shall I say ? ' In great grief, Christ himself was at a loss ; the great teacher of the church, who hath so much to say for our comfort and counsel in such cases, yet was amazed, and at a nonplus ; and David, Ps. Ixxvii. 4, ' I am sore troubled, I cannot speak.' Our words stoppeth the mouth. Now when our thoughts are thus confounded, we scarce know what to pray for ; the Spirit teacheth us what to say. Look, as in the case of the fear of men : Luke xii. 12, ' For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you shall say ; ' so in our perplexities, when we are scarce able to open our mouths to God.
[3.] When struck dumb by some newly contracted guilt, as David kept silence and grew shy of God, Ps. xxxii. 3. The Spirit urgeth us to penitent confession and humble suing out our pardon, ver. 5, with that brokenness of heart which becometh a sinner.
[4.] When straitened by barrenness, and leanness of soul ; would fain pray, but are dry and barren of matter. It is because we use not meditation and serious recollection: Ps. xlv. 1, 'My heart is inditing a good matter, my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.' One that is well acquainted with God and himself cannot want matter. First, the Holy Ghost puts us upon the serious consideration of these things ; and then when we come to speak to God, a man will copiously enough be supplied out of the abundance of his heart : Mat. xii. 34, ' Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.' If the mind be stocked and- furnished with holy thoughts and meditation, it will break out in the lips.
2. His next office is to quicken you, or raise your affections and holy desires, which are the life of prayer. The prayer contiuueth no longer than the desires do ; therefore groans are more prayer than words. Weeping hath a voice : Ps. vi. 8, ' The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.' Tears have a tongue, and a language which God well enough understandeth. Look, as babes have no other voice but crying for the mother's breast, that is intelligible enough to the tender parent ; so when there are earnest and serious desires after grace, God knoweth our meaning.
Secondly, It informeth us that the motions of the Spirit are a help in prayer, not the rule and reason of prayer. Many will say they will pray only when the Spirit moveth them ; now he helpeth in the per- formance, not in the neglect of the duty. We are to make conscience