Thirdly, An instance is given of his effectually working these things in the adopted sons of God, in the duty of prayer crying, " Abba, Father." The object of the especial duty intended is " God, even the Father," Eph. ii. 18. "Abba, 6 iLariip." Abba is the Syriac or Chaldee name for Father, then in common use among the Jews, and Uarrip was the same name amongst the Greeks or Gentiles; so that the common interest of Jews and Gentiles in this privilege may be intended, or rather, a holy boldness and intimate confidence of love is designed in the reduplication of the name. The Jews have a saying in the Babylonian Talmud, in the Treatise of Blessings, JW^B NBK vb\ ^3 60M i6 nni« pip pK rnns^ni tpiapn,— " Servants and handmaids" (that is, bond-servants) " do not call on such a one Abba or Yrnnia." Freedom of state, with a right unto adoption, whereof they are incarJable, is required unto this liberty and confi- dence. God gives unto his adopted sons i"1?^? W^ " a free Spirit," Ps.
268 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
li. 12, — a Spirit of gracious, filial ingenuity. This is that Spirit which cries " Abba." That is the word whereby those who were adopted did first salute their fathers, to testify their affection and obedience. For "abba" signifies not only "father," but "my father;" for l|2£, "my father," in the Hebrew, is rendered by the Chaldee paraphrast only N2Xj "abba." See Gen. xix. 34, and elsewhere constantly. To this purpose speaks Chrysostom: Bov\6,uzvog bsT^ai <yvn<ti6rr}Ta, xat rfj tuv 'EQpuiuv i'/j>r\<Sa,70 yXwfftfjj* ov yap s/Vs fiovov 6 iraTr\p aXX* dCQa 6 ffan^p, Jiirsp tojv ftaiduv [jjdXierd sffri tuiv yvqaiuv Trpbg vrt&reptt pqfAa' — " Being willing to show the ingenuity" (that is in this duty), "he useth also the language of the Hebrews, and says not only ■ Father/ but 'Abba, Father;' which is a word proper unto them who are highly inge- nuous."
And this he effecteth two ways: — 1. By the excitation of graces and gracious affections in their souls in this duty, especially those of faith, love, and delight. 2. By enabling them to exercise those graces and express those affections in vocal prayer ; for xpdfyv denotes not only crying, but an earnestness of mind expressed in vocal prayer. It is praying <puvjf f^sydXp, as it is said of our Saviour, Matt, xxvii. 50; for the whole of our duty in our supplications is expressed here- in. Now, we are not concerned, or do not at present inquire, what course they take, what means they employ, or what helps they use in prayer, who are not as yet partakers of this privilege of adop- tion. It is only those who are so whom the Spirit of God assists in this duty; and the only question is, what such persons are to do in compliance with his assistance, or what it is that they obtain thereby.
And we may compare the different expressions used by the apostle in this matter, whereby the general nature of the work of the Spirit herein will farther appear. In this place he saith, " God hath sent •forth into our hearts rb Uvsufia rou viou xpd^ov, — the Spirit of his Son, crying, Abba, Father." Rom. viii. 15, he saith we have received rb TLvsv/ta v'io6soia$, h <S xpdfypzv, " the Spirit of adoption," — the Spirit of the Son, given us because we are sons, — " whereby," or in whom, " we cry, Abba, Father." His acting in us, and our acting by him, are expressed by the same word; and the inquiry here is, how, in the same duty, he is said to " cry" in us, and Ave are said to " cry" in him. And there can be no reason hereof but only because the same work is both his and ours in diverse respects. As it is an act of grace and spiritual power it is his, or it is wrought in us by him alone. As it is a duty performed by us, by virtue of his assistance, it is ours, — by him we cry, "Abba, Father;" and to deny his actings in our duties is to overthrow the gospel. And it is prayer fbrmally considered, and as comprising the gift of it, with its outward exercise, which is in-
CHAP. III.] GAL. IV. G OPENED AND VINDICATED. 269
tended. The mere excitation of the graces of faith, love, trust, de- light, desire, self-abasement, and the like animating principles of prayer, cannot be expressed by crying, though it be included in it. Their actual exercise in prayer, formally considered, is that which is ascribed unto the Spirit of God. And they seem to deal somewhat severely with the church of God and all believers who will not allow that the work here expressly assigned unto the Spirit of adoption, or of the Son, is sufficient for its end, or the discharge of this duty, either in private or in the assemblies of the church. There is no more required unto prayer either way but our crying, "Abba, Father," ■ — that is, the making our requests known unto him as our Father in Christ, — with supplications and thanksgivings, according as our state and occasions do require. And is not the aid of the Spirit of God sufficient to enable ns hereunto? It was so of old, and that unto all believers, according as they were called unto this duty, with respect unto their persons, families, or the church of God. If it be not so now, it is either because God will not now communicate his Spirit unto his children or sons, according to the promise of the gospel; or because, indeed, this grace and gift of his is by men despised, neglected, and lost; — and the former cannot be asserted on any safe grounds whatever ; the latter it is our interest to con- sider.