2. We have internal wants that are discerned in the light of a natu- ral conscience : such is the guilt of sin, whereof that accuseth, — sins against natural light and the plain outward letter of the law. These things we know somewhat of without any especial aid of the Holy Spirit, Bom. ii. 14, 15, and desires of deliverance are inseparable from them. But we may observe here two things: — (1.) That the knowledge which we have hereof of ourselves is so dark and con- fused as that we are no ways able thereby to manage our wants
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274 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
in prayer aright unto God. A natural conscience, awakened and ex- cited by afflictions or other providential visitations, will discover itself in unfeigned and severe reflections of guilt upon the soul; but until the Spirit doth convince of sin, all things are in such dis- order and confusion in the mind that no man knows how to make his address unto God about it in a due manner. And there is more required, to treat aright with God about the guilt of sin, than a mere sense of it. So far as men can proceed under that sole conduct and guidance, the heathens went in dealing with their supposed gods, without a due respect unto the propitiation made by the blood of Christ. Yea, prayer about the guilt of sin, discerned in the light of a natural conscience, is but an " abomination/' Besides, (2.) We all know how small a portion of the concernment of believers doth lie in those things which fall under the light and determination of a natural conscience; for, —
3. The things about which believers do and ought to treat princi- pally and deal with God, in their supplications, are the inward spiri- tual frames and dispositions of their souls, with the actings of grace and sin in them. Hereon David was not satisfied with the confes- sion of his original and all known actual sins, Ps. li. 1-5 ; nor yet with an acknowledgment that " none knoweth his own wanderings," whence he desireth cleansing from "unknown sins," Ps. xix. 12; but, moreover, he begs of God to undertake the inward search of his heart, to find out what was amiss or [not] right in him, Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24, as knowing that God principally required "truth in the inward parts," Ps. li. 6. Such is the carrying on of the work of sanctification in the whole spirit and soul, 1 Thess. v. 23.
The inward sanctification of all our faculties is what we want and pray for. Supplies of grace from God unto this purpose, with a sense of the power, guilt, violence, and deceit of sin, in its inward actings in the mind and affections, with other things innumerable thereunto belonging, make up the principal matter of prayer as formally sup- plication.
Add hereunto that unto the matter of prayer, taken largety for the whole duty so called, every thing wherein we have intercourse with God in faith and love doth belong. The acknowledgment of the whole mystery of his wisdom, grace, and love in Christ Jesus, with all the fruits, effects, and benefits which thence we do receive; all the workings and actings of our souls towards him, with their facul- ties and affections ; in brief, every thing and every conception of our minds wherein our spiritual access unto the throne of grace doth consist, or which doth belong thereunto, with all occasions and emer- gencies of spiritual life, are in like manner comprised herein. And that we can have such an acquaintance with these things as to
CHAP. IV.] THE NATURE OF PRAYER. 275
manage them acceptably in our supplications, without the grace of spiritual illumination from the Holy Ghost, few are so ignorant or profane as to assert. Some, I confess, seem to be strangers unto these things, which yet renders them not of the less weight or moment.
But hence it comes to pass that the prayers of believers about them, especially their confessions of what sense they have of the power and guilt of the inward actings of sin, have been by some ex- ceedingly traduced and reproached; for whereas they cannot out of their ignorance understand such things, out of their pride, height- ened by sensuality of life, they despise and contemn them.
Secondly, The matter -of 'prayer may be considered with re- spect unto the promises of God. These are the measure of prayer, and contain the matter of it. What God hath promised, all that he hath promised, and nothing else, are we to pray for ; for " secret things belong unto the Lord our God" alone, but the declaration of his will and grace belongs unto us, and is our rule. Wherefore, there is nothing that we really do or may stand in need of but God hath promised the supply of it, in such a way and under such limi- tations as may make it good and useful unto us; and there is nothing that God hath promised but we stand in need of it, or are some way or other concerned in it as members of the mystical body of Christ. Wherefore, " we know not what we should pray for as we ought," unless we know or understand the goodness, grace, kind- ness, and mercy, that is prepared and proposed in the promises of God; for how should we, seeing we are to pray for all that God hath promised, and for nothing but what God hath promised, and as he hath promised it? The inquiry, therefore, that remains is, whether we of ourselves, without the especial assistance of the Holy Spirit, do understand these things or no. The apostle tells us that the " things of God," spiritual things, " knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;" and that we must receive the Spirit which is of God to know the things that are freely given to us of God," 1 Cor. ii. 11, 12; which are the grace, mercy, love, and kindness of the promises, 2 Cor. vii. 1. To say that of ourselves we can per- ceive, understand, and comprehend these things, without the espe- cial assistance of the Holy Ghost, is to overthrow the whole gospel and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as hath been elsewhere de- monstrated.