Hereunto I may add the irregularity and disorder of our affections. These, I confess, are discernible in the light of nature, and the recti- fying of them, or an attempt for it, was the principal end of the old philosophy; but the chief respect that on this principle it had unto them is as they disquiet the mind, or break forth into outward ex- pressions, whereby men are defiled, or dishonoured, or distressed. So far natural light will go ; and thereby, in the working of their con- sciences, as far as I know, men may be put to pray about them : but
2S0 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
the chief depravation of the affections lies in their aversation unto things spiritual and heavenly.
They are, indeed, sometimes ready of themselves to like things spiritual under false notions of them, and divine worship under super- stitious ornaments and meretricious dresses; in which respect they are the spring and life of all that devotion which is in the church of Rome: but take heavenly and spiritual things in themselves, with respect unto their proper ends, and there is in all our affections, as corrupted, a dislike of them and aversation unto them, which vari- ously act themselves, and influence our souls unto vanities and dis- orders in all holy duties. And no man knows what it is to pray who is not exercised in supplications for mortifying, changing, and renew- ing of these affections as spiritually irregular ; and yet is it the Spirit of God alone which discovereth these things unto us, and gives us a sense of our concernment in them. I say, the spiritual irregularity of our affections, and their aversation from spiritual things, is dis- cernible in no light but that of supernatural illumination; for if without that spiritual things themselves cannot be discerned, as the apostle assures us they cannot, 1 Cor. ii. 1 4, it is impossible that the disorder of our affections with respect unto them should be so. If we know not an object in the true nature of it, we cannot know the actings of our minds towards it. Wherefore, although there be in our affections an innate, universal aversation from spiritual things, seeing by nature we are wholly alienated from the life of God, yet can it not be discerned by us in any light but that which discovers these spiritual things themselves unto us; nor can any man be made sensible of the evil and guilt of that disorder who hath not a love also implanted in his heart unto those things which it finds obstructed thereby. Wherefore, the mortification of these affections, and their renovation with respect unto things spiritual and heavenly, being no small part of the matter of the prayers of believers, as being an especial part of their duty, they have no otherwise an acquaintance with them or sense of them but as they receive them by light and conviction from the Spirit of God ; and those who are destitute hereof must needs be strangers unto the life and power of the duty of prayer itself.
As it is with respect unto sin, so it is with respect unto God and Christ, and the covenant, grace, holiness, and privileges. We have no spiritual conceptions about them, no right understanding of them, no insight into them, but what is given us by the Spirit of God ; and without an acquaintance with these things, what are our prayers, or what do they signify? Men without them may say on to the world's end without giving any thing of glory unto God, or obtaining of any advantage unto their own souls.
CHAP. V.] THE SPIRIT'S WORK AS TO MATTER OF PRAYER. 281
And this I place as the first 'part of the work of the Spirit of sup- plication in believers, enabling them to pray according to the mind of God, which of themselves they know not how to do, as is afterward in the place of the apostle insisted on. When this is done, when a right apprehension of sin and grace, and of our concernment in them, is fixed on our minds, then have we in some measure the matter of prayer always in readiness; which words and expressions will easily follow, though the aid of the Holy Spirit be necessary thereunto also, as we shall afterward declare.
And hence it is that the duty performed with respect unto this part of the aid and assistance of the Spirit of God is of late by some (as was said) vilified and reproached. Formerly their exceptions lay all of them against some expressions or weakness of some per- sons in conceived prayer, which they liked not; but now scorn is poured out upon the matter of prayer itself, especially the humble and deep confessions of sin, which, on the discoveries before men- tioned, are made in the supplications of ministers and others. The things themselves are traduced as absurd, foolish, and irrational, as all spiritual things are unto some sorts of men. Neither do I see how this disagreement is capable of any reconciliation; for they who have no light to discern those respects of sin and grace which we have mentioned cannot but think it uncouth to have them continu- ally made the matter of men's prayers. And those, on the other hand, who have received a light into them and acquaintance with them by the Spirit of God are troubled at nothing more than that they cannot sufficiently1 abase themselves under a sense of them, nor in any words fully express that impression on their minds which is put on them by the Holy Ghost, nor clothe their desires after grace and mercy with words sufficiently significant and emphatical. And therefore this difference is irreconcilable by any but the Spirit of God himself. Whilst it doth abide, those who have respect only unto what is discernible in the light of nature, or of a natural con- science, in their prayers will keep themselves unto general expres- sions and outward things, in words prepared unto that purpose by themselves or others, do we what we can to the contrary ; for men will not be led beyond their own light, neither is it meet they should. And those who do receive the supplies of the Spirit in this matter will in their prayers be principally conversant about the spiritual, in- ternal concernments of their souls in sin and grace, let others despise