Wherefore, first, where the Holy Spirit completes his work in us as a Spirit of grace and supplication, he worketh on the will and affec- tions to act obedientially towards God in and about the matter of our prayers. Thus when he is poured out as a Spirit of supplication, he fills them unto whom he is communicated with mourning and godly sorrow, to be exercised in their prayers as the matter doth require, Zech. xii. 10. He doth not only enable them to pray, but worketh affections in them suitable unto what they pray about. And in this
288 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VIL
work of the Spirit lies the fountain of that inexpressible fervency and delight, of those enlarged labourings of mind and desires, which are in the prayers of believers, especially when they are under the power of more than ordinary influences from him : for these things proceed from the work of the Spirit on their wills and affections, stirring them up and carrying them forth unto God, in and by the matter of their prayers, in such a manner as no vehement working of natural affections can reach unto ; and therefore is the Spirit said to " make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered/' Rom. viii. 26, 27, bmpiVTvyy^dva. As he had before expressed, his work in general by cwavriXa/jbQdvsrai, which intendeth a help by working, carrying us on in our undertaking in this duty beyond our own strength (for he helpeth us on under our infirmities or weak- nesses), so his especial acting is here declared by wrsptvrvyxdvu, that is, an additional interposition, like that of an advocate for his client, pleading that in his case which he of himself is not able to do. Once this word is used in the service of a contrary design. Speaking of the prayer of Elijah, the apostle says, 'ft? hrvyx&vu rut QeGj xard rov 'Uparfh' — " How he maketh intercession to God. against Israel,'"' Rom. xi. 2 ; as ^3, which is constantly used in the Old Testament for " to declare good tidings, tidings of peace," is once applied in a contrary signification unto tidings of evil and destruc- tion, 1 Sam. iv. 17. The man that brought the news of the destruc- tion of the army of the Israelites and the taking of the ark by the Philistines is called ">&?£>- • But the proper use of this word is to intercede for grace and favour; and this he doth 6rswy,uo7g a>.aXjjro/?. We ourselves are said envd^siv, to " groan/' Rom. viii. 23; that is, humbly, mournfully, and earnestly to desire. And here the Spirit is said to " intercede for us with groanings;" which can be nothing but his working in us and acting by us that frame of heart and those fervent, labouring desires, which are so expressed, and these with such depth of intension and labouring of mind as cannot be uttered. And this he doth by the work now mentioned.
Secondly, Having truly affected the whole soul, enlightened the mind in the perception of the truth, beauty, and excellency of spiritual things, engaged the will in the choice of them and prevalent love unto them, excited the affections to delight in them and unto desires after them, there is in the actual discharge of this duty of prayer, wrought in the soul by the power and efficacy of his grace, such an inward labouring of heart and spirit, such a holy, supernatural desire and endeavour after a union with the things prayed for in the en- joyment of them, as no words can utter or expressly declare, — that is, fully and completely, — which is the sense of the place.
To avoid the force of this testimony, some (one at least) would
CHAP. VI.] THE DUE MANNER OF PRAYER. 289
have this intercession of the Spirit to be the intercession of the Spirit in Christ for us now at the right hand of God; so that no work of the Spirit itself in believers is intended. Such irrational evasions will men sometimes make use of to escape the convincing power of light and truth; for this is such a description of the inter- cession of Christ at the right hand of God as will scarcely be recon- ciled unto the analogy of faith. That it is not an humble, oral supplication, but a blessed representation of his oblation, whereby the efficacy of it is continued and applied unto all the particular occasions of the church or believers, I have elsewhere declared, and it is the common faith of Christians. But here it should be reported as the labouring of the Spirit in him with unutterable groans; the highest expression of an humble, burdened, solicitous endeavour. Nothing is more unsuited unto the present glorious condition of the Mediator. It is true that " in the days of his flesh" he prayed " with strong crying and tears," in an humble deprecation of evil, Heb. v. 7; but an humble prostration and praying with unutterable groans is altogether inconsistent with his present state of glory, his fulness of power, and right to dispense all the grace and mercy of the kingdom of God. Besides, this exposition is as adverse to the context as any thing that could be invented. Rom. viii. 15, it is said that we "receive the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father;" which Spirit " God sends forth into our hearts," Gal. iv. 6. And the blessed work of this Spirit in us is farther described, Rom. viii. 16, 17. And thereon, verse 23, having received " the first-fruits of this Spirit," we are said to " groan within ourselves;" to which it is added, that of our- selves not knowing what we ought to pray for, ahrh to Unv^a, " that very Spirit," so given unto us, so received by us, so working in us, " maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Wherefore, without offering violence unto the context, there is no place for the introduction of the intercession of Christ in heaven, especially under such an expression as is contrary to the nature of it. It is mentioned afterward by the apostle, in its proper place, as a conse- quent and fruit of his death and resurrection, verse 34. And there he is said simply hruyy&vuv but the Spirit here is said umpivruy- X^'v, which implies an additional supply unto what is in ourselves. Yet, to give countenance unto this uncouth exposition, a force is put upon the beginning of both the verses 26, 27: for whereas asdsvsia doth constantly in the Scripture denote any kind of infirmity or weakness, spiritual or corporeal, it is said here to be taken in the latter sense, for diseases with troubles and dangers, which latter it no- where signifies; for so the meaning should be, that in such conditions we know not what to pray for, whether wealth, or health, or peace, or the like, but Christ intercedes for us. And this must be the sense VOL. IV. 19