CHAP. VI.] THE DUE MANNER OF PRAYER. 295
Now, this confidence or boldness, which is given unto believers in their prayers by the Holy Ghost, respects not the answer of every particular request, especially in their own understanding of it, but it consists in a holy persuasion that God is well pleased with their duties, accepts their persons, and delights in their approaches unto his throne. Such persons are not terrified with apprehensions that God will say unto them, " What have ye to do to take my name into your mouths, or to what purpose are the multitude of your supplications? When ye make many prayers, I will not hear." "Will he," saith Job, "plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me," chap, xxiii. 6. Yea, they are assured that the more they are with God, the more constantly they abide with him, the better is their acceptance; for as they are commanded to pray always and not to faint, so they have a sufficient warranty from the encouragement and call of Christ to be frequent in their spiritual addresses to him. So he speaks to his church, Cant. ii. 14, " 0 my dove, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." And herein also is com- prised a due apprehension of the goodness and power of God, whereby he is, in all conditions, ready to receive them and able to relieve them. The voice of sinners by nature, let presumption and super- stition pretend what they please to the contrary, is, that God is austere, and not capable of condescension or compassion. And the proper acting of unbelief lies in limiting the Most Holy, saying, " Can God do this or that thing, which the supplies of our necessities do call for? are they possible with God?" So long as either of these trorketh in us with any kind of prevalency, it is impossible we should have any delight in calling upon God. But we are freed from them by the Holy Ghost, in the representation he makes of the engaged goodness and power of God in the promises of the covenant; which gives us boldness in his presence.
Fourthly, It is the wTork of the Holy Spirit in prayer to keep the souls of believers intent upon Jesus Christ, as the only way and means of acceptance with God. This is the fundamental direction for prayer now under the gospel. We are now to ask in his name; which was not done expressly under the Old Testament. Through him we act faith on God in all our supplications; by him we have an access unto the Father. We enter into the holiest through the new and living way that he hath consecrated for us. The various respect which faith hath unto Jesus Christ as mediator in all our prayers is a matter worthy a particular inquiry, but is not of our present consideration, wherein we declare the work of the Spirit alone ; and this is a part of it, that he keeps our souls intent upon Christ, according unto what is required of us, as he is the way of our
296 WOKK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER [BOOK VII.
approach unto God, the means of our admittance, and the cause of our acceptance with him. And where faith is not actually exercised unto this purpose, all prayer is vain and unprofitable. And whether our duty herein be answered with a few words, wherein his name is expressed with little spiritual regard unto him, is worth our inquiry. To enable us hereunto is the work of the Holy Ghost. He it is that glorifies Jesus Christ in the hearts of believers, John xvi. 14; and this he doth when he enableth them to act faith on him in a due manner. So speaks the apostle expressly, Eph. ii. 18, " Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father/' It is through Jesus alone that we have our access unto God, and that by faith in him. So we have our access unto him for our persons in justification: Rom. v. 2, "By whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." And by him we have our actual access unto him in our supplications when we draw nigh to the throne of grace; but this is by the Spirit. It is he who enables us hereunto, by keeping our minds spiritually intent on him in all our addresses unto God. This is a genuine effect of the Spirit as he is the "Spirit of the Son;" under which consideration in an especial manner he is bestowed on us to enable us to pray, Gal. iv. 6. And hereof believers have a refreshing experience in themselves; nor doth any thing leave a better savour or relish on their souls than when they have had their hearts and minds kept close, in the exercise of faith, on Christ the mediator in their prayers.
I might yet insist on more instances in the declaration of the work of the Holy Ghost in believers, as he is a Spirit of grace and suppli- cation; but my design is not to declare what may be spoken, but to speak what ought not to be omitted. Many other things, therefore, might be added, but these will suffice to give an express understand- ing of this work unto them who have any spiritual experience- of it, and those who have not will not be satisfied with volumes to the same purpose.