(2.) Utterance is a peculiar gift of the Holy Ghost: so it is mentioned, 1 Cor. i. 5; 2 Cor. viii. 7; Eph. vi. 19; Col. iv. 3. And hereof there are two parts, or there are two duties to be discharged by virtue of it: — [1.] An ability to speak unto men in the name of God in the preaching of the word ; [2.] An ability to speak unto God for ourselves, or in the name and on the behalf of others. And there is the same reason of utterance in both these duties; and in each of them it is equally a peculiar gift of the Spirit of God. See 1 Cor. i. 5; 2 Cor. viii. 7; Eph. vi. 19; Col. iv. 3. The word used in these places is Xoyog, " speech," which is well rendered " utter- ance,"— that is, fappridia iv rtii uxopd'syyiffdcu, "facultas et libertas dicendi," an ability and liberty to speak out the things we have conceived: ACyog iv dvo'i^si rou Gro/iarog iv <zaf>'pri<siu, Eph. vi. 19, — " Utterance in the opening of the mouth with boldness," or rather freedom of speech. This in sacred, things, in praying and preaching, is the gift of the Holy Spirit; and as such are we enjoined to pray for it that it may be given unto us or others, as the edification of
312 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
the church doth require. And although this gift may by some be despised, yet the whole edification of the church depends upon it; yea, the foundation of the church was laid in it, as it was an extra- ordinary gift, Acts ii. 4 ; and its superstructure is carried on by it, for it is the sole means of public or solemn intercourse between God and the church. It is so if there be such a thing as the Holy Ghost, if there be such things as spiritual gifts. The matter of them is spiritual light, and the manner of their exercise is utterance.
This gift or ability, as all others of the like nature, may be con- sidered either as to the habit or as to the external exercise of it. And those who have received it in the habit have yet experience of great variety in the exercise, which in natural and moral habits, where the same preparations precede, doth not usually appear; for as the Spirit of grace is free, and acts arbitrarily with respect unto the persons unto whom he communicates the gift himself, for " he di- videth to every man as he will," so he acteth also as he pleases in the exercise of those gifts and graces which he doth bestow. Hence believers do sometimes find a greater evidence of his gracious work- ing in them in prayer, or of his assistance to pray, as also enlarge- ment in utterance, than at other times; for in both he breatheth and acteth as he pleaseth. These things are not their own, nor absolutely in their own power; nor will either the habitual grace they have received enable them to pray graciously, nor their gift of utterance unto edification, without his actual excitation of that grace and his assistance in the exercise of that gift. Both the conceiving and utterance of our desires in an acceptable manner are from him ; and so are all spiritual enlargements in this duty. Vocal prayer, whether private or public, whereof we speak, is the uttering of our desires and requests unto God, called " the making of our requests known unto him/' Phil. iv. 6. This utterance is a gift of the Holy Ghost ; so also is prayer as to the manner of the performance of it, by words in supplication. And if any one say he cannot so pray suit- ably unto his own occasions, he doth only say that he is a stranger to this gift of the Holy Ghost; and if any one will not, by him it is despised. And if these things are denied by any because they un- derstand them not, we cannot help it.
(3.) It is the Holy Spirit that enables men to discharge and perform every duty that is required of them in a due manner, so that without his enabling of us we can do nothing as we should. As this hath been sufficiently confirmed in other discourses on this sub- ject, so we will not always contend with them by whom such funda- mental principles of Christianity are denied or called into question. And he doth so with respect unto all sorts of duties, whether such as are required of us by virtue of especial office and calling, or on
CHAP. VIII.] THE DUTY OF EXTERNAL PRAYER. 313
the more general account of a holy conversation according to the will of God. And vocal prayer is a duty under both these considera- tions; for, —
[1.] It is the duty of the ministers of the gospel by virtue of espe- cial office. " Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks," are to be made in the assemblies of the church, 1 Tim. ii. 1. Herein it is the office and duty of ministers to go before the congre- gation, and to be as the mouth of the church unto God. The nature of the office and the due discharge of it, with what is neces- sary unto the religious worship of public assemblies, manifest it so to be. The apostles, as their example, " gave themselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word," Acts vi. 4. It is there- fore the gift of the Holy Ghost whereby these are enabled so to do; for of themselves they are not able to do any thing. This is one of those "good gifts" which are "from above, and come down from the Father of lights," James i. 17. And these gifts do they receive " for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," Eph. iv. 12. Utterance, therefore, in praying and preaching, is in them the gift of the Holy Ghost with respect unto their office; and that such a gift as those who are utterly destitute of it cannot discharge their office unto the edifi- cation of the church.