Gifts are gracious vouchsafements of Christ to make grace useful unto ourselves and others ; yea, they may make them useful unto the grace of others, who have no grace in themselves. But as unto our own souls they are of no other advantage or benefit but to stir up grace unto its proper exercise ; and to be a vehicle to carry it on, in its proper use. If we do not always regard this in their exer- cise, we had better be without them. If instead hereof, they once begin to impose themselves practically upon us.
BEING SPIRITUALLY MINDED. 241
SO as that we rest in spiritual light acting our inventions, memories, and judgments, with a ready utterance, or such as it is, there is no form of prayer can be more prejudicial unto our souls. As wine, if taken moderately and seasonably, helps the stomach in digestion, and quickens the natural -spirits, enabling the powers of nature unto their duty, is useful and helpful unto it, but if it be taken in excess, it doth not help nature, but oppress it, and takes on itself to do what nature should be assisted unto ; it fills men's car- cases with diseases as well as their souls with sin. So whilst spiritual gifts are used and employed only to excite, aid, and assist grace in its operations, they are unutterably useful. But if they put themselves in the room thereof, to do all that grace should do ; they are hurtful and pernicious. We have need therefore to be very diligent in this inquiry, whether our spiritual thoughts, even in our prayers, be not rather occasioned from the duty, tlmn spring from a gra- cious principle in our hearts, or are the actings of real saving grace.
2. Where thoughts of spiritual things in prayer are oc- casional only in the way before described, such prayers will not be a means of spiritual growth unto the soul. They will not make the soul humble, holy, watchful, and diligent in universal obedience. Grace will not thrive under the greatest constancy in such duties. It is an astonishing thing to see how under frequency of prayer, and a seeming fervency therein, many of us are at a stand as to visible thriving in the fruits of grace ; and it is to be feared with- out any increase of strength in the root of it. * God's hand is not shortened that he cannot save, nor his ear deafened that he cannot hear,' He is the same as in the days of old, when our fathers cried unto him and were delivered, when they trusted in him and were not confounded. ' Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.' Prayer is the same that it was, and shall lose nothing of its prevalency whilst this world endureth. Whence is it then that there is so much prayer amongst us, and so little suc- cess ? I speak not with respect unto the outward dispensa- tions of divine providence in afflictions or persecutions, wherein God always acts in a way of sovereignty, and oft- times gives the most useful answer unto our prayers by
VOL. XIII. R
242 THE GRACE AND DUTY OF
denying our requests. I intend that only whereof the psalmist giveth us his experience, Psal. cxxxviii. 3. ' In the day when I cried, thou answeredst rae, and strength- enedst me with strength in my soul.' Where prayers are effectual, they will bring in spiritual strength. But the prayers of many seem to be very spiritual, and to express all conceivable supplies of grace ; and they are persisted in with constancy. And God forbid we should judge them to be hypocritical and wholly insincere. Yet there is a defect somewhere, which should be inquired after. For they are not so answered, as that they who pray them, are strength- ened with strength in their souls. There is not that spiri- tual thriving, that growth in grace, which might be expected to accompany such supplications.
I know that a man may pray often, pray sincerely and frequently, for an especial mercy, grace, or deliverance from a particular temptation, and yet no spiritual supply of strength unto his own experience come in thereby. So Paul prayed thrice for the removal of his temptation, and yet had the exercise of it continued. In such a case there may be no defect in prayer, and yet the grace in particular aimed at not be attained. For God hath other holy ends to accomplish hereby on the soul. But how persons should continue in prayer in general, according to the mind of God, so far as can be outwardly discovered, and yet thrive not at all, as unto spiritual strength in their souls, is hard to be understood.
And, which is yet more astonishable, men abide in the duty of prayer, and that in constancy, in their families and otherwise, and yet live in known sins. Whatever spiritual thoughts such men have in and by their prayers, they are not spiritually minded. Shall we now say that all such persons are gross hypocrites ; such as know they do but mock God and man ; know that they have not desires nor aims after the things which they mention in their own prayers ; but do these things either for some corrupt end, or at best to satisfy their convictions? Could we thus resolve, the whole difficulty of the case were taken off. For such double minded men have no reason to think ' that they shall receive any thing of the Lord,' as James speaks, chap. i. 7. Indeed they do not. They never act faith with reference unto their