Yet not in these respects only, but in every possible view, we should " be building up ourselves on our most holy faith," and be daily manifesting our progress, and " making our pro- fiting to appear" to all around us.]
At the same time be " praying continually in the Holy Ghost' —
[Of ourselves we can do nothing : our sufficiency even for a good thought, must be of God alone ^: and from him it must be sought by earnest prayer. " He will be inquired of by us, before he will do for us" what in his covenant of grace he has promised to us ^. If we ask not, we cannot have ^ : but, if we ask in faith, we shall have our joy increased to the full'. We must therefore go to God continually ; seeking from him in the first instance the " spirit of grace and supplications''," by whose gracious influences alone we can approach him in an accept- able manner, and pray to him as we ought. " That blessed Spirit will help our infirmities;" and though he may not give us that fluency of utterance, or that enlargement of heart, which we may desire, " he will make intercession in us with groan- ings which cannot be uttered'," but which will enter the ears of our heavenly Father, " who knoweth the mind of the Spirit"^," and will answer the petitions which are so dictated by him.
We are not indeed to expect any miraculous aid from the Holy Spirit : but a gracious influence we may expect ; as St. Paul says, "Pray always with all prayer and siipplication in the Spirit^." Nor need we be concerned whether we address our God in words conceived at the moment, or in a precomposed form: it is the frame of mind which God regards: and, if that be spiritual, our prayer, even though it consist only of a sigh, or a groan, shall come up with acceptance before him°,
and
** Gal. V. 2, -i. * 1 Pet. i. 8, 9 ^2 Cor. iii. 5.
' Ezek- xxxvi. 37- ** Jam iv. 2. ' John xvi. 24.
" Zech. xii. 10. ' Rom. viii. 26. '" ib. ver. 27.
" pph. vi. 1^.. " i's. xxxviii. 9.