For the first,1 note what the Prophet saith in Gods name to Jerusalem, hI will pour upon them the spirit of supplications. He calleth the gifts of prayer the spirit of supplications, because it is Gods Spirit which worketh in us this gift, and enableth us to call upon God: in a like respect, Saint Paul useth this phrase,i The Spirit of faith. More plainly is this point proved, by that phrase which Saint Jude useth,k Praying in the holy Ghost: but most evidently bya Saint Paul, who layeth it down, first affirmatively, saying, The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for us: then negatively, saying, We know not what to pray, &c. What may the Apostle mean by this phrase, The Spirit it self maketh intercession? Doth the holy Ghost truly and properly pray for us, as Christ our High Priest and Mediator, or as one of us for another? Noah verily: for then should the holy Ghost be our Mediator (which was one of Arrius his heresies) an office which is never attributed to him, but appropriated to Christ:b For there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Jesus Besides, then also should God make request to God; for the holy Ghost is God, but not man also, as Christ was. The meaning then of the Apostle must needs be this, that the Spirit of God stirreth us up to pray, quickening, and putting life into our dead and dull spirits, yea inwardly, as it were, suggesteth unto us, and infuseth into us such desires, such sighs & groans, yea and such words, as are acceptable to God, which for⟨p. 483⟩ the truth and sincer•••e of them, for the vehemency and ardency of them, for the power and efficacy of them are cunutterable: they pierce through the very heavens, and enter unto the glorious Throne of Gods grace, and there make a loud cry in the ears of the Almighty. Therefore din the next verse the Apostle addeth, he that searcheth the hearts (that is, God the searcher of all hearts) knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit (that is, what desires, what sighs and groans, what prayers proceed from the work of his Spirit, being stirred up thereby in our spirits) for Gods Spirit informeth, and instructeth our spirits to make prayers to God, according to the will of God, which otherwise were most impossible for us to do: we neither could tell what to ask, nor how to ask.
FOr the first,1 note what the Prophet saith in Gods name to Ierusalem, hI will powre vpon them the spirit of supplications. He calleth the gifts of prayer the spirit of supplications, because it is Gods Spirit which worketh in vs this gift, and inableth vs to call vpon God: in a like respect, Saint Paul vseth this phrase,i The Spirit of faith. More plainely is this point proued, by that phrase which Saint Iude vseth,k Praying in the holy Ghost: but most euidently bya Saint Paul, who layeth it downe, first affirmatiuely, saying, The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for vs: then negatiuely, saying, Wee know not what to pray, &c. What may the Apostle meane by this phrase, The Spirit it selfe maketh intercession? Doth the holy Ghost truely and properly pray for vs, as Christ our High Priest and Mediator, or as one of vs for another? Noe verily: for then should the holy Ghost bee our Mediator (which was one of Arrius his heresies) an office which is neuer attributed to him, but appropriated to Christ:b For there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus Besides, then also should God make request to God; for the holy Ghost is God, but not man also, as Christ was. The meaning then of the Apostle must needs bee this, that the Spirit of God stirreth vs vp to pray, quickning, and putting life into our dead and dull spirits, yea inwardly, as it were, suggesteth vnto vs, and infuseth into vs such desires, such sighes & grones, yea and such words, as are acceptable to God, which for⟨p. 483⟩ the truth and sincer•••e of them, for the vehemencie and ardencie of them, for the power and efficacie of them are cvnutterable: they pierce thorow the very heauens, and enter vnto the glorious Throne of Gods grace, and there make a loud crie in the eares of the Almightie. Therefore din the next verse the Apostle addeth, he that searcheth the hearts (that is, God the searcher of all hearts) knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit (that is, what desires, what sighes and groanes, what prayers proceed from the work of his Spirit, being stirred vp thereby in our spirits) for Gods Spirit informeth, and instructeth our spirits to make prayers to God, according to the will of God, which otherwise were most impossible for vs to doe: we neither could tell what to aske, nor how to aske.
- 1Doct. 1. Prayer a work of the holy Ghost.Doct. 1. Praier a work of the holy Ghost.
- hZach. 12. 10.
- i2. Cor. 4. 13.
- kJude v. 20.Iude v. 20.
- aRom 8. 26, 27. Expounded.
- b1. Tim. 2. 5.
- c[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- dRom. 8. 27.
