I take this to be the meaning of it, the Apostle his scope, is to distinguish the true and holy services of God from those that are but shadows, and counterfeit, that are but the body and carcass of right service. Therefore, when he saith. I serve the Lord in my spirit, or I pray in the spirit. The meaning is this, when the prayer of a man is not only that which the understanding dictates to him, but when the whole soul, the will and affection• go together with his petition, and whatsoever the petition is, a mans heart is affected accordingly. As, for example, if a man come to confess his sins, and yet sleights them inwardly in his heart; If a man pray for reconciliation with God, and yet have no longing and sighing in his heart after it, if he earnestly ask grace, and the •ortification of sinful lusts, when the heart doth not inwardly seek it, now he prays not in the spirit. To pray in the spirit is as that in John 4. 24. He will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The m•ning is, so to pray, that the heart 1go together with our petition, also, this is the meaning of that […] •owreth forth his soul before the Lord. So […] saith of her self; I am a woman troubled, &c. And po•re •t my soul before the Lord. That is when a man delivers ⟨p. 8⟩to God that which the understanding and mind ha• devised (for prayer is not a work of […], or of memory,) but when a man poureth forth his whole soul (that is) his will, and affections, when they go together, when there is no reservation in his mind; but when all within him is opened and explicate, and exposed to the view of the Lord, not as […] saith of himself, when he came to pray for the mortifying of his lusts, saith he, I had a secret inward desire that it should not be done. Therefore when the soul is po•red earth, the meaning is, that all •e opened to him; so that when a man wi• make an acceptable prayer, he must make this account, he must then call in all […] thoughts and affections, and collect them together […], o• […] the s•ne 2[…], •nd that makes prayer […]; whereas otherwise, it is but […] thing that hath no strength […] it.
I take this to be the meaning of it, the Apostle his scope, is to distinguish the true and holy services of God from those that are but shadowes, and counterfeit, that are but the body and carcasse of right service. Therefore, when he saith. I serue the Lord in my spirit, or I pray in the spirit. The meaning is this, when the prayer of a man is not onely that which the vnderstanding dictates to him, but when the whole soule, the will and affection• goe together with his petition, and whatsoever the petition is, a mans heart is affected accordingly. As, for example, if a man come to confesse his sinnes, and yet sleights them inwardly in his heart; If a man pray for reconciliation with God, and yet haue no longing and sighing in his heart after it, if hee earnestly aske grace, and the •ortification of sinfull lusts, when the heart doth not inwardly seek it, now he praies not in the spirit. To pray in the spirit is as that in Iohn 4. 24. He will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The m•ning is, so to pray, that the heart 1goe together with our petition, also, this is the meaning of th•t 〈…〉 •owreth forth his soule before the Lord. So 〈…〉 saith of her selfe; I am a woman troubled, &c. And po•re •t my soule before the Lord. That is when a man deliuers ⟨p. 8⟩to God that which the vnderstanding and mind ha• devised (for prayer is not a worke of 〈…〉, or of memory,) but when a man powteth foorth his whole soule (that is) his will, and affections, when they goe together, when there is no reservation in his mind; but when all within him is opened and explicate, and exposed to the view of the Lord, not as 〈…〉 saith of himselfe, when hee came to pray for the mortifying of his lusts, saith he, I had a secret inward desire that it should not bee done. Therefore when the soule is po•red •rth, the meaning is, that all •e opened to him; so that when a man wi make an acceptable prayer, hee must make this accompt, hee must then call in all thoughts and affections, and collect them together , o the sne
- 1John 4. 14Iohn 4. 14
- 2Si•le.
