The divine life in three treatises

When we are commanded to Pray, it includeth a command to Repent and Believe, and Fear the Lord, and Desire his Grace: For Faith and Repentance, and Fear and Desire, are altogether in action in a serious prayer; And, as it were, naturally each one takes his place, and there is a holy order in the acting of these graces in a Christians prayers, and a harmony▪ which he doth seldom himself observe. He that in Meditation knoweth not ⟨p. 177⟩how to be regular and methodical, when he is studiously contriving and endeavouring it, yet in Prayer before he is aware, hath Repentance, and Faith, and Fear, and Desire, and every grace fall in its proper place and order, and contribute its part to the performance of the work. The new nature of a Christian is more immediately and vigorously operative in Prayer, than in many other duties: And therefore every Infant in the family of God can pray (with groaning desires, and ordered graces, if not with well-ordered words:) When Paul began to live to Christ, he began (aright) to pray: Behold he prayeth, saith God to Ananias, Act. 9. 11. And because they are Sons, God sends the Spirit of his Son into the hearts of his Elect, even the Spirit of Adoption, by which they cry Abba Father, Gal. 4. 6. as children naturally cry to their Parents for relief. And Nature is more regular in its works than Art or humane contrivance is. Necessity teacheth many a beggar to pray better for relief to men, than many learned men (that feel not their necessities)▪ can pray to God. The Spirit of God is a better Methodist than we are: And though I know that we are bound to use our utmost care and skill for the orderly actuating of each holy affection in our Prayers, and not pretend the sufficiency of the Spirit for the patronage of our negligence or sloth (for the Spirit makes use of our understandings for the actuating of our wills and affections;) yet withal it cannot be denied, but that it was upon a special reason that the Spirit that is promised to Believers is called a Spirit of Grace and Supplication, Zech. 12. 10. And that it is given us to help our infirmities, even the infirmities of our understanding, when we know not what to pray for as we ought,