'Tis observable, that when the King of Israel was to shoot the Arrow, 1he did put his hand upon the Bow, and Elisha did put his hand upon the Kings hand. So when we go into our Closets, we are to put up our hand, and then the Spirit of God likewise will put his hand upon our hand, he will put his strength to our strength, or rather to our weakness, Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, lifts with us, or helpeth together. The Greek word [Greek or Hebrew] doth properly signify such a help, as when another man of strength and ability steppeth in to sustain the burden that lieth upon our shoulders, be it a log, or a piece of timber, setting his shoulders under it, to lift up, and bear part of it with us, or to help us as the nurse helpeth her little child, upholding it by the sleeve. When a poor Christian sets himself ⟨p. 213⟩to closet prayer, or to mourn, or to believe, or to obey, &c. then the Spirit comes in with new help, and new influences, and new assistances, and so carries him on in all these noble services. That child that doth but stammer at first, in time will speak plainly and fluently. O how many Christians are there, that now can pray with much freedom, liberty and fluency, who at first could only sigh out a prayer, or stammer out a prayer, or weep out a prayer? Thou sayest thou canst not pray, but didst thou but stir up thy self to obey that command, Matth. 6. 6. as well as thou canst thou dost not know but that a power may go forth with the command, that may enable thee to act suitable to the command? In Matth 9. 1,—9. Christ bid the Palsy man rise and walk, Take up thy bed and go unto thine house. The Palsy man might have objected, Alas, I am carried by four, I am not able to stir a limb, much less to rise, but least of all to take up my bed ⟨p. 214⟩and walk, &c. Oh but he rouseth up himself as well as he could, and a power went forth with the command, that enabled him to do what was commanded. So Matth. 12. 10,—14▪ There was a poor man that had a withered hand, and Christ commands him to stretch forth his hand: he might have replied, My hand is withered, and if I might have as many worlds as there be men in the world to stretch it forth, I could not stretch it forth; yea, if my very life, if my very salvation did lie upon stretching forth my withered arm, I could not stretch it forth:
'Tis observable, that when the King of Israel was to shoot the Arrow, 1he did put his hand upon the Bow, and Elisha did put his hand upon the Kings hand. So when we go into our Closets, we are to put up our hand, and then the Spirit of God likewise will put his hand upon our hand, he will put his strength to our streng•h, or rather to our weakness, Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, lifts with us, or helpeth together. The Greek word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 doth properly signifie such a help, as when another man of strength and ability steppeth in to sustain the burden that lieth upon our shoulders, be it a logg, or a piece of timber, setting his shoulders under it, to lift up, and bear part of it with us, or to help us as the nurse helpeth her little child, upholding it by the sleeve. When a poor Christian sets himself ⟨p. 213⟩to closet prayer, or to mourn, or to believe, or to obey, &c. then the Spirit comes in with new help, and new influences, and new assistances, and so carryes him on in all these noble services. That child that doth but stammer at first, in time will speak plainly and fluently. O how many Christians are there, that now can pray with much freedom, liberty and fluency, who at first could only sigh out a prayer, or stammer out a prayer, or weep out a prayer? Thou saiest thou canst not pray, but didst thou but stir up thy self to obey that command, Matth. 6. 6. as well as thou canst thou dost not know but that a power may go forth with the command, that may enable thee to act suitable to the command? In Matth 9. 1,—9. Christ bid the Palsie man rise and walk, Take up thy bed and go unto thine house. The Palsie man might have objected, Alas, I am carried by four, I am not able to stir a limb, much less to rise, but least of all to take up my bed ⟨p. 214⟩and walk, &c. Oh but he rouseth up himself as well as he could, and a power went forth with the command, that enabled him to do what was commanded. So Matth. 12. 10,—14▪ There was a poor man that had a withered hand, and Christ commands him to stretch forth his hand: he might have replied, My hand is withered, and if I might have as many worlds as there be men in the world to stretch it forth, I could not stretch it forth; yea, if my very life, if my very salvation did lie upon stretching forth my withered arm, I could not stretch it forth:
- 12 Kings 13. 16.
