A30158:131
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also,…
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also, or, A discourse touching prayer, from I Cor. 14.15 wherein is briefly discovered 1. What prayer is, 2. What it is to pray with the spirit, 3. What it is to pray with the spirit and with the understanding also / by John Bunyan.
London : Printed for the author, 1663
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Here followeth the Third Thing; to wit,
What it is to pray with the Spirit, and with understanding.
And now to the next thing, What it is to pray with the Spirit, and to pray with the Understanding also. For the Apostle put a clear distinction between praying with the Spirit, and praying with the Spirit and Understanding. Therefore when he saith, he will pray with the Spirit, he addeth, and I will pray with the Understanding [also.] This distinction was occasioned through the Corinthians not observing, that it was their duty to do what they did to the Edification of themselves, and others too; whereas they did it for their own commendations. So I judge. For many of them having extraordinary gifts, as to speak with divers tongues, &c. therefore they ⟨p. 59⟩were more for those mighty gifts, than they were for the edifying of their Brethren; which was the cause that Paul wrote this Chapter to them, to let them understand, that though extraordinary gifts were excellent, yet, to do what they did to the edification of the Church, was more excellent. For (saith the Apostle) if I will pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding (and also the understanding of others) is unfruitful. Therefore, I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Understanding also, 1 Cor. 14. 4, 5, - 12, 13, 14, 15, &c. read the scope of the whole Chapter.
And now to the next thing, What it is to pray with the Spirit, and to pray with the Understanding also. For the Apostle put a clear distinction between praying with the Spirit, and praying with the Spirit and Understanding. Therefore when he saith, he will pray with the Spirit, he addeth, and I will pray with the Understanding [also.] This distinction was occasioned through the Corinthians not observing, that it was their duty to do what they did to the Edification of themselves, and others too; whereas they did it for their own commendations. So I judge. For many of them having extraordinary gifts, as to speak with divers tongues, &c. therefore they