A discourse of the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer with a brief…

Secondly, The matter of our Prayer respects the Depravation of our natures and our wants on that account. The Darkness and Ignorance that is in our Understandings, our unacquaintedness with heavenly things, and Alienation from the Life of God thereby, the secret workings of the Lusts of the mind under the shades and Covert of this darkness; the stubbornness, obstinacy and perverseness of our Wills by nature, with their reluctancies unto, and dislike of things spiritual, with innumerable latent guiles thence arising, all keeping the Soul from a due conformity unto the Holiness of God, are things which Believers have an especial regard unto in their Confessions and Supplications. They know this to be their Duty, and find by experience, that the greatest concernment between God and their Souls, as to Sin and Holiness, do lye in these things. And they are never more jealous over themselves, than when they find their Hearts least affected with them. And to give over treating with ⟨p. 67⟩God about them, for Mercy in their pardon, for Grace in their removal, and the daily Renovation of the Image of God in them thereby, is to renounce all Religion, and all designs of living unto God.

Wherefore without a knowledge, a sense, a due comprehension of these things, no man can pray as he ought, because he is unacquainted with the matter of Prayer, and knows not what to pray for. But this knowledge we cannot attain of our selves. Nature is so corrupted, as not to understand its own depravation. Hence some absolutely deny this Corruption of it, so taking away all necessity of labouring after its cure, and the Renovation of the Image of God in us. And hereby they overthrow the Prayers of all Believers, which the Ancient Church continually pressed the Pelagians withal. Without a sense of these things I must profess, I understand not how any man can pray. And this knowledge, as was said, we have not of our selves. Nature is blind, and cannot see them; it is proud, and will not own them; stupid, and is senseless of them. It is the Work of the Spirit of God alone, to give us a due conviction of, a spiritual insight into, and sense of the Concernment of these things. This I have elsewhere so ⟨p. 68⟩