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

[Greek or Hebrew] these are properly Supplications for Grace and Mercy in freedom and deliverance from Evil, but by a Synecdoche for all sorts of Prayer whatever. We may therefore enquire in what sense the Holy Spirit of God is called a Spirit of Supplication, or what is the Reason of this Attribution unto him. And he must be so either formally or efficiently, either because he is so in himself, or unto us. If in the former way, then he is a Spirit who himself prayeth, and according to the import of those Hebraisms, aboundeth in that Duty. As a man of wickedness, Isaiah 55. 7. or a man of Blood is a man wholly given to wickedness and violence; So on the other hand, a Spirit of Supplication should be a Spirit ⟨p. 19⟩abounding in Prayer for Mercy, and the diverting of evil, as the word imports. Now the Holy Ghost cannot be thus a Spirit of Supplication, neither for himself nor us. No Imagination of any such thing can be admitted with respect unto himself, without the highest Blasphemy. Nor can he in his own Person make Supplications for us. For besides that any such Interposition in Heaven on our behalf is in the Scripture wholly confined unto the Priestly Office of Christ and his Intercession, all Prayer, whether Oral or Interpretative only, is the Act of a nature inferior unto that which is prayed unto. This the Spirit of God hath not, he hath no Nature inferior unto that which is Divine. We cannot therefore suppose him to be formally a Spirit of Supplication, unless we deny his Deity. He is therefore so Efficiently with respect unto us, and as such he is promised unto us. Our enquiry therefore in General is how or in what sense he is so. And there are but two ways conceivable whereby this may be affirmed of him. (1.) By working Gracious Inclinations and dispositions in us unto this Duty. (2.) By giving a Gracious Ability for the discharge of it in a due manner. These therefore must belong ⟨p. 20⟩unto, and do comprise his Efficiency as a Spirit of Supplication.

〈non-Latin alphabet〉 these are properly Supplications for Grace and Mercy in freedom and deliverance from Evil, but by a Synecdoche for all sorts of Prayer whatever. We may therefore enquire in what sense the Holy Spirit of God is called a Spirit of Supplication, or what is the Reason of this Attribution unto him. And he must be so either formally or efficiently, either because he is so in himself, or unto us. If in the former way, then he is a Spirit who himself prayeth, and according to the import of those Hebraisms, aboundeth in that Duty. As a man of wickedness,